Installing Active Directory on a Windows Server 2008R2

After my previous post on the introduction and the new features of Active Directory in Windows Server 2008R2, I thought of posting on a step by step procedure on how to install Active Directory on Windows Server 2008R2.

The following post will comprise the steps on how to install a primary domain controller for a new forest.

Here we go!

First of all you will have to plan out your IP Addressing schemes, domain names, computer names, DNS infrastructure, DHCP scopes, Forest name, number of domain controllers, user account naming conventions, site links, group policies, etc. Once you have the above planned out according to your requirement you can go ahead with your Windows Server 2008R2 installation on the first server in your forest. the installation of Windows server 2008R2 is very simple and straight forward. When the installation is done and you log on to your server you will be given the Initial Configuration Tasks (ICT) window automatically for certain configurations of your server.

You can initiate the installation of the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) role from the ICT window or you can start the Server Manager and start the installation of the AD DS role. 

From the server manager click on Add Roles

On the Add Roles Before you begin instruction window click next (after you read)

Select the Active Directory Directory Services Role

You will be prompted to install the .NET framework 3.5.1 features – click on add required features and click on next

An introduction to Active Directory Domain Services will be given on this screen and some points to note – you have to read and click next

Next will be the confirmation and summary page of the role installation – Click Install

Installation of the role finishes. If you see the above screen capture, it gives me a hyper link which says “close this wizard and launch DCPROMO.EXE” click on it and you will be prompted with the following screens (the DCPROMO welcome screen)

Click on next

 

On the Operating System Compatibility Screen – click next

On the deployment configuration page select – create a new domain in a new forest option (initial requirement)

Provide the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of the forest root domain – here its TEST.COM – Click next

On the Forest Functional Level – Select The Appropriate level

Since there is no DNS server installed you will be prompted to install DNS server here

On the above message, Click “Yes and Continue”

On the Location for Database, Log files and SYSVOL window either you can browse and change or leave the default – click next

On the directory services restore mode password – Assign a password and you may need this password when you start your you domain controller in Directory Services Restore mode

Review the Summary page and click Next

The installation starts

After the Installation click on finish and the server reboots.

And that’s about it on how to install Active Directory on a Windows Server 2008R2.

Active Directory in Windows Server 2008

It has been a while since I wrote a post in my blog and this will be my first post for the year 2010.

I was thinking on what should I write about and suddenly Active Directory came into my head. Most of you’ll who read this particular post would’ve heard about Active Directory, what really is this so called Active Directory? well here goes, I will try my level best to explain on what an Active Directory is 🙂

Active Directory is a Database and is the base of your network. It contains various sort of objects (such as user accounts, computer accounts, group policy) with regard to your infrastructure and functions as an Authentication Server when a user logs on to your Windows network as all the user accounts are stored in it.

Microsoft Active Directory was first introduced with Windows 2000 Server and has been improving with new features ever since. Previously known as Active Directory Directory Services has been renamed to Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in Windows Server 2008

Active Directory in Windows Server 2008 R2 has some interesting new features in it and to name a few

• Active Directory Domain Service is now a restartable service
• Directory Service Auditing
• Read Only Domain Controllers (RODC)
• Active Directory Recycle Bin
• Powershell Module
• Offline Domain Join
• Active Directory Best Practices Analyzer

The above are some of the new features found in the Active Directory which comes along with Windows Server 2008 R2.

Well, That’s it for now, stay tuned as the next posts will be on How to install Active Directory and the explanation of some of the above mentioned features