How to Join Corporate Laptops to Azure Domain Services

Learn how to seamlessly domain join your corporate laptops to Azure Domain Services, enhancing security and simplifying management. Follow our step-by-step guide.

Introduction

Organizations using Microsoft 365 GCC High for employee laptops may choose to leverage Azure Domain Services for centralized management. This article outlines the process of domain joining corporate laptops to Azure Domain Services, assuming the laptops are currently in a workgroup and registered to their Entra ID account.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

1. An active Azure subscription.
2. Azure Domain Services configured with a domain.
3. A server VM in Azure domain-joined to the new domain.
4. Corporate laptops registered to Entra ID account in O365 GCC High.

Domain Join Process

Follow these steps to domain join your corporate laptops to Azure Domain Services:

1. Ensure the laptops can connect to the Azure virtual network hosting Azure Domain Services. This may involve setting up a VPN or direct connection.
2. On the laptop, install the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) to access the necessary domain joining tools.
3. Press Win + X and select ‘Device Manager’ from the menu.
4. In Device Manager, locate and expand ‘Network Adapters.’ Right-click the active adapter, select ‘Properties,’ and navigate to ‘Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4).’ Click ‘Properties’ and set the primary DNS to the IP address of your Azure Domain Services.
5. Press Win + X and select ‘System.’ Click ‘About’ and then ‘Advanced system settings.’ Under ‘Computer Name,’ click ‘Change.’ Enter the domain name, click ‘OK,’ and provide the credentials of an Azure Domain Services user with domain join permissions.
6. After a successful domain join, restart the laptop to apply the changes.

Post-Domain Join Configuration

After domain joining the laptops, consider the following configurations:

• Group Policies: Apply group policies to enforce security and compliance settings.
• Intune Enrollment: Enroll the laptops in Microsoft Intune for modern management and enhanced security features.

Conclusion

Domain joining corporate laptops to Azure Domain Services provides centralized management and improved security. By following this guide, your organization can streamline device management and ensure compliance with your security policies.