Installing a New Windows Server 2008 R2

The installation of the first Windows Server 2008 R2 DC in a new forest, using the Windows interface. In that tutorial detailed the steps to add the AD DS role to a server by using Server Manager and then running Dcpromo.exe to promote the server to a domain controller. When creating a new forest root domain, you must specify the forest root domain name system (DNS) name, its NetBIOS name, and the forest and domain functional levels. The first domain controller cannot be a read-only domain controller and must be a global catalog (GC) server. If the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard detects that it is necessary to install or configure DNS, it does it automatically.

You can also use an answer file by typing dcpromo /unattend:"path to answer file", where the answer file contains unattended installation options and values. The following example contains the minimum parameters for an unattended installation of a new Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller in a new forest:

[DCINSTALL]
ReplicaOrNewDomain=domain
NewDomain=forest
NewDomainDNSName=fully qualified DNS name
DomainNetBiosName=domain NetBIOS name
ForestLevel={0=Windows 2000 Server Native;
	     2=Windows Server 2003 Native;
	     3=Windows Server 2008;
	     4=Windows Server 2008 R2}
DomainLevel={0=Windows Server 2000 Native;
	     2=Windows Server 2003 Native;
	     3=Windows Server 2008;
	     4=Windows Server 2008 R2}
InstallDNS=yes
DatabasePath="path to folder on a local volume"
LogPath="path to folder on a local volume"
SYSVOLPath="path to folder on a local volume"
SafeModeAdminPassword=password
RebootOnCompletion=yes

You can also specify one or more unattended installation parameters and values at the command line. For example, if you don't want the Directory Services Restore Mode password in the answer file, leave the entry blank and specify the /SafeModeAdminPassword:password parameter when you run Dcpromo.exe.

You can also include all options on the command line itself. The following example creates the first domain controller in a new forest in which you don't expect to install any Windows Server 2003 domain controllers:

dcpromo /unattend /installDNS:yes /dnsOnNetwork:yes
    /replicaOrNewDomain:domain /newDomain:forest
    /newDomainDnsName:google.com /DomainNetbiosName:google
    /databasePath:"e:\ntds" /logPath:"f:\ntdslogs" /sysvolpath:"g:\sysvol"
    /safeModeAdminPassword:password /forestLevel:3 /domainLevel:3
    /rebootOnCompletion:yes