Microsoft Administration 101

Last updated: January 13, 2026

Overview

This comprehensive series covers Microsoft Windows Server administration, identity management, and enterprise infrastructure based on real-world experience deploying and managing production environments. Each article provides in-depth, practical knowledge drawn from actual projects and implementations.

Series Structure

1. Active Directory Fundamentals

Learn the foundation of Windows enterprise environments, including domain structure, organizational units, and the core services that power identity management.

Topics Covered:

• Active Directory Domain Services architecture

• Domain and forest design

• Organizational Units (OUs) and delegation

• Sites and replication

• Domain Controllers and FSMO roles

• Troubleshooting common AD issues

2. AD Groups, Service Accounts, and GPO Deep Dive

Master the essential components for managing users, permissions, and configurations across your enterprise.

Topics Covered:

• AD Group types and strategies

• Service Account management (Standard, MSA, gMSA)

• Group Policy Objects (GPO) structure and design

• GPO best practices and troubleshooting

• Security filtering and WMI filters

• Real-world GPO scenarios

3. Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) Implementation

Build enterprise single sign-on and federated identity solutions with ADFS.

Topics Covered:

• ADFS architecture and components

• ADFS farm deployment

• Relying party trusts configuration

• Claims rules and transformations

• Multi-factor authentication integration

• ADFS monitoring and troubleshooting

4. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) with AD CS

Implement and manage a complete enterprise certificate infrastructure.

Topics Covered:

• PKI architecture and design

• Root and Subordinate CA deployment

• Certificate templates and auto-enrollment

• Certificate lifecycle management

• CRL and OCSP configuration

• Smart card authentication

• Common PKI issues and solutions

5. IIS and Web Application Proxy (WAP) Deployment

Deploy and secure web applications using IIS and protect ADFS with Web Application Proxy.

Topics Covered:

• IIS architecture and application pools

• Website and application configuration

• SSL/TLS certificate binding

• Windows Authentication and Kerberos

• Web Application Proxy setup

• Publishing applications through WAP

• Load balancing and high availability

6. Enterprise Identity Integration Patterns

Bring it all together with complete authentication and authorization flows.

Topics Covered:

• End-to-end authentication flows

• AD + ADFS + IIS integration

• PKI certificate-based authentication

• Conditional access implementation

• Hybrid identity with Azure AD

• Monitoring and logging strategies

Prerequisites

To get the most from this series, you should have:

• Basic understanding of Windows Server

• Familiarity with PowerShell

• Understanding of networking fundamentals (DNS, TCP/IP)

• Access to a lab environment (physical, virtual, or cloud)

Lab Environment Setup

I recommend building a lab environment to practice these concepts:

Minimum Lab Setup

├── DC01 (Domain Controller)
│   ├── Windows Server 2022
│   ├── AD DS, DNS, AD CS
│   └── 4GB RAM, 2 vCPU
├── ADFS01 (Federation Server)
│   ├── Windows Server 2022
│   ├── AD FS
│   └── 4GB RAM, 2 vCPU
├── WEB01 (Web Server)
│   ├── Windows Server 2022
│   ├── IIS
│   └── 4GB RAM, 2 vCPU
└── WAP01 (Web Application Proxy)
    ├── Windows Server 2022
    ├── WAP Role
    └── 2GB RAM, 2 vCPU

Recommended Lab Setup (for full features)

├── DC01 & DC02 (Domain Controllers)
│   └── High availability, replication testing
├── ROOTCA01 (Offline Root CA)
│   └── Root of PKI trust chain
├── SUBCA01 (Issuing CA)
│   └── Online certificate issuance
├── ADFS01 & ADFS02 (ADFS Farm)
│   └── Load balanced federation servers
├── WAP01 & WAP02 (WAP Servers)
│   └── DMZ reverse proxy redundancy
├── WEB01 & WEB02 (IIS Servers)
│   └── Load balanced web applications
└── SQL01 (SQL Server)
    └── ADFS configuration database

How to Use This Series

1. Sequential Learning: Start with Active Directory fundamentals and progress through each article in order

2. Reference Guide: Jump to specific topics as needed for your projects

3. Hands-On Practice: Build lab environments and implement each concept

4. Real-World Application: Adapt examples to your organization's needs

Personal Experience Note

Throughout this series, I share knowledge from:

• Deploying AD forests for organizations ranging from 50 to 5,000+ users

• Implementing ADFS for SaaS application integration

• Building PKI infrastructures for secure communications

• Managing IIS web farms hosting critical business applications

• Troubleshooting production incidents and performance issues

This is practical, battle-tested knowledge – not theoretical concepts.

Tools and Software Referenced

• Windows Server 2019/2022: Primary server OS

• PowerShell 5.1+: Automation and management

• Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC): GUI management

• Group Policy Management Console (GPMC): GPO administration

• AD FS Management Console: ADFS configuration

• Certificate Authority Console: PKI management

• IIS Manager: Web server administration

• Event Viewer: Logging and troubleshooting

• Wireshark: Network traffic analysis

• Sysinternals Suite: Advanced troubleshooting

Contributing and Feedback

While this series is based on personal experience, technology evolves and there's always more to learn. If you find errors or have suggestions, please contribute to improving this content.

Additional Resources

• Microsoft Learn - Windows Server

• Microsoft Learn - Identity and Access

• AD FS Documentation

• Active Directory Certificate Services

---

Ready to master Microsoft enterprise administration? Let's dive in! 🚀