Week 1 – Windows Server AD & GPO Lab

Project Overview

This lab demonstrates hands-on experience in setting up an enterprise-style Active Directory environment using VMware. The goal was to implement organizational units (OUs), role-based Group Policy Objects (GPOs), and domain-joined clients to enforce company policies and user permissions.

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Environment

• VMware Workstation
• Windows Server 2016 (Domain Controller)
• Windows 10 (Client Machine)

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Tasks Completed

1. Virtual Machine Setup

• Created two VMs:
  • Windows Server 2016 (Server)
  • Windows 10 (Client)
• Configured networking for domain communication

2. Server Role Installation & Organizational Setup

• Installed:
  • Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
  • Domain Name System (DNS)
  • Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)
• Created an OU structure for 3 locations, each with HR, IT, and Admin departments
• Applied unique desktop wallpapers for each department
• Configured GPOs:
  • IT → Full access (Read/Write/Delete)
  • HR → Read & Write only
  • Admin → Read-only
• Created users per department with role-based permissions:
  • Administrator → Full access
  • Registered User → Change desktop & Remote Desktop settings
  • Guest → Login only

3. Domain Registration

• Joined Windows 10 client to the Active Directory domain

4. Validation & Testing

• Verified:
  • GPOs applied correctly
  • Permissions enforced per role
  • Department-specific wallpapers appear
• Documented evidence in Word file

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Key Skills Demonstrated

• Windows Server Administration
• Active Directory & OU structure design
• GPO management and role-based access control
• VMware virtual machine setup
• User permissions & policy enforcement
• Documentation of IT projects

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📂 Proof

All screenshots and detailed implementation steps are documented in the attached Word file:
Week1-AD-GPO-Lab.docx

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