Installing Active Directory on Windows Server 2008
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Balaji
Nov 12, 2008, 3:47:55 PM11/12/08
to Exchange User Group
Dear All,
Microsoft Active Directory provides the structure to
centralize the network management and store information about network
resources across the entire domain. Active Directory uses Domain
Controllers to keep this centralized storage available to network
users. In order to configure a Windows Server 2008 machine to act as
Domain Controller, several considerations and prerequisites should be
taken into account, and several steps should be performed.
In this article I will guide you through these prerequisites and steps
of creating a new Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller for a new
Active Directory domain in a new forest.
Considerations when Installing a new Windows Server 2008 forest
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you install AD to create the first domain controller in a new
Windows Server 2008 forest, you must keep the following considerations
in mind:
* You must make forest and domain functional level decisions that
determine whether your
forest and domain can contain domain controllers that run Windows
2000 Server, Windows
Server 2003, or both.
* Domain controllers running the Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
operating system are NOT
supported with Windows Server 2008.
* Servers running Windows NT Server 4.0 are NOT supported by domain
controllers that are
running Windows Server 2008, meaning you MUST have additional DCs
running Windows
2000/2003 to support older NT 4.0 servers.
* The first Windows Server 2008 domain controller in a forest must
be a global catalog server
and it cannot be an RODC (Read Only DC).
Considerations when Installing a new Windows Server 2008 domain in an
existing
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows 2000/2003 forest
---------------------------------------
When you install AD to create the first domain controller in a new
Windows Server 2008 domain, you must keep the following considerations
in mind:
* Before you create a new Windows Server 2008 domain in a Windows
2000/2003 forest, you
must prepare the forest for Windows Server 2008 by extending the
schema (that is, by
running ADPREP /forestprep).
* You must make domain functional level decisions that determine
whether your domain can
contain domain controllers that run Windows 2000 Server, Windows
Server 2003, or both.
* It is recommended that you host the PDC emulator operations
master role in the forest root
domain on a domain controller that runs Windows Server 2008.
Installing Active Directory Domain Services (AD-DS)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Windows Server 2008, unlike previous server operating Systems,
there is an additional step that needs to be taken before running
DCPROMO to promote the server to Domain Controller and installing
Active Directory on it. This step is the installation of Active
Directory Domain Services (AD-DS) role on the server. In fact, the AD-
DS role is what enables the server to act as a Domain Controller, but
you will still need to run DCPROMO the regular way.
AD-DS can be installed in one of 3 methods:
Method 1 – Server Manager/Initial Configuration Tasks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roles can and should be added from Server Manager (but they can also
be initiated from the Initial Configuration Tasks wizard that auto-
opens the first time you log on to the server).
1. Open Server Manager by clicking the icon in the Quick Launch
toolbar, or from the
Administrative Tools folder.
2. Wait till it finishes loading, then click on Roles > Add Roles
link.
3. In the Before you begin window, click Next.
4. In the Select Server Roles window, click to select Active
Directory Domain Services, and
then click Next.
5. In the Active Directory Domain Services window read the provided
information if you want
to, and then click Next.
6. In the Confirm Installation Selections, read the provided
information if you want to, and
then click Next.
7. Wait till the process completes.
8. When it ends, click Close.
9. Going back to Server Manager, click on the Active Directory
Domain Services link, and
note that there's no information linked to it, because the
DCPROMO command has not
been run yet.
10. Now you can click on the DCPROMO link
Method 2 – Servermanagercmd.exe
----------------------------------------------------
Servermanagercmd.exe is the command prompt equivalent of the Add Roles
and Add Features wizards in Server Manager. Through the use of various
command line options, you can quickly and easily add or remove
features and roles to or from your server, including the AD-DS role.
To install AD-DS by using Servermanagercmd.exe, simply enter the
following command in the Command Prompt window:
Servermanagercmd.exe –I ADDS-Domain-Controller
Let the command run and when it finishes, AD-DS will be installed on
the server.
Method 3 – Letting DCPROMO do the job
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you forget to install AD-DS or simply want to skip clicking on some
windows, you can run DCPROMO from the Run command and before it is
executed, the server will check to see if the AD-DS binaries are
installed. Since they are not, they will auto-install.
After you complete the Add Roles Wizard, either click the link to
start the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard, or
close Server Manager and manually run DCPROMO from the Run command.
Running DCPROMO
-------------------------------
After installing the AD-DS role, we need to run DCPROMO to perform the
actual Active Directory database and function installation.
Note: It is assumed that this is the first Domain controller in the
forest, thus creating a new domain in a new forest.
1. To run DCPROMO, enter the command in the Run command, or click
on the DCPROMO
link from Server Manager > Roles > Active Directory Domain
Services.
2. Depending upon the question if AD-DS was previously installed or
not, the Active Directory
Domain Services Installation Wizard will appear immediately or
after a short while. Click
Next.
3. In the Operating System Compatibility window, read the provided
information and click
Next.
4. In the Choosing Deployment Configuration window, click on
"Create a new domain in a
new forest" and click Next.
5. Enter an appropriate name for the new domain. Make sure you pick
the right domain
name, as renaming domains is a task you will not wish to
perform on a daily basis. Click
Next.
Kindly remember NOT use single label domain names such as "mydomain"
or similar. You MUST pick a full domain name such as "mydomain.local"
or "mydomain.com" and so on.
The wizard will perform checks to see if the domain name is not
already in use on the local network.
6. Pick the right forest function level. Windows 2000 mode is the
default, and it allows the
addition of Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server
2008 Domain
Controllers to the forest you're creating.
7. Pick the right domain function level. Windows 2000 Native mode
is the default, and it
allows the addition of Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and
Windows Server
2008 Domain Controllers to the domain you're creating.
Note: If you select "Windows Server 2008" for the forest function
level, you will Not be prompted to pick a domain function level.
8. The wizard will perform checks to see if DNS is properly
configured on the local network.
In this case, no DNS server has been configured, therefore, the
wizard will offer to
automatically install DNS on this server.
Note: The first DCs must also be a Global Catalog. Also, the first DCs
in a forest cannot be a Read Only Domain controller.
9. It's most likely that you'll get a warning telling you that the
server has one or more
dynamic IP Addresses. Running IPCONFIG /all will show that this
is not the case,
because as you know that we have given the server a static IP
Address.
Then why did this warning appear or from where did this warning come
from?
The answer is IPv6. We did not manually configure the IPv6 address,
hence the warning. In a network where IPv6 is not used, you can safely
ignore this warning.
10. You'll probably get a warning about DNS delegation. Since no DNS
has been configured
yet, you can ignore the message and click Yes.
11. Next, change the paths for the AD database, log files and SYSVOL
folder. For large
deployments, carefully plan your DC configuration to get the
maximum performance. When
satisfied, click Next.
12. Enter the password for the Active Directory Recovery Mode. This
password must be kept
confidential, and because it stays constant while regular domain
user passwords expire
(based upon the password policy configured for the domain, the
default is 42 days), it does
not. This password should be complex and at least 7 characters
long. I strongly suggest
that you do NOT use the regular administrator's password, and
that you write it down and
securely store it. Click Next.
13. In the Summary window review your selections, and if required,
save them to an unattend
answer file. When satisfied, click Next.
14. The wizard will begin creating the Active Directory domain, and
when finished, you will
need to press Finish and reboot your computer.
Note: You can automate the rebooting process by checking the Reboot on
Completion
checkbox.
To automate domain controller installations, you can use an answer
file or you can specify unattended installation parameters at the
command line.
Also refer the below links for more details,
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755258.aspx
Microsoft Active Directory provides the structure to
centralize the network management and store information about network
resources across the entire domain. Active Directory uses Domain
Controllers to keep this centralized storage available to network
users. In order to configure a Windows Server 2008 machine to act as
Domain Controller, several considerations and prerequisites should be
taken into account, and several steps should be performed.
In this article I will guide you through these prerequisites and steps
of creating a new Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller for a new
Active Directory domain in a new forest.
Considerations when Installing a new Windows Server 2008 forest
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When you install AD to create the first domain controller in a new
Windows Server 2008 forest, you must keep the following considerations
in mind:
* You must make forest and domain functional level decisions that
determine whether your
forest and domain can contain domain controllers that run Windows
2000 Server, Windows
Server 2003, or both.
* Domain controllers running the Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
operating system are NOT
supported with Windows Server 2008.
* Servers running Windows NT Server 4.0 are NOT supported by domain
controllers that are
running Windows Server 2008, meaning you MUST have additional DCs
running Windows
2000/2003 to support older NT 4.0 servers.
* The first Windows Server 2008 domain controller in a forest must
be a global catalog server
and it cannot be an RODC (Read Only DC).
Considerations when Installing a new Windows Server 2008 domain in an
existing
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Windows 2000/2003 forest
---------------------------------------
When you install AD to create the first domain controller in a new
Windows Server 2008 domain, you must keep the following considerations
in mind:
* Before you create a new Windows Server 2008 domain in a Windows
2000/2003 forest, you
must prepare the forest for Windows Server 2008 by extending the
schema (that is, by
running ADPREP /forestprep).
* You must make domain functional level decisions that determine
whether your domain can
contain domain controllers that run Windows 2000 Server, Windows
Server 2003, or both.
* It is recommended that you host the PDC emulator operations
master role in the forest root
domain on a domain controller that runs Windows Server 2008.
Installing Active Directory Domain Services (AD-DS)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
In Windows Server 2008, unlike previous server operating Systems,
there is an additional step that needs to be taken before running
DCPROMO to promote the server to Domain Controller and installing
Active Directory on it. This step is the installation of Active
Directory Domain Services (AD-DS) role on the server. In fact, the AD-
DS role is what enables the server to act as a Domain Controller, but
you will still need to run DCPROMO the regular way.
AD-DS can be installed in one of 3 methods:
Method 1 – Server Manager/Initial Configuration Tasks
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Roles can and should be added from Server Manager (but they can also
be initiated from the Initial Configuration Tasks wizard that auto-
opens the first time you log on to the server).
1. Open Server Manager by clicking the icon in the Quick Launch
toolbar, or from the
Administrative Tools folder.
2. Wait till it finishes loading, then click on Roles > Add Roles
link.
3. In the Before you begin window, click Next.
4. In the Select Server Roles window, click to select Active
Directory Domain Services, and
then click Next.
5. In the Active Directory Domain Services window read the provided
information if you want
to, and then click Next.
6. In the Confirm Installation Selections, read the provided
information if you want to, and
then click Next.
7. Wait till the process completes.
8. When it ends, click Close.
9. Going back to Server Manager, click on the Active Directory
Domain Services link, and
note that there's no information linked to it, because the
DCPROMO command has not
been run yet.
10. Now you can click on the DCPROMO link
Method 2 – Servermanagercmd.exe
----------------------------------------------------
Servermanagercmd.exe is the command prompt equivalent of the Add Roles
and Add Features wizards in Server Manager. Through the use of various
command line options, you can quickly and easily add or remove
features and roles to or from your server, including the AD-DS role.
To install AD-DS by using Servermanagercmd.exe, simply enter the
following command in the Command Prompt window:
Servermanagercmd.exe –I ADDS-Domain-Controller
Let the command run and when it finishes, AD-DS will be installed on
the server.
Method 3 – Letting DCPROMO do the job
-------------------------------------------------------------
If you forget to install AD-DS or simply want to skip clicking on some
windows, you can run DCPROMO from the Run command and before it is
executed, the server will check to see if the AD-DS binaries are
installed. Since they are not, they will auto-install.
After you complete the Add Roles Wizard, either click the link to
start the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard, or
close Server Manager and manually run DCPROMO from the Run command.
Running DCPROMO
-------------------------------
After installing the AD-DS role, we need to run DCPROMO to perform the
actual Active Directory database and function installation.
Note: It is assumed that this is the first Domain controller in the
forest, thus creating a new domain in a new forest.
1. To run DCPROMO, enter the command in the Run command, or click
on the DCPROMO
link from Server Manager > Roles > Active Directory Domain
Services.
2. Depending upon the question if AD-DS was previously installed or
not, the Active Directory
Domain Services Installation Wizard will appear immediately or
after a short while. Click
Next.
3. In the Operating System Compatibility window, read the provided
information and click
Next.
4. In the Choosing Deployment Configuration window, click on
"Create a new domain in a
new forest" and click Next.
5. Enter an appropriate name for the new domain. Make sure you pick
the right domain
name, as renaming domains is a task you will not wish to
perform on a daily basis. Click
Next.
Kindly remember NOT use single label domain names such as "mydomain"
or similar. You MUST pick a full domain name such as "mydomain.local"
or "mydomain.com" and so on.
The wizard will perform checks to see if the domain name is not
already in use on the local network.
6. Pick the right forest function level. Windows 2000 mode is the
default, and it allows the
addition of Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server
2008 Domain
Controllers to the forest you're creating.
7. Pick the right domain function level. Windows 2000 Native mode
is the default, and it
allows the addition of Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 and
Windows Server
2008 Domain Controllers to the domain you're creating.
Note: If you select "Windows Server 2008" for the forest function
level, you will Not be prompted to pick a domain function level.
8. The wizard will perform checks to see if DNS is properly
configured on the local network.
In this case, no DNS server has been configured, therefore, the
wizard will offer to
automatically install DNS on this server.
Note: The first DCs must also be a Global Catalog. Also, the first DCs
in a forest cannot be a Read Only Domain controller.
9. It's most likely that you'll get a warning telling you that the
server has one or more
dynamic IP Addresses. Running IPCONFIG /all will show that this
is not the case,
because as you know that we have given the server a static IP
Address.
Then why did this warning appear or from where did this warning come
from?
The answer is IPv6. We did not manually configure the IPv6 address,
hence the warning. In a network where IPv6 is not used, you can safely
ignore this warning.
10. You'll probably get a warning about DNS delegation. Since no DNS
has been configured
yet, you can ignore the message and click Yes.
11. Next, change the paths for the AD database, log files and SYSVOL
folder. For large
deployments, carefully plan your DC configuration to get the
maximum performance. When
satisfied, click Next.
12. Enter the password for the Active Directory Recovery Mode. This
password must be kept
confidential, and because it stays constant while regular domain
user passwords expire
(based upon the password policy configured for the domain, the
default is 42 days), it does
not. This password should be complex and at least 7 characters
long. I strongly suggest
that you do NOT use the regular administrator's password, and
that you write it down and
securely store it. Click Next.
13. In the Summary window review your selections, and if required,
save them to an unattend
answer file. When satisfied, click Next.
14. The wizard will begin creating the Active Directory domain, and
when finished, you will
need to press Finish and reboot your computer.
Note: You can automate the rebooting process by checking the Reboot on
Completion
checkbox.
To automate domain controller installations, you can use an answer
file or you can specify unattended installation parameters at the
command line.
Also refer the below links for more details,
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755258.aspx
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