Setting up a virtual network using virtualbox

[Meresgi]

Wondering if anyone has any good tutorials about setting up a working network in virtualbox. Trying to set up and link together a client pc, dhcp server, DC and dns server using Windows 2008 64bit R2 and Windows 7 64bit. I need to practice active directory for the next semester so I wanted to get a head start on it.

Anyone played around with virtualbox before have tips/tricks for doing this?

[xerodok]

It's nothing more than configuring the virtual network cards each virtual machine. So, what you need to do, create the following VMs:

- Client machine (Windows 7)
- Server machine [Active Directory / Exchange] (Windows 2008 R2)
- Network machine [DNS, DHCP, Scopes, WINS, Files] (Windows 2008 R2)

Run all three VMs simultaneously on your PC, network them together so they can all speak with each other. Meaning: put them all on the same subnet. You can use your own PC as part of this subnet, too, but it's easier if you want to just visualize everything on a small network. Once you can ping everything, and have it all running on a domain; you are ready to start to configure AD and users. DHCP will be hard to test, but you can create a fourth VM, direct it to the DHCP server being your Windows Server, and see if it gets dished an IP address.

Here's a video tutorial for VirtualBox that I usually send people if they have any questions regarding virtual networking.

[Meresgi]

Awesome thanks Xero, I figured it wouldn't be too difficult, but wanted to check. New to Virtualbox and didn't even know I had to turn on 64bit virtualization in my BIOS till I ran into a snag last night.

[Niya]

Could get a bit tricky to try out DHCP without disturbing the rest of your network. What might work is to give your dc/dns/dhcp server 2 "network cards", set one to NAT (default) and the other to "internal networking" (only VMs can talk to each other) or "host-only networking" (host and VMs). That way is should be possible that you restrict the dhcp server to the "internal" NIC and keep it away from the rest of the network your PC is in. Also, you can try out DNS better that way because all VMs except the DC won't have internet access unless you direct the traffic and DNS requests through the DC.

Server machine [Active Directory / Exchange]

NEVER put AD and Exchange on the same server...

[Ratatapa]

Unless your stuck with SBS

[Meresgi]

Any other suggestions that I should include in this exercise i'm doing? Just trying to tinker and play around with networking, active directory admin shit and security. I'll probably screw around with Linux as well since i'm more familiar with it then MS server software.

[Ratatapa]

I would try WSUS it can be good to do, to keep PC updated

[Niya]

WSUS is pretty easy ^^ One thing you need for WSUS and that can be pretty handy for AD management: GPOs. The GPMC can be your best friend or one of your worst nightmares depending on how good you can handle it
And to throw in another key word for you to chew on: rights management with AGDLP ^^
Oh, and since you want to include Linux too: why not join a Samba server into your domain? From what i've read Samba 4 can finally create a pretty well-working AD without the help of a windows machine.

Unless your stuck with SBS

True, but there's probably a lot of reasons behind why SBS 2011 will be the last of its kind. Not to mention that all SBS machines i know (almost all of our smaller customers have them) take ages to reboot because the AD roles and Exchange slow each other down. The fastest takes about 20 minutes, the slowest 45+min... <.<

[SephYuyX]

AD, GPO, DNS, and DHCP should be your primary focus, everything else you can fumble through without issue.

PS. vmware >

[Meresgi]

Yeah I was using vmware, but only the free version. Virtualbox = free so that works for me. Was using vmware for the linux server classes.

[Gustave]

I ran server 2008 and used Hyper V for my MCITP labs. Now you can just use Windows 8 for the hyper V though.

[Kurokikaze]

Unless your stuck with SBS

Or cheap clients.