Microsoft improved many features in Windows Server 2012 R2 compared to Windows 2008. Once you install Windows Server 2012, you will notice these new changes just by looking at the new management interface which provides administrators the ability to centralize the system. In this post, I will continue with my 3-part series in this second post: Installing the Domain Controller.
- How to Install Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard (Part 1) (If you haven’t yet, read Part 1 before continuing here)
2. Installing the Domain Controller (the current post)
3. Join the Domain
Once you finish the installing the Server and reboot, you will see the server manager dashboard.
Domains are logical directory components that you can create to manage your organization. In general, domains are used to control where in the forest replication of domain that data occurs, while organizational units are used to further organize network objects into a logical hierarchy and delegate control to appropriate administrative support personnel.
For example, if there is a soccer team, then think the soccer team is the domain and all the players are under the hierachy of the soccer team. Then who is controlling the soccer team? The coach. So in this example, the coach can be a domain controller.
Installing Active Directory Domain Service
In order to make the Windows Server 2012 Domain Controller, we need to install Active Directory Domain Service (ADDS) roles from the dashboard. We will install ADDS, then we’ll promote this server as Domain Controller. Find below what the dashboard will look like. Click the 2nd option “Add roles and features”:
Once you click that, you will see the “Select installation type” screen below. Click Next.
Next you’ll see the “Select destination server” screen below. Click Next.
Next you’ll see the “Select server roles” screen below. Check the Active Directory Domain Service box and click Install.
Promoting the Domain Controller{{cta(‘b8b979d0-8719-49fe-912b-ce4349253041′,’justifyright’)}}
Now you will see this “Promote this server to a domain controller” blurb. Click that.
Type your domain name (like in the screen below) since we are adding a new forest check on the add a new forest.
After that, create a password and click Next.
Next you’ll see the “Paths” screen below, then click Next.
Next you’ll see the “Review Options” screen below, then click Next.
After review, if this is the configuration you’d like, then click Next. [NOTE: You can customize the installation in a variety of ways, but this how-to follows the standard.] Everything should look right, so click Install.
Reboot once you’ve finished the
installation and you’ll be in the domain. You’ll see the screen below where you can login with your password that you set up in the middle of this post. Now you are all set!
Now that you’ve Installed Windows Server 2012 R2 and created an Active Directory and Domain (Part 2), keep an eye out for the next tutorial which will cover how to join the Domain using other machines (Part 3).
What other tips do you have for installing the Domain Controller? Share your wisdom with us in the comments below!
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