Join a Windows VM manually to a domain

Join a Windows VM manually to a domain

This document shows you how to install Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT), and then join a Windows VM to a Managed Microsoft AD domain.

Before you begin

Before you begin, complete the following tasks:

• Create an Active Directory domain as explained in Create a domain.

• Create a Windows VM.

  • Create the VM with a version of Windows that is supported by Managed Microsoft AD.
  • Create the VM in the project that hosts your Managed Microsoft AD domain. If there is a Shared VPC that is an authorized network, you can alternatively create the VM in any of its service projects.
  • Create the VM on a VPC network that is peered with the Managed Microsoft AD domain.

Installing Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)

Before you can join the VM to the domain, you must install the necessary tools on it. You only need to complete these additional steps once per Managed Microsoft AD domain.

To install the RSAT that are required for Active Directory, complete the following steps:

1. Connect to the Windows VM.

2. On the Windows VM, open the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

3. In the wizard, advance to the Select features page. You can select Features from the sidebar or select Next until you reach it.

4. On the Select features page, in the Features list, expand Remote Server Administration Tools, and then expand Role Administration Tools.

5. Under Role Administration Tools, select AD DS and AD LDS Tools. This enables the following features:

   • Active Directory module for Windows PowerShell
   • AD LDS Snap-Ins and Command-Line Tools
   • Active Directory Administrative Center
   • AD DS Snap-Ins and Command-Line Tools

6. Optional: You may also want to enable the following features:

   • Group Policy Management
   • DNS Server Tools (under Role Administration Tools)

7. Close the wizard.

Joining a Windows VM to a domain

With RSAT installed, you can now join the Windows VM to the Managed Microsoft AD domain.

To join the VM to the domain, you need the following information:

• The domain name of your Managed Microsoft AD domain.

• The username and password for an account that has the permissions that are required to join a VM to the domain. By default, members of the Cloud Service Domain Join Accounts group have this permission. Learn about the groups that Managed Microsoft AD creates for you.

What's next

• Join a Windows VM automatically to a domain (Preview).

• Manage Active Directory objects for your Managed Microsoft AD domain.

• Connect to a Managed Microsoft AD domain.

• Learn about the delegated administrator account.