Exception Error when Running PowerShell command to Update the ADFS SQL Connection String.

Description:

As per article from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-fs/design/federation-server-farm-using-sql-server, we need to run the following command to update the SQL connection string for the AD FS configuration database:

PS:\>$temp= Get-WmiObject -namespace root/ADFS -class SecurityTokenService

PS:\>$temp.ConfigurationdatabaseConnectionstring="datasource=<SQLCluster\SQLInstance>;initial catalog=adfsconfiguration;integrated security=true"

PS:\>$temp.put()

The update is necessary to support SQL Always On feature.

However, there's an "exception error" when you run the above script in PowerShell.

Resolution:

For modifying the connection string on the additional ADFS server in the Farm, you need to stop the ADFS Service first. After that run the above script and start the ADFS Service again.

Error when adding a new Windows Server 2016 to ADFS Server Farm with SQL Database

Description:
You have successfully configured the first ADFS Server with SQL Database in a ADFS farm. Now you want to add another node to the ADFS Farm. 

However when you run the ADFS Configuration wizard, you encountered an error and the process stops.

At the prerequisite checks, we can see several errors as per below:

• "An error occurred during an attempt to connect to the AD FS configuration database. Error: Login failed for user 'Domain\The account I am logged into the server with'.. Confirm that the database hostname and instance name are correct and that the specified service account has logon access to the database."

• "Cannot open database "AdfsConfigurationV0" requested by the login. The login failed.

• Login failed for user 'domain\managed service account$'."

Resolution:
Make sure the account that you are using have the Owner Access to the ADFS database. 
The permissions can be removed after adding the new nodes.

Cannot Start ADFS Service after changing the Database Connection string to support SQL Always On

Description:
You have configured the first ADFS 2016 Server with SQL as the Database. Later on the day, the SQL Admin has also set the ADFS Database to have Always On capability.

You've follow the syntax from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/identity/ad-fs/design/federation-server-farm-using-sql-server to change the SQL Connection string on the first ADFS server to support SQL Always On feature.

However when you try to restart the ADFS service, it is always failed.

Example Script:

PS:\>$temp= Get-WmiObject -namespace root/ADFS -class SecurityTokenService
PS:\>$temp.ConfigurationdatabaseConnectionstring="data source=<SQLCluster\SQLInstance>;initial catalog=adfsconfiguration;integrated security=true"
PS:\>$temp.put()

Resolution:

You need to modify the above example script. Make sure the "data source" are correct, and also the "initial catalog" value are the same as the actual database name in SQL. For example you may need to write "adfsconfgurationv3" instead of just "adfsconfiguration" on the above script.

Cannot Delete Domain Controller - Access is Denied

Description:

You are using Domain Admins account and wanted to delete a "stale" Domain Controller (DC) from Active Directory Users and Computers console. However you got an access denied error.

Resolution:

Most probably there's a protection against accidental deletion of DC.

• Go to Active Directory Sites and Services
• Expand the Sites folder > expand the site name where the DC you want to delete is > expand the Servers folder > expand the DC you want to delete
• Right click on NTDS Settings
• Click on the Object tab
• Uncheck the “Protect object from accidental deletion” checkbox.
• Click OK.

Now you should be able to delete the Domain Controller from Active Directory Users and Computers console.

BitLocker Deployment with Active Directory - How to Start Automatic Encryption

Description:

You deployed BitLocker using Active Directory only. You have setup the necessary Group Policy, run manual BitLocker Encryption and can see the recovery password is being store at Active Directory.

Now you are wondering how it could start auto encryption without user interaction.

Resolution:

From https://www.experts-exchange.com/articles/33771/We-have-bitlocker-so-we-need-MBAM-too.html we can see that we can create a task scheduler on the machine and run it with System credential.

Detail:

Task name: BL (name it as you want, but please don’t forget to change the name in the last script line)

Triggers: at logon of any user

Executing account: system

Action: powershell.exe with the argument \\server\share\BL.ps1

The script:

$pin=(Get-Random -Minimum 0 -Maximum 999999).ToString('000000')
echo "$pin" | out-file \\server\pins\$env:computername.txt -Append
$SecureString = ConvertTo-SecureString "$pin" -AsPlainText -Force
Add-BitlockerKeyProtector -MountPoint "C:" -Pin $SecureString -TPMandPinProtector
manage-bde -on c: -s -used -rp
msg * /time:0 Your hard drive is being encrypted. To start your PC, you need your Bitlocker-PIN, which is $pin
schtasks /delete /tn BL /f