2. Joining Windows 8 to a Server 2012–Level Domain
Since Windows 8 was released in Consumer Preview version, there has been lots
of controversy surrounding the Windows 8 client and criticisms that the
operating system is designed more as a consumer mobile operating
platform with less emphasis on the enterprise. However, it’s inevitable
that Windows 8 will find its way into business infrastructures, if only
for its novelty at first. I remember my days as a Windows Server
administrator, having to fit the latest client OS into the domain
infrastructure simply because some C-level executive wanted to
test-drive the latest operating system!
There’s good news and bad news about joining Windows 8 to
corporate domains. Windows 8 systems installed on ARM-based mobile
devices—called Windows RT—can’t officially join a Windows domain. That
does not mean you can’t introduce Windows RT mobile devices into your
organization’s infrastructure; there are native Windows capabilities and
plenty of third-party utilities for mobile device management
(MDM).
You can, however, join computers with Windows 8 installed to a
domain, as well as Windows 8 virtual machines. To install Windows 8
clients to a Server 2012–level domain, you follow the same procedures as
for joining a Windows 7 client. Launch the Control Panel and click
“System and Security.” Click System and then “Advanced system
settings.”
Click the Computer Name tab and click Change. Type the domain name
into the Domain field. Once joined, the computer is added in ADAC in the
Computers container.
The procedures for joining Server 2003, 2008, and 2008 R2 as
member servers to a Server 2012 domain follow the same steps as joining
Windows clients.
The refreshed Server Manager interface in Server 2012 allows you to quickly add a
Server 2012 to a domain. To do so, open Server Manager. Click “Configure
this local server.” Under Properties, click Workgroup, as shown in Figure 5.
The Workgroup link brings up the System Properties window, from
which you can add the server to a domain (Figure 6).
3. Joining Server 2012 to a Server 2008 R2–Level Domain
You can add Server 2012 machines to other functional levels of
Active Directory domains, although such a mixed environment won’t have
the benefits of a Server 2012 domain.
To add a Server 2012 machine to a Server 2008 R2 domain, for
example, open Server Manager. Click “Configure this local server.” Under
Properties, click Workgroup. Under System Properties, add the server to
the 2008 R2 domain. (See Figure 7.)
Once added, the Server 2012 machine is listed in the Computers
container in the Server 2008 R2.
