Microsoft Active Directory was first introduced in Windows Server 2000 to centralize the tasks such as managing networks and storing information related to various resources in a domain. Active Directory helps is centralizing all this information with the help of domain control.
In this article, we are going to see the prerequisites to install Active Directory on a Windows 2008 domain controller.
When you Install AD in a New Windows Server 2008 Forest
- Make functional level decisions to determine if your Windows 2008 forest can contain other domain controllers running Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 or both.
- You must know that Windows 2008 environment does not support Windows NT 4.0. You need to have Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 domain controllers running to manage Windows NT 4.0.
- You must configure the first Windows 2008 server as the Global Catalog server. You cannot set it as an Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC).
When you Install Active Directory on Windows Server 2008 in Existing Forest of either Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 server
- You need to run the ADPREP /forestprep command to extend the Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 server forest to support Windows 2008.
- Make functional level decision to determine if the forest can contain other domain controllers running Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 or both.
- It is recommended that you host the PDC emulator master role in the Windows server 2008 domain controller forest.
Other Requirements
After you have made the functional level decisions for your Windows 2008 Server environment, you need to ensure that the following conditions are met so that you can successfully install AD on Windows Server 2008:
- Username and Password for the Administrator user account: You can install AD only if you are logged on to the system with a local administrator user account.
- Free Space and NTFS Partition: The partition on which you install Active Directory should be NTFS. Also, you must have a minimum 250 MB of free space. It is better if you have a little more space so that you can easily add resources to the directory.
- Operating System version: You can install Active Directory on Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise or Data Center. You can also install Active Directory on Core Windows Server 2008, but that is a different process.
- A network card: An essential component that enables you to connect your server to the network.
- A dedicated IP address: Although you can install AD on a server that is configured to use dynamic IP address, it is not the right way to go. This is because DNS registrations will not work on a server with Dynamic IP address and you will not be able to enjoy various features of Active Directory. If your server is multi-homed, you must host the dedicated IP address on the network card that is not connected to the Internet.
- Connection to the network: It is essential that your server is connected to the network when you install Active Directory. Otherwise, when you run the DCPROMO.exe command to promote your Windows 2008 Server to a domain controller, the following error message will display:
"You must configure the TCP/IP networking protocol."
- A working DNS server: For Active Directory to function properly, you need to have a DNS server that supports the AD DNS entries (SRV records). When you use install first Windows 2008 Active Directory domain controller, it is best that you allow the wizard to build the correct DNS configuration and services for you.
- Domain name: You need to give your domain a name. You must avoid using single-label domain names. Many experts recommend using same internal and external domain names to avoid confusion.
You are now ready to install Active Directory on your Windows 2008 server.
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Carl Stevenson is a freelance technology writer who specializes in writing articles about business technology solutions and services. For more Microsoft Active Directory help, visit http://www.intelinetsystems.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carl_Stevenson |