Setting up Active Directory Rights Management Services in Windows Server 2022
Posted on 20th June 2023
Setting up Active Directory Rights Management Services in Windows Server 2022
Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) is a server role in Windows Server that allows organizations to protect their digital information from unauthorized access and use. AD RMS uses encryption, identity, and authorization policies to help safeguard information across email, applications, and documents.
Organizations can use AD RMS to:
Protect email messages and attachments
Restrict access to applications and documents
Prevent unauthorized copying or printing of documents
AD RMS is built on Microsoft Rights Management technologies and uses industry-standard cryptographic algorithms to help protect information.
Installing the AD RMS server role
The AD RMS server role can be installed using the Server Manager console or PowerShell.
To install AD RMS using the Server Manager console:
Open the Server Manager console.
In the left pane, click on Roles.
In the main pane, under Roles Summary, click Add Roles.
On the Before You Begin page, click Next.
On the Select Server Roles page, select the Active Directory Rights Management Services check box, and then click Next.
On the Introduction to Active Directory Rights Management Services page, click Next.
On the Confirm Installation Selections page, click Install.
On the Results page, click Close.
To install AD RMS using PowerShell:
Open a PowerShell window.
Type the following command, and then press Enter:
Install-WindowsFeature ADRMS
Configuring AD RMS
After you install the AD RMS server role, you need to configure the service before you can start using it.
To configure AD RMS:
Open the AD RMS Management console.
In the left pane, click on AD RMS Configuration.
In the main pane, click on the AD RMS Cluster node.
In the right pane, click on the Configure AD RMS Cluster link.
On the Before You Begin page, click Next.
On the Specify AD RMS Service Account page, specify the account that will be used to run the AD RMS service, and then click Next.
On the Configure AD RMS Database page, specify the SQL Server instance that will host the AD RMS database, and then click Next.
On the Specify AD RMS Database Options page, choose whether to create a new database or use an existing database, and then click Next.
On the Configure AD RMS Service Connection Point page, specify the connection information for the AD RMS service, and then click Next.
On the Configure Certificate page, choose whether to use an existing certificate or create a new self-signed certificate, and then click Next.
On the Ready to Configure page, click Configure.
On the Configuration Results page, click Close.
After you configure AD RMS, you need to register the service connection point (SCP) in Active Directory.
To register the SCP:
Open the AD RMS Management console.
In the left pane, click on AD RMS Configuration.
In the main pane, click on the AD RMS Cluster node.
In the right pane, click on the Register SCP link.
On the Register SCP page, click Register.
On the Confirm Registration page, click OK.
You have now successfully installed and configured AD RMS.
Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) is a server role included in Windows Server that can help organizations control access to and usage of their digital information. By using AD RMS, organizations can define and apply usage policies to their documents and emails so that only authorized individuals can access and use them. AD RMS also provides a way to track and revoke access to protected content if necessary.
In order to use AD RMS, organizations must first deploy at least one AD RMS server. The AD RMS server role can be installed on any server running Windows Server 2022. Additionally, the server must be a member of an Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) domain.
Once the AD RMS server role has been installed, the next step is to configure the service. The AD RMS configuration process involves creating and configuring an AD RMS cluster, which consists of at least two AD RMS servers. The servers in the cluster must be running the same version of Windows Server and must be joined to the same AD DS domain.
After the cluster has been created, the next step is to create and configure an AD RMS template. The template defines the usage policies that will be applied to the content that is protected by AD RMS. These usage policies can be used to control who can access the content, what they can do with it, and for how long they can access it.
Once the template has been created, the next step is to create and configure an AD RMS licensing server. The licensing server is used to issue and manage licenses for the content that is protected by AD RMS. The licensing server must be a member of the AD RMS cluster.
After the licensing server has been configured, the next step is to create and configure an AD RMS certificate server. The certificate server is used to issue and manage certificates for the AD RMS cluster. The certificate server must be a member of the AD RMS cluster.
Once the certificate server has been configured, the next step is to create and configure an AD RMS rights management server. The rights management server is used to issue and manage rights for the content that is protected by AD RMS. The rights management server must be a member of the AD RMS cluster.
After the rights management server has been configured, the next step is to create and configure an AD RMS web application server. The web application server is used to host the AD RMS web services. The web application server must be a member of the AD RMS cluster.
Once the web application server has been configured, the next step is to create and configure an AD RMS database server. The database server is used to store the AD RMS databases. The database server must be a member of the AD RMS cluster.
After the database server has been configured, the final step is to create and configure an AD RMS client computer. The AD RMS client computer is used to access the AD RMS protected content. The AD RMS client computer must be a member of the AD RMS cluster.
Once the AD RMS client computer has been configured, the AD RMS system is ready to use.
