Active Directory Domain Services Specialist Certified

The Active Directory Domain Services Specialist Certified certification validates the following competencies:

Domain 1: Active Directory Architecture and Core Concepts

• Understanding AD DS architecture, components, and schema
• Domain, tree, and forest design
• Functional levels and role of domain controllers
• FSMO roles and operations

Domain 2: Deployment and Configuration of AD DS

• Installing domain controllers on Windows Server
• Configuring domains, forests, and trust relationships
• Managing sites, subnets, and replication topology
• Implementing backup and recovery for AD DS

Domain 3: Identity and Access Management (IAM)

• Creating and managing users, groups, and computer accounts
• Implementing group scopes, group strategies, and delegation
• Managing service accounts and privileges
• Implementing organizational units (OUs) and administrative boundaries

Domain 4: Group Policy Management

• Designing and implementing Group Policy Objects (GPOs)
• Managing policy precedence, inheritance, and filtering
• Configuring security settings, user configurations, and administrative templates
• Troubleshooting GPO processing and applying best practices

Domain 5: AD DS Security and Hardening

• Implementing authentication and authorization mechanisms
• Securing domain controllers and AD DS infrastructure
• Managing password policies and fine-grained password settings
• Detecting and mitigating AD vulnerabilities (Pass-the-Hash, Kerberoasting, etc.)

Domain 6: Integration and Advanced Services

• Integrating AD DS with DNS and DHCP
• Implementing AD Certificate Services (AD CS) basics
• Federation and synchronization fundamentals (AD FS, Azure AD Connect)
• Managing AD DS automation using PowerShell

Domain 7: Troubleshooting and Maintenance

• Diagnosing AD DS replication issues
• Using tools such as dcdiag, repadmin, netdom, and Event Viewer
• Managing metadata cleanup and restoring objects with AD Recycle Bin
• Ensuring continuity through monitoring and maintenance best practices