Infrastructure for small business

This lab is built on Hyper-V, Microsoft’s built-in virtualization platform for Windows Server, and uses Windows Server 2025 virtual machines to simulate a small hybrid enterprise environment. It includes core services such as Active Directory, DNS, DHCP failover, file services, deployment tools, Windows Admin Center, and hybrid-joined Windows 11 clients.

Lab overview

The lab includes:

  • 2 Domain Controllers with DNS and DHCP failover

  • 2 File Share Servers

  • 1 Deployment Server

  • 1 Windows Admin Center server

  • 2 Windows 11 clients

One of the domain controllers also synchronizes with Microsoft Entra so users and devices can connect the on-premises environment with cloud identity services. The Windows 11 clients are hybrid joined, which means they are joined to Active Directory and also registered in Microsoft Entra ID.

Step by step

1. Install Hyper-V

Start by installing the Hyper-V role on your Windows Server 2025 host, then create the virtual switch that will connect all lab machines together. This gives you the base platform for running the full lab environment.

2. Create the virtual machines

Create all required VMs for the lab: two domain controllers, two file servers, one deployment server, one Windows Admin Center server, and two Windows 11 clients. Use Generation 2 virtual machines and assign CPU, memory, and storage based on the role of each server.

3. Configure the first domain controller

Install Active Directory Domain Services and DNS on the first server, then create the new domain. After that, install DHCP and create the main scope for the lab network.

4. Add the second domain controller

Join the second server to the domain and promote it as an additional domain controller. Then configure DHCP failover between both domain controllers so IP address distribution remains available even if one server is offline.

5. Deploy the file servers

Join both file servers to the domain and configure shared folders. For better resilience, you can also use DFS Namespaces and DFS Replication on both systems so data remains available across servers.

6. Set up deployment services

Install your deployment tools on the deployment server and prepare your Windows 11 images. This server can be used to test automated operating system deployment in the lab environment.

7. Install Windows Admin Center

Deploy Windows Admin Center on its own server so you can manage the Hyper-V environment and Windows servers from a single web interface. This makes day-to-day administration easier and centralizes server management.

8. Configure Entra sync

Install Microsoft Entra Connect on one domain controller and configure synchronization with your Microsoft Entra tenant. This allows on-premises identities to sync to the cloud and supports hybrid identity scenarios.

9. Hybrid join the clients

Join the Windows 11 devices to the domain first, then allow them to register in Microsoft Entra through hybrid join. You can verify the result on each client with dsregcmd /status, where a successful configuration shows both domain join and Azure AD join status enabled.

What this lab demonstrates

This lab is a good example of a modern Microsoft infrastructure because it combines traditional on-premises services with cloud identity integration. It provides a practical platform for testing administration, deployment, file services, failover, and hybrid device management in one environment.