You don't create an Active Directory cloud in the same way you create a virtual network. Active Directory is a directory service, not a cloud infrastructure. To use Active Directory in a cloud environment, you integrate it with cloud services. This typically involves either deploying Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in a cloud provider's infrastructure (like Azure or AWS) or using a cloud-based directory service that integrates with existing on-premises AD.
Deploying AD DS in the Cloud
This involves setting up virtual machines within a cloud provider's infrastructure and installing AD DS on them. The process varies slightly between providers, but the general steps are:
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Choose a Cloud Provider: Select a cloud platform like Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services (AWS), or Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Each provider offers different features and pricing models.
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Create Virtual Machines: Provision virtual machines with appropriate specifications (CPU, memory, storage) to host your AD DS domain controllers.
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Install Active Directory Domain Services: Install and configure AD DS on the virtual machines, following best practices for high availability and security. This involves promoting a server to a domain controller and potentially adding additional domain controllers for redundancy.
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Configure Networking: Properly configure the network settings of your VMs to allow communication within your domain and with your on-premises network if required. This may include setting up virtual networks and subnets as described in the provided reference. The reference describes creating a network named "ad-network" within a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) using a cloud provider's interface. This is one step in a far larger process.
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Integrate with Cloud Services: Configure your cloud services (e.g., virtual machines, applications) to authenticate users and computers against your cloud-based AD DS.
Using a Cloud-Based Directory Service
Alternatively, instead of deploying AD DS directly, consider using a cloud provider's managed directory service. These services often offer integration with on-premises AD for hybrid deployments. Benefits include reduced management overhead and scalability. Examples include Azure Active Directory or AWS Directory Service.
Example Using the Provided Reference (Partial Step):
The provided reference shows a small piece of setting up a virtual network (likely a VPC). The instructions (Open the Virtual Private Cloud section..., Create network..., Enter the network name: ad-network..., Click Create network) are only for creating a basic network called ad-network within a VPC. This is a fundamental step in setting up a cloud environment, but not a complete setup for an Active Directory cloud. This step would be performed after selecting a provider and before installing and configuring AD DS.
