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Concentrated

ServerCoreDomainControllers

ByDonJonesConcentratedTech.com

WindowsServer2008sServerCoreinstallationoptionisagreatoptionfordomain

controllers:Theoperatingsystemhasasmallerfootprintandhassofarrequired

significantlyfewerpatchesthanthefullWindowsinstallation,makingitpossibletohavelessdowntimeandmaintenanceforyourcriticalDCs.Inthispaper,wellinstall

aServerCoredomaincontrollerfromscratch.

StartingtheInstallationTheinstallationbegins,ironically,withthelightweightGUIinstallerthatsfamiliar

toalleditionsofWin2008andtoWindowsVista.SelectoneoftheServerCoreoptions.Notethatthisisaonetimedecision:Youcantlaterupgradetothefull

Windowsinstallation,norcanyoudowngradeafullinstalltoServerCore.

Thatsabouttheonlydecisionyouhaveduringinstallation.Whenitsfinished,youll

belookingatalogonscreenandmightbewonderingwhattodo.SelecttheOther

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UserandloginasAdministrator.Useablankpassword;youllbeimmediately

promptedtocreateanewpassword.

Afterchangingthepassword,youllbeloggedinandstaringatyournew,trimmed

downdesktop.Thatsrightnotmuchtosee!ThisisServerCore,andithasonlya

fewgraphicalelementsavailabletoit.Togetitupandrunning,youllneedtoruna

fewcommands.

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Manyofthesewillbecommandsyourefamiliarwithalready;othersarenewandareuniquetoServerCore.

BasicConfigurationSincewerebuildingaDC,youllprobablywanttostartbyassigningastaticIP

address.DosousingtheNetshcommand,asshown,togetalistofnetwork

interfaces.UsethenumberintheIdxcolumntorefertotheinterfaceinlater

commands.

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Withyournetworkadapteridentified,assignastaticIPaddress,subnetmask,and

defaultgatewayusingtheNetshcommand.TheName=parameteriswhereyourchosenadaptersIDnumbergoes.

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UsethesametechniquetoassignaDNSserver.Toassignmorethanone,incrementtheindex=parameteryoucanseeherethatIveattemptedtoaddindex=1twice,andgotanerrormessage.Ipconfig/allwillconfirmthatyouveaddedthecorrect

serveraddress.

ActivatingWindowsServerCorestillrequiresactivation,whichisatwostepprocessthatusestheSlmgr

command.First,installaproductkey.Then,activateWindows.NotethatServer

Coreiscompatiblewithenterprisekeyserversifyourorganizationusesoneof

those.RunSlmgrwithoutanyparameterstogetapopupdialogboxofotherthings

itcando;notethatthedialogoftenappearsbehindthecommandlinewindow,andtheresnoTaskBartoclueyouin.Ifthecommandsoutputdoesntshowupquickly,

trymovingtheCmd.exewindowoutoftheway.Dontcloseitifyoudo,pressCtrl+Alt+DeletetogettoTaskmanager,andusetheNewTaskmenuoptiontoruna

newinstanceofCmd.exe.

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Afterinstallingthekey,activateit.Thiscantakesometimewaitforthedialogbox

indicatingsuccessorfailure,anddontforgetthatitmightappearbehindtheCmd.exewindow.

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CustomizetheServerYoullprobablywanttocustomizethecomputernameatthispoint.Usethe

hostnamecommandtofindthecurrentcomputername,andthentheNetdom

commandtochangeittoanewone.

Sincearebootwillberequiredafterwards,usetheShutdown/rcommandto

reboot.

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InstallingRolesIgenerallyliketoinstalltheDNSServerrolemyself,sothatIcancustomizeit.After

installing,youllneedtousetheDNSadministrationconsoleonanothercomputer

(suchasyourworkstation)toconnecttotheServerCorecomputerandconfigure

DNS.ServerCoredoesntrunanygraphicaladmintools.Youcouldalsousethe

DnscmdcommandtoconfigureDNS,ifyourecomfortablewithit.Toinstallthe

role,usetheOcsetupcommand;IprefertogetthisgoingbyusingtheStart/w

command,whichsuspendsthecommandpromptuntilOcsetupfinishes.Ifyoudont

dothis,thecommandpromptimmediatelyreturnswhiletheinstallationcompletesinthebackground,andyouwontknowwhenitsdone.

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Next,youllneedtocreateanunattendedinstallationfileforDcpromo,sinceitsgraphicalWizardisntavailableinServerCore.http://www.petri.co.il/creating

unattendinstallationfiledcpromowindowsserver2008.htmisanexcellent

referenceforWin2008unattendedDcpromofilesnotethattheWin2008syntaxis

abitdifferentandnewerfromtheWin2003one.ServerCoredoeshaveNotepad,soyoucanuseittocreateyourunattendedfileifneeded.ServerCoresNotepaduses

anoldersetoffiledialogboxes;paycloseattentiontotheseWin95vintagedialogs,sincetheyworkdifferentlyfromtheneweronesyoureusedto.

TheunattendfiletellsDcpromoifyourecreatinganewdomain,anewDCinanexistingdomain,awholenewforest,orwhatever.Readthroughtheoptions

carefully!YoucanalsouseDcpromoonanexistingfullWindowsinstallation

(althoughnotonanexistingDC)tocreateanunattendfile;justrunthroughthe

Dcpromowizardand,beforeyoucommittoinstallingAD,saveyourconfigurationin

afile.ThatfilecanthenbecarriedtoServerCore(onaUSBkey,forexample)and

usedwithDcpromothere.

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Withyourunattendedfileready,runDcpromo/unattend:filenametostarttheAD

installationprocess.Youllseeplentyofoutputtellingyouwhatshappening.

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Ofcourse,arebootisinorderafterwards,andDcpromowillhandlethat

automatically.Oncetheserverrestarts,youcanuseActiveDirectoryUsers&Computersagain,fromanothercomputertobeginmanagingyourdomain.