Windows Server 2008 R2 is a server operating system 1.

In the Server Manager window, open the Roles

produced by Microsoft. It is built on Windows NT 6.1, the directory and in the Roles Summary section,
same kernel used with the client-oriented Windows 7. It is click Add Roles.
the first 64-bit-only operating system released from
Microsoft. Version enhancements include new functionality
for Active Directory, new virtualization and management
features, version 7.5 of Microsoft IIS Web Server and support
for up to 256 logical processors.

2. On the Before You Begin page of the Add Roles

Wizard, click Next.
3. On the Select Server Roles page, select the
Active Directory Domain Services check box,
Installing Active Directory Domain Services on and then click Next on this page and on the
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise 64-bit Confirmation page.
This article provides prerequisites and steps for
installing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) on
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise 64-bit (W2K8).

This article does not provide instructions for adding a Domain

Controller (DC) to an already existing Active Directory Forest
Infrastructure.

Prepare for Active Directory

Before you install AD DS on a Rackspace Cloud Server running
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise 64-bit (W2K8), you must
perform the following prerequisite tasks.

Select Domain Name and Password

Select your domain name and know the domain
administrator password that you want to use.
Note: Your domain name should be reliably unique. 4. On the Installation Progress page, click Install.
Do not use the same domain as your website, for example,
and avoid extensions like “.local” unless you have registered
that domain name in DNS. We suggest a domain name that is
not used for anything else, like "internal.example.com"..

Specify the Preferred DNS Server

Windows Server 2008 can properly install and
configure DNS during the AD DS installation if it knows that
the DNS is local. You can accomplish this by having the private
network adapter’s preferred DNS server address point to the
already assigned IP address of the same private network
adapter.

Add the Active Directory Domain Services Role

5. On the Results page, after the role is
Adding the Active Directory Domain Services role installs successfully added, click Close.
the framework for Windows Server 2008 to become a
DC and run AD DS. It does not promote the server to a
DC or install AD DS.

1|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates

Enable the Remote Registry

1. Open the Server Manager window if it is not

already open.
2. In the Properties area of the Local Servers
page, click Remote Managemen. 5. On the Operating System Capability page, click
3. Select the Enable remote management of this
Next.
server from other computers check box.

Install Active Directory Domain Services

(DCPROMO)

Now that you have prepared the server, you can install
AD DS.

Tip: As an alternative to performing steps 1 through 3,

you can type dcpromo.exe at the command prompt.
Then, skip to step 4.

1. If it is not already open, open the Server

Manager window.
2. Select Roles > Active Directory Domain
Services.
3. In the Summary section,click Run the Active
Directory Domain Services Installation
Wizard (dcpromo.exe).

6. On the Choose a Deployment Configuration

page, select Create a new domain in a new
forest and then click Next.

4. On the Welcome page of the Active Directory

Domain Services Installation Wizard, ensure that
the Use advanced mode installation check
box is cleared, and then click Next.

7. On the Name the Forest Root Domain page,

enter the domain name that you choose during
preparation steps. Then, click Next.

2|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates

 10. In the message dialog box that appears, click
Yes.

8. After the installation verifies the NetBIOS name,

11. On the Location for Database, Log Files, and
on the Set Forest Functional Level page, select
SYSVOL page, accept the default values and
Windows Server 2008 R2 in the Forest
then click Next.
function level list. Then, click Next.

12. On the Directory Services Restore Mode

The installation examines and verifies your DNS
Administrator Password page, enter the domain
setting.
administrator password that you chose during
the preparation steps. This is not your admin
9. On the Additional Domain Controller Options
password that was emailed to you during the
page, ensure that the DNS server check box is
creation of your server, although you can use
selected, and then click Next.
that password if you want to. Then, click Next.

3|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates

 13. On the Summary page, review your selections
and then click Next.
The installation begins.
14. If you want the server to restart automatically
after the installation is completed, select the
Reboot on completion check box.
15. If you did not select the Reboot on completion
check box, click Finish in the wizard. Then,
restart the server.
16. After a few minutes, reconnect to your server by
using the Console in your Control Panel or RDP.
4|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates
17. To log in, perform the following steps:
a. Click Switch User, and then click Other
User.
b. For the user, enter the full domain name that
you chose, followed by a back slash and
Administrator (for example,
Example.com\Administrator).
c. Enter the password that was emailed to you
when you first built the server. If you changed
your password
for the local admin account to this server before
you began the installation of Active Directory
Domain Services, use that password.
d. Click the log in button.
The installation of Active Directory Domain Services on your
server is complete.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO INSTALL DHCP ROLE AND
CONFIGURE
To start first need to log in to the server with
administrator privileges. Then start the “server
Manager” by clicking on “Server Manager” icon on
task bar. Then go to “Roles”
Then click on “Add Roles” option to open Add roles
Wizard.
Then it will load the Roles Wizard and select the
“DHCP Server” From the list and click next to
continue.
Then it will give description about the role. Click Next window is to define the WINS server details.
next to continue.

In next window we can add the scope, the Starting

Next window is asking to use which interface to IP, End IP of the DHCP range, subnet mask, default
serve DHCP clients. If server has multiple NIC with gateway, leased time etc.
multiple IP you can add them also to serve DHCP
clients.

In next Window it can configure to support IPv6 as

well.
In next window it will give opportunity to add DNS
settings that should apply for DHCP clients.

5|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates

 How to Create Users and User Templates in
Windows Server 2008 Active Directory
You probably already know that a User Account in Active
Directory is an Active Directory Object, or simply said, a
record in an AD database. Most of the time we create user
accounts for people, however user accounts can also be
created for applications or processes.

User accounts allow a person to access resources on a

network. But we can just as easily deny access to certain
resources on the network through the user account. That’s
why, User Account Objects are quite important and very
useful.

User Groups and Organizational Units. Now, let’s get started

with creating a user account.

How To Create a New User Account in Active Directory

Then it will give the confirmation window before
begin the install. Click on “Install” 1. To start let’s go ahead and open up Server Manager

2. Next we will open up the Roles section, next to Active

Directory Users and Computers section and finally
Once installation finishes DHCP server interface can
the Active Directory Users and Computers. You should now
open from Start > Administrative Tools > DHCP see your domain name.

Using the DHCP it is possible to even configure

multiple Scopes configurations to the network. In a 3. We are going to click on our Users section where we are
going to create a new User Account. To do so, right-click on
network there can be different network segments.
the blank section, point to New and select User.
It is waste to setup different DHCP servers for each
segment. Instead of that it is possible to create
different Scopes to issue DHCP for them.

6|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates


4. In this window you need to type in the user’s first name,
middle initial and last name. Next you will need to create a
user’s logon name.
In our example we are going to create a user account for Billy
Miles and his logon name will be bmiles. When done, click on
the Next button.
5. In the next window you will need to create a password for
your new user and select appropriate options.
In our example we are going to have the user change his
password at his next logon. You can also prevent a user from
changing his password, set the password so that it will never
expire or completely disable the account.
When you are done making your selections, click
the Next button.
7|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates
6. And finally, click on the Finish button to complete the
creation of new User Account.
How To Create a User Template in Active Directory
A user template in Active Directory will make your life a little
easier, especially if you are creating users for a specific
department, with exactly the same properties, and membership
to the same user groups. A user template is nothing more than
a disabled user account that has all these settings already in
place. The only thing you are doing is copying this account,
adding a new name and a password.
You may have multiple user templates for multiple purposes
with different settings and properties. There is no limit on the
number of user templates, but keep in mind that they are there
to help you, not to confuse you, so keep in mind less is better.
To create a user template, we are going to create a regular user
account just like we did above. A little note here, you may
want to add an * as the first character of the name so it floats
at the top in AD and is much easier to find.
1. To start out, right-click on the empty space, point to new,
and select User.
2. Type in the user’s name (with asterisks if so desired) and
click Next.
 How To Use a User Template in Active Directory
1. Now in order to use that user template, we are going to
select it, copy it and add the unique information such as user
name, password, etc.

We can do that for as many users as needed. Let’s start by

right-clicking on the template and selecting Copy.

3. Create the template’s password and do not forget to check

the box next to the Account is disabled option. When ready,
click Next.

2. Next we are going to enter the user’s name, login and

password information while making sure the checkbox next
to Account is disabled is unchecked.

3. Once we finish, our new user account is created with all the
4. Once the account is created, you can go ahead and add all properties of the template account. Now wasn’t that easy!
the properties you need for that template. To do so, double-
click on that account and navigate to a specific tab. Once done
click OK.

8|Windows Server 2008 – ADDS, DNS, DCHP and User Templates