We are working on syncing a centos 07 client to a windows 2012 server. I absolutely do not want to be told how to do it, i would just like to directed to a reliable resource.
Just point him to some good resources, since this is his assignment for class. 
Right i probably should have made that more clear… oops
Curl up with a good Samba reference. I hope it’s gotten easier since last time I tried.
winbind is your friend here.
It’s actually gotten easier with the new versions. I would start with this article first. It’s for Red Hat but the commands and such should be interchangeable.
Red Hat Active Directory Integration Guide
Also, the only reliable step-by-step guide you will find is one you write yourself. Good luck.
I wish our Linux “admins” had read that book. Then we would not be heading down the rabbit-hole that is IPA.
(And I do not mean “India Pale Ale”, either!!)
Centrify and Likewise. We use the former. They also have a free version, but we use their paid version on about six RHEL servers with several hundred active users.