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Azure VM: Merge Multiple Domain Controllers Into Azure Nested Virtualized VMs (Part 3)

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Series

This article is a part of a series. (Part 1), (Part 2)

<<Part 2

Introduction

In part 2 we enable the Hyper-V role, set up the internet connectivity for the guest VM, and finally, we create the nested Virtual Machine. In part 3 we will see how to Install Windows Server 2019, enable and make the final configurations to the Domain Controller Role.

Windows Server 2019 Installation

1. Select Language And Other Preferences

At the first step, select Language to install, Time and currency format, Keyboard or input method and Click Next >,

At the next form click Install Now,

2. Activate Windows

At the second step, type the [Product Key] and click Next

3. Operating System Selection

At third step select the operating system and click Next

4. End User License Agreement (EULA)

Read the Applicable notices and licenses terms, check  the checkbox "I accept the license terms", and click Next

5. Installation Type

Click the button "Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)"

Check the drive that Windows installed and click Next

Windows Installation starts and after few minutes, Windows Server will be ready to use.

 

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Network Adapter Configuration

After Windows installation finished the first thing we MUST do is to configure the Nested VM network adapter.

Note

To set the DNS values of this Virtual Machine, we have to configure our DC to use static addresses (192.168.0.9 and 172.25.96.254 in this example). Then, we supply these addresses in the network adapter.

Setup Static IP Address (as the image below shows)

And disable the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6)

Azure VNet DNS Server Configuration

After the On-Premises nested Virtual Machine connects with VPN Client on the Azure VNet.
From the Virtual Network main blade, select Settings - DNS Servers, and type the IP Addresses from  On-premise Nested Virtual Machine and the P2S VPN IP Address.
After we saved the DNS Server setting, download the VPN Client to the Azure nested Virtual Machine.

 

Note

Both ends (On-Premise Nested VM & Azure Nested VM) MUST be connected to the Point-To-Site VPN [This direction ONLY applies to this demo]

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Domain Controller Role

In the previous step, we successfully complete the OS, and we are ready to move forward by enable the Domain Controller Role and make all the required configurations for the DC replication.

1. Add Roles and Features Wizard

This wizard will help us enable the domain controller role on the Windows Azure Virtual Machine. We just need to follow the next steps.

2. Select installation type

At the next form leave the default selection "Role-based or feature-based installation", and click Next >

3. Select destination server

At 3rd step, click Next >

4. Select Server Roles

Select the Active Directory Domain Services role and click Next>

5. AD DS

Also, we click Next > in this step,

6. Confirmation

Check that the correct feature will install and click Install to begin

7. Results

By following the wizard steps, the role installation starts

 

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Domain Controller Configuration

The last part of this case is to configure the Domain Controller. At the following steps, we are able to complete the scenario by making a replica of the on-premises Domain Controller.

1. Deployment Configuration

At the first wizard page click select... to Add a domain controller to an existing domain, type the domain name, e.g cloudopszone.com and click Next >

2. Domain Controller Options

Select Domain Name System (DNS) server, **Global Catalog (GC), **from the Site Name drop-down menu select Default-First-Site-Name, type the Directory Services Restore Mode password and click Next>

3. DNS Options

Do **NOT **check Update DNS delegation and click Next>

4. Additional Options

Select from the Replicate from the drop-down menu, the name of the On-Premises Domain Controller name.

5. Paths

In this post, we use the default paths, BUT the suggested method is to use a different drive NOT the system.

6. Review Options

Check the Review Options, select [View script] to get the configuration as a PowerShell script, and click Next >

7. Prerequisites Check

Check the results from the Prerequisites Check and if everything is OK, click Install to begin the installation.

8. Results

At the final step, we get the message that the server was successfully configured as a domain controller.  

Click the button Close, and now the replication has started! You can check the users in the Domain Controller User folder.

Note

Nested Virtual Machine will be rebooted automatically.

 

At the last image, we can see that all the users from the On-Premises Nested VM replicated to the Azure Nested VM domain controller.

 

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Conclusion

In this post series, we read a somewhat complicated scenario, with an on-premises Nested Domain Controller Virtual Machine and another Nested Domain Controller VM in an Azure VM, connected each other with a Point-To-Site VPN (Site-To-Site VPN is the BEST option).

 

See Also

 

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