AZ-800 Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure Exam

Provision and Configure AD DS Users and Groups

Provisioning and configuring Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) users and groups is essential for managing access within on-premises and Azure hybrid environments. It involves creating user objects, group objects, and computer accounts to represent individuals and services. By organizing these objects, administrators can apply policies and permissions effectively. This process ensures that only authorized identities can access network resources, supporting security and compliance.

Organizational Units (OUs) are logical containers that group related AD DS objects. By placing users, groups, and computers in specific OUs, administrators can assign targeted group policies and permissions. Two default OUs in Azure AD Domain Services are:

• AADDC Computers: Contains domain-joined computer objects.
• AADDC Users: Holds synchronized users and groups from Microsoft Entra.
  Creating custom OUs allows for further segmentation by department, function, or location.

To manage AD DS resources, administrators use several administrative tools. The Active Directory Users and Computers console provides a graphical interface for creating and modifying objects. The Active Directory Administrative Center offers modern management features like fine-grained password policies. PowerShell modules such as AzureAD or ActiveDirectory allow automation through commands like New-ADUser and Add-ADGroupMember. Automating tasks speeds up configuration and reduces the chance of human error.

Effective access control uses group scopes and nested groups. Group scopes determine where a group can be used and include:

• Global groups: Hold users and can be assigned to any group in the same domain.
• Domain local groups: Grant permissions to resources in their own domain.
• Universal groups: Span multiple domains in a forest.
  Nesting groups (adding groups to other groups) simplifies role-based access and eases delegation.

In hybrid deployments, on-premises AD DS synchronizes with Azure AD Domain Services to keep identities consistent. Tools like Azure AD Connect or PowerShell commands handle synchronization of attributes such as sAMAccountName and objectGUID. Service principals and administrative groups are created in Microsoft Entra to manage cloud-based resources while preserving on-prem permissions. Ensuring proper synchronization avoids mismatches that can break access or authentication flows.

Conclusion

In this section, we covered how to provision and configure AD DS users and groups. We looked at organizational units, administrative tools, group scopes, and hybrid synchronization. Proper object organization, automation, and grouping ensure streamlined and secure access management across on-premises and Azure. By mastering these concepts, administrators can enforce role-based access, delegate tasks, and maintain synchronization in hybrid environments. Effective AD DS management is key to a robust core infrastructure.