Step-by-Step: Centrally Deploy Additional Domain Controller in Windows Server 2012 using Server Manager

I am preparing for Exam 70-410, Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 certification and I am learning through the “Early Experts” Peer Study Group. This series of blogs will be my quest to learn and share my knowledge with everybody.

I would be making mistakes when writing this series and I would appreciate your help in correcting me by your comments and emails.

Lets get started, we will start with configuring Active Directory Domain Controller from an existing Domain Controller. We will explore both the methods using Server Manager and using PowerShell.

Setup:

Step 1: Add the servers in Server Manager

1. Open Server Manager
2. Click All Servers
3. Click Manage–> Add Servers
   
   
   
   
   
4. In Add Servers–> select Active Directory
5. Make sure domain is selected under Location:
6. Under Name (CN): type WIN-DC1, and click the right arrow in the center
7. Click OK
   
   
   
   
   
8. The server is now listed in the SERVERS list
   
   
    
   
   

Step 2: Install Active Directory Domain Services using Server Manager

1. In Server Manager–> All Servers
2. Right click on WIN-DC1, click Add Roles and Features
   
   
   
   
   
3. In the Add Roles and Features Wizard–> click Next
   
   
   
   
   
4. Select installation type, Role-based or feature-based installation
5. Click Next
   
   
   
   
   
6. Under Select destination server, click Select a server from the server pool
7. Click on WIN-DC1
8. Click Next
   
   
   
   
   
9. Under Select server roles, click Active Directory Domain Services
10. This will bring the Add features that are required for AD DS appears, click Add Features
11. Click Next
    
    
    
    
    
12. Under Select features, click Next twice
13. Under Confirm installation selections, click Install
    
    
    
    
    
14. Under the Results page, check that this step has just installed Active Directory Domain Services components. The server has to be promoted separately.
    
    
    
    
    

1. Click on the Promote this server to a domain controller as per the screenshot above
2. This launches the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard
3. Select the Add a domain controller to an existing domain
4. Click Change…
   
   
   
   
   
5. Enter the credentials of a Domain Admin account and click Next
   
   NOTE: You need to enter the credentials because we are doing a remote installation. During local installation on a server that is domain joined the credentials appear automatically.
   
   
6. Under Domain Controller Options, enter the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password
   
   NOTE: We are selecting all default options right now as we will explore the other options in the later part.
   
   
   
   
   
7. Under DNS Options, since I haven’t configured DNS delegation we see the warning message
8. Click Next
   
   
   
   
   
9. Under Additional Options, since I have only one Domain Controller I will select Any domain controller else you could have selected any other domain controller
10. Click Next
    
    
    
    
    
11. Under Paths, I am selecting the default options
12. Click Next
    
    NOTE: I would suggest you specify a different partition in Production as the log files can grow large.
    
    
    
    
    
13. Under Review Options, click View Scripts
    
    Save the Notepad content as InstallDC.txt as we will use the same to install a domain controller using PowerShell
    
14. Click Next
    
    
    
    
    
15. The Prerequisites Check is successful. Click Install
    
    
    
    
    
    The installation is now complete
    
    

1. In the Server Manager–> All Servers
2. Right click on WIN-DC1
   
   
   
   
   
3. You see all Active Directory Domain Services components installed
4. Open Active Directory Sites and Services from the Start screen
5. Expand Active Directory Sites and Services–> Sites–> Default-First-Site-Name–> Servers. You see WIN-DC1 as GC in the dotnetscraps.com domain
   
   
   
   
   

Done

Coming up.. we will remotely configure Active Directory Domain Controller using PowerShell

Hope this helps,
Vivek Kumbhar


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