Step 3: Deploy an Amazon EC2 instance to manage your AWS Managed Microsoft AD Active Directory - AWS Directory Service
Optional: Create a DHCP options set in AWS-DS-VPC01 for your directoryCreate a role to join Windows instances to your AWS Managed Microsoft AD domainCreate an Amazon EC2 instance and automatically join the directoryInstall the Active Directory tools on your EC2 instance

Step 3: Deploy an Amazon EC2 instance to manage your AWS Managed Microsoft AD Active Directory

For this lab, we are using Amazon EC2 instances that have public IP addresses to make it easy to access the management instance from anywhere. In a production setting, you can use instances that are in a private VPC that are only accessible through a VPN or AWS Direct Connect link. There is no requirement the instance have a public IP address.

In this section, you walk through the various post-deployment tasks necessary for client computers to connect to your domain using the Windows Server on your new EC2 instance. You use the Windows Server in the next step to verify that the lab is operational.

Optional: Create a DHCP options set in AWS-DS-VPC01 for your directory

In this optional procedure, you set up a DHCP option scope so that EC2 instances in your VPC automatically use your AWS Managed Microsoft AD for DNS resolution. For more information, see DHCP options sets.

To create a DHCP options set for your directory

  1. Open the Amazon VPC console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/vpc/.

  2. In the navigation pane, choose DHCP Options Sets, and then choose Create DHCP options set.

  3. On the Create DHCP options set page, provide the following values for your directory:

    • For Name, type AWS DS DHCP.

    • For Domain name, type corp.example.com.

    • For Domain name servers, type the IP addresses of your AWS provided directory's DNS servers.

      Note

      To find these addresses, go to the AWS Directory Service Directories page, and then choose the applicable directory ID. On the Details page, identify and use the IPs that are displayed in DNS address.

      Alternatively, to find these addresses, go to the AWS Directory Service Directories page, and choose the applicable directory ID. Then, choose Scale & share. Under Domain controllers, identify and use the IPs that are displayed in IP address.

    • Leave the settings blank for NTP servers, NetBIOS name servers, and NetBIOS node type.

  4. Choose Create DHCP options set, and then choose Close. The new set of DHCP options appear in your list of DHCP options.

  5. Make a note of the ID of the new set of DHCP options (dopt-xxxxxxxx). You use it at the end of this procedure when you associate the new options set with your VPC.

    Note

    Seamless domain join works without having to configure a DHCP Options Set.

  6. In the navigation pane, choose Your VPCs.

  7. In the list of VPCs, select AWS DS VPC, choose Actions, and then choose Edit DHCP options set.

  8. On the Edit DHCP options set page, select the options set that you recorded in Step 5, and then choose Save.

Create a role to join Windows instances to your AWS Managed Microsoft AD domain

Use this procedure to configure a role that joins an Amazon EC2 Windows instance to a domain. For more information, see Joining an Amazon EC2 Windows instance to your AWS Managed Microsoft AD Active Directory.

To configure EC2 to join Windows instances to your domain

  1. Open the IAM console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/iam/.

  2. In the navigation pane of the IAM console, choose Roles, and then choose Create role.

  3. Under Select type of trusted entity, choose AWS service.

  4. Immediately under Choose the service that will use this role, choose EC2, and then choose Next: Permissions.

  5. On the Attached permissions policy page, do the following:

    • Select the box next to the AmazonSSMManagedInstanceCore managed policy. This policy provides the minimum permissions necessary to use the Systems Manager service.

    • Select the box next to AmazonSSMDirectoryServiceAccess managed policy. The policy provides the permissions to join instances to an Active Directory managed by AWS Directory Service.

    For information about these managed policies and other policies you can attach to an IAM instance profile for Systems Manager, see Create an IAM instance profile for Systems Manager in the AWS Systems Manager User Guide. For information about managed policies, see AWS Managed policies in the IAM User Guide.

  6. Choose Next: Tags.

  7. (Optional) Add one or more tag key-value pairs to organize, track, or control access for this role, and then choose Next: Review.

  8. For Role name, enter a name for the role that describes that it is used to join instances to a domain, such as EC2DomainJoin.

  9. (Optional) For Role description, enter a description.

  10. Choose Create role. The system returns you to the Roles page.

Create an Amazon EC2 instance and automatically join the directory

In this procedure you set up a Windows Server system in a EC2 instance that can be used later to administer users, groups, and policies in Active Directory.

To create an EC2 instance and automatically join the directory

  1. Open the Amazon EC2 console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/ec2/.

  2. Choose Launch Instance.

  3. On the Step 1 page, next to Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Base - ami-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx choose Select.

  4. On the Step 2 page, select t3.micro (note, you can choose a larger instance type), and then choose Next: Configure Instance Details.

  5. On the Step 3 page, do the following:

    • For Network, choose the VPC that ends with AWS-DS-VPC01 (for example, vpc-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | AWS-DS-VPC01).

    • For Subnet choose Public subnet 1, which should be preconfigured for your preferred Availability Zone (for example, subnet-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx | AWS-DS-VPC01-Subnet01 | us-west-2a).

    • For Auto-assign Public IP, choose Enable (if the subnet setting is not set to enable by default).

    • For Domain join directory, choose corp.example.com (d-xxxxxxxxxx).

    • For IAM role choose the name you gave your instance role in Create a role to join Windows instances to your AWS Managed Microsoft AD domain, such as EC2DomainJoin.

    • Leave the rest of the settings at their defaults.

    • Choose Next: Add Storage.

  6. On the Step 4 page, leave the default settings, and then choose Next: Add Tags.

  7. On the Step 5 page, choose Add Tag. Under Key type corp.example.com-mgmt and then choose Next: Configure Security Group.

  8. On the Step 6 page, choose Select an existing security group, select AWS DS Test Lab Security Group (which you previously set up in the Base tutorial), and then choose Review and Launch to review your instance.

  9. On the Step 7 page, review the page, and then choose Launch.

  10. On the Select an existing key pair or create a new key pair dialog box, do the following:

    • Choose Choose an existing key pair.

    • Under Select a key pair, choose AWS-DS-KP.

    • Select the I acknowledge... check box.

    • Choose Launch Instances.

  11. Choose View Instances to return to the Amazon EC2 console and view the status of the deployment.

Install the Active Directory tools on your EC2 instance

You can choose from two methods to install the Active Directory Domain Management Tools on your EC2 instance. You can use the Server Manager UI (recommended for this tutorial) or Windows PowerShell.

To install the Active Directory tools on your EC2 instance (Server Manager)

  1. In the Amazon EC2 console, choose Instances, select the instance you just created, and then choose Connect.

  2. In the Connect To Your Instance dialog box, choose Get Password to retrieve your password if you haven’t already, and then choose Download Remote Desktop File.

  3. In the Windows Security dialog box, type your local administrator credentials for the Windows Server computer to log in (for example, administrator).

  4. From the Start menu, choose Server Manager.

  5. In the Dashboard, choose Add Roles and Features.

  6. In the Add Roles and Features Wizard, choose Next.

  7. On the Select installation type page, choose Role-based or feature-based installation, and then choose Next.

  8. On the Select destination server page, make sure that the local server is selected, and then choose Next.

  9. On the Select server roles page, choose Next.

  10. On the Select features page, do the following:

    • Select the Group Policy Management check box.

    • Expand Remote Server Administration Tools, and then expand Role Administration Tools.

    • Select the AD DS and AD LDS Tools check box.

    • Select the DNS Server Tools check box.

    • Choose Next.

  11. On the Confirm installation selections page, review the information, and then choose Install. When the feature installation is finished, the following new tools or snap-ins will be available in the Windows Administrative Tools folder in the Start menu.

    • Active Directory Administrative Center

    • Active Directory Domains and Trusts

    • Active Directory Module for Windows PowerShell

    • Active Directory Sites and Services

    • Active Directory Users and Computers

    • ADSI Edit

    • DNS

    • Group Policy Management

To install the Active Directory tools on your EC2 instance (Windows PowerShell) (Optional)

  1. Start Windows PowerShell.

  2. Type the following command. 

    Install-WindowsFeature -Name GPMC,RSAT-AD-PowerShell,RSAT-AD-AdminCenter,RSAT-ADDS-Tools,RSAT-DNS-Server