Guide for Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller and DNS Server Setup

Step By Step Guide for Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller and DNS Server Setup

This tutorial will explain how to setup Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller and DNS
Server.

Click on Start > Run

Now type dcpromo > Click OK

The system will start checking if Active Directory Domain Services ( AD DS) binaries are installed, then will start installing them. The binaries could be installed if you had run the dcpromo command previously and then canceled the operation after the binaries were installed.

The Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard will start, either enable the checkbox beside Use Advanced mode installation and Click Next , or keep it unselected and click on Next

The Operating System Compatibility page will be displayed, take a moment to read it and click Next

Choose Create a new domain in a new forest, Click Next

Enter the Fully Qualified Domain Name of the forest root domain inside the textbox, click Next

If you selected Use advanced mode installation on the Welcome page, the Domain NetBIOS Name page appears. On this page, type the NetBIOS name of the domain if necessary or accept the default name and then click Next.

Select the Forest Functional Level, choose the level you desire and click on Next.

Make sure to read the description of each functional level to understand the difference between each one.

In the previous step, If you have selected any Forest Functional Level other than windows Server 2008 and clicked on Next , you would then get a page to select the domain Functional Level. Select it and then click on Next

In the Additional Domain Controller Options page, you can select to install the domain Name Service to your server. Note that the First domain controller in a forest must be a Global Catalog that’s why the checkbox beside Global Catalog is selected and it cannot be cleared. The checkbox is also selected by default when you install an additional domain controller in an existing domain, however you can clear this checkbox if you do not want the additional domain controller to be a global catalog server. The first domain controller in a new forest or in a new domain can not be a Read Only Domain Controller (RODC), you can later add a RODC but you must have at least one Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller.

I want to set my DC as a DNS Server as well, so I will keep the checkbox beside DNS server selected and click on Next

If you don’t have static ip assigned to your server you will see similar to the following screen now you need to assign static ip and start the above process.

If the wizard cannot create a delegation for the DNS server, it displays a message to indicate that you can create the delegation manually. To continue, click Yes

Now you will have the location where the domain controller database, log files and SYSVOL are stored on the server.

The database stores information about the users, computers and other objects on the network. the log files record activities that are related to AD DS, such information about an object being updated. SYSVOL stores Group Policy objects and scripts. By default, SYSVOL is part of the operating system files in the Windows directory either type or browse to the volume and folder where you want to store each, or accept the defaults and click on Next

In the Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Password (DSRM) page, write a password and confirm it. This password is used when the domain controller is started in Directory Services Restore Mode, which might be because Active Directory Domain services is not running, or for tasks that must be performed offline.Make sure that you memorize this password when you need it.

Summary page will be displayed showing you all the setting that you have set . It gives you the option to export the setting you have setup into an answer file for use with other unattended operations, if you wish to have such file, click on the Export settings button and save the file.

DNS Installation will start

Followed by installing Group Policy Management Console, the system will check first if it is installed or not.

Configuring the local computer to host active directory Domain Services and other operations will take place setting up this server as a Domain Controller active Directory Domain Services installation will be completed, click Finish.

Click on Restart Now to restart your server for the changes to take effect.

Once the server is booted and you logon to it, click on Start > Administrative Tools
you will notice that following have been installed :
Active Directory Domains and Trusts
Active Directory Sites and Services
Active Directory Users and Computers
ADSI Edit
DNS
Group Policy Management

That’s it now your new win server 2008 domain controller with dns server setup was completed.