Introduction

This report explains the complete setup process of Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) on Windows Server 2022 for a SOC lab environment. The setup includes changing the server name, assigning a static IP address, installing AD DS, promoting the server to a Domain Controller, and creating domain users. These configurations are important for centralized authentication, user management, DNS services, and stable communication between Windows, Kali Linux, Ubuntu, and other client systems connected in the lab.

Index

1. Change Server Name

2. Configure Static IP Address

3. Install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)

4. Promote Server to Domain Controller

5. User Creation in Active Directory

6. Conclusion

1. Change Server Name

· Open Server Manager

Server Manager was opened to access the local server configuration settings. Changing the default server name helps identify the machine easily in the network and is considered a best practice in enterprise environments.

· Rename the Server

After changing the server name, the system was restarted to apply the changes successfully. The updated server name “Win2022Server” can be seen in the screenshot below.

The computer name was modified according to the lab environment requirement. A meaningful server name makes administration, monitoring, and troubleshooting easier when multiple systems are connected in the SOC lab.

· Restart the Server

After changing the computer name, the server was restarted so the new name could be applied successfully across the operating system and network services.

2. Configure Static IP Address

· Importance of Static IP Address

o Ensures reliable communication between servers and client systems.

o Active Directory requires a permanent IP address for authentication services.

o Improves DNS performance and stability.

o Prevents connectivity issues caused by changing IP addresses.

o Simplifies remote management and administration.

o Provides consistent security monitoring and logging.

o Required for critical services like AD DS, DNS, DHCP, and SIEM tools.

o Allows Kali Linux, Ubuntu, and Windows clients to connect reliably in the SOC lab.

o Supports stable Group Policy and domain services.

o Considered a best practice in enterprise server environments.

· Check Current Network Configuration

The ‘ipconfig’ and ‘ipconfig /all’ commands were executed in Command Prompt to view the current IP address, DNS configuration, DHCP status, and network adapter details.

Now type command ipconfig /all

· Identify Available IP Address

The command ‘arp -a | more’ was used to view reserved IP addresses in the subnet. This helped avoid IP conflicts while selecting a new static IP address for the server.

· Assign Static IP Address

The IP addresses 10.0.2.2 and 10.0.2.255 were identified as reserved within the subnet. Therefore, the available IP address 10.0.2.17 was selected and assigned as the static IP address for the server.

The IP address 10.0.2.17 was manually configured through IPv4 settings. A static IP address is required because Active Directory and DNS services depend on stable and consistent network communication.

Navigate to Control Panel → Network and Internet → Network and Sharing Center → Change Adapter Settings to access and configure the network adapter settings.

Open the Ethernet adapter settings, right-click on the Ethernet connection, and select “Properties” to configure the network settings.

Double Click on ipv4.

The static IP address 10.0.2.17 was configured along with the subnet mask 255.255.255.0. The default gateway was also set as the preferred DNS server, and an additional Google DNS server IP address was configured to ensure reliable network and internet connectivity. After entering all the values, click “OK” to save the settings.

Next, execute the “ipconfig” command to verify and confirm the newly assigned IP configuration.

Next, verify the internet connectivity by running the command “ping youtube.com”. A successful response indicates that the internet connection is working properly.

The PC is now configured with a static IP address, meaning the IP will remain unchanged even after the system is restarted.

3. Install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)

· Open Add Roles and Features Wizard

Server Manager was used to launch the ‘Add Roles and Features’ wizard, which allows administrators to install server roles and management features.

· Select Role-Based Installation

The Role-based or Feature-based installation option was selected because AD DS needs to be installed directly on the current Windows Server system.

· Select Active Directory Domain Services

The AD DS role was selected from the server roles list. This role provides centralized authentication, authorization, user management, and domain services for the organization.

· Install Required Features

Windows automatically selected the required management tools and supporting features needed for Active Directory Domain Services to function properly.

The installation process was completed successfully, and the server became ready for Domain Controller promotion.

4. Promote Server to Domain Controller

· Promote Server to Domain Controller

After installing AD DS, the server was promoted to a Domain Controller. A Domain Controller manages authentication, policies, users, and devices within the domain.

· Creating a New Forest

A new Active Directory forest was created because this was the first Domain Controller in the environment. The forest acts as the top-level container for all domain objects.

Domain name: shivanicompany.com

· Configure Root Domain Name

A root domain name was entered to establish the identity of the Active Directory environment. This domain name will be used by all connected users and systems.

Click on next and then install.

· Install and Restart

The installation wizard validated all configurations before completing the setup. The server restarted automatically after successful Domain Controller installation.

· DNS Configuration

During the domain controller setup, the DNS role was automatically installed and configured.

o DNS service used for domain name resolution

o All domain clients rely on this server (10.0.2.17) for authentication

o Ensures proper communication between systems

· Login Using Domain Environment

After restart, the login screen changed to the domain-based authentication screen, confirming that the server was successfully configured as a Domain Controller.

5. User Creation in Active Directory

· Open Active Directory Users and Computers

This administrative tool was used to manage users, groups, computers, and other objects inside the Active Directory environment.

Click on “Active Directory User and Computers”.

· Create New User Accounts

New domain users were created for authentication and access management purposes. These users can now log in to systems connected to the domain.

· Configure User Passwords

Passwords were assigned to the user accounts to ensure secure authentication and controlled access to network resources.

· Verify User Creation

The created users were verified successfully within the Active Directory console, confirming proper account creation and domain integration.

At the end of this phase:

• The Domain Controller was fully operational

• Active Directory and DNS were configured

• Users were successfully created

• The environment was ready for client integration

6. Conclusion

The Windows Server 2022 system was successfully configured with Active Directory Domain Services and promoted to a Domain Controller. A static IP address was assigned to provide stable communication, and domain user accounts were created successfully. This setup creates a strong foundation for centralized authentication, device management, security policy enforcement, and secure communication within the SOC lab environment. The configured environment can now be integrated with Windows clients, Kali Linux, Ubuntu, Wazuh, and other cybersecurity tools for further lab implementation and monitoring.

Hacker4help Amish Patel Keyur Rey Patel

1. Objective

The objective of this document is to demonstrate the step-by-step installation of Windows Server 2022 on a virtual machine using Oracle VM VirtualBox as part of a SOC lab setup.

2. Prerequisites

• System with minimum 16 GB RAM
• Oracle VM VirtualBox installed

3. Installation Steps

Step 1: Download Windows Server 2022 ISO

The Windows Server 2022 ISO file was downloaded from the Microsoft Evaluation Center.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2022

Step 2: Create New Virtual Machine

A new virtual machine was created in VirtualBox with the following configuration:

• Name: Win2022Server or WinServer2022
• Type: Microsoft Windows
• Version: Windows 2022 (64-bit)

In VM folder Specify the folder path on the local system where the virtual machine will be stored. The storage location can be customized based on user preference

The downloaded ISO file was attached to the virtual machine via the storage settings.

Step 3: Allocate Memory (RAM) and CPU

Memory was allocated to ensure smooth performance of the virtual machine.

• Allocated RAM: 4300 MB (or based on system capacity)
• CPU Allocation: 2 processors

Two CPU cores were allocated to enhance the virtual machine’s performance and support efficient multitasking during lab operations.

Step 4: Create Virtual Hard Disk

A virtual hard disk was created to store the operating system and files.

• Disk Type: VDI
• Storage: Dynamically Allocated
• Size: 50 GB

Step 5: Start Virtual Machine & Windows Setup

The virtual machine was started, and the Windows Server installation process began.

The Windows Setup screen appeared, where language, time, and keyboard preferences were selected.

The installation process was initiated by clicking the “Next” button

Step 6: Select Operating System

Windows Server 2022 Standard Evaluation (Desktop Experience) was selected to enable GUI-based interaction.

Windows Server 2022 offers multiple editions such as Datacenter Evaluation and Standard. The Datacenter edition is designed for large-scale enterprise environments with advanced virtualization and networking features. However, for this SOC lab setup, the Standard (Desktop Experience) edition is selected as it provides all necessary core server features with a GUI, making it more suitable for beginners and lab practice.

Step 7: Choose Installation Type

The “Custom: Install Microsoft Server Operating System only (Advanced)” option was selected.

Step 8: Disk Selection

The available virtual disk was selected for installation.

Click “Next”.

Step 9: Installation Process

The Windows Server installation process started and required some time to complete.

Step 10: Set Administrator Password

After installation, the Administrator account password was configured.

Step 11: Login to System

The system was successfully installed and accessed using the Administrator credentials.

After the installation was completed, the Windows Server login screen was displayed. However, direct keyboard input from the host machine does not work immediately within the virtual machine.

To interact with the virtual machine, the input was captured by clicking inside the VM window. The Ctrl + Alt + Delete command was then sent using Input → Keyboard → Insert Ctrl + Alt + Delete, which enabled login to Windows Server.

4. Conclusion

Windows Server 2022 was successfully installed on a virtual machine using VirtualBox. This setup will be used further for SOC lab activities such as log monitoring, security configuration, and integration with SIEM tools like Wazuh.

Hacker4help, Keyur, Amish Patel