Microsoft's TechNet has released a useful set of step-by-step guides to help people learn, understand, plan, deploy, configure and maintain Active Directory infrastructures on Windows 2003 domains.

From the AD Step-by-Step Guides page, the following individual titles are available (see the main page for more information about each):

  • Installing Windows Server 2003 as a Domain Controller
  • Installing a Windows XP Professional Workstation and Connecting It to a Domain
  • Setting Up Additional Domain Controllers
  • Managing Active Directory
  • Understanding the Group Policy Feature Set
  • Using the Group Policy Management Console
  • Enforcing Strong Password Policies
  • Using the Delegation of Control Wizard
  • User Data Management and User Settings Management through Group Policy
  • Configuring a Dial-Up Remote Access Server
  • Building a Site-to-Site Virtual Private Network Connection
  • Using the Encrypting File System
  • Digitally Signed and Encrypted E-Mail
  • Active Directory Sites and Services
  • Active Directory Bulk Import and Export