Practicing Active Directory

Question

What is the best way to practice Active Directory? I am transitioning careers and want to get some hands on practice with AD so bear with me if my question is unclear. Would the Azure free trial be the best way to do that or should I use the free trial for Windows Server? I read somewhere that you could use preconfigured images for practice on Azure but it wasnt very obvious from the Azure Portal UI how to do that. Do they mean using credits in the marketplace to pay for running Windows Server as a VM?

Answer 1

Hello @macaframalama

The best way to practice Active Directory would be to set up a test environment on your own computer or on a cloud-based platform such as Microsoft Azure. Azure offers a free trial that allows you to set up virtual machines (VMs) running Windows Server, which would be suitable for practicing Active Directory.

You can also use pre-configured images for Windows Server and Active Directory from the Azure Marketplace, which you can deploy as a VM using your free trial credits. This will give you a hands-on experience with Active Directory and the ability to experiment and test different configurations.

Additionally, you can also find online resources like Microsoft's official documentation, and online tutorials or courses to familiarize yourself with AD. Some of the learn module helpful are listed below:

• Learn Module for Active Directory Domain Services
• Learn Module to Implement and manage Active Directory Certificate Services
• Learn Module for Troubleshoot Active Directory

I hope this helps.

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