Windows Server with

AI-Integrated IT Infrastructure
Training for Beginners

A Complete 10-Week Industry-Ready Training Program

From Zero Experience to Job-Ready IT Professional

Version 1.0 | 2025 Edition

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1. Course Overview
This training program is designed to take absolute beginners — people with little or no prior IT
experience — and transform them into job-ready IT professionals capable of managing,
troubleshooting, and optimizing Windows Server-based IT infrastructure. Every lesson is
grounded in real-world scenarios, and each topic is paired with AI tools to accelerate learning
and reflect how modern IT teams actually work.

Course Title
Windows Server with AI-Integrated IT Infrastructure Training for Beginners

Item Details
Duration 10 Weeks (50 working days)
Daily Commitment 4–6 hours per day (theory + lab + AI activity + assignment)
Format Instructor-led / Self-paced hybrid
Level Beginner (no prior IT experience required)
Target Audience Freshers, career changers, aspiring IT admins/support engineers
Delivery Mode Virtual lab environment + cloud sandbox + AI tools
Final Project Capstone: Full corporate IT infrastructure simulation

Target Audience
• School/college graduates with no IT background
• Career changers looking to enter IT infrastructure roles
• Help desk / tech support staff wanting to upskill
• Anyone seeking entry-level Windows Server / Sysadmin roles

Course Objectives
1. Install, configure, and manage Windows Server 2022 in enterprise environments
2. Deploy and administer Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, and Group Policy
3. Manage users, permissions, file services, and storage
4. Apply security hardening and implement backup/recovery strategies
5. Deploy and manage Hyper-V virtualization
6. Monitor server performance and apply structured troubleshooting methodologies

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7. Use AI tools (ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, Claude, etc.) to automate tasks and solve real
IT problems
8. Complete a full capstone project simulating a real company IT infrastructure

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2. Duration Justification — Why 10 Weeks?
The course is set at 10 weeks (50 training days) based on the following rationale:

Factor Justification
Content Depth Windows Server has 12+ major topic areas, each requiring
dedicated labs and practice time
Beginner Audience Zero-experience learners need slower onboarding, concept
reinforcement, and repetition
Hands-On Labs Each topic requires 1–2 days of practical lab work, not just theory
AI Integration Learning to use AI tools alongside IT tasks adds time but multiplies
career value
Project Work Mini-projects mid-course and the capstone require dedicated build
time
Industry Alignment 10-week bootcamp format is the industry standard for entry-level IT
certifications
Below 8 Weeks Would skip critical topics or rush labs, reducing job readiness
Above 12 Weeks Would reduce intensity and risk learner dropout/disengagement

Optimal Duration
10 weeks provides the right balance of depth, practice, project work, and AI integration to
produce genuinely job-ready IT professionals — not just certificate holders.

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3. Module Breakdown

Module 1 — Week 1: IT Fundamentals & Lab Setup

Days covered: Days 1–5
• IT basics: hardware, software, networking
• Windows OS vs Windows Server
• Setting up a virtual lab (VirtualBox/Hyper-V/Azure)
• Introduction to PowerShell
• AI tools orientation

Module 2 — Week 2: Windows Server Installation & Configuration

Days covered: Days 6–10
• Installing Windows Server 2022
• Post-install configuration
• Server Manager & Windows Admin Center
• Remote Desktop & remote management
• Basic PowerShell admin commands

Module 3 — Week 3: Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)

Days covered: Days 11–15
• AD DS concepts: domains, forests, trees
• Installing & configuring AD DS
• Creating and managing OUs, users, groups
• Joining workstations to domain
• AD DS troubleshooting

Module 4 — Week 4: DNS, DHCP & Network Services

Days covered: Days 16–20
• DNS fundamentals and zone types
• Installing & configuring DNS Server
• DHCP concepts and lease management
• Installing & configuring DHCP Server
• Troubleshooting DNS/DHCP issues

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Module 5 — Week 5: Group Policy & User Management
Days covered: Days 21–25
• Group Policy Objects (GPO) fundamentals
• Creating and linking GPOs
• Password & account policies
• Software deployment via GPO
• User and profile management

Module 6 — Week 6: File Services, Storage & Permissions

Days covered: Days 26–30
• NTFS vs Share permissions
• Configuring file servers & shares
• DFS (Distributed File System)
• Storage Spaces & disk management
• Quota management

Module 7 — Week 7: Security & Server Hardening

Days covered: Days 31–35
• Windows Defender & Windows Firewall
• Security baselines and hardening
• Windows Event Log & auditing
• PKI & certificate basics
• Security policy best practices

Module 8 — Week 8: Backup, Recovery & Hyper-V

Days covered: Days 36–40
• Windows Server Backup (WSB)
• Backup strategies and scheduling
• Bare metal and file-level recovery
• Hyper-V installation and VM management
• Hyper-V replication and snapshots

Module 9 — Week 9: Monitoring, Performance & Troubleshooting

Days covered: Days 41–45
• Performance Monitor & Resource Monitor

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 • Event Viewer deep dive
• Windows Admin Center monitoring
• Structured troubleshooting methodology
• Common Windows Server errors & fixes

Module 10 — Week 10: Capstone Project & Real-World Scenarios

Days covered: Days 46–50
• Capstone project: Full company IT setup
• Real-world scenario simulations
• AI-assisted automation and documentation
• Peer review and presentations
• Career preparation & certification roadmap

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4. Detailed Daily Learning Plan
Each day follows a structured 5-part format: Topic → Explanation → Hands-On Task → AI
Activity → Assignment. Every day builds on the previous and moves toward job readiness.

MODULE 1 — IT Fundamentals & Lab Setup (Days 1–5)

Field Details
Day Day 1
Topic Introduction to IT Infrastructure & How Computers Work
Explanation What is IT infrastructure? The role of servers, clients, networks, and storage in a
company. Understanding the difference between a regular PC and a server. Key
terms: CPU, RAM, HDD/SSD, NIC, OS.
Hands-On Task Draw a simple diagram of a company network showing a server, 3 workstations, a
switch, and a router. Label each component.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Explain IT infrastructure to a complete beginner using a simple
Activity office analogy. Include servers, workstations, and networks.' Summarize the
response in your own words.
Daily Research 3 real entry-level IT job listings. List the top 5 technical skills they
Assignment require. Write a 1-page summary of what skills you'll need to develop.
Expected Can explain what IT infrastructure is, name core hardware components, and
Outcome understand what entry-level IT roles expect.

Field Details
Day Day 2
Topic Operating Systems: Windows OS vs Windows Server
Explanation What is an operating system? How does Windows 10/11 differ from Windows
Server 2022? Why do companies use Server editions? Introduction to server roles
and features.
Hands-On Task Compare Windows 11 Pro vs Windows Server 2022 side-by-side using a table
covering: max RAM, server roles, Remote Desktop, domain support, licensing.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Create a comparison table of Windows 11 Pro vs Windows
Activity Server 2022 highlighting the top 10 differences relevant to IT admins.' Format it as
a table.
Daily Write a one-page scenario: A small company is growing from 5 to 50 employees.
Assignment Explain why they need to upgrade from a peer-to-peer network to a server-based
one. Use terms from today's lesson.

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Expected Understands OS fundamentals, can articulate the business case for Windows
Outcome Server, and knows basic server terminology.

Field Details
Day Day 3
Topic Setting Up a Virtual Lab Environment
Explanation What is virtualization? Why use a virtual lab for learning. Installing Oracle
VirtualBox (free). Creating your first VM. Configuring VM settings: RAM, CPU,
disk, network adapters.
Hands-On Task Install Oracle VirtualBox on your computer. Create a new VM with: 4 GB RAM, 2
CPUs, 60 GB dynamic disk. Mount the Windows Server 2022 ISO (evaluation
version). Boot to installer screen.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'I am setting up VirtualBox for Windows Server lab. What are
Activity the optimal VM settings for a beginner learning environment with 16GB host
RAM?' Apply its suggestions.
Daily Screenshot your VirtualBox VM settings screen. Write a short justification (150
Assignment words) for each major setting you chose (RAM, CPU, disk, network). Submit as a
document.
Expected Has a working virtual lab environment. Understands virtualization basics and can
Outcome create/configure VMs.

Field Details
Day Day 4
Topic Introduction to PowerShell for IT Admins
Explanation What is PowerShell? Why IT admins rely on it. Basic concepts: cmdlets,
verbs/nouns (Get-, Set-, New-, Remove-). Running your first commands.
Understanding the pipeline. Help system.
Hands-On Task Open PowerShell as Administrator. Run: Get-Command | Measure-Object; Get-
Process | Sort-Object CPU -Descending | Select-Object -First 10; Get-Service |
Where-Object {$_.Status -eq 'Running'}; $env:COMPUTERNAME. Record
outputs.
AI-Assisted Prompt GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT: 'Generate a PowerShell script that displays:
Activity computer name, OS version, total RAM, disk free space, and top 5 running
processes by CPU.' Run the script and explain each line.
Daily Write a PowerShell script that: displays a welcome banner with today's date,
Assignment shows current user, shows system uptime, lists all running services with 'Server' in
the name. Test it and submit with screenshots.
Expected Can run basic PowerShell commands, understands cmdlet syntax, and has used
Outcome AI to generate a working admin script.

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Field Details
Day Day 5
Topic AI Tools for IT Professionals — Orientation & Best Practices
Explanation Overview of AI tools useful in IT: ChatGPT (concepts, scripts), GitHub Copilot
(code), Claude (documentation, troubleshooting), Microsoft Copilot (Windows/365
integration), Bard/Gemini (research). How to write effective prompts. AI limitations
— when NOT to trust it.
Hands-On Task Create an AI Tools Reference Card covering: name of tool, best use case in IT,
sample prompt, limitations. Test each tool with the same prompt: 'A Windows
Server DNS service stopped. Walk me through diagnosing and fixing it.'
AI-Assisted Use all 3 tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot) to answer the same troubleshooting
Activity question. Compare the quality of responses. Document: which tool gave the most
actionable steps? Which was most accurate?
Daily Write a 1-page 'AI Usage Policy' for a fictional IT department: when to use AI,
Assignment which tools are approved, data privacy rules (never paste client data), verification
requirements before applying AI suggestions.
Expected Knows which AI tools to use for which IT tasks. Can write effective prompts.
Outcome Understands responsible AI use in professional IT environments.

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MODULE 2 — Windows Server Installation & Configuration (Days 6–
10)

Field Details
Day Day 6
Topic Installing Windows Server 2022
Explanation Step-by-step Windows Server 2022 installation. Desktop Experience vs Server
Core. Partition setup. Initial OOBE (Out of Box Experience). Setting Administrator
password.
Hands-On Task Install Windows Server 2022 (Desktop Experience) in your VirtualBox VM.
Complete the full installation. Set a strong Administrator password. Log in and take
a screenshot of Server Manager.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'What are the minimum and recommended hardware
Activity requirements for Windows Server 2022 running as an AD DS server for 50 users?
Include RAM, CPU, and disk.' Compare to your VM settings.
Daily Document the full installation process as a step-by-step SOW (Statement of Work)
Assignment procedure document with screenshots. Write it so a colleague with no experience
could follow it exactly.
Expected Has successfully installed Windows Server 2022. Can document installation
Outcome procedures professionally.

Field Details
Day Day 7
Topic Initial Server Configuration (Post-Install Hardening)
Explanation Setting computer name, IP address (static), time zone. Enabling/configuring
Windows Update. Initial firewall review. Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions (or
VM tools). Server Manager overview.
Hands-On Task Configure your server: Rename it to 'SRV-DC01'. Set static IP: [Link] /
[Link] / Gateway [Link]. Set DNS to [Link]. Set time zone. Run
Windows Update. Restart.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Generate a PowerShell script to configure Windows Server 2022
Activity with: computer name SRV-DC01, static IP [Link], DNS [Link], time
zone Eastern.' Test and run the script.
Daily Create a Server Build Checklist covering the 15 most important post-installation
Assignment configuration steps for a production Windows Server. Include why each step
matters from a security and stability perspective.
Expected Can perform all essential post-install configuration tasks. Has a reusable server
Outcome build checklist and can use AI to generate configuration scripts.

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Field Details
Day Day 8
Topic Server Manager & Windows Admin Center
Explanation Server Manager deep dive: Dashboard, roles/features, events, services,
performance. Introduction to Windows Admin Center (WAC): modern browser-
based management. Adding remote servers. Understanding Server Roles vs
Features.
Hands-On Task In Server Manager: explore all panes (Dashboard, Local Server, All Servers).
Install the Telnet Client feature using Server Manager GUI, then remove it using
PowerShell (Remove-WindowsFeature). Install and connect Windows Admin
Center.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Compare Server Manager vs Windows Admin Center for
Activity Windows Server 2022. When should an IT admin use each tool? Create a
comparison table.' Use the answer to build your own reference guide.
Daily Write a 1-page 'New Server Onboarding Guide' explaining how to use Server
Assignment Manager to: check event logs for errors, view installed roles, monitor CPU/RAM,
and manage services. Include screenshots.
Expected Proficient with Server Manager and WAC. Can install/remove roles and features,
Outcome and navigate server management tools confidently.

Field Details
Day Day 9
Topic Remote Desktop & Remote Management
Explanation Enabling and configuring Remote Desktop (RDP). Network Level Authentication
(NLA). RDP security settings. PowerShell remoting (WinRM). Windows Remote
Management best practices and firewall rules.
Hands-On Task Enable RDP on your server via Server Manager and via PowerShell (Set-
ItemProperty). Create a second Windows 10 VM. Connect to the server via RDP
from the client VM. Enable PSRemoting: Enable-PSRemoting -Force. Test: Enter-
PSSession -ComputerName SRV-DC01.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'List the top 10 security best practices for securing RDP on
Activity Windows Server in an enterprise environment. Include GPO settings, firewall
rules, and MFA options.' Implement at least 3 from the list.
Daily Security scenario: A junior admin accidentally left RDP open to the internet on port
Assignment 3389. Write an incident response report covering: what happened, what risks exist,
immediate mitigation steps, and long-term prevention.
Expected Can enable and secure RDP, configure PowerShell remoting, and apply basic
Outcome remote access security controls.

Field Details
Day Day 10

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Topic PowerShell for Server Administration
Explanation PowerShell modules for server admin. Working with the registry. Managing
services, processes, and scheduled tasks via PowerShell. Script execution policy.
Writing and running .ps1 scripts. Error handling basics.
Hands-On Task Write PowerShell scripts to: (1) Get all services, export to CSV. (2) Check if a
service is running; if not, start it and log to a file. (3) Create a scheduled task that
runs a script at 8 AM daily. (4) Query event log for critical errors in last 24 hours.
AI-Assisted Prompt GitHub Copilot: 'Write a PowerShell script that monitors CPU usage every
Activity 30 seconds. If CPU exceeds 80% for 3 consecutive readings, write an alert to a
log file with timestamp and top processes.' Run and test the script.
Daily Build a 'Server Health Check' PowerShell script that checks: CPU %, available
Assignment RAM, disk space on all drives, top 5 CPU-consuming processes, last 10 error
events. Output a formatted HTML report. Schedule it to run daily.
Expected Can write functional PowerShell scripts for real admin tasks. Has built and
Outcome scheduled an automated server health check tool.

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MODULE 3 — Active Directory Domain Services (Days 11–15)

Field Details
Day Day 11
Topic Active Directory Fundamentals — Concepts & Architecture
Explanation What is Active Directory? Why it is the backbone of every Windows enterprise
network. Core components: Domain, Forest, Tree, OU, DC. AD objects: users,
groups, computers, policies. How authentication works (Kerberos basics). AD vs
workgroup.
Hands-On Task Draw a complete AD diagram for a fictional company 'TechCorp Ltd' with: 1 forest,
1 domain ([Link]), OUs for IT, HR, Finance, Sales. Add sample user
accounts and group objects to each OU.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Design an Active Directory structure for a 200-employee
Activity company with departments: IT, HR, Finance, Sales, Operations. Include OU
hierarchy, group types, and naming conventions.' Use this as a reference for your
lab.
Daily Write a 1-page document explaining Active Directory to a non-technical manager.
Assignment Use an analogy. Explain: what it does, why the company needs it, what happens if
the DC goes down, and how to protect it.
Expected Has a solid conceptual understanding of AD architecture. Can design an OU
Outcome structure and explain AD's business value.

Field Details
Day Day 12
Topic Installing & Configuring Active Directory Domain Services
Explanation Installing the AD DS role. Running dcpromo / Server Manager wizard. Choosing
domain name ([Link]). Setting DSRM password. DNS auto-install with AD
DS. First DC setup and verification.
Hands-On Task Install AD DS role on SRV-DC01 via Server Manager. Promote it to Domain
Controller with domain: [Link]. Verify with: Get-ADDomain; Get-ADForest;
netdom query fsmo. Confirm DNS zones created automatically.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Generate PowerShell commands to install and configure AD DS
Activity on Windows Server 2022, promote to Domain Controller with domain
[Link], and verify the installation was successful.' Follow the steps.
Daily Post-installation verification report: Run and document the output of 10 PowerShell
Assignment commands that verify AD DS is working correctly (domain, DC, FSMO roles,
replication, sites, DNS). Explain what each output means.
Expected Has successfully deployed an AD DS domain controller. Can verify AD health
Outcome using PowerShell and understands FSMO roles.

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Field Details
Day Day 13
Topic Creating & Managing OUs, Users, and Groups
Explanation Organizational Units (OUs): purpose and best practices. Creating OUs via GUI
and PowerShell. User accounts: properties, password policies, expiry. Group
types: Security vs Distribution. Group scopes: DL, GG, UG. Nesting strategy.
Hands-On Task Create OU structure: [Link] > IT, HR, Finance, Sales, Computers, Servers.
Create 10 users (2 per OU). Create security groups per department. Add users to
groups. Verify with Get-ADUser and Get-ADGroup. Set 3 users' passwords to
expire in 30 days.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Write a PowerShell script to bulk create 20 Active Directory
Activity users from a CSV file. Include: first name, last name, username, department, OU,
password, and account enabled status.' Test with a sample CSV.
Daily HR requests 15 new accounts for a batch of new hires. Create a CSV file for all 15
Assignment users and use your bulk-creation script. Document the process. Write a 'New User
Onboarding Procedure' SOP covering AD account creation.
Expected Can create and manage OUs, users, and groups at scale. Has a reusable bulk-
Outcome user-creation script and onboarding SOP.

Field Details
Day Day 14
Topic Joining Workstations to the Domain
Explanation How domain join works. DNS requirement for domain join. Joining a computer via
GUI and PowerShell. Computer accounts in AD. Log on with domain credentials.
Applying computer policies. Testing domain authentication.
Hands-On Task Join your Windows 10 VM to [Link]: Set DNS to [Link]. Join via
System Properties GUI. Verify computer object in AD Computers container. Log in
as a domain user. Move computer to 'Computers' OU. Join a second VM using
PowerShell: Add-Computer.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'A Windows 10 computer fails to join the domain with error 0x54B
Activity - The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted. List the top
10 causes and step-by-step diagnostic commands for each.' Work through the
troubleshooting steps.
Daily Scenario: 30 new laptops must be domain-joined before Monday. Write a step-by-
Assignment step Domain Join Runbook for a technician including: pre-requisites, DNS check,
join steps, verification, and what to do if it fails.
Expected Can join workstations to a domain via GUI and PowerShell. Has a domain join
Outcome runbook ready for real-world deployment.

Field Details
Day Day 15

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Topic Active Directory Troubleshooting & Health Checks
Explanation Common AD issues: replication failures, SYSVOL not sharing, FSMO
seizure/transfer, time sync problems, locked accounts, DNS mismatches. AD
diagnostic tools: dcdiag, repadmin, netlogon log, Event Viewer AD events.
Hands-On Task Run: dcdiag /test:all /v; repadmin /showrepl; repadmin /replsummary; net time
/querysntp; nltest /dsgetdc:[Link]. Intentionally break DNS (wrong IP) and
document the error. Fix it and retest.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'A user reports they cannot log in to the domain. It was working
Activity yesterday. Give me a step-by-step troubleshooting flowchart covering: user
account, DNS, DC availability, network, kerberos, and SYSVOL.' Build the
flowchart.
Daily Create an AD Health Check Checklist with 20 items an admin should verify
Assignment weekly. For each item, include: what to check, which tool/command to use, what a
healthy result looks like, and what to do if it fails.
Expected Can diagnose and resolve common AD issues. Has a professional AD health
Outcome check checklist usable in real production environments.

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MODULE 4 — DNS, DHCP & Network Services (Days 16–20)

Field Details
Day Day 16
Topic DNS Fundamentals — How Name Resolution Works
Explanation What DNS does and why it matters. DNS hierarchy: root, TLD, authoritative.
Record types: A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, PTR, SRV, NS, SOA. Forward vs Reverse
lookup zones. DNS resolution process step by step. nslookup and Resolve-
DnsName.
Hands-On Task Use nslookup and Resolve-DnsName to query: A record for [Link], MX
record for [Link], reverse lookup for [Link], SRV record for
_ldap._tcp.[Link]. Document all results. Draw the DNS resolution process
for '[Link]'.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Explain the DNS resolution process step by step for a user on
Activity workstation PC01 typing \\fileserver01 in Windows Explorer. Include: local cache,
hosts file, recursive query, iterative query, and final answer.' Create a flowchart
from the explanation.
Daily A company's email stopped working after a DNS change. Write a troubleshooting
Assignment guide covering: how to check MX records, verify DNS propagation, test SMTP via
telnet, check PTR records, and validate SPF records.
Expected Has a solid understanding of DNS concepts, record types, and resolution process.
Outcome Can perform DNS queries and diagnostics.

Field Details
Day Day 17
Topic Configuring DNS Server on Windows Server 2022
Explanation Installing DNS Server role. Creating Forward Lookup Zones. Adding A, PTR,
CNAME records. Reverse Lookup Zones. Configuring Forwarders. Conditional
forwarders. Zone transfers. Scavenging and aging.
Hands-On Task In DNS Manager: Create Forward zone [Link]. Create Reverse zone for
192.168.1.x. Add A records for: SRV-DC01 ([Link]), FILE-SRV01
([Link]), PRINT-SRV01 ([Link]). Add CNAME 'intranet' pointing to
FILE-SRV01. Configure forwarder to [Link]. Test all records with nslookup.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Write PowerShell commands to: create a DNS forward lookup
Activity zone, add A records, add a CNAME record, configure forwarders, and enable DNS
scavenging on Windows Server 2022.' Run and verify each command.
Daily A new application server is being added. The app team provides: hostname APP-
Assignment SRV01, IP [Link], needs a CNAME 'appportal', needs an MX record for
[Link]. Create all DNS records and write a DNS Change Request
document.

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Expected Can plan, deploy, and manage DNS on Windows Server. Has practical experience
Outcome with real record types and configurations.

Field Details
Day Day 18
Topic DHCP Fundamentals & Server Installation
Explanation What DHCP does. DORA process: Discover, Offer, Request, Acknowledge. Lease
time. Scope: address range, exclusions, reservations. DHCP options (default
gateway, DNS, etc.). Split scope / failover. Why static vs dynamic IPs matter.
Hands-On Task Install DHCP Server role. Create scope: Name 'LAN-Scope', Range
[Link]–[Link], Subnet [Link], Exclusion [Link]–
[Link] (reserved for printers). Options: Router [Link], DNS
[Link], Lease 8 days. Authorize DHCP in AD. Activate scope.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'A network has 3 departments each with a /24 subnet. Design a
Activity DHCP strategy including: separate scopes per subnet, appropriate lease times per
use case, reservation strategy, and failover configuration. Provide PowerShell
commands.' Use as a design reference.
Daily The IT manager asks you to plan DHCP for a new office with: 80 workstations, 15
Assignment IP phones, 5 printers, 10 servers. Design the DHCP plan: scopes, ranges,
exclusions, reservations, options, lease times. Justify each decision.
Expected Understands DHCP thoroughly. Has deployed a working DHCP scope and can
Outcome design DHCP infrastructure for real networks.

Field Details
Day Day 19
Topic Advanced DHCP — Reservations, Failover & Troubleshooting
Explanation DHCP reservations vs static IPs. DHCP failover (active/passive, load balance).
DHCP policies. DHCP audit logs. Common DHCP issues: scope exhaustion,
rogue DHCP, lease conflicts, IP conflicts.
Hands-On Task Create 3 reservations for your printer and servers (MAC address based).
Configure DHCP failover with a second server (or simulate). Review DHCP audit
logs: C:\Windows\System32\dhcp. Test: disconnect a client, change MAC,
reconnect — does it get a new IP or reserved one?
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'A company reports users are getting IP conflict errors and
Activity some users cannot connect to the network. DHCP scope is [Link]-200
with 100 addresses. There are 85 devices. Give me a step-by-step diagnostic and
resolution plan.' Work through it.
Daily Scenario: Monday morning, 40 users cannot access the network. DHCP scope
Assignment shows 0 available addresses. Write an Incident Report covering: immediate fix,
root cause analysis, short-term fix, and long-term prevention plan.
Expected Can configure DHCP reservations and failover. Can troubleshoot DHCP

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Outcome exhaustion and conflict scenarios with a structured approach.

Field Details
Day Day 20
Topic Networking Fundamentals for IT Admins
Explanation OSI and TCP/IP model refresher. Subnetting basics: CIDR notation. VLANs
concept. Common ports: 80, 443, 22, 3389, 53, 67/68, 389, 636, 445.
Troubleshooting tools: ping, tracert, netstat, ipconfig, pathping, Test-
NetConnection.
Hands-On Task Run: Test-NetConnection -ComputerName SRV-DC01 -Port 389 (LDAP). netstat -
an | findstr ESTABLISHED. tracert [Link]. ipconfig /all. Document every field.
Calculate: How many hosts in [Link]/26? What's the broadcast address?
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Create a networking quick-reference guide for Windows Server
Activity admins covering: top 20 ports to know, ping/tracert/netstat command examples
with what to look for, and common network error codes with their meaning.' Save
as your reference card.
Daily Users on the [Link]/24 segment cannot reach the server at [Link].
Assignment Connectivity between segments worked last week. Write a network
troubleshooting guide using all the tools covered today. Include a step-by-step
checklist.
Expected Has foundational networking knowledge required for Windows Server admin. Can
Outcome use network diagnostic tools and interpret their output.

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MODULE 5 — Group Policy & User Management (Days 21–25)

Field Details
Day Day 21
Topic Group Policy — Concepts & Architecture
Explanation What is Group Policy? GPO hierarchy: Local > Site > Domain > OU (LSDOU).
Computer vs User configuration. GPO processing order and inheritance. Block
Inheritance, Enforce (No Override). Loopback processing. GPMC introduction.
Hands-On Task Open GPMC on SRV-DC01. Explore Default Domain Policy and Default Domain
Controllers Policy. Right-click domain > 'Group Policy Modeling Wizard'. Run it for
a test user and document which policies apply. Understand 'Resultant Set of
Policy' (RSoP).
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Explain Group Policy processing order (LSDOU) with a real
Activity example of a user in the Finance OU getting policies from: local, domain, and OU
levels. What happens when policies conflict? Include WMI filtering and loopback
processing.' Summarize key points.
Daily Design a Group Policy plan for TechCorp with 4 departments. For each
Assignment department, list 5 policies that make sense for their role (e.g., IT gets admin rights,
HR gets screen lock after 5 min, Finance gets USB block). Justify each policy.
Expected Understands GPO architecture and processing order. Can navigate GPMC and
Outcome model policy application for users and computers.

Field Details
Day Day 22
Topic Creating & Linking Group Policy Objects
Explanation Creating GPOs from scratch. Linking GPOs to OUs. Editing GPO settings:
Administrative Templates, Security Settings, Software Settings. Testing GPO
application: gpupdate /force and gpresult. Common GPO settings every admin
must know.
Hands-On Task Create 3 GPOs: (1) 'Desktop Wallpaper' — force company wallpaper for all users.
(2) 'Disable USB Storage' — prevent USB drives in Finance OU. (3) 'Map Network
Drive' — auto-map \\SRV-DC01\Finance to drive F: for Finance users. Link each to
the correct OU. Run gpupdate /force and verify.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Generate Group Policy settings and the exact GPO path location
Activity for these requirements: disable CMD for non-admin users, restrict Control Panel to
IT only, configure screensaver with 10-min timeout and lock, block access to
specific websites.' Implement 2 of these.
Daily The security team requests a 'Security Baseline GPO' for all workstations. Create
Assignment the GPO and configure: password complexity, account lockout after 5 attempts,
disable guest account, restrict local admin group, enable audit policy for logon
events. Document each setting.

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Expected Can create, configure, link, and verify GPOs. Has implemented real security-
Outcome focused group policies used in production environments.

Field Details
Day Day 23
Topic Password & Account Lockout Policies
Explanation Fine-Grained Password Policies (FGPP) vs domain-level password policy. PSO
(Password Settings Object). Account lockout: threshold, duration, reset counter.
Password complexity rules. Checking effective policy on a user. Password
auditing.
Hands-On Task Configure Default Domain Policy: min password length 12, complexity on, max
age 90 days, lockout threshold 5 attempts, lockout duration 30 min. Create a Fine-
Grained Password Policy 'Admin-PSO': min length 16, max age 45 days, lockout
3. Apply to Domain Admins group.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'What are current NIST SP 800-63B recommendations for
Activity password policy in enterprise environments? How do they differ from traditional
complexity rules? Generate a Windows Server PSO configuration matching NIST
guidelines.' Compare to what you configured.
Daily You receive a call: a domain admin account has been locked out 5 times in 10
Assignment minutes from an unfamiliar IP. Write an Incident Response Procedure for a
suspected brute-force attack on an admin account, including immediate steps and
preventive measures.
Expected Can configure both domain-level and fine-grained password policies. Understands
Outcome modern password best practices and account security.

Field Details
Day Day 24
Topic Software Deployment via Group Policy
Explanation Deploying software via GPO using MSI packages. Computer vs User
assigned/published software. Software Installation node. Verifying deployment
with event logs and gpresult. Removing deployed software. SCCM/Intune
overview as alternatives.
Hands-On Task Create a network share \\SRV-DC01\Software. Copy 7-Zip MSI to the share.
Create GPO 'Deploy 7-Zip'. Configure: User Config > Software Installation > New
Package. Link to IT OU. Log into a domain workstation as an IT user. Verify
software installed. Remove the package via GPO.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Compare software deployment methods for enterprise Windows
Activity environments: GPO MSI deployment vs SCCM vs Microsoft Intune vs
chocolatey/winget. Include pros/cons, scale, complexity, and which to use when.'
Use the comparison in a 1-page recommendation document.
Daily Finance department needs Adobe Reader and VLC Media Player deployed to all
Assignment Finance workstations by Friday. Plan the entire deployment: share setup, GPO

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 creation, testing plan, rollback procedure, and verification method. Write a
deployment runbook.
Expected Can deploy MSI packages via GPO across OUs. Has a framework for planning
Outcome and executing software deployments in enterprise environments.

Field Details
Day Day 25
Topic User Profiles, Roaming Profiles & Folder Redirection
Explanation Local vs Roaming profiles. Profile types and locations. Configuring Roaming
Profiles via GPO. Folder Redirection: Desktop, Documents, Downloads to a server
share. Mandatory profiles. Profile issues: profile corruption, size bloat, sync
failures.
Hands-On Task Create a share \\SRV-DC01\Profiles with correct permissions. Configure Roaming
Profiles for the Finance OU via GPO. Create \\SRV-DC01\Redirected. Configure
Folder Redirection for Desktop and Documents. Log in/out as a Finance user.
Verify profile saved to server.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'A user roaming profile is 4.5 GB causing very slow login times
Activity (3–4 minutes). Give me a step-by-step plan to diagnose the issue, reduce profile
size, and prevent it from growing again. Include GPO settings and PowerShell
commands.' Implement the GPO settings.
Daily Write a 'User Profile Management Standard' document for TechCorp covering:
Assignment when to use roaming vs local profiles, profile size limits, folder redirection policy,
profile backup procedure, and what to do when a profile is corrupted.
Expected Can configure roaming profiles and folder redirection. Has a user profile
Outcome management standard ready for a real organization.

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MODULE 6 — File Services, Storage & Permissions (Days 26–30)

Field Details
Day Day 26
Topic NTFS Permissions — The Complete Guide
Explanation NTFS vs Share permissions — and how they combine. NTFS permission types:
Full Control, Modify, Read & Execute, List, Read, Write. Inheritance. Allow vs
Deny. Effective permissions. Best practice: AGDLP model (Accounts into Global
groups, into Domain Local groups, assign to Permission).
Hands-On Task Create folder C:\Data\Finance. Set NTFS permissions: Finance-GG group gets
Modify, HR-GG gets Read, IT-GG gets Full Control. Test by logging in as users
from each group. Verify effective permissions using 'Advanced > Effective Access'
tab. Check with Get-Acl in PowerShell.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Explain the AGDLP permission model for Active Directory with a
Activity step-by-step example for a Finance file share. Show the exact group nesting,
NTFS permission assignment, and how to implement it with PowerShell.' Build the
AGDLP model in your lab.
Daily A user complains they cannot access the Finance folder but they're in the Finance
Assignment group. Create a troubleshooting checklist with 10 steps to diagnose NTFS/Share
permission issues, covering: group membership, inheritance, explicit deny, cached
credentials, and share permissions.
Expected Thoroughly understands NTFS permissions and the AGDLP model. Can diagnose
Outcome and resolve complex permission issues.

Field Details
Day Day 27
Topic File Servers, Shares & Share Permissions
Explanation Creating SMB shares. Share vs NTFS permissions combining (most restrictive
wins). Hidden shares (ADMIN$, C$). Share permissions vs NTFS: when each
applies. Best practice: share = Full Control for authenticated users, control via
NTFS only. Connecting to shares via UNC path.
Hands-On Task Install File and Storage Services role. Create shares: \\SRV-DC01\Finance
(Finance group), \\SRV-DC01\IT (IT group), \\SRV-DC01\Company (Everyone
Read). Set Share permission to Full Control for Authenticated Users. Restrict via
NTFS. Test from client VM with different user accounts.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Write PowerShell commands to: create a shared folder, set
Activity share permissions, set NTFS permissions using AGDLP, verify permissions, and
list all shares with their permissions on a Windows Server 2022.' Test each
command.
Daily New department setup: HR needs a shared folder where: all HR staff can
Assignment read/write their own files, HR managers can read everyone's files, IT can manage

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 the folder, no other user can access it. Design and implement the permission
structure. Document every step.
Expected Can design and implement file server permission structures using best practices.
Outcome Comfortable with SMB shares and combined permissions.

Field Details
Day Day 28
Topic DFS — Distributed File System
Explanation What is DFS and why it matters. DFS Namespace vs DFS Replication. DFS-N:
namespace, roots, folders, targets. DFS-R: replication groups, multi-site sync.
Benefits: location transparency, high availability, load balancing.
Hands-On Task Install DFS role. Create DFS Namespace: \\[Link]\Data. Add folders:
Finance (target: \\SRV-DC01\Finance), IT (target: \\SRV-DC01\IT). Access via
namespace path from client. Configure DFS Replication between two server
paths. Verify replication.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'A company has offices in New York and London. Both need
Activity access to the same file share. Design a DFS solution with namespace and
replication. Include: replication topology, schedule, bandwidth throttle, and conflict
resolution. Provide PowerShell setup commands.' Design the solution.
Daily A company is migrating from old file server FILE-SRV-OLD to new FILE-SRV-
Assignment NEW. Using DFS, write a migration plan that: keeps users working, gradually
shifts traffic to new server, allows rollback, and requires zero downtime.
Expected Understands DFS Namespaces and Replication. Can design and implement DFS
Outcome for enterprise file access and multi-site redundancy.

Field Details
Day Day 29
Topic Storage Management — Disks, Volumes & Storage Spaces
Explanation Basic vs Dynamic disks. Volume types: simple, spanned, striped, mirrored, RAID-
5. Storage Spaces: virtual disks, resilience (mirror, parity). Disk Management GUI
vs diskpart vs PowerShell. Adding new disks. Extending volumes.
Hands-On Task Add 3 virtual disks (20 GB each) to your VM. Open Disk Management: initialize
disks, create simple volume on Disk 2. Using Storage Spaces: create a new pool
with all 3 disks, create a 2-way mirror virtual disk, format as NTFS with label
'DataPool'. Verify in File Explorer.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Compare Windows Storage Spaces vs traditional RAID for a
Activity small business with 4 disks. Cover: setup complexity, performance, resiliency,
rebuild time, and cost. Which is better for a file server hosting 50 users? Provide
Storage Spaces PowerShell commands.' Document the comparison.
Daily Design a storage solution for TechCorp's file server: 200 GB expected data, needs
Assignment to survive 1 disk failure, needs to be expandable, runs Windows Server 2022.

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 Recommend disk configuration, Storage Spaces setup, volume layout, and backup
integration. Justify every decision.
Expected Can plan and implement server storage using Disk Management and Storage
Outcome Spaces. Understands RAID-like resiliency options on Windows Server.

Field Details
Day Day 30
Topic File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) — Quotas & File Screens
Explanation What is FSRM? Quota management: hard vs soft quotas, quota templates. File
screening: preventing forbidden file types (MP3, EXE, AVI). Reports: disk usage,
file screening violations. Storage reports scheduling. Notifications and alerts.
Hands-On Task Install FSRM role. Create a Quota Template: 500 MB hard quota with email
notification at 85%. Apply to \\SRV-DC01\Finance. Create a File Screen: block
Audio and Video file groups from all shares. Test: copy an MP3 to the Finance
share (should be blocked). Test: exceed quota and trigger alert.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Write PowerShell commands to configure FSRM: install the role,
Activity create a 1GB soft quota with warning at 80%, create a file screen blocking
executable files, and schedule a weekly disk usage report.' Run and verify all
commands.
Daily Storage report: run an FSRM storage report on your file server. Write a 'Storage
Assignment Governance Policy' for TechCorp covering: per-department quotas, forbidden file
types, report frequency, escalation process when quota is exceeded, and
enforcement steps.
Expected Can configure FSRM quotas and file screens. Has written a storage governance
Outcome policy applicable to real enterprise environments.

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MODULE 7 — Security & Server Hardening (Days 31–35)

Field Details
Day Day 31
Topic Windows Defender & Windows Firewall
Explanation Windows Defender Antivirus on Server: real-time protection, scheduled scans,
exclusions. Windows Defender Firewall: inbound/outbound rules, profiles (Domain,
Private, Public). Advanced Firewall (WFAS): rule types, connection security rules.
Managing via GPO and PowerShell.
Hands-On Task Open WFAS: review existing rules. Create inbound rule: allow port 8080 TCP for
custom app. Create outbound rule: block traffic to a test IP. Review and document
all rules with 'Action=Block'. Run a Defender quick scan via PowerShell: Start-
MpScan -ScanType QuickScan. Check threat history.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Create a Windows Firewall rule configuration for a Windows
Activity Server 2022 web server that: allows HTTP (80) and HTTPS (443) inbound, allows
RDP only from the IT subnet [Link]/24, blocks all other inbound, and allows
all outbound. Provide PowerShell commands.' Implement the rules.
Daily Security audit: export all firewall rules on your server (Get-NetFirewallRule |
Assignment Export-Csv). Review them. Write a Firewall Audit Report identifying: any overly
permissive rules, any rules that should be tightened, and 5 recommended changes
with justification.
Expected Can configure Windows Defender and firewall rules for a production server. Has
Outcome performed a real firewall audit.

Field Details
Day Day 32
Topic Windows Event Log & Security Auditing
Explanation Event Log channels: System, Application, Security. Event IDs every admin must
know: 4624 (logon), 4625 (failed logon), 4648 (explicit creds), 4740 (account
lockout), 7045 (new service), 4720 (user created). Enabling advanced audit policy.
Filtering and querying events via PowerShell.
Hands-On Task Enable audit policy via GPO: audit logon events (success+failure), audit object
access (NTFS folder), audit policy change. Trigger a failed logon 3 times. Find
Event ID 4625 in Security log. Export last 100 security events to CSV using
PowerShell. Find all 4625 events in last 24 hours.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Write a PowerShell script that: queries Event Log for failed logon
Activity attempts (ID 4625) in the last 24 hours, groups by username, flags accounts with
more than 3 failures, and outputs a report. Also check for Event ID 7045 (new
service installs).' Run the script.
Daily Simulated incident: Security team found 847 Event ID 4625 failures for the
Assignment 'administrator' account in 3 hours. Write a formal Security Incident Report: what

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 happened, severity, evidence (event log data), immediate response, root cause,
and preventive controls.
Expected Can configure and interpret Windows Security auditing. Has written a security
Outcome incident report from real event log analysis.

Field Details
Day Day 33
Topic Server Hardening — Security Baselines
Explanation What is security hardening? CIS Benchmarks for Windows Server. Microsoft
Security Baselines. Key hardening areas: services, SMB settings, NTLMv2,
Kerberos, SMB signing, unnecessary roles, local admin, UAC, AppLocker. Attack
surface reduction.
Hands-On Task Download Microsoft Security Compliance Toolkit. Review Windows Server 2022
baseline GPO. Apply key settings: disable SMBv1 (Set-SmbServerConfiguration -
EnableSMB1Protocol $false), disable LLMNR (GPO), enable SMB signing, disable
Print Spooler if not needed, enable Credential Guard basics.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Generate a server hardening checklist for Windows Server
Activity 2022 based on CIS Benchmark Level 1. Include the GPO path or PowerShell
command for each setting. Cover: account policies, network settings, remote
access, services, and auditing.' Use as your hardening runbook.
Daily Perform a hardening review of your lab server. Against the checklist, mark each
Assignment item as: Compliant, Non-Compliant, or N/A. For each Non-Compliant item, explain
the risk and the remediation step. Produce a Hardening Assessment Report.
Expected Has applied real security hardening to a Windows Server using industry-standard
Outcome baselines. Can produce a hardening assessment report.

Field Details
Day Day 34
Topic PKI Basics & Certificates on Windows Server
Explanation What is PKI? Certificates: purpose, structure, CA hierarchy. Root CA vs
Subordinate CA. Certificate templates. Enrolling computers and users. HTTPS
with self-signed vs CA cert. Common certificate errors and fixes. Certificate MMC
([Link], [Link]).
Hands-On Task Install Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS) role as Enterprise Root CA
(TechCorp-CA). Issue a computer certificate to your workstation via
autoenrollment GPO. Open [Link] on the workstation to verify. Create a
simple HTTPS website on IIS and bind a certificate issued by TechCorp-CA.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Explain PKI certificate lifecycle management in enterprise
Activity environments: issuance, renewal, revocation, CRL/OCSP. Generate PowerShell
commands to: check all certificates expiring in 60 days on a Windows Server,
export a certificate, and revoke one.' Run the expiry check.

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Daily A user gets a certificate error accessing the internal HR portal. Write a Certificate
Assignment Troubleshooting Guide covering: checking if cert is expired, verifying CA trust
chain, checking revocation, fixing common errors
(NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID, HRESULT 0x800b0109), and how to
issue a new cert.
Expected Understands PKI fundamentals and can deploy an enterprise CA. Can
Outcome troubleshoot certificate issues in real-world scenarios.

Field Details
Day Day 35
Topic Security Best Practices — Least Privilege, Tiering & Privileged Access
Explanation Principle of Least Privilege. Admin tiering model (Tier 0/1/2). Privileged Access
Workstations (PAW). Admin accounts vs standard user accounts. Just-Enough-
Administration (JEA). Protected Users group. Credential Guard. Common attack
paths: Pass-the-Hash, Pass-the-Ticket.
Hands-On Task Implement RBAC in AD: create Admin tier accounts (JohnSmith-ADM for AD
admin, JohnSmith for daily use). Add to correct groups. Configure Protected Users
group for Domain Admins. Create a JEA endpoint allowing a junior admin to
restart only one specific service without full admin rights.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Explain how a Pass-the-Hash attack works on Active Directory,
Activity step by step. What are the exact defenses using: Protected Users group,
Credential Guard, tiered admin model, and network segmentation? How would you
detect it in event logs?' Write a security advisory document.
Daily Write a 2-page Privileged Access Management (PAM) Policy for TechCorp
Assignment covering: admin account naming convention, where admin accounts can log in,
admin workstation requirements, password standards for admin accounts, and
what happens when someone violates the policy.
Expected Understands privileged access security and can implement a tiered admin model.
Outcome Has a PAM policy ready for a real organization.

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MODULE 8 — Backup, Recovery & Hyper-V (Days 36–40)

Field Details
Day Day 36
Topic Backup Fundamentals & Windows Server Backup
Explanation Types of backup: full, incremental, differential. RPO (Recovery Point Objective) vs
RTO (Recovery Time Objective). Windows Server Backup (WSB): installation,
configuration. Backup targets: local disk, network share, USB. Volume Shadow
Copy Service (VSS).
Hands-On Task Install Windows Server Backup feature. Configure a full server backup to a
network share: \\SRV-DC01\Backups. Schedule daily backup at 11 PM. Run a
manual backup. Verify backup completed in Event Log. Explore VSS: vssadmin
list shadows. Create a VSS snapshot of C: drive.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Design a backup strategy for a Windows Server 2022 AD domain
Activity controller using Windows Server Backup. Include: full backup schedule,
incremental frequency, retention policy, offsite copy, verification process, and
estimated storage needed for 90-day retention.' Use as your backup plan.
Daily TechCorp has 4 servers: DC, File Server, App Server, SQL Server. Design a
Assignment complete backup strategy covering: what to back up on each server, frequency,
retention period, backup window, storage requirements, and recovery testing
schedule.
Expected Can plan and implement a complete backup strategy. Has configured automated
Outcome Windows Server Backup and understands VSS.

Field Details
Day Day 37
Topic File-Level & Bare Metal Recovery
Explanation Recovering individual files from WSB backup. Recovering volumes. Bare Metal
Recovery (BMR): recovering entire server from backup. AD Authoritative vs Non-
Authoritative restore. System State backup and restoration. Recovery in a VM —
safe practice environment.
Hands-On Task From your backup, restore a single file to a different location. Restore an entire
folder. Practice BMR: in a new VM, boot from Windows Server installation media,
select 'Repair' > 'System Image Recovery', point to your backup. Simulate
restoring AD using Non-Authoritative restore from DSRM.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Walk me through step-by-step: how to perform an Active
Activity Directory Non-Authoritative restore on Windows Server 2022 after accidental
deletion of an OU with 200 user accounts, including DSRM boot, wbadmin restore
commands, and verification steps.' Follow the procedure.
Daily Write a Disaster Recovery Runbook for TechCorp's domain controller. Cover: what
Assignment triggers a restore, who has authorization, step-by-step BMR process, AD restore

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 type decision tree (authoritative vs non-authoritative), verification checklist, and
escalation path.
Expected Can perform file, volume, and bare metal recovery. Has a documented DR
Outcome runbook for the most critical server type (DC).

Field Details
Day Day 38
Topic Introduction to Hyper-V — Virtualization on Windows Server
Explanation What is a hypervisor? Type 1 vs Type 2. Hyper-V architecture: parent partition,
child partitions, Virtual Switch, VHD/VHDX. Hyper-V generation 1 vs 2. Hardware
requirements: SLAT, virtualization in BIOS. Installing Hyper-V role. Hyper-V
Manager.
Hands-On Task Enable nested virtualization in VirtualBox (if on host) or use a physical machine.
Install Hyper-V role on SRV-DC01. Open Hyper-V Manager. Create a new Gen 2
VM: 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 30 GB VHDX, connected to Default Switch. Mount a
Windows ISO. Start and begin installation.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Compare Hyper-V vs VMware vSphere vs Proxmox for a small
Activity business running 5–10 VMs. Cover: licensing cost, management tools, live
migration, snapshot features, and community support. Which is best for a 50-user
company on a $5,000 budget?' Summarize for a manager.
Daily Design a Hyper-V infrastructure plan for TechCorp: 1 physical server hosting 5
Assignment VMs (DC, File Server, App Server, Dev box, Test box). Specify: host hardware
requirements, VM resource allocation, virtual switch configuration, storage layout,
and high availability plan.
Expected Has deployed Hyper-V and created VMs. Can design a basic virtual infrastructure
Outcome plan for a small business.

Field Details
Day Day 39
Topic Managing Hyper-V — VMs, Checkpoints & Virtual Networks
Explanation VM management: start, stop, pause, reset, delete. Checkpoints (snapshots):
standard vs production. Exporting and importing VMs. Virtual switches: external,
internal, private. Dynamic Memory. Integration Services. Live Migration concept.
Hands-On Task Create 3 virtual switches: External (bridged to host NIC), Internal (host-only),
Private (isolated). Create a Checkpoint before making a change to a VM. Make a
change (install a role). Revert to checkpoint. Verify it worked. Export a VM to \\
SRV-DC01\VMExports. Import it back as a copy.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Explain the difference between Standard and Production
Activity checkpoints in Hyper-V. When should each be used? What is the impact on VMs
running SQL Server or Exchange? Give best practice guidance with PowerShell
commands for creating and managing checkpoints.' Document best practices.

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Daily A developer accidentally broke a VM at 2 AM and needs it restored before 8 AM.
Assignment Write a VM Recovery Procedure covering: checkpoint rollback, export/import
restore, and bare metal restore from Hyper-V backup. Include time estimates and
decision criteria for which method to use.
Expected Can fully manage Hyper-V VMs, checkpoints, and virtual networking. Has a VM
Outcome recovery procedure for real-world use.

Field Details
Day Day 40
Topic Hyper-V Replication & High Availability Concepts
Explanation Hyper-V Replica: how it works, replication frequency, failover types (planned,
unplanned, test). Enabling and configuring replication. Failover clusters concept
(overview). Always-On networking. Azure Site Recovery (brief introduction).
Business continuity planning.
Hands-On Task Configure Hyper-V Replica between your two VMs (SRV-DC01 as primary, VM2
as replica). Enable replication: 5-minute interval, all disks. Monitor replication
health in Hyper-V Manager. Perform a Test Failover (non-disruptive). Document
the replication status and any errors.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Design a high availability strategy for a small company's critical
Activity Windows Server infrastructure using Hyper-V Replica and Azure Site Recovery as
a DR target. Include: RTO/RPO goals, replication topology, failover procedure,
cost estimate, and testing schedule.' Present as an HA design document.
Daily Write a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) for TechCorp IT infrastructure covering:
Assignment critical systems and their acceptable downtime, recovery strategy per system,
responsible persons, communication plan during an outage, and monthly DR test
schedule.
Expected Understands Hyper-V replication and HA concepts. Has created a real Business
Outcome Continuity Plan applicable to an SME.

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MODULE 9 — Monitoring, Performance & Troubleshooting (Days 41–
45)

Field Details
Day Day 41
Topic Performance Monitoring — Tools & Baselines
Explanation Performance Monitor (PerfMon): counters, data collector sets, reports. Key
counters: Processor % (>80% = concern), Memory Available MB (<100 MB =
critical), Disk Avg Queue Length (>2 = concern), Network Bytes/sec. Establishing
a performance baseline. Resource Monitor.
Hands-On Task Open PerfMon. Add counters: Processor\% Processor Time, Memory\Available
MBytes, PhysicalDisk\Avg. Disk Queue Length, Network Adapter\Bytes Total/sec.
Create a Data Collector Set: record for 30 minutes. Generate report. Open
Resource Monitor and document each tab: CPU, Memory, Disk, Network.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'I have a Windows Server 2022 with 8 GB RAM running AD DS,
Activity DNS, DHCP, and File Services for 50 users. Create a performance monitoring
baseline plan: which counters to monitor, alert thresholds, how often to collect
data, and what to do when a counter exceeds threshold.' Set up the monitoring.
Daily Your server is running slow on Monday mornings. Create a Performance
Assignment Investigation Report: capture data during peak and off-peak hours, compare
counters, identify the bottleneck (CPU/RAM/Disk/Network), propose a resolution,
and outline what metrics to monitor weekly going forward.
Expected Can use PerfMon and Resource Monitor to establish baselines and identify
Outcome bottlenecks. Has a performance monitoring plan for a production server.

Field Details
Day Day 42
Topic Event Viewer Deep Dive & Windows Logs Analysis
Explanation Event Viewer: Custom Views, Windows Logs, Applications and Services Logs.
Subscriptions: collecting events from multiple servers centrally. Event levels:
Critical, Error, Warning, Information. Connecting remote servers. Filtering events
by ID, source, time. Exporting and archiving logs.
Hands-On Task In Event Viewer: Create Custom View 'Critical Errors Last 7 Days' (filter:
Critical+Error, all logs, 7 days). Review Application and System logs. Create
Subscriptions to collect Security events from your client VM. Filter for Event IDs 41
(unexpected reboot), 1074 (planned shutdown), 6008 (unexpected shutdown).
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Create a Windows Event Log monitoring plan for a Windows
Activity Server 2022 DC. Include: top 20 most important Event IDs to monitor, what each
means, severity level, and recommended automated response. Format as a table.'
Configure custom views for the top 10 critical events.
Daily After a mysterious server reboot at 3 AM, the IT manager asks you to investigate.

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Assignment Write a Post-Incident Analysis report using only Event Viewer data: timeline of
events before the reboot, possible cause, any related events (driver, memory,
update), and recommended action.
Expected Expert-level use of Event Viewer. Can correlate events across multiple logs to
Outcome perform root cause analysis of server incidents.

Field Details
Day Day 43
Topic Windows Admin Center & Remote Monitoring
Explanation WAC deep dive: Dashboard, Tools pane, server inventory. Remote PowerShell via
WAC. WAC extensions: Hyper-V, Storage, Network, AD. Azure integration in
WAC. Monitoring multiple servers from one pane. Alerts and notifications. WAC vs
RSAT vs Server Manager.
Hands-On Task Connect all your VMs in Windows Admin Center. Explore: Server Dashboard
(CPU/memory/disk charts), Processes tab, Events tab, Network Adapters,
Storage. Run a PowerShell command from within WAC. Install the Hyper-V
extension. View your Hyper-V VMs from WAC.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'Compare Windows Admin Center vs traditional RSAT tools for
Activity daily Windows Server administration tasks: managing AD users, monitoring
performance, managing Hyper-V, configuring storage, and accessing PowerShell.
Which tool is best for each task and why?' Create your personal tool selection
guide.
Daily You are an IT admin managing 8 Windows Servers. Design a monitoring
Assignment dashboard strategy: which tool to use for daily monitoring, which for deep
troubleshooting, which for remote emergency access. Write a 'Server Monitoring
Playbook' with daily, weekly, and monthly monitoring tasks.
Expected Proficient with Windows Admin Center for multi-server monitoring. Has a personal
Outcome monitoring playbook for daily admin tasks.

Field Details
Day Day 44
Topic Structured Troubleshooting Methodology
Explanation The IT Troubleshooting Framework: 1-Identify, 2-Theory, 3-Test, 4-Plan, 5-
Implement, 6-Verify, 7-Document. CompTIA A+ methodology. Divide and conquer
method. Swapping components. Top-down vs bottom-up (OSI). Change
management as root cause.
Hands-On Task Apply the methodology to 3 simulated issues: (1) User cannot reach the internet
(but can ping gateway). (2) Server cannot resolve DNS names. (3) User receives
'Access Denied' opening a shared folder. For each: write out all 7 steps explicitly
before taking any action.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Generate a troubleshooting decision tree for: a Windows Server
Activity service fails to start (error 1053 - service did not respond). Include: event log

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 check, dependency check, account permissions, registry check, .NET version, and
reset options. Format as a flowchart I can follow step by step.' Follow the tree.
Daily Create a 'Troubleshooting Playbook' for the top 10 most common Windows Server
Assignment issues you'll face on the job: (DNS failure, DHCP not assigning IPs, AD lockout,
share not accessible, service not starting, RDP not connecting, replication failure,
high CPU, disk full, failed logon). One page per issue.
Expected Has a professional, structured troubleshooting approach. Has a real-world
Outcome troubleshooting playbook covering the 10 most common server issues.

Field Details
Day Day 45
Topic Automation with PowerShell — Production-Ready Scripts
Explanation Writing production-quality scripts: functions, parameters, error handling, logging,
output formats. Scheduled Tasks best practices. PowerShell modules. Script
signing. Automation for: user creation, health checks, permission audits, backups,
disk cleanup.
Hands-On Task Write a production-ready PowerShell script: function Get-ServerHealthReport with
parameters for ComputerName and OutputPath. Inside: check CPU, RAM, disk,
services, recent critical events. Output a timestamped HTML report. Add try/catch
error handling. Add Write-Log function. Schedule it.
AI-Assisted Prompt GitHub Copilot: 'Write a complete PowerShell module with three functions:
Activity (1) New-BulkADUsers from CSV, (2) Get-InactiveUsers (no login 90+ days), (3)
Set-UserPasswordExpiry. Include proper error handling, logging, and comment-
based help for each function.' Review, test, and document the module.
Daily Build an 'IT Automation Toolkit' PowerShell module with 5 functions you'll actually
Assignment use on the job: (1) New user from CSV, (2) Disable user & move to Disabled OU,
(3) Server health report, (4) Find computers not checked in for 60 days, (5) Check
all shares and their permissions. Submit with full documentation.
Expected Can write production-quality PowerShell scripts and modules. Has a personal IT
Outcome automation toolkit ready for immediate use in a real job.

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MODULE 10 — Capstone Project & Career Preparation (Days 46–50)

Field Details
Day Day 46
Topic Capstone Project — Planning Phase (Infrastructure Design)
Explanation The capstone project simulates setting up IT infrastructure for a real company from
scratch. Today: receive the requirements brief, design the full architecture, plan
the build. Requirements: 'GlobalTech Ltd' — 100 users, 3 offices, 5 departments,
security compliance required.
Hands-On Task Design GlobalTech IT infrastructure: Network diagram (3 sites, VLANs per dept),
AD structure (domain, OU, GPO plan), DNS/DHCP plan, file server shares layout,
storage plan, backup strategy, security controls list, Hyper-V VM plan. Use [Link]
or PowerPoint for diagrams.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Act as an IT infrastructure architect. Design a complete Windows
Activity Server 2022 environment for GlobalTech Ltd: 100 users, 3 sites (HQ + 2 branch
offices), departments: IT/HR/Finance/Sales/Operations. Cover: AD design, DNS,
DHCP, file services, VPN, backup, and security. Provide a structured design
document.' Use as a template.
Daily Submit your complete Infrastructure Design Document: executive summary,
Assignment network diagram, AD design, service plans, security approach, and project
timeline. This is your deliverable to a fictional CIO for approval.
Expected Can produce a professional IT infrastructure design document. Has demonstrated
Outcome architectural planning skills valued in senior IT roles.

Field Details
Day Day 47
Topic Capstone Project — Build Phase Part 1 (Core Infrastructure)
Explanation Executing the design: set up the virtual lab to represent GlobalTech's HQ. Deploy:
DC, DNS, DHCP, core AD structure, file server, all GPOs. Everything must work
exactly as designed. Document every step as you go — build documentation is a
professional deliverable.
Hands-On Task Deploy: SRV-DC01 (DC + DNS + DHCP), FS-SRV01 (File Server). Configure:
domain [Link], OU structure for all 5 departments, 10 users per
department, all security groups (AGDLP model), DHCP scope for HQ, DNS all
records. Link 5 GPOs. Verify everything with diagnostic commands.
AI-Assisted Prompt ChatGPT: 'I am building an AD environment for 100 users. Generate a
Activity complete PowerShell script to: create 5 department OUs, create 2 security groups
per OU (UserGroup and AdminGroup), create 10 sample users per OU placed in
correct OUs, and add users to their respective groups.' Run and adapt the script.
Daily Daily build log: document every action taken today in a Build Log with timestamp,
Assignment what was done, the command/GUI path used, and the verification step. This log

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 proves you built it — it is a professional documentation artifact.
Expected Has deployed a working multi-user domain environment from scratch. Produces
Outcome professional build documentation as part of the delivery.

Field Details
Day Day 48
Topic Capstone Project — Build Phase Part 2 (Security, Backup & Hyper-V)
Explanation Adding production hardening, backup systems, and virtualization to GlobalTech.
Every production environment needs these three layers. Testing them works
before considering the project 'done'.
Hands-On Task Implement: (1) Security — apply hardening checklist (Day 33), enable auditing
policy, configure Windows Firewall rules. (2) Backup — configure WSB for all
servers, schedule daily backup, test file restore. (3) Hyper-V — create FS-SRV01
as a VM inside Hyper-V on SRV-DC01, configure replication. Document and verify
all.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Generate a PowerShell script that performs a post-build validation
Activity check on a Windows Server 2022 domain controller: checks AD is running, DNS
resolves domain, DHCP scope is active, file shares are accessible, backup job
exists, firewall is enabled, and last 10 event log entries have no critical errors.
Output Pass/Fail per check.' Run as your go-live checklist.
Daily Produce a Go-Live Readiness Report for GlobalTech's IT infrastructure. For each
Assignment area (AD, DNS, DHCP, File Services, Security, Backup, Hyper-V), document: what
was deployed, test result (Pass/Fail), any known issues, and sign-off status. This
is a real deliverable before any production launch.
Expected Has a complete, hardened, backed-up, and virtualized server environment. Has
Outcome produced a formal go-live readiness report.

Field Details
Day Day 49
Topic Real-World Scenario Simulations & Incident Response
Explanation Simulating real IT crises you'll face on the job. Testing your knowledge under
pressure. Documenting your response like a real IT professional would. Working
with AI to accelerate diagnosis in crisis scenarios.
Hands-On Task Simulate and resolve 5 incidents: (1) Delete an OU with 20 users (restore via AD
Recycle Bin). (2) Flood the DHCP scope (resolve exhaustion). (3) Break DNS
forward lookup (diagnose and fix). (4) Lock out your own admin account (unlock
via DSRM or second admin). (5) Corrupt file share permissions (audit and restore).
AI-Assisted For each incident, use this AI prompt template: 'I am experiencing [incident
Activity description] on Windows Server 2022. My current observations are: [what you
see]. Step me through the diagnosis and resolution.' Compare AI's steps to what
you actually did. Document differences.

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Daily Write 5 Incident Response Reports (one per simulated incident) each containing:
Assignment incident summary, time of detection, impact assessment, diagnosis steps,
resolution actions, time to resolve, root cause, and preventive measures. These
become your professional portfolio.
Expected Has managed and documented 5 realistic IT incidents. Has a portfolio of incident
Outcome reports demonstrating job-ready crisis management skills.

Field Details
Day Day 50
Topic Career Preparation — Certification Roadmap & Professional Portfolio
Explanation Entry-level to mid-level Windows Server career path. Key certifications: CompTIA
A+, Network+, Server+, Microsoft AZ-900, AZ-104, MS-102. Building a portfolio.
GitHub for scripts. LinkedIn profile for IT. Writing an IT resume. Interview
preparation.
Hands-On Task Create: (1) GitHub repo 'Windows-Server-Scripts' with all your PowerShell scripts,
documented with README. (2) LinkedIn 'Skills' section updated with all
technologies covered. (3) 1-page IT resume highlighting lab experience. (4)
Record a 5-minute video walkthrough of your capstone lab — this is your interview
demo.
AI-Assisted Prompt Claude: 'Review this IT resume for an entry-level Windows Server
Activity administrator. [Paste your resume.] Suggest improvements to highlight technical
skills, quantify achievements, and align with job postings for Junior Systems
Administrator. Also generate 15 common interview questions for this role with
suggested answers.' Revise your resume based on feedback.
Daily Final deliverable: compile your complete Professional Portfolio package — Design
Assignment Document, Build Log, Go-Live Report, Incident Reports, PowerShell Toolkit,
GitHub link, Resume. This is your evidence of course completion and your job
application package.
Expected Has a complete professional portfolio, polished resume, GitHub presence, and
Outcome LinkedIn profile. Is genuinely ready to apply for and succeed in entry-level IT
infrastructure roles.

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5. AI Tools & Use Cases Per Module
Every module in this course integrates AI tools to reflect how modern IT professionals actually
work. Below is a comprehensive guide to which tools to use, for what purpose, and sample
prompts.

AI Tool Best Use Case in IT | Sample Prompt

ChatGPT (OpenAI) Concept explanation, troubleshooting guides, policy writing,
comparison tables
Claude (Anthropic) Detailed walkthroughs, script generation, document creation,
incident analysis
GitHub Copilot PowerShell and code generation, inline suggestions, script
completion
Microsoft Copilot Windows/365 integrated help, admin center, quick commands
Google Gemini Research, document summarization, quick answers, comparison
queries
Perplexity AI Real-time research with citations, up-to-date documentation lookup
AI Code Assistants Code completion in VS Code, PowerShell script assistance
(Codeium, Tabnine)

AI Prompt Templates by Category

Troubleshooting Prompts
• '[Service/feature] is not working on my Windows Server 2022. Error: [exact error text].
Walk me through diagnosis step by step.'
• 'A user cannot [action] on [system]. It worked yesterday. Give me a structured
troubleshooting flowchart.'
• 'Event ID [XXXX] appeared in my Security log 47 times in 1 hour. What does it mean and
how do I investigate?'

Script Generation Prompts

• 'Write a PowerShell script to [task]. Include: error handling, logging to a file, and a
summary output at the end.'
• 'Generate a PowerShell function for [task] with parameters for [param1] and [param2].
Add comment-based help.'
• 'I have this script but it fails with [error]. Fix it and explain what was wrong: [paste script]'

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Learning & Explanation Prompts
• 'Explain [concept] to a complete IT beginner using a real-world analogy. Then give a
technical explanation.'
• 'Compare [A] vs [B] for enterprise IT. Create a table with pros, cons, use cases, and cost
implications.'
• 'Create a step-by-step lab guide for setting up [feature] on Windows Server 2022 in a
beginner home lab.'

Documentation Prompts
• 'Write a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for [task]. Include: objective, prerequisites,
steps, verification, and troubleshooting.'
• 'Convert these bullet points into a professional IT incident report: [paste notes]'
• 'Review my [document type] and suggest improvements for clarity, completeness, and
professional tone: [paste document]'

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6. Capstone Project — GlobalTech Ltd IT
Infrastructure

Project Title
Full Enterprise IT Infrastructure Deployment — GlobalTech Ltd | Duration: Days 46–50
(Week 10) | Deliverable: Professional Infrastructure Package

Project Scenario Brief

You are the newly hired IT Infrastructure Engineer at GlobalTech Ltd — a 100-person
professional services company that has just moved into a new office. They have no IT
infrastructure in place. You must design, build, document, and deliver a complete Windows
Server environment by end of week.

Company Requirements
Requirement Details
Users 100 users across 5 departments: IT (10), HR (15), Finance (20),
Sales (35), Operations (20)
Offices HQ in main city + 2 branch offices (10 users each)
Domain [Link] — must use DNS fully qualified names internally
Servers DC, File Server, App Server, Backup Server (all VMs on Hyper-V)
Security Security baseline applied, audit logging, firewall rules, admin tiering
File Services Departmental shares with correct NTFS/Share permissions (AGDLP
model)
Group Policy Password policy, desktop lockdown for Finance/HR, software
deployment for Sales
Backup Daily backup of all servers, 30-day retention, tested restore
Compliance All admin actions logged, certificates deployed, GPO enforced

Capstone Deliverables
9. Infrastructure Design Document (AD, DNS, DHCP, Storage, Security, Backup plan
diagrams)

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 10. Build Log (timestamped record of every action taken)
11. Go-Live Readiness Report (Pass/Fail per component)
12. 5 Incident Response Reports (from Day 49 simulations)
13. IT Automation Toolkit (PowerShell module from Day 45)
14. GitHub Repository with all scripts (documented)
15. Video demo (5 minutes walking through the live environment)

Evaluation Criteria
Area Weight
Technical Accuracy (environment works as 35%
designed)
Documentation Quality (professional, clear, 25%
complete)
Security Implementation (hardening, GPO, audit) 20%
AI Tool Usage (evidence of AI-assisted work) 10%
Professional Presentation (demo, GitHub, 10%
resume)

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7. Skills Gained After Course Completion

Technical Skills
Skill Area Specific Competencies Gained
Windows Server 2022 Installation, configuration, role management, Server Manager, WAC,
remote management
Active Directory AD DS deployment, OU design, user/group management, domain
joins, troubleshooting
DNS & DHCP Zone creation, record management, scope configuration, failover,
troubleshooting
Group Policy GPO creation and linking, security baselines, software deployment,
profile management
File Services & NTFS/Share permissions, AGDLP model, DFS, Storage Spaces,
Storage FSRM quotas
Security & Hardening CIS baselines, audit logging, firewall rules, PKI, PAM, event analysis
Backup & Recovery WSB configuration, VSS, file/BMR restore, DR runbooks, Hyper-V
Replica
Hyper-V VM deployment, virtual networks, checkpoints, export/import,
replication
Monitoring PerfMon, Resource Monitor, Event Viewer, WAC, baseline
establishment
PowerShell Script writing, function creation, error handling, scheduled
automation, modules
Troubleshooting Structured methodology, diagnostic tools, root cause analysis,
incident documentation
AI Integration Prompt engineering, AI-assisted scripting, troubleshooting with AI,
responsible AI use

Professional & Soft Skills

• Technical documentation: SOPs, runbooks, design documents, incident reports
• Project planning: designing IT infrastructure from requirements to go-live
• Incident management: structured response, analysis, and post-incident reporting
• Communication: translating technical decisions to non-technical stakeholders

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 • Professional portfolio development for job applications

Job Roles This Course Prepares You For

Role Title Readiness Level After Course
Junior Systems Fully Ready — covers all core responsibilities
Administrator
IT Support Engineer (Level Fully Ready — Windows Server and AD troubleshooting
2/3)
Help Desk Technician Exceeds requirements — this course goes well beyond L1/L2
Desktop Support (with Fully Ready — domain, GPO, and user management covered
Server focus)
IT Infrastructure Trainee / Fully Ready — production-level lab experience
Graduate
Cloud & Hybrid Admin Foundation Ready — Windows Server + Azure basics
(Entry)

Recommended Next Certifications

Certification Why It Fits After This Course
CompTIA A+ (220- Validates hardware and OS fundamentals — fast win after
1101/1102) Week 1-2
CompTIA Network+ Validates networking fundamentals covered in Modules 4 and
9
CompTIA Server+ Directly validates Windows Server skills from this course
Microsoft AZ-900 Azure Fundamentals — natural progression from on-prem to
cloud
Microsoft AZ-104 Azure Administrator — next level after AZ-900 with AD/Entra
skills
Microsoft MS-102 Microsoft 365 Administrator — extends AD skills into cloud
identity

Final Note
This course is not about passing a test. It is about being genuinely useful on your first day of
work. Every lab, assignment, and capstone deliverable has been designed to match what
real IT teams actually do. The student who completes this course with full effort will be

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competitive for entry-level IT infrastructure roles without any additional preparation.

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