☁️ Basic AD: The Simplest Active Directory Lab

Learn Active Directory on AWS in minutes.

🛑 Read this before starting: This lab creates real AWS resources. By default, it uses t3.micro (Free Tier eligible) but can be upgraded to t3.small (~$0.04/hr) for better performance. Always run the Cleanup step when finished.

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🗺️ What You Are Building

You are deploying a professional Identity Lab directly from your browser.

       (You)
         |
    [ AWS CloudShell ]  <--- (Free Browser Terminal)
         |
         | (Deploys via Terraform)
         v
  +-----------------------------------------+
  |      PRIVATE LAB NETWORK (VPC)          |
  |                                         |
  |   +-------------+     +--------------+  |
  |   | Domain      |<--->| Member       |  |
  |   | Controller  |     | Server       |  |
  |   | (DC01)      |     | (Client01)   |  |
  |   +-------------+     +--------------+  |
  +-----------------------------------------+

• Zero Setup: No local tools to install. No configuration files.
• Secure: Uses AWS Systems Manager (SSM) for access. No public IP addresses required.

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🚀 Step-by-Step Guide

Phase 1: Launch the Lab

Time: ~15 Minutes

1. Log in to AWS:

• Go to the AWS Console.
• Ensure you are in US East (N. Virginia) or your preferred region.

1. Open CloudShell:

• Click the CloudShell icon (>_) in the top navigation bar (near the bell icon).
• Or press Alt + S (Windows) / Option + S (Mac).
• Wait for the terminal to prepare.

1. Run the Deployment:

• Paste the following commands into the terminal and hit Enter:

git clone https://github.com/Hectormalvarez/basic-ad.git
cd basic-ad

# Run with default settings (Free Tier / t3.micro (1GB RAM))
./quickstart.sh

# Recommended: Run with better performance (~$0.04/hr (2GB RAM))
./quickstart.sh t3.small

Note: running .\quickstart.sh without a parameter will default to t3.micro (Free Tier) with only 1GB of RAM. To use a faster instance, run: ./quickstart.sh LARGER_INSTANCE_TYPE

1. Enter a Password:

• When prompted, type a secure password (e.g., SuperSecurePass123!).
• Note: Characters will not appear while typing.

1. Wait for Completion:

• Terraform will build the network and servers.
• The lab takes about 10-15 minutes (Windows needs to reboot twice to promote the Domain Controller).
• Look for the green message: Deployment Complete!

Phase 2: Access the Domain Controller

Once the deployment finishes, you can connect directly from CloudShell.

1. Connect to DC01:

• Run this command in your CloudShell terminal:

./connect.sh

• This uses AWS Systems Manager to open a secure PowerShell session on the Domain Controller.

1. Verify Active Directory:

• Once connected (you will see a PS C:\> prompt), try these commands:

# Check the domain details
Get-ADDomain

# Check DNS records
Get-DnsServerResourceRecord -ZoneName "corp.cloudlab.internal"

Phase 3: Access the Client (Optional)

1. Open a new CloudShell tab (Click the + icon).
2. Navigate to the folder: cd basic-ad
3. Connect to the member server:

./connect.sh client

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❓ Troubleshooting

"CloudShell says 'command not found'"

Ensure you are in the correct directory. Run cd ~/basic-ad and try again.

"Connection failed / Target not connected"

If you try ./connect.sh immediately after deployment, the server might still be booting. Wait 2 minutes and try again.

"Terraform Error: 403 Forbidden / Access Denied"

Your AWS user permissions might be too restricted. Ensure you are using an Admin user or have full EC2/VPC permissions.

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🧹 Cleanup (Crucial!)

Do not skip this. If you leave this running, AWS will charge you for the servers.

1. Go back to your CloudShell terminal.
2. Run this command:

./quickstart.sh destroy

1. Wait for the confirmation: Cleanup Complete!

Tip: If you close CloudShell, your lab is NOT deleted. You must reopen CloudShell, navigate to the folder, and run the destroy command.