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  • Inside Webster’s Lab: Creating Active Directory Organizational Units, Users, Groups and Computers Using PowerShell

    January 1, 2015

    Active Directory, PowerShell

    OK, I heard from enough of you that wanted me to do this in PowerShell instead of my batch file. Here is the original article using built-in Windows utilities.  This article will show the original batch file converted to PowerShell.

    I created four variables.  One for the domain name, one for the top-level domain identifier, one to determine if you want the OUs protected from accidental deletion, and the last to hold the initial password as a secure string.

    The structure of the script is the same as the original batch file:

    • Creates the OUs
    • Creates the security groups
    • Creates the user accounts
    • Adds the user accounts into the security groups
    • Creates the computer accounts
    $ADDomain = "labaddomain"
$TLD = "com"
$Protect = $False
$CryptoPwd = (ConvertTo-SecureString -AsPlainText "FakePwd" -Force)

#Create OUs
New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Lab" `
-Path "dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Accounts" `
-Path "ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Admin" `
-Path "ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Service" `
-Path "ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "User" `
-Path "ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Desktops" `
-Path "ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Admin" `
-Path "ou=Desktops,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "XD76" `
-Path "ou=Desktops,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Groups" `
-Path "ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Admin" `
-Path "ou=Groups,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Desktops" `
-Path "ou=Groups,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "User" `
-Path "ou=Groups,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "Servers" `
-Path "ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "PVS" `
-Path "ou=Servers,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

New-ADOrganizationalUnit -Name "XD76" `
-Path "ou=Servers,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-ProtectedFromAccidentalDeletion $Protect -verbose

#Create AD security groups
New-ADGroup -Name "LocalAdmins" -SamAccountName LocalAdmins `
-GroupCategory Security -GroupScope Global `
-DisplayName "Group for users who need local admin rights" `
-Path "ou=Admin,ou=Groups,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-Description "Group for users who need local admin rights" -verbose

New-ADGroup -Name "XDUsers" -SamAccountName XDUsers `
-GroupCategory Security -GroupScope Global `
-DisplayName "Group for users who need XenDesktop desktop access" `
-Path "ou=User,ou=Groups,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-Description "Group for users who need XenDesktop desktop access" -verbose

#Create user accounts
New-ADUser -Name svc_ctxpvs -AccountPassword $CryptoPwd `
-CannotChangePassword $True -ChangePasswordAtLogon $False `
-Description "Citrix PVS Service Account" `
-DisplayName "Citrix PVS Service Account" -Enabled $True `
-PasswordNeverExpires $True `
–Path "ou=Service,ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-SamAccountName "svc_ctxpvs" –UserPrincipalName "svc_ctxpvs@$ADDomain.$TLD" `
-verbose

New-ADUser -Name svc_ctxsqldb -AccountPassword $CryptoPwd `
-CannotChangePassword $True -ChangePasswordAtLogon $False `
-Description "Citrix SQL DBA Service Account" `
-DisplayName "Citrix SQL DBA Service Account" -Enabled $True `
-PasswordNeverExpires $True `
–Path "ou=Service,ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-SamAccountName "svc_ctxsqldb" –UserPrincipalName "svc_ctxsqldb@$ADDomain.$TLD" `
-verbose

New-ADUser -Name User1 -AccountPassword $CryptoPwd `
-CannotChangePassword $True -ChangePasswordAtLogon $False `
-Description "User1 PvD" `
-DisplayName "User1" -Enabled $True `
-PasswordNeverExpires $True `
–Path "ou=User,ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-SamAccountName "User1" –UserPrincipalName "User1@$ADDomain.$TLD" `
-verbose

New-ADUser -Name User2 -AccountPassword $CryptoPwd `
-CannotChangePassword $True -ChangePasswordAtLogon $False `
-Description "User2 PvD" `
-DisplayName "User2" -Enabled $True `
-PasswordNeverExpires $True `
–Path "ou=User,ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-SamAccountName "User2" –UserPrincipalName "User2@$ADDomain.$TLD" `
-verbose

New-ADUser -Name User3 -AccountPassword $CryptoPwd `
-CannotChangePassword $True -ChangePasswordAtLogon $False `
-Description "User3 PvD" `
-DisplayName "User3" -Enabled $True `
-PasswordNeverExpires $True `
–Path "ou=User,ou=Accounts,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" `
-SamAccountName "User3" –UserPrincipalName "User3@$ADDomain.$TLD" `
-verbose

#all users in the Lab/Accounts/User OU get added to the XDUsers security group
$Users = get-aduser `
-searchbase "ou=user,ou=accounts,ou=lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$tld" `
-filter *
Add-ADGroupMember -Identity XDUsers -Members $Users

#any user in the Lab/Accounts/User OU that has PvD in the description
#gets added to the LocalAdmins security group
$Users = get-aduser `
-searchbase "ou=user,ou=accounts,ou=lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$tld" `
-filter 'Description -like "*PvD*"'
Add-ADGroupMember -Identity LocalAdmins -Members $Users

#Create AD computer accounts
New-ADComputer -Name PVS76 -SamAccountName PVS76 -Description "PVS76" `
-Path "ou=PVS,ou=Servers,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" -Enabled $True -verbose

New-ADComputer -Name XD76 -SamAccountName XD76 -Description "XD76" `
-Path "ou=XD76,ou=Servers,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" -Enabled $True -verbose

New-ADComputer -Name Director -SamAccountName Director -Description "Director" `
-Path "ou=XD76,ou=Servers,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" -Enabled $True -verbose

New-ADComputer -Name StoreFront -SamAccountName StoreFront -Description "StoreFront" `
-Path "ou=XD76,ou=Servers,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" -Enabled $True -verbose

New-ADComputer -Name SQL -SamAccountName SQL -Description "SQL" `
-Path "ou=XD76,ou=Servers,ou=Lab,dc=$ADDomain,dc=$TLD" -Enabled $True -verbose

    I named the script CreateLab.ps1.

    Figure 1 shows my Active Directory structure before running the script.

    Figure 1
    Figure 1

    Figure 2 shows the results of running the PowerShell script.

    Figure 2
    Figure 2

    Figures 3 through 13 show the AD structure after running the script (which matches running the batch file).

    Figure 3
    Figure 3
    Figure 4
    Figure 4
    Figure 5
    Figure 5
    Figure 6
    Figure 6
    Figure 7
    Figure 7
    Figure 8
    Figure 8
    Figure 9
    Figure 9
    Figure 10
    Figure 10
    Figure 11
    Figure 11
    Figure 12
    Figure 12
    Figure 13
    Figure 13

    There you go, a PowerShell version of the batch file I use to create my lab’s AD structure.

    You can get a PS1 version here and a TXT version here.

    Thanks

    Webster







    About Carl Webster

    Webster is a Sr. Solutions Architect for Choice Solutions, LLC and specializes in Citrix, Active Directory and Technical Documentation. Webster has been working with Citrix products for many years starting with Multi-User OS/2 in 1990.

    View all posts by Carl Webster →

    2 Responses to “Inside Webster’s Lab: Creating Active Directory Organizational Units, Users, Groups and Computers Using PowerShell”

    1. robert jaudon Says:
      January 7, 2015 at 9:39 pm

      Carl,

      I didn’t mean for you to burn your free time to convert the batch file to PS!!! Cool that you provided the PS script to accomplish the same as the batch file. I intend to test this sucker out.

      Thanks for providiing your knowledge…always a great resource.

      Rob

      Reply

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