Academic lab · Windows infrastructure
Active Directory Administration & Security
A complete Windows Server 2019 administration lab that connects enterprise identity configuration with operational security and controlled attack awareness.
Lab architecture
Identity, policy, and network services
The domain controller provides the shared control plane used by the managed client.
Infrastructure objective
The lab was built to understand Active Directory as an operating environment: identity, policy, network services, resilience, and security controls had to work together rather than as isolated exercises.
Implemented environment
A VMware deployment paired a Windows Server 2019 domain controller with a Windows 10 client.
- Create the domain, organizational-unit hierarchy, users, groups, and computer objects
- Join the client to the domain and validate authentication
- Apply role-specific Group Policy and privilege assignments
- Configure DHCP scopes, exclusions, leases, gateway, DNS distribution, and reservations
- Implement backup, recovery, and Windows Firewall controls
Security perspective
The project connected administrative configuration to its security consequences. Identity structure, policy scope, group membership, service configuration, and recovery controls were evaluated as parts of the same security boundary.
Engineering value
The result demonstrates practical Windows administration, structured validation, documentation, and an understanding of how configuration decisions shape Active Directory attack surface.