Process of installing Windows Server

Step 1: Create a Virtual Machine

1. Open your virtualization software (e.g., VMware, VirtualBox, Hyper-V).

2. Click on "New Virtual Machine" or "Create New VM."

3. Follow the wizard to configure the virtual machine:

 Choose the Guest OS: Windows Server (select the version that matches your ISO file).

 Allocate RAM: Set an appropriate amount based on your server's requirements.

 (Optional)Assign CPU Cores: Specify the number of CPU cores.

 Configure Network: Choose your preferred network settings (use Bridged).

 Create a new virtual hard drive or use an existing one.

Step 2: Add Hard Drives for RAID Configuration

1. In the virtual machine settings, add three additional virtual hard drives.

2. Specify the size and type (e.g., SATA or SCSI) for each hard drive.

3. Note the device names assigned to these hard drives (e.g., Hard Drive 2, Hard Drive 3, Hard Drive 4).

Step 3: Install Windows Server

1. Start the virtual machine.

2. Mount the Windows Server ISO file (17763.737.190906-

2324.rs5_release_svc_refresh_SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us_1.iso) to the virtual CD/DVD drive.

3. Boot the virtual machine from the ISO.

Step 4: Add Administrator Password

1. Follow the on-screen instructions to begin the Windows Server installation process.

2. When prompted, create an Administrator password. This password will be used to access the server.

Step 5: Rename the Server

1. After the installation is complete and the server reboots, log in using the Administrator account and the
password you created.

2. Open the Server Manager.

3. In the Server Manager dashboard, locate the current server name, usually found in the "Local Server"
section.

4. Click on the current server name to open the "System Properties" window.

5. In the "System Properties" window, click the "Change" button to rename the server.

6. Enter your preferred server name and click "OK."

Step 6: Configure IP Address:

1. From the Windows desktop, open the "Network and Sharing Center":

 Click the Start button or press the Windows key.

 Type "Network and Sharing Center" and select it from the search results.
 2. In the Network and Sharing Center, click on "Change adapter settings" on the left sidebar. This will display
your network connections.

3. Right-click on the network connection you want to configure (usually "Local Area Connection" or "Ethernet")
and select "Properties."

4. In the properties window, scroll down and find "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)." Select it and click
the "Properties" button.

5. Choose the "Use the following IP address" option.

 Enter the IP address, Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway specific to your network.

6. If you want to use custom DNS servers, you can specify them here:

 Choose the "Use the following DNS server addresses" option.

 Enter the preferred DNS server and alternate DNS server addresses.

7. Click "OK" to save your IP address and DNS settings.

Step 7: Configure Active Directory and DNS:

1. Open the Server Manager on your Windows Server.

2. In the Server Manager, click on "Add roles and features" to open the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

3. In the wizard, click "Next" until you reach the "Select features" section. Here, make sure that "Active
Directory Domain Services" and "DNS Server" roles are selected. Follow the wizard to install these roles.

4. Once the roles are installed, click on the "Promote this server to a domain controller" link that appears in the
notification area.

5. In the Active Directory Configuration Wizard:

 Select "Add a new forest" and enter a root domain name (e.g., yourdomain.local).

 Choose a Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password.

 Configure additional options as needed.

6. Complete the wizard to promote the server to a domain controller. The server will automatically restart as
part of the promotion process.

7. After the server restarts, open the Server Manager.

8. In the Server Manager, open the DNS Manager to configure DNS settings, including forward and reverse
lookup zones, DNS records, and DNS forwarding or root hints.

DNS Configuration

Step 1: Open DNS Manager

1. Open the "DNS Manager" on your Windows Server.

Step 2: Configure DNS Settings

2. In DNS Manager, expand your server's node in the left-hand pane.

Step 3: Create a Forward Lookup Zone

3. Right-click on "Forward Lookup Zones" and select "New Zone" to create a forward lookup zone.

 Zone Type: Primary Zone

  Zone Name: example.com

4. After creating the forward lookup zone, expand it in the left pane, and you will see your new zone.

Step 4: Add Host (A) Records

5. Right-click on the "example.com" zone and select "New Host (A or AAAA)..."

 Name: www (for www.example.com)

 IP Address: 192.168.1.100 (an example IP address)

6. Repeat the process to add more host (A) records for other services or devices in your network.

Step 5: Create Alias (CNAME) Records

7. To create alias records, right-click on the "example.com" zone and select "New Alias (CNAME)..."

 Alias Name: ftp (for ftp.example.com)

 Fully-qualified domain name (FQDN): server.example.com

8. You can add additional CNAME records as needed.

Step 6: Configure Reverse Lookup Zone (PTR Records)

9. Right-click on "Reverse Lookup Zones" and select "New Zone" to create a reverse lookup zone.

 Zone Type: Primary Zone

 Network ID: 192.168.1 (assuming this is your network subnet)

10. After creating the reverse lookup zone, expand it in the left pane.

Step 7: Add PTR Records

11. Right-click on the reverse lookup zone and select "New Pointer (PTR)."

 Host IP Address: 100 (for 192.168.1.100)

 Host Name: www.example.com

12. Repeat the process to add PTR records for other IP addresses.

Step 8: Verify DNS Configuration

13. Test your DNS configuration by using commands like nslookup or ping from other network devices to verify
that DNS queries and resolution are functioning correctly.

Representation of the Process in DNS Configuration

DNS Manager

└── ServerName (Your Server's Name)

├── Forward Lookup Zones

│ ├── YourDomain.local (Primary Zone)

│ │ ├── Host Records

│ │ │ ├── Host1 - 192.168.1.10

│ │ │ ├── Host2 - 192.168.1.20

│ │ └── Alias (CNAME) Records

 │ └── ...

├── Reverse Lookup Zones

│ ├── 192.168.1.x Subnet (Primary Zone)

│ │ ├── Pointer (PTR) Records

│ │ │ ├── 10 - Host1.YourDomain.local

│ │ │ ├── 20 - Host2.YourDomain.local

│ │ └── ...

│ └── ...

└── Cached Lookups

Note: Configure DNS first before adding DHCP to a server.

Name Resolution: DHCP servers often rely on DNS to perform name resolution for clients. When a DHCP
server assigns IP addresses to clients, it can also register the client's hostname in DNS. If DNS is not set up or
configured correctly, this dynamic registration may not work, which can lead to issues in name resolution.

DNS Servers: DHCP can provide DNS server IP addresses to clients as part of their network configuration.
Therefore, having functional DNS servers in place is essential for clients to resolve domain names and access
resources on the network.

Reverse DNS Lookups: Some applications and services may rely on reverse DNS lookups to verify the identity
of devices. To support reverse DNS lookups, you need a functioning DNS system with appropriate reverse
lookup zones in place.

DNS Suffixes: DHCP can also provide DNS domain suffixes to clients. These suffixes are used to automatically
complete domain names when users enter short hostnames in web browsers or other applications.

By configuring DNS first, you ensure that the DNS infrastructure is in place and functioning correctly,
enabling your DHCP server to work seamlessly with DNS. After DNS is set up and validated, you can configure
DHCP to provide DNS server addresses and other network configuration options to clients, and the two
services can work together effectively to provide IP addresses and name resolution services.

DHCP Configuration

Configuring a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server on Windows Server is important for
automatically assigning IP addresses and network configuration to client devices. Here's a step-by-step
process to set up a DHCP server on your Windows Server:

Step 1: Open DHCP Management Console:

1. Open the "Server Manager" on your Windows Server.

2. In the Server Manager, click on "Tools" in the upper right corner.

3. Select "DHCP" from the list of available tools. This will open the DHCP Management Console.

Step 2: Configure the DHCP Scope:

4. In the DHCP Management Console, expand your server's node in the left-hand pane.

5. Right-click on "IPv4" and select "New Scope."

6. Follow the New Scope Wizard to create a DHCP scope:

 Scope Name: Example_Scope

 Starting IP Address: 192.168.1.100

 Ending IP Address: 192.168.1.200

 Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0

 Default Gateway: 192.168.1.1 (your router's IP address)

 DNS Servers: 192.168.1.10 (the IP address of your DNS server)

 Lease Duration: You can set the lease duration as per your preference (e.g., 8 days).

Step 3: Activate the DHCP Scope:

7. In the DHCP Management Console, right-click on the "Example_Scope" you just created and select
"Activate."

Step 4: Additional DHCP Options (Optional):

8. You can configure additional DHCP options depending on your network requirements. For instance, you can
set DNS domain name and DNS suffix search list options if needed.

Step 5: Test the DHCP Configuration:

9. Connect a client device to the network and configure it to obtain an IP address automatically (DHCP). When
the client requests an IP address, the DHCP server should provide one from the configured scope, along with
the DNS server address, gateway, and lease duration.