Set-DummyAD

Yes, I like my scripts with a verbose output.

See Demos

This is a powershell script to quickly setup an AD environment. With random user names and descriptions. The structure of the AD is defined in model.json, see below for possible customization. You have to run this script twice if you want to install ADDS and populate the AD with dummy content.

Context

During my sysadmin formation I wanted to have a script to populate an Active Directory with dummy content.

The content generated comes from the model.json (structure of the AD), and the names.csv (user names).

• It follows some best practices (GGS, DLGS, Share rights), and some design I find clean (everything what's not Microsoft BuiltIn in a _ROOT OU)
• What this script will do:
  • Install ADDS roles if not already installed
  • Generate OUs (following model.json)
  • Generate one OU per Department
  • Generate 5 security groups (3 GGS et 2 DLGS) per Department
  • Create one share per Department (managers have RW while users have only RO)
  • Generate one manager per Department (random from names.csv)
  • Generate X users per Department (random from names.csv, X defined in model.json)

Usage

1. On a windows server as administrator (tested on DataCenter2022)
2. Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted - Well, this is a lab and I wont pay for a code signing cert.
3. Unblock-File -Path .\Set-DummyAD.ps1 - I still dont have 500$ to spend on this script.
4. Download & extract the latest release .zip file
5. cd into the downloaded folder
6. Review model.json
7. .\set-DummyAD.ps1

Demos

ADDS installation

Populate AD with dummy content

Warnings

• All the users will have Test1234= as their password. (customizable in model.json)
• If ADDS role is installed with this script the DSRM password is also Test1234= (uses the same password in model.json)
• This script is not for a production environment but a for a quick setup of an AD lab.

Customization

CSV file

1. CSV file name should be names.csv
2. CSV headers should be firstName;lastName
3. The CSV delimiter should be ;, verify with notepad if necessary.
4. Make sure there is no duplicates, nor weird characters (I do not sanitize those names)
5. Make sure there is enough data to populate the AD ((1 + $UsersPerDept) * $nbrOfDepts should be greater than $nbrOfUsersInCSV)

model.json

Do not rename the file

Key	Expected values	Comments
PSW	string	Should be compliant with AD password policy
PreventOUDeletion	0 or 1 to disable or enable it	0 = You can delete the OUs
RootOUName	string
CustomOUs	array of string	See Customize the OUs
RootShareName	string	The name the directory that all the shared folder will be
RootSharePath	string	The \\ is normal in a json file, should be consistent with RootShareName
Depts	dictionary	Key:value pairs of DeptFullName:DeptShortName
AdditionalDesc	array of string
UsersPerDept	integer	Number of users per department

Customize the OUs

You can customize the OUs but:

• My script can't go deeper (:sadge:) than 2 levels
  • eg: "Computers/Servers" => OK
  • eg: "Computers/Server/001" => NOK
• Make sure you define the parent OU BEFORE the child OU in the list. Or the child OU generation will throw an error because the parent doesn't exist.
• Please don't remove the Groups entries, as I use them to generate the security groups
• Please don't remove the Users entry, as I use it to generate the users under it.

Thanks to

• MCG
• Technobel