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Engineering Log

RF-DC01 Server Establishment Log

Deployment and initial configuration of the first RedForge domain controller and internal DNS service.

Status
Implemented
Date
2026-07-22
Updated
2026-07-23
Source
ENG-002 — Active Directory Deployment

Objective

Engineering objective

Establish the first Windows Server, deploy Active Directory Domain Services and DNS, create the initial forest structure, and verify centralized identity services.

Engineering summary

Work performed

RF-DC01 was deployed as a Windows Server 2025 Standard Evaluation virtual machine on VMware Workstation Pro and promoted as the first domain controller in the RedForge test forest.

Active Directory Domain Services and DNS were installed. The initial organizational structure separates administrative identities, groups, servers, service accounts, and workstations.

Separate privileged and standard accounts and the first role-based security groups were created. Account identifiers and internal network values have been removed from the public record.

The source log records Active Directory Users and Computers access, required organizational units, account separation, security groups, and administrative membership as verified. Screenshot evidence has not yet been approved for publication.

Technical decisions

Decisions and rationale

Separate privileged and standard identities

Routine user activity and administrative work use different accounts to reduce unnecessary privileged exposure.

Group-based authorization

Permissions are assigned through role-based security groups instead of directly to individual users.

Internal directory-integrated DNS

The first domain controller provides the internal name-resolution dependency required by Active Directory.

Retain the built-in Computers container

A duplicate Computers organizational unit was rejected because the built-in container already existed; the default container was retained and the naming conflict documented.

Lessons learned

Engineering lessons

  • Virtual-machine firmware and installation media must be verified before operating-system deployment begins.
  • Built-in directory containers must be accounted for before finalizing the organizational-unit naming plan.
  • Broad administrative membership can support initial establishment, but future delegation should move toward role-specific permissions.
  • The deployment record and milestone review should be completed before dependent servers are introduced.

Evidence

Reviewed engineering evidence

Verified or reviewed evidence is separated from conceptual architecture and evidence-pending material.

Sanitized server configuration recordyamlReviewed record
server: RF-DC01
platform: VMware Workstation Pro
operatingSystem: Windows Server 2025 Standard Evaluation
roles:
  - Active Directory Domain Services
  - DNS Server
network:
  addressing: REDACTED
  dns: Internal / self-hosted
identity:
  forest: RedForge test forest
  privilegeModel: Separate administrative and standard identities

Establishment validation checklist

Verified evidence
  • Windows Server installation completedrecorded
  • Active Directory Domain Services installedpassed
  • DNS Server installed and operationalpassed
  • Initial forest and domain createdpassed
  • Required organizational structure createdpassed
  • Privileged and standard identities separatedpassed
  • Role-based security groups createdpassed
Deployment screenshots

Real screenshots exist outside the publishing pipeline but have not completed redaction and evidence review.

Evidence pending

Next steps

Planned engineering actions

  1. Deploy the first member server using the approved naming and network standards.
  2. Join the member server to the RedForge test domain and validate domain authentication.
  3. Introduce file services with group-based NTFS and share permissions.
  4. Publish redacted deployment screenshots after evidence review.
  5. Plan a second domain controller to address the current identity and DNS single point of failure.