Branch Office Scenario
An Active Directory comprises multiple services that run on Microsoft Windows Servers to regulate and manage permissions and login access services to networked resources. The primary function with an Active Directory is the Domain services that stores directory information and controls the interaction of the domain and the user. AD DS controls what resources users can access and with different access levels (Rouse & Gillis, 2018). Having installed Windows server 2012R2 and promoted it to a domain controller, there is thus, the need to create Active Directory User accounts as their roles in the new office and the administrators’ rights.
I shall create the AD DS user’s accounts using the Active Directory Administrative Center. With the Domain Administrator account, log into the Windows Server 2012R2 to access the installed Remote Server Administration Tools. Run ADAC after starting the Server Manager by clicking on the blue icon on the desktop toolbar just next to the start button. From the Server Manager Tools menu, select Active Directory Administrative Center. At the ADAC menu, select and click on Users just below the ad (local) at the left panel. To the right of the Task panel, click on New under the Users panel and select users on the drop-down menu. Fill all the asterisk marked fields in the Create User Dialog box. The next is filling the first name to last name fields as the computer populates the full name field. I shall then fill in the User UPN login to populate SamAccountName automatically. The password should then be entered and confirmed. Click on the refresh button within the ADAC dialog box, and a new user object shall automatically appear in the central panel. All new users should change their passwords (Smith, 2014). For the slow connections with the North American branch, the branch needs to test their machines with an external DNS and set them to ‘Top Sites’ or ‘Full’ depending on the current set-up.