Tag: server 2016

Install Windows Server 2016 on Hyper-v Complete Guide

Post author By Mehdi Karimi
Post date September 7, 2017
1 Comment on Install Windows Server 2016 on Hyper-v Complete Guide

Virtualization has been a successful testing and lab tool recently. Currently virtualization is used in enterprise networks for running virtual servers especially DNS and DHCP servers. It has many advantages for the company. I list some of them below.

Less hardware requirements: You install a server on a powerrful physical server and enable the Hyper-v and install more servers.
Easy physical security efforts: When you’ve dozens of physicals servers, maintaining physical security is difficult. While you have less physical servers you easily can handle the task.
Cost effective: You should pay money for hardware. Using Hyper-v, you buy some powerful physical servers and install many virtual servers on.

Before we create the virtual machine and install Windows server on Hyper-v, you need to know what is virtual machine.

Virtual machines (VMs) run in its own isolated environment. VMs are self-contained units that can easily be moved from one physical computer to another physical computer. At the time of creating virtual machine, the hardware is abstracted and multiple virtualized hardware environments are created. On the virtual environment you can run a complete copy of operating system (OS) separately.

In this article I’m going to install Windows server 2016 on Hyper-v. Read Hypver-v beginner guide.

Topics covered in this article:

Create Virtual Machine (VM)
Install Windows servver 2016 on VM
Conclusion

Install Windows Server 2016 on Hyper-v

Create Virtual Machine

Firstly, we create the virtual machine. Secondly, we install Windows server 2016 on the VM we have created.

1. Open Hyper-v Manager. In the right pane, right-click on New tool and choose Virtual Machine. A new window will be opened.

2. You have nothing to do in the Welcome page. Just click on Next button. In the Specify Name and Location page you need to assign a name for the virtual machine. Then specify the path which you want to store VM’s files in. Then click on Next button.

3. In the Specify Generation page, you have to specify the generation of the virtual machine. You have got two options: Generation 1 and Generation 2. Generation 1 supports both 32-bit and 64-bit processor architectures. Generation 2 supports only 64-bit processor architecture. Also be aware that once you select one of the generations, later you can’t change that.

4. Assign the memory based on MB in the box next to startup memory. Put a mark in the vacant box next to Use dynamic Memory for the virtual machine. It is a very useful option. Selecting this option, virtual machine uses memory dynamically. It means it uses the amount of memory which is needed, not the all of the memory which is specified. If you don’t select the option, the amount of memory you specified for the virtual machine would be abstracted fully when virtual machine is turned on. Click on Next button to move to the next page.

5. Network adapter is the tool which a machine can be connected to network through. Use a network adapter that you have created before. Then click on Next button.

6. You need to connect the virtual machine to a virtual hard disk. For the purpose, click on Create a virtual hard disk. All Windows server files would be copied in the hard disk which you connect the virtual machine to. You can specify name, location and size for the hard disk. By default, the location of the hard disk is the folder which you have stored virtual machine files inside. If you want you can change the location. If you have created a hard disk before, select Use an existing virtual hard disk and then specify path.

While you’re done, click on Next button.

7. Select the Install an operating system from a bootable CD/DVD-ROM option. Then elect the Image file (.iso) file. You need to have the operating system with .iso extension. Type the path where you have stored the image file. If you don’t know the path, click on Browse button and search for the location of the image file through file explorer. When finished click on Next button.

8. Finally we’re done. We created the Virtual machine. Click on Finish button to close the wizard.

Install Windows Server 2016

We are ready to install Windows server 2016 on virtual machine.

1. Open Hyper-v Manger and right-click on the Virtual machine name which you have created. Select the Connect option. Virtual machine windows will be opened.

2. Click on Start button to turn on the virtual machine. Also you can click on Action in the menu bar and select Start.

3. It is the time to specify installation language, time format and keyboard. When finished click on Next button.

4. We are ready to go. Just click on Install now button shown in the picture below to start the installation.

5. Select the appropriate edition that meets your needs. I choose Datacenter edition with full GUI (Graphical User Interface). Then click on Next button.

6. We are doing clean installation. It means we install new operating system. Therefor select the second option.

7. Select the drive you want to install the Windows server on. If you want you can do the partitions here. If not, you can do it later when your installation is finished. For doing the partition select the disk you want to part, then click on New button below and continue the instructions. Click on Next button.

8. Be patient for a while. Files should be copied on your local drive from image file. Some features are needed to be installed. Your machine will reboots several times.

9. While Windows installed on your computer, you need to assign a user name and password as administrator. User name is Administrator by default. Type a complex password (containing uppercase, lowercase, numbers & symbols). Click on Finish button to finish the installation process. If your screen size is not big enough, scroll down to see the Finish button.

10. Account is created. Log in to the Windows server 2016. Type your password and hit Enter button.

Finally we are done. Windows server 2016 is installed and you can see the default background image of Windows server 2016.

Conclusion

We installed Windows server 2016 on the Hyper-v. You can go ahead and do the initial configurations. For the purpose refer to this link and learn more about.

Check out: Initial Configuration of Windows server 2016

For any kind of question feel free and leave comment below.

Tags Hyper-v, server 2016, Virtual Machine, Virtual Server, Virtualization, Windows Server 2016

MCSA MCSE Servers

Add Additional Domain Controller to Existing Domain step by step

Post author By Mehdi Karimi
Post date September 16, 2016
3 Comments on Add Additional Domain Controller to Existing Domain step by step

As you know, Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is installed on a server that is called Domain Controller (DC). You can add dozens of domain controllers to an active directory for load balancing, fault tolerance, etc purposes. All the domain controllers should contain the same contents like user accounts, computer accounts, etc for working as a group.

They need to replicate with each other. When you add a new domain controller to existing domain, they automatically replicate with each other. If the new DC and the previous DC are on the same site, they can replicate easily with each other. If the new DC is in a remote site, therefore automatic replication is not so practical. Because they are replicating through Wide Area Network (WAN) connection which costs much and takes a long time. That’s why I’ve written the article in two parts. Part 1 is for Local Area Network (LAN). Part 2 is for Wide Area Network(WAN).

In this article, we will learn how to add additional domain controller to existing domain in local area network(LAN). Let’s move on.

Check out: Install Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server

Promote Windows Server to Domain Controller

Topics covered in this article:

Role Installation
Promote this server to a domain controller
Root DC and New DC Replication
Conclusion

Add Additional Domain Controller to Existing Domain

First of all, we need to install Active Directory Domain Services on the new DC, then promote that as DC.

#1: Role Installation

1. First of all open Server Manager by clicking on Server Manager icon in Start Menu. When Server Manager opened, click on Add roles and features to open roles and features installation console.

2. Skip the Before you Begin page. Let the role-based or featured-based installation selected; click on Next button. In the Server Selection page, again click Next button.

3. Select Active Directory Domain Services role, a window pops up, click on Add Features button to add active directory management tools.

When installation process is completed, reboot the server, log in as an administrator and furthermore follow the following steps.

#2: Promote this server to a domain controller

1. When logged in as an administrator, click on Promote this server to a domain controller hyperlink to promote the server to domain controller.

Promote this server to domain controller

2. Select the Add a domain controller to an existing domain option, below the specify the domain information for this operation, type your domain name. If you are logged as a standard user, you can change the credential below that. Click on Select button, a new window opens, select your domain name then hit on Ok then Next button.

3. In the Domain Controller Options page, leave unchecked the DNS server if you don’t want to install that on your DC. Let the Global Catalog checked. Type a password and confirm it then click Next button.

Domain Controller Optionsq — **Domain Controller Options**

4. In the Additional options page, Specify the server that you want replicate with and copy all information from that domain controller to new domain controller.You can take a snapshot from AD DS and apply the image on the new machine. The new machine will have the exact copy. You can read about the Install From Media (IFM) here:

Check out: Create & Deploy Active Directory Snapshot in Windows Server 2016

5. In the Paths and Review options pages almost we have nothing to do, skip them by clicking on Next button. In the prerequisite page if any error you see, check that then click on Install button.

#3: Root DC and New DC Replication

We are almost done, just use the DCs to replicate between the root DC(DC01.tactig) and the new DC(DC02.tactig). While replicating between these two DCs, the Active Directory files will be copied from the DC01.tactig to DC02.tactig. then check out, you will see all files exactly the same to the root domain controller in the current domain controller.

6. In the Server Manager, click on Tools and select Active directory sites and services option.

7. In the left pane expand the Sites>Default-First-Site-Name> Servers, then the name of the current server that you are now working on, then click on NTDS Settings. In my case DC01 is root doamin controller and I am logged in currently in DC02 which is additional domain controller.

8. Right-click on automatically generated node, Click on Replicate now, an alert informs you that replication between root domain controller and new domain controller occurred.

9. Do the same thing for DC01 in the same server. Expand DC01 node and click on NTDS Settings. Right-click on automatically generated then click on Replicate now option. Both server replicate with each other and all the contents of DC01 will be copied in DC02.

Conclusion

Finally we’re done! After all, you’ve completed replication between two DCs successfully, but remember if the DCs are in different sites, then you can do it using our next article that will be the second part in addition of this.

For part 2 click on this link: Create & Deploy Active Directory Snapshot in Windows Server 2016

Tags Additional DC, additional domain controller, DC, Domain Controller, server, server 2016

MCSA MCSE Servers

How to Backup Active Directory Fully in Windows Server 2016?

Post author By Mehdi Karimi
Post date July 1, 2016
1 Comment on How to Backup Active Directory Fully in Windows Server 2016?

Managing network is a critical task in the networking world but not much tough with active directory. The Active Directory was first time introduced in Windows Server 2000 for centralized domain management. Before the active directory, Microsoft had added tools to manage users, computers but they were not as efficient as active directory. The Active Directory Services (AD DS) or directly Active Directory (AD) is the repository of management and information. You can manage and have information of every type of information about users, computers, services. Also, it offers excellent services like load balancing, failover cluster. As much as it’s affected that much, you need just to make it relevant and take care of it means you need to take backup of the active directory if someone accidentally delete something or being hacked. Therefore, if the domain controller stops working, you should be able to restore the data back. Don’t worry, because we have the every solution of your problem, let’s move on and do it now.

Backup Active Directory in Windows Server 2016

The Active directory backup is not much involved. Indeed, you can learn and do it easily.

First of all, you need to install the Windows Backup Server, using Server Manager.

1. Open Server Manager, click on Add roles and features, skip the Welcome page clicking on Next button, then select the server you want to install the backup server on, click on Next button. It is not the role; it is a feature, skip the select Server Roles page. In the feature page, scroll down and check the Windows Server Backup, hit Next!

2. In the Confirm installation selections page, click on Install button. Take a rest, because it takes a while, no reboot is needed.

3. Now on the Server Manager, click on Tools, then click on Windows Server Backup at the end of the list to open the server.

4. Now the server backup is opened, click on backup once. If you like to make a schedule for active directory backup, so click on Backup schedule.

5. Select Different options, click on Next button because Different options are used while we don’t have any schedule for backup.

6. On the Select backup configuration page, two options are available, Full Server and Custom. We just want to take backup of the active directory, so we choose the second option.

7. In the Select items for the backup page, click on Add items button, select system state option and click on Ok button. so you are done here, hit next!

8. It is the time to decide where to restore the backup files, Local drives or shared folder; I choose the local drive.

9. In the Select backup destination page, the place for backup files restoration is specified.

10. We are done, so click on the Backup button, take a rest. Let the server do its work.

Backup Active Directory Fully on Windows Server 2016

Conclusion

Ok, hope it was informative and helpful, to restore the Active Directory backup, follow our next article covering restoring active directory’s backup.

Tags active direcotory, active directory, backup, Backup Active Directory, restore, server, server 2016, windows server

MCSA MCSE Servers

Install DNS Server on Windows Server 2016 fully step by step

Post author By Mehdi Karimi
Post date May 2, 2016
2 Comments on Install DNS Server on Windows Server 2016 fully step by step

Windows Server

When you install windows server it is just a box, nothing it there like services, if you want to use the services you should install and configure the services when you need them. The DNS stands for Domain Name System. When you create an account on a server or domain controller, your computer, and server communicates with each other by their IP addresses; you can’t remember a lot of IP addresses. Here the DNS comes to action. It means it changes the IP address to the name and name to the IP address. When you type a server name like tactig-dc01, it changes the name to IP:192.168.10.1 and vice versa. In this article, you’ll learn how to install DNS on Windows server 2016 server graphically and through PowerShell.

Topics covered in this article:

Install DNS server graphically
Install DNS server through PowerShell

Install DNS Server Graphically

1. In order to open Server Manager, press the Start Menu button; click on the Server Manager icon.

2. When the Server Manager opened, click on the Add roles and features option.

3. Skip the Before you begin page clicking on Next button. In the Select installation type page, just let Role-based or featured-based installation option selected. Click on Next button.

Role-based or feature-based installation

4. In the Select server destination server page, select the Select the server from server pool. Select the server from server pool which you want to install the DNS role on. Click on Next button.

5. Select the DNS from roles. A page will open that wants you to give permission to install management tools for DNS server. Click on Add features button. At the end click on Next button.

6. Here on the Select feature page, no feature is needed to be installed. So just hit Next. On the DNS Server page you can read some important information about the DNS server and hit Next button. Click on the Install button to install the role on the server. Be patient; it will take some time.

No reboot is needed after the role installation. So directly go toward configuring DNS server.

Install DNS server through PowerShell

You easily can install DNS server through PowerShell. If you’re preparing for MCSA or MCSE certifications, make sure that you learn this easy command line: Install-WindowsFeature DNS -IncludeManagementTools.

Install-WindowsFeature is PowerShell command which is used for installing Windows server roles and feature. After that type name of the role, in this case DNS. Install-WindowsFeature DNS command installs the core services for the DNS. You need to install the management tools. For the purpose type -IcludeManagementTools for adding management tools to the core services.

Maybe it looks scary to install DNS server through PowerShell, but is really easy. PowerShell makes your life easy.

Conclusion

The DNS server is now installed and ready for configuration, no reboot is needed. To configure it check out the below article and read it out. For any question, feel free and leave a comment. I would answer your questions as soon as possible. As well as, don’t forget to configure it to start and let it work otherwise you can’t.

We are done with the installation of DNS role. It is the time to move on and configure the DNS server and use the services.

Don’t Forget: Configure DNS Server Fully on Windows Server 2016?

The best way to learn is practice. Don’t forget to do it till the time that you feel you’ve completely learned.

Tags DNS, DNS Server, server 2016, Servers, windows server, Windows Server 2016

MCSA MCSE Servers

Initial Configurations of Windows server 2016 step by step

Post author By Karar
Post date November 21, 2015
9 Comments on Initial Configurations of Windows server 2016 step by step

After installing Windows Server 2016, you can start working but before that, there are some initial configuration to perform for making the server ready to work. These are the essential tips to do before start working with it. Here are the tasks to complete such as; renaming the server, setting the time zone, configuring the network connection, joining a domain, enabling remote desktop and some more. So let’s get started.

Perform Initial Configuration of Windows Server 2016 Graphically

1. Rename server

Renaming the server is the first step of initial configuration. By default windows server has setup a unique name, to change it open Server Manager and click on local Server then click on your computer name. On the System, Properties click change and type a unique and short computer name then click ok. When you’ll be asked for restarting just hit Restart Now.

2. Join a Domain or Promote Server to a Domain Controller

Here you have two options to select, the first one is to join a domain or promote this server to a domain controller see the article from the link below(Install AD DS to create and manage domain services).

Note: Before joining to a domain or promoting to domain controller you must configure server’s TCP/IP settings from the instructions below.

To join a domain, open Run>Type Sysdm.cpl>click Change>Select Domain>Type the domain name and hit Ok like the shot. When you’ll be asked for authentication then type the username and password of the domain user and click ok. When the server joined to the domain click Restart now on the dialog box to sign in with the domain after restarting.

Notice: Before joining to a domain check the Domain controller and your computer if they are connected. If you got error like an error like connecting to domain service then check out the connection and ping them to check if they are connected then try joining the domain.

To promote this server to a domain controller, read the article based on How to Install & Configure Active Directory Domain Services(AD DS)?

3. Turn on Automatic Updates

Keeping your server protected and updated is the most important. By turning on Automatic Updates on your server will be secure and latest, to configure open Settings>Update & Security and click on check for updates then when the update downloaded and installed.

Settings - Update & Security — Settings – Update & Security

On the Advanced options, choose Automatic update installing to let the Windows Server install updates when the server is not in use or you can set manually when to install updates.

Settings - Advanced options — Settings – Advanced options

4. Setup time zone settings

Accurate time zone is essential for Server and services to work on exact timing. To setup open Server Manager click on Local Server and click on Time Zone hyperlink then click on Change Time Zone, select the correct time zone and click Ok.

5. Configure TCP/IP settings

A Server needs static IP for installing AD DS or using other features so to do it open Server Manager click on Local Server and click on your computer’s network interface hyperlink(Ethernet).

On the Network Connections select the correct network adapter to configure by right click and choose Properties.

Now click on Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPV4), when the window opened select Use the following IP address and type a IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway and Preferred DNS server.

6. Enable Remote Desktop

There are a two ways to enable Remote Desktop in windows server, no matter we will do it with Server Manager. The Remote Desktop feature is the core

To enable open Server Manager click on Local Server and click on Remote Desktop hyperlink, it will directly open up the System Properties remote tab, just click on Allow Remote Connections to this Computer and click ok.

Perform Initial Configuration of Windows Server 2016 with Command-line

1. Rename the Server

Netdom renamecomputer %ComputerName% /NewName: NewComputerName

Type Y and hit enter to proceed. The server have renamed successfully.

2. Join a domain

Note: Before joining to a domain check the Domain controller and your computer if they are connected, also your computer should have taken IP with DHCP from the server correctly.

Netdom join %ComputerName% /domain: DomainName /userd: UserName /passwordd:*

Type the username and password of the server user twice and hit enter to connect.

Now restart to apply all commands and joining to domain by typing;

Shutdown -r -t 1

After you get started, check out your computer that it will have the other user option to sign in with domain user.

Here’re all the command that are entered above.

3. Configure TCP/IP Properties

To configure IP address properties on a server or on any other computer follow the below commands.

To set IP address properties first identify your network adapters by typing:

netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces

Now to set a static IP address, subnet mask and default gateway type;

Netsh interface ipv4 set address name=<> source=static address=<Ipaddress> mask=subnet mask gateway=Gatewayaddress

You can set Just IP address without subnet mask and default gateway.

To set up DNS server IP address type;

Netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=<> address=DNSIPAddress index=1

Note: “index=1” refers to position of added DNS server.

Index=1 is Preferred DNS server and index=2 is Alternate DNS server.

To confirm or check IP address type;

IPconfig /all

It shows all details of network including IP address, Subnet mask, DNS IP address.

You can see all IP addresses configured and work properly.

Here’re all commands of IP properties.

And at the end, if you’re using Hyper-v or VMware take a snapshot of the Server so you can restore it later. That’s all, this was all the initial configuration of windows server using command-line.

That’s all, this was all about the initial configuration of windows server 2016 graphically + command-line.

If you have any question regarding this, leave a comment below.

Check out this article: Install Active Directory on Windows Server 2016 step by step

Tags Basic configuration, COnfigure server 2016, Initial configuration, server 2016, Servers, windows server, Windows Server 2016