DEV Community: Blessing Ndubuisi

HOW TO MANAGE ROLE-BASED ACCESS CONTROL (RBAC)

Blessing Ndubuisi — Fri, 28 Mar 2025 11:13:08 +0000

      Azure Role base access control (Azure RBAC)

AZure Role base access control is an authorization system that helps you manage who has access to azure resources and the areas they have access to. with RBAC you can grant exact access users need to do their jobs, grant access to those managing Vm, sql databases within the same subscription.

AZURE KEY VAULT CREATION AND RBAC PERMISSION
Azure key is a cloud service used to manage keys, secrets and certificates. key vaults eliminate the need for developers to store security information in their code.

open azure portal, search for key vault (under search resources and services) and select key vault, click on create a key vault. fill in the subscription, key vault,region, prcing tier.

Then review and create, it brings you here

HOW TO ASSIGN MYSELF PERMISSION TO A STORAGE ACCOUNT
1.Log in to azure portal https://portal.azure.com , navigate to the storage account you want to assign permission to.

2.click on Access control(I AM), Click on 'Add' select role assignment

select the role you want to assign. under privilege administrator role, i assigned myself permission as user Access Administrator, add role assignment condition, to limit the principal the under can assign roles to.
*HOW TO INTERPRET AND DENY ASSIGNMENT IN RBAC
*

View the role assignments for the selected resource.
identify the role assigned to the user, group, or service principal.
Review the specific permission granted by the role. *TO DENY THE ASSIGNMENT *
Click on the "Add role assignment" button.
Select the role that you want to deny.
Select the user, group, or service principal for which you want to deny the assignment.
Click on the "Deny" button.

Step 4: Verify the Denial

View the updated role assignments to verify that the denial has taken effect.
Test the denial by attempting to perform an action that was previously allowed.

AZURE CLI (MANAGING AZURE RESOURCES)

Blessing Ndubuisi — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 14:05:57 +0000

Prerequisites:

Azure subscription
Azure CLI installed on your machine
Basic knowledge of Azure resources and CLI commands

Azure Cli is a tool for creating and managing Azure resources, its all text base with no graphical interface. It saves you alot of time, you can use a single command to manage a resource.
TO INSTALL AZURE CLI ON WINDOW
go to https://aka.ms/installazurecliwindows and download the installer, run the downloaded installer and follow the prompts. , click next, next and install. sign in with cli and login into Azure Cli.

USING AZURE CLI WITH CLOUDSHELL
Log in to shell.azure.com it will take you through the login process and you will get to the screen here

you will have to choose Bash or powershell as your shell environment. first for it to work you will have to attach a storage account. i created my storage which it successfully sync to the cloud shell.

why the storage account ? because it has to store all the data and files you might upload. once cloudshell is launched you can use Azure cli, to create, manage and delete Azure resources.
COMMON AZURE CLI COMMANDS
az command list it lists all the accounts available to this login.

az group create
, az vm create, command like az vm --help this gives you all the commands availablein the az vm.

EXERCISES

Exercise 1: Create a Resource Group

Open Azure CLI and login to your Azure account using az login.
Create a new resource group using az group create --name <resource_group_name> --location <location>, this time through cloud shell.
Verify the resource group creation using az group show --name <resource_group_name>. note the second group was created throgh cloud shell.

So this is basically how Azure Cli works. you can use it to manage resources such as virtual machines,storage accounts and resource groups.

AZURE ACTIVE DIRECTORY (AZURE AD) or MICROSOFT ENTRA ID

Blessing Ndubuisi — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 16:46:13 +0000

ENTRA ID is the foundation to the entire cloud. it helps you protect all your identities and secure your network access everywhere. All your identities gets managed by Entra id Admin center, its Microsoft identity solution. your Entra id environment is called a tenant, its like you renting a place you’re living. Entra id is a globally load balanced SAS service with endpoints across all of azure. To create a user account on There are several kinds of user account, there is on you create in the portal known as cloud native users and we also have synced users and also guest users which is also called B2B AND B2C accounts. So when you create account you have to choose if that should be cloud native or if you want to invite a guest. here is a step by step guide on how to manage users and groups in active directory;
HOW TO CREATE NEW USER ACCOUNT IN MICROSOFT ENTRA ID

Go to Entra.microsoft.com
Click on " NEW USERS" in the navigation menu, Click on NEW USER OR INVITE EXTERNAL USER if you are inviting a user, then fill in necessary information!
First we need to access Microsoft entra Admin center using the URL https://entra.microsoft.com, on the home page expand users and click on
You can manually also add users through the Microsoft Entra Admin center, this is the easiest way to add users. Click on new user , you will see two options, create a new user or invite an external user.

, go with the default selection, create new user. fill in the necessary info , user principal name is the login name which user used to sign in to Microsoft Entra, select a domain from the menu after @symbol, i used Administrator@nblessing44@gmail.onmicrosoft.com

fill in other details mail, nickname, provide a password, change the settings. next select properties and fill in the identity and Job info,
, also configure the group and administrative unit too., select review + create button. review the entered detail and select create to create this user account with the given details. here are the ones i successfully created.

To modify the user account settings, click on user account , click on edit properties, here you can edit identity, job information, job information, etc.

HOW TO BULK CREATE USERS USING CSV FILE
Microsoft Entra provided a way to manage users in bulk,you can create and delete operations in bulk.

login to entra admin center, sign in as user administrator Navigate to bulk operation , under it you can either bulk create users, bulk invite users or bulk delete users. To bulk create users first download the csv template file

open the downloaded csv file, add the line for each user you want to create. Modify the template file with the users information, and save the file as

.csvfile go back to microsoft entra Admin center , next is to upload the csv file to microsoft entra id, under bulk create page, select upload csv file and browse to the file. after the file content
are validated, you will see a message that the file is updated successfully.

TROUBLESHOOTING DNS PROBLEMS IN AN ACTIVE DIRECTORY DOMAIN CONTROLLER

Blessing Ndubuisi — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 11:34:09 +0000

As a system and Network Administrator , Troubleshooting DNS problems in Active Directory is a crucial skill to have. it requires a systematic approach to identify and resolve the issue.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
An IT Company has reported that users are experiencing difficulties accessing network resources due to DNS resolution FAILURES .The DNS server logs indicate that there are issues with DNS Query timeout and server error. the team needs to identify the root cause of the problems and to resolve it.
CODE: No code is required for this project, as it involves troubleshooting and Configuration of DNS settings.
TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE:
Step1: Open network and internet settings, click on Network sharing Centre, then click on change adapter settings, choose the network that lit up, right click and go to properties, you will see multiple list of network then you will have to chose the one that have the main ip address on it, chose the IP Version 4 (IPV4) and double click on it and uncheck ipv6. click on 1pv4 properties and input your Ip address.
under DNS ,
There you will see preferred and Alternative DNS. please do not input public dns here, if you put in public dns server you are not going to resolve or replicate anything inside your network, it will also be difficult to find other server, instead add in your ip address.

Now to set this properly go to server manager, go to tools, scroll down to DNS INSIDE the dns right click the server, go properties, if you are using ipv6 leave the box checked for ipv6 but you can uncheck the ip. . but if you are using TCP/IPV4 only check the one ip address you use for TCP/PIV4, Uncheck them with the exception of your main ip address . Next open forwarders, add DNS, Here you can add public DNS, I added 8.8.8.8 which is Google dns and, 4.2.2.2 and 9.9.9.9

Now to know which server I'm to use I will choose the one with the quickest amount of Hops. I will open my command prompt and type tracert -d 8.8.8.8, same with the other dns.

TO VERIFY RESOLUTION
Monitor DNS Server logs to ensure there are no further errors or warnings.

IT HOMELAB PROJECT #1

Blessing Ndubuisi — Wed, 26 Feb 2025 19:55:50 +0000

Welcome to my homelab project #1 where i showcase how to setup an Active directory lab using Hyper-V. My goal is to create a functional test environment that mimics a real world Active Directory setup.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Hyper-V is only available on 64bit editions of windows, specifically window 10/11pro,enterprise and education.

PREREQUISITES 1 = Enable Hyper v

HOW I ENABLED HYPER-V IN MY WINDOW 10 PRO

Click on "control panel" open the control panel
click on "programs and features"
click on turn windows features on and off
scroll down and check the box next to "Hyper-V", enable it and reboot your system.
click ok and restart your computer. if hyper v is installed correctively, you should see the hyperv manager console.

PREREQUISITE 2
CREATE A NEW VIRTUAL MACHINE; I use hypervisor manager to create the Virtual machine and set up the lab. on the right hand side click on quick create

INSTALL A SUPPORTED WINDOW SERVER: I downloaded window server 2019 Iso from www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-10
Next, I configured the virtual machines networking settings to connect to my existing network infrastructure, open Hyper-V click on virtual switch manager, click on virtual switch manager and select the type of switch you want, I selected external switch apply the settings and click ok .

STEP 1** INSTALL ACTIVE DIRECTORY DOMAIN SERVICES**

launch server manager as thus; open Hyper-V manger navigate to window server 2019 already installed in the Hyper-V, then launch the the server which also opens the server manager. click on "manage" scrol down to "Add roles and feature"
create a new domain and select "Add new forest"
configure the domain setting by adding domain name, mine is Blessinglab.tech
Promote to domain, I followed the wizard to promote the server to a domain controller, ** CONFIGURE DNS AND DHCP** I started by installing the DNS server role on the domain controller. i configured the DNS settings including the forward and reverse lookup zones. Now i have successfully created the lookup zones you wil see two default entry, start of authority SOA and Name server... next is to add New Pointer R To configured DHCP SERVER
click on the yellow icon and go to post- deployment configuration, follow the wizard and run the "complete DHCP Configuration". ..done CREATE OUS,USERS AND GROUPS ON ACTIVE DIRECTORY <

Active directory users is a tool that lets you manage users,accounts and more.open server manager , go to tools,select active directory users and computers,console, right click on "new" and select "organizational unit". "OU" is just like a cointainer it can be used to store users,groups,etc
open it, fill in the necessary details, i name the city of my org "LAGOS",
you can create an org under it, i named mine "lekki Office"
Next i created three new organizational unit in "lekki office" namely, ACCOUNTING, TECH AND HR Departmental units.

next is to create users under the new unit, right click on the unit ,select new,scroll down to users, fill up the users information, fill in the password, the password must meet the password policy requirement. i successfuly created a user.
So this is basically how to create users in "OU".
CREATE GROUPS
click on the created deparment, select users , then group. i created two groups i named them TECH_ADMIN and TECH_SUPPORT.

LINUX CHALLENGE DAY 5

Blessing Ndubuisi — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 13:49:26 +0000

LINUX NETWORKING

Linux networking commands are used extensively to inspect, analyze, maintain, and troubleshoot networks connected to the system server.

Despite being busy, I managed to cover five essential command lines. Since I use the Ubuntu distribution, I first installed net-tools. Note that if you use Kali Linux, net-tools usually come preinstalled.

Here are the commands I learned:

ifconfig (Interface Configurator): used to configure network interfaces.
ip a (or ip addr show): displays IP addresses and interface information.
ip link show: shows the state of network interfaces.
ip -s link show: displays interface statistics, including traffic information.
ip route: displays and modifies the IP routing table.

These commands are crucial for network administration and troubleshooting.

LINUX CHALLENGE, DAY 4

Blessing Ndubuisi — Sat, 09 Nov 2024 16:52:03 +0000

User Management

Today, I covered and learned about the essential topics of Linux User Management, including:

User Account Creation: useradd and adduser
User Deletion:userdel
System User Creation: useradd -r and adduser --system
Password Management: passwd
Group Management: groupadd, groupdel , and groupmod Key Commands:

useradd [username]: Create a new user with default settings
adduser [username]: Create a new user with interactive prompts
userdel [username]: Delete a user account
passwd [username]: Set or change a user's password
groupadd [groupname]: Create a new group
-groupdel[groupname]: Delete a group
i used id [username] to display user information
Used groups [username] to display a user's group membership
Used sudo for user management tasks
Regularly review user and group accounts

I'm excited to apply these skills to real-world scenarios and continue improving my Linux expertise!

LinuxUserManagement #LinuxChallenge #SysAdmin #DevOps #ITProfessional #LinuxCommunity #LearningJournal``

LINUX CHALLENGE, DAY 3

Blessing Ndubuisi — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 20:58:11 +0000

Continuing my Linux journey!
Today I learned:

How to use touch to create new files

Change file/directory ownership with chown
Use symbolic notation for permissions with chown
Modify file permissions with chmod So today this three commands gave me tough time but I finally mastered it. #Linux #CommandLine #FileManagement

LINUX CHALLENGE DAY 2

Blessing Ndubuisi — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:37:07 +0000

I'm excited to share my progress on Day 2 of my 20-day Linux challenge!

Today I Mastered file management commands: cp (copy), mv(move/rename), rm (remove).
-I Learned to view file contents with cat,cat -n (with line numbers)

Discovered head `` command for viewing beginning of file and _tail _commands for viewing file ends
Compared file contents with diff and entire directories with diff -r These skills will enhance my productivity and efficiency in navigating Linux environments. What's your favourite Linux commands? please share your tips 🙏

LinuxChallenge #Day2 #FileManagement #CommandLine #learning

Linux Challenge

Blessing Ndubuisi — Sun, 03 Nov 2024 09:22:59 +0000

Day 1
UNLOCKING USER AND GROUP CHALLENGE
I'm thrilled to kick-start my 20-day Linux challenge, Today's journey began with exploring the fundamentals of user and group management in Linux.
key takeaways

User Identity: Mastered the whoami command to display my current username, understanding its importance in Linux security.
Detailed Group Information: Utilized the id command to retrieve comprehensive information about my user account, including group memberships and permissions.
Software Installation: Learned how to seamlessly install software packages using _sudo apt install_, streamlining my Linux experience.
System Monitoring: Discovered _htop_, a powerful tool for monitoring system resources, processes, and memory usage.
User Permissions: Gained insight into user permissions and identities in Linux, laying the groundwork for advanced system administration.

Why Linux?

Linux is an essential skill for professionals in tech, and I'm committed to developing a deep understanding of its ecosystem. This challenge will help me enhance my command line skills.