We’re excited to officially announce the release of Fundamentals of Active Directory – Hands-On Lab Guide, a brand-new publication authored by Cristal Kawula and published by MVPDays Publishing. This book is a game-changer for IT professionals, educators, and students who want a hands-on, practical learning experience with Microsoft Active Directory.
Suppose you’ve searched for a comprehensive guide that walks you through Active Directory, from installation to real-world security hardening and domain upgrades. In that case, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. Whether you’re new to the world of identity and access management or an experienced system administrator looking to refine your skills, Fundamentals of Active Directory – Hands-On Lab Guide delivers a practical, scenario-based approach that aligns directly with the needs of today’s hybrid enterprise environments.
A Book Built for Real-World Application
Active Directory (AD) is at the heart of nearly every enterprise IT environment. It’s the foundation of identity, authentication, and authorization across on-premises and cloud-connected systems. However, many professionals struggle to find learning materials beyond basic theory despite its critical importance.
That’s where this book stands apart. Written with clarity and purpose by Cristal Kawula, an IT training and systems administration veteran, this guide is designed around labs that simulate real business scenarios. Readers don’t just read about how Active Directory works—they build, configure, secure, and troubleshoot it as they go.
Why Cristal Wrote This Book
Cristal Kawula has spent over a decade teaching and mentoring IT professionals, often in high-intensity environments where learning had to be immediate and applicable. She realized there was a gap in the market—many resources were either too theoretical, too advanced, or not structured for hands-on learners.
Her answer? This book combines technical depth and hands-on exercises in a clear, guided format that can be used by individuals, classroom instructors, or IT teams building internal training programs.
As Cristal puts it:
“My goal was to create something I wish I had when I first started in IT. I wanted this guide to feel like someone is walking alongside you, helping you understand not just how to click through a wizard—but why it matters, what can go wrong, and how to fix it when it does.”
What’s Inside the Book
Fundamentals of Active Directory – Hands-On Lab Guide is organized into a progression of labs that build on each other. The structure allows learners to work at their own pace while still aligning with real-world objectives they’ll face in the field. Below is a high-level overview of the content.
Getting Started and Lab Access
The book begins by showing readers how to access the lab environment and perform initial configurations. This includes setting up virtual machines and preparing the network—perfect for readers building their first test environment.
Lab 1: Active Directory Design 101
The first lab explores how to review business and technical requirements before deploying Active Directory. Topics include domain and forest design, naming conventions, and understanding AD’s logical components.
Lab 2: Installing Active Directory
Readers move directly into the installation and configuration of domain controllers, including TMDC01 and TMDC02. An instructor-led exercise compares Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC) with ADSI Edit to explain the differences between GUI-level and schema-level AD views.
Lab 3: Exploring Logical Components
This deep-dive lab teaches how users, groups, SIDs, permissions, and the AD schema connect. Exercises cover:
- User creation and security principals
- Default security groups
- Group scopes and types
- Organizational Unit (OU) design
- Cumulative permissions and the effects of deny
- Schema overview and modifications
- Sites and Services configuration
- Structuring an OU hierarchy for GPO targeting
Lab 4: Group Policy
Group Policy is critical in enterprise environments, and this lab ensures readers can configure and troubleshoot it confidently. Topics include:
- Locking down a Remote Desktop Session Host
- Understanding inheritance and policy enforcement
- Examining the SYSVOL folder and GPO replication
Lab 5: Backup and Restore (Optional)
A great bonus for those wanting to practice disaster recovery. This optional lab guides will help through:
- Backing up AD
- Authoritative and non-authoritative restores
- Using the Active Directory Recycle Bin for object recovery
Lab 6: Hardening Windows Server
Security is a central theme throughout the book. In this lab, readers use Microsoft’s Security Compliance Toolkit to apply security baselines to Windows Server 2019/2022 and Windows 10/11 systems. It’s a practical way to introduce readers to Group Policy-based security hardening.
Lab 7: Advanced Active Directory Migration (Optional)
This advanced, optional lab series simulates a complete domain migration from Server 2016 to Server 2022. It covers:
- Validating replication and SYSVOL health
- Running ADPREP to extend the schema
- Promoting new Server 2022 domain controllers
- Transferring FSMO roles
- Demoting legacy DCs
- Configuring external NTP time sources
- Automating time sync via GPO for PDC emulators
- Updating forest and domain functional levels
These labs reflect absolute upgrade paths in production environments, making this a valuable reference for AD modernization projects.
Knowledge Checks and Answer Keys
Each lab section concludes with carefully crafted knowledge check questions that reinforce the concepts and procedures covered. The included answer keys make it easy to validate learning outcomes for instructors or self-learners.
Topic areas include:
- AD architecture and partitions
- Permissions, ACEs, ACLs, and DACLs
- Built-in groups and group types
- Organizational Unit Design
- GPO configuration and troubleshooting
- Backup, restore, and Recycle Bin usage
- Security Compliance Toolkit application
- Active Directory upgrade procedures
Who This Book Is For
This book was written for a wide audience with specific roles and real-world use cases in mind. You’ll benefit most from this book if you are:
- An IT professional or sysadmin looking to deepen your AD skills
- A student or career switcher learning Microsoft infrastructure
- A trainer or educator building a hands-on AD curriculum
- A security engineer tasked with hardening AD environments
- A consultant preparing to perform migrations or upgrades for clients
Whether you’re working in a small business or a large enterprise, the principles and tasks taught in this book are immediately applicable.
What Makes This Book Different
There are many Active Directory resources out there, but few offer the combination of structure, depth, and hands-on realism that this book does. Here are a few things that set it apart:
- It’s lab-based and practical, not just theoretical
- Every lab is written with real-world deployment in mind
- The tone is approachable and instructional, ideal for self-paced learning
- Security and hardening are integrated throughout, not as an afterthought
- Optional advanced content allows you to go further without overwhelming new learners
Available Now from MVPDays Publishing
Fundamentals of Active Directory – Hands-On Lab Guide is now available through MVPDays Publishing and select booksellers. Whether you want a physical copy for the classroom or a digital version for your e-reader or tablet, we’ve got you covered. Fundamentals of Active… by Dave Kawula et al. [PDF/iPad/Kindle]
Final Thoughts
Active Directory continues to be one of the most critical pillars of IT infrastructure worldwide. Knowing how to deploy it securely, manage it efficiently, and upgrade it safely is a core competency every IT professional should possess.
Cristal Kawula has created something truly valuable with this guide. It’s not just a book—it’s a full-fledged training program between two covers. We believe Fundamentals of Active Directory – Hands-On Lab Guide will quickly become a resource for learners, professionals, and organizations.
This is the place to start if you’re ready to master Active Directory in a grounded and hands-on way.
Thanks,
Cristal
