How to configure Server Core as Domain Controller 4sysops. In the first part of this series, I discussed the benefits of the available Server Roles in Server Coreinstallations of Windows Server 2. Today, lets get hands on by configuring a Windows Server 2. Server Core installation as a Domain Controller. Active Directory and Server Core Since the first release of Server Corein Windows Server 2. In this article I introduce a VBScript script that populates the description field of the Active Directory computer object with the account name of the last. Hello, you have still the ip configuration with 2 ip addresses for the LAN and an external, please follow the advises above and reconfigure the server ip. Active Directory Domain Services AD DS is a server role in Active Directory that allows admins to manage and store information about resources from a. Active Directory Domain Services Server Role has been available to configure Server Core installations as Domain Controllers. However, with Windows Server 2. R2, Microsoft introduced the Active Directory Web Service on the Domain Controller to serve as an endpoint for the Active Directory Administrative Center and the Active Directory Power. LmY2TyjWARQ/WKULyBAWKsI/AAAAAAAAAa0/SNFPvoIBdToxSbW3VW_GSb0e5CaT7vGPQCLcB/s1600/Winserver%2Bdomain%2Binstallation%2Bprogress.png' alt='Install Active Directory Domain Controller Tools Of The Mind' title='Install Active Directory Domain Controller Tools Of The Mind' />Note Thats right Theres no need to install the Active Directory Domain Controller role, or anything like that, as youd need to do on a Server with a GUI. Shell cmdlets. Microsoft introduced the Active Directory Web Services gateway for Windows Server 2. Windows Server 2. Active Directory Administrative Center and the Active Directory Power. Shell cmdlets to communicate with these hosts. This download, however, is not available for Server Core installations of Windows Server 2. This explains the few remaining Windows Server 2. Server Core based Domain Controllers most previously deployed Server Core based Domain Controllers have been upgraded to Windows Server 2. R2. In Windows Server 2. Microsoft introduced significant new functionality in Active Directory Domain Services, including virtualization safe Active Directory, Domain Controller Cloning, Dynamic Access Control DAC, and Active Directory Based Activation. All of this functionality is also available in Server Core installations of Windows Server 2. First steps When you want a Windows Server to operate as an Active Directory Domain Controller, you need to perform a few steps Provide the host with a meaningful Net. BIOS name. Configure appropriate networking settings, including fixed IP addresses, name resolving settings, and suffix settings. As a best practice, try to avoid creating a disjoint namespace. Update the server with all appropriate Service Packs and Windows Updates. Activate the Windows Server installation. Implement Information Security measures like anti malware, UPS. Configuring Server Core as a Domain Controller Configuring a Windows Server 2. Server Core installation as a Domain Controller starts with one of the following Promoting a standalone server to a Domain Controller for a new domain. Promoting a member server to a replica or read only replica Domain Controller also known as an additional Domain ControllerCloning a Windows Server 2. Server Core. Domain Controller to a new replica Domain Controller. Note Because there are three ways to promote a server to a Domain Controller described above and three different toolsets, Ill show you each of the ways with a different toolset. Creating the first Domain Controller in a forest. With the essentials covered in the first step section above, creating your first Domain Controller is as easy as running a single command. New. Domain forest Replica. Or. New. Domain Domain New. Domain. DNSName domain. Domain. Level 4 Forest. Level 4 Safe. Mode. Admin. Password Pssw. New. Domain forestReplica. Or. New. Domain DomainNew. Domain. DNSName domain. Domain. Level 4Forest. Level 4Safe. Mode. Admin. Password Pssw. Note Thats right Theres no need to install the Active Directory Domain Controller role, or anything like that, as youd need to do on a Server with a GUI Domain Controller. After promoting the server to a fresh Domain Controller for a fresh new Domain in a fresh Forest, the server will automatically restart dcpromo unattended command promotion. Of course, dcpromo. All its command line switches are explained on Tech. Net. Creating a replica Domain Controller. An Active Directory best practice is to have at least two Domain Controllers hosting each of your Active Directory Domains. A Server Core installation lends itself to this task. The easiest way to achieve this is to use an unattended installation file on a domain joined installation. The first thing you do is open Notepad. Orjoin join. replica. Domain. DNSName domain. Replica. Or. New. Domain Replica. User. Domain DOMAIN. Username administrator. Password Pssw. Install. DNS Yes. Confirm. Gc Yes. Create. DNSDelegation No. Safe. Mode. Admin. Password Pssw. DCInstallcreate. Orjoinjoinreplica. Domain. DNSNamedomain. Replica. Or. New. DomainReplica. User. DomainDOMAIN Usernameadministrator. PasswordPssw. 0rd. Install. DNSYes Confirm. GcYes. Create. DNSDelegationNo Safe. Mode. Admin. PasswordPssw. Save the file to a suitable location and then run the following command. C dcpromo. txt. C dcpromo. Again, this is a sample unattended answer file. For more options, take a look at Microsoft Knowledgebase article 9. Cloning a Domain Controller. Windows Server 2. Domain Controller Cloning for virtualized Domain Controllers. This dramatically reduces the time to get the second Domain Controller from the best practice and might also assist you in your backup and recovery strategies. You need to cover a couple of prerequisites before you can start thinking about cloning, but when you have, cloning a Server Core Domain Controller can be performed in these six steps Grant the source Domain Controller the ability to clone by adding the computer account of the virtualized source Domain Controller to the Cloneable Domain Controllers group with the following Power. Shell command. Add ADGroup. Member Cloneable Domain Controllers cndc. Domain Controllers,dcdomain,dctld1. Add ADGroup. MemberCloneable Domain Controllerscndc. Domain Controllers,dcdomain,dctldCheck for DC Cloning blockers with Get ADDCCloning. Excluded. Application. List and examine the outcome. Resolve any issues that might arise by uninstalling the application, disabling the Windows Feature, or simply ignoring the blocker with the following Power. Shell command. Get ADDCCloning. Excluded. Application. List Generate. Xml Path C WindowsNTDS Force. Get ADDCCloning. Excluded. Application. List Generate. Xml Path. C WindowsNTDS Force. Write the DCClone. Config file using the following Power. Shell command. New ADDCClone. Config. File Clone. Computer. Name dc. Static IPv. 4Address 1. IPv. 4Subnet. Mask 2. IPv. 4Default. Gateway 1. IPv. 4DNSResolver 1. New ADDCClone. Config. File Clone. Computer. Namedc. 02 Static IPv. Address1. 92. 1. IPv. Subnet. Mask2. IPv. Default. Gateway1. IPv. 4DNSResolver1. Note Alternatively, you can use the New ADDCClone. Config. File command without parameters to create auto named DHCP enabled Domain Controllers. Shut down the source Domain Controller. Base a new virtual Domain Controller on the virtual hard disk of the source Domain Controller. Start the source Domain Controller and start the cloned Domain Controller. Exchange Server Management Tools Windows 7 64 Bit on this page. More information can be found in the Introduction to Active Directory Domain Services AD DS Virtualization. Managing Active Directory on Server Core Once your Server Core installations are fully functioning Domain Controllers, there are multiple ways to manage the contents of Active Directory and the Domain Controllers themselves. Managing Server Core Domain Controllers. Just like on Server with a GUI installations, you can use tools such as ntdsutil. Server Core. Domain Controllers. Also, in Windows Server 2. Active Directory Power. Shell cmdlets is available to you to create read only Domain Controllers Add ADDSRead. Only. Domain. Controller.