Concentrated

ServerCoreDomainControllers
ByDonJonesConcentratedTech.com WindowsServer2008sServerCoreinstallationoptionisagreatoptionfordomain controllers:Theoperatingsystemhasasmallerfootprintandhassofarrequired significantlyfewerpatchesthanthefullWindowsinstallation,makingitpossibleto havelessdowntimeandmaintenanceforyourcriticalDCs.Inthispaper,wellinstall aServerCoredomaincontrollerfromscratch.

StartingtheInstallation
Theinstallationbegins,ironically,withthelightweightGUIinstallerthatsfamiliar toalleditionsofWin2008andtoWindowsVista.SelectoneoftheServerCore options.Notethatthisisaonetimedecision:Youcantlaterupgradetothefull Windowsinstallation,norcanyoudowngradeafullinstalltoServerCore.

Thatsabouttheonlydecisionyouhaveduringinstallation.Whenitsfinished,youll belookingatalogonscreenandmightbewonderingwhattodo.SelecttheOther

UserandloginasAdministrator.Useablankpassword;youllbeimmediately promptedtocreateanewpassword.

Afterchangingthepassword,youllbeloggedinandstaringatyournew,trimmed downdesktop.Thatsrightnotmuchtosee!ThisisServerCore,andithasonlya fewgraphicalelementsavailabletoit.Togetitupandrunning,youllneedtoruna fewcommands.

 Manyofthesewillbecommandsyourefamiliarwithalready;othersarenewand areuniquetoServerCore.

BasicConfiguration
SincewerebuildingaDC,youllprobablywanttostartbyassigningastaticIP address.DosousingtheNetshcommand,asshown,togetalistofnetwork interfaces.UsethenumberintheIdxcolumntorefertotheinterfaceinlater commands.

Withyournetworkadapteridentified,assignastaticIPaddress,subnetmask,and defaultgatewayusingtheNetshcommand.TheName=parameteriswhereyour chosenadaptersIDnumbergoes.

 UsethesametechniquetoassignaDNSserver.Toassignmorethanone,increment theindex=parameteryoucanseeherethatIveattemptedtoaddindex=1twice, andgotanerrormessage.Ipconfig/allwillconfirmthatyouveaddedthecorrect serveraddress.

ActivatingWindows
ServerCorestillrequiresactivation,whichisatwostepprocessthatusestheSlmgr command.First,installaproductkey.Then,activateWindows.NotethatServer Coreiscompatiblewithenterprisekeyserversifyourorganizationusesoneof those.RunSlmgrwithoutanyparameterstogetapopupdialogboxofotherthings itcando;notethatthedialogoftenappearsbehindthecommandlinewindow,and theresnoTaskBartoclueyouin.Ifthecommandsoutputdoesntshowupquickly, trymovingtheCmd.exewindowoutoftheway.Dontcloseitifyoudo,press Ctrl+Alt+DeletetogettoTaskmanager,andusetheNewTaskmenuoptiontoruna newinstanceofCmd.exe.

Afterinstallingthekey,activateit.Thiscantakesometimewaitforthedialogbox indicatingsuccessorfailure,anddontforgetthatitmightappearbehindthe Cmd.exewindow.

CustomizetheServer

Youllprobablywanttocustomizethecomputernameatthispoint.Usethe hostnamecommandtofindthecurrentcomputername,andthentheNetdom commandtochangeittoanewone.

Sincearebootwillberequiredafterwards,usetheShutdown/rcommandto reboot.

InstallingRoles
IgenerallyliketoinstalltheDNSServerrolemyself,sothatIcancustomizeit.After installing,youllneedtousetheDNSadministrationconsoleonanothercomputer (suchasyourworkstation)toconnecttotheServerCorecomputerandconfigure DNS.ServerCoredoesntrunanygraphicaladmintools.Youcouldalsousethe DnscmdcommandtoconfigureDNS,ifyourecomfortablewithit.Toinstallthe role,usetheOcsetupcommand;IprefertogetthisgoingbyusingtheStart/w command,whichsuspendsthecommandpromptuntilOcsetupfinishes.Ifyoudont dothis,thecommandpromptimmediatelyreturnswhiletheinstallationcompletes inthebackground,andyouwontknowwhenitsdone.

Next,youllneedtocreateanunattendedinstallationfileforDcpromo,sinceits graphicalWizardisntavailableinServerCore.http://www.petri.co.il/creating unattendinstallationfiledcpromowindowsserver2008.htmisanexcellent referenceforWin2008unattendedDcpromofilesnotethattheWin2008syntaxis abitdifferentandnewerfromtheWin2003one.ServerCoredoeshaveNotepad,so youcanuseittocreateyourunattendedfileifneeded.ServerCoresNotepaduses anoldersetoffiledialogboxes;paycloseattentiontotheseWin95vintagedialogs, sincetheyworkdifferentlyfromtheneweronesyoureusedto.

TheunattendfiletellsDcpromoifyourecreatinganewdomain,anewDCinan existingdomain,awholenewforest,orwhatever.Readthroughtheoptions carefully!YoucanalsouseDcpromoonanexistingfullWindowsinstallation (althoughnotonanexistingDC)tocreateanunattendfile;justrunthroughthe Dcpromowizardand,beforeyoucommittoinstallingAD,saveyourconfigurationin afile.ThatfilecanthenbecarriedtoServerCore(onaUSBkey,forexample)and usedwithDcpromothere.

Withyourunattendedfileready,runDcpromo/unattend:filenametostarttheAD installationprocess.Youllseeplentyofoutputtellingyouwhatshappening.

Ofcourse,arebootisinorderafterwards,andDcpromowillhandlethat automatically.Oncetheserverrestarts,youcanuseActiveDirectoryUsers& Computersagain,fromanothercomputertobeginmanagingyourdomain.