4. Server Configuration
Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a menu-based command-line tool
called Server Configuration for basic
administrative tasks (see Figure 2). Server Configuration
provides a simple set of administrative commands that can be run by
entering context-based menu numbers mapped to standard command-line
executables, rather than by typing the syntax of the command-line
executables manually. Although Server Configuration can save time for
simple administrative tasks, more complicated tasks, such as
configuring Active Directory Domain Services, must still
be performed from the command line.
Note:
RUNNING SERVER
CONFIGURATION
To run Server Configuration on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 R2,
type sconfig.exe at the command prompt and then press
Enter.
5. Adding AD DS to a Server Core Installation
Because there is no Active Directory Domain Services
Installation Wizard in Server Core, you must use the command line to run
Dcpromo.exe with parameters that configure AD DS.
To learn about the parameters of Dcpromo.exe,
open a command line and type dcpromo.exe
/?. Each configuration scenario has additional usage information. For example, type dcpromo.exe /?:Promotion for detailed usage
instructions for promoting a domain controller.
Note:
MORE INFO
UNATTENDED INSTALLATION PARAMETERS
You can find a listing of unattended installation parameters
for AD DS at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732086(WS.10).aspx.
6. Removing Domain Controllers
Occasionally, you might have a reason to take a domain
controller offline for extended maintenance or to remove it
permanently. It is important that you remove a domain controller
correctly so that the information about the domain controller is
cleaned up in Active Directory.
To remove a domain controller, use the
Dcpromo.exe command. If you run the command on a
domain controller by using the Windows interface, the Active Directory
Domain Services Installation Wizard takes you through the process. If
you want to use the command line or are removing AD DS from a Server Core installation, type
dcpromo.exe /?:Demotion for usage
information regarding parameters for the demotion operation.
When you demote a domain controller, you must provide a password
that will be assigned to the local Administrator account of the server
after demotion.
6.1. Practice Installing a Server Core Domain Controller
6.1.1. Practice Installing a Server Core Domain Controller
In this exercise, you add a domain controller to the
contoso.com forest you created in the Lesson 1 practice. To increase the security and reduce the
management overhead of the new DC, you promote a server running
Server Core to a domain controller. Before performing the
exercises in this practice, you must have completed the practice
in Lesson 1.
EXERCISE 1 Install Server
Core
In this exercise, you install Server Core on a computer or
virtual machine.
Insert the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation DVD.
If you are using a VM, you might have the option to
mount an ISO image of the installation DVD. Consult the VM
Help documentation for guidance.
Power on the system.
If the system’s hard disk is empty, the system should
boot to the DVD. If there is data on the disk, you might be
prompted to press a key to boot to the DVD.
If the system does not boot to the DVD or offer you a
boot menu, go to the BIOS settings of the computer and
configure the boot order to ensure that the system boots to
the DVD.
Select the language, regional setting, and keyboard
layout that are correct for your system, and then click
Next.
Select Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard (Server Core Installation), and then click
Next.
Select the I Accept The License Terms check box, and
then click Next.
On the Where Do You Want To Install Windows page, select
the partition on which you want to install Windows Server 2008
R2.
If you need to create, delete, extend, or format
partitions, or if you need to load a custom mass storage
driver to access the disk subsystem, click Driver Options
(Advanced).
When installation is complete, you are prompted to
change the Administrator’s password. Click OK.
Enter a password for the Administrator account in both
the New Password and Confirm Password boxes, and then press
Enter.
The password must be at least seven characters long and
must have at least three of four character types:
Non-alphanumeric: symbols such as $, #, @, and
!
Note:
DO NOT FORGET THIS
PASSWORD
Without it, you will not be able to log on to the
server to perform other exercises in this training
kit.
Click OK.
The command prompt for the Administrator account
appears.
EXERCISE 2 Perform Post-Installation
Configuration on Server Core
In this exercise, you perform post-installation
configuration of the server to prepare it with the name and TCP/IP
settings required for the remaining exercises in this
lesson.
Note: Ensure that SERVER01 is running when performing these exercises.
SERVER02 accesses SERVER01’s AD DS database throughout the
exercise.
Rename the server by typing netdom
renamecomputer %computername% /newname: SERVER02. You
are prompted to press Y to confirm the operation.
Alternately, you can configure the computer’s name by
typing sconfig at the command
line and using the menu-based Server Configuration tool.
Either way, you are prompted to restart your computer after
changing the computer name. Do not restart the computer until
instructed to do so later in the practice.
The Server Configuration tool can be used to perform
steps 2 and 6 of this exercise as well.
Set the IPv4 address of the server by typing each of the
following two netsh commands:
netsh interface ipv4 set address name="Local Area Connection"
source=static address=10.0.0.12 mask=255.255.255.0 gateway=10.0.0.1 1
netsh interface ipv4 set dnsserver name="Local Area Connection"
source=static address=10.0.0.11 primary
Confirm the IP configuration you entered previously with
the command ipconfig
/all.
Restart by typing shutdown -r -t
0.
Join the domain by typing the command netdom join
%computername%/domain:contoso.com.
Restart by typing shutdown -r -t
0, and then log on again as Administrator.
Display installed server roles by typing oclist | more.
Note the package identifier for the DNS server role:
DNS-Server-Core-Role.
Type ocsetup and then
press Enter.
Surprise! There is a minor amount of GUI in Server Core.
Click OK to close the window.
Type ocsetup
DNS-Server-Core-Role.
Package identifiers are case sensitive.
Type oclist and confirm
that the DNS server role is installed.
EXERCISE 3 Create a Domain Controller
with Server Core
In this exercise, you add the AD DS role to the Server Core installation by using the
Dcpromo.exe command.
Type dcpromo.exe /? and
then press Enter.
Review the usage information.
Type dcpromo.exe
/?:Promotion and then press Enter.
Review the usage information.
Type the following command to add and configure the AD
DS role:
dcpromo /unattend /replicaOrNewDomain:replica
/replicaDomainDNSName:contoso.com /ConfirmGC:Yes
/UserName:CONTOSO\Administrator /Password:* /safeModeAdminPassword:P@ssword where *
is the password you used in Exercise 1.
When prompted to enter network credentials, type the
password for the Administrator account in the contoso.com
domain and then click OK.
The AD DS role is installed and configured, and then the
server reboots.
EXERCISE 4 Remove a Domain
Controller
In this exercise, you remove AD DS from the Server Core installation.
Log on to the Server Core installation as
Administrator.
Type dcpromo /unattend
/AdministratorPassword:password
where password is a strong password that
will become the local Administrator password of the server
after AD DS has been removed. Press Enter.
