Installing Active Directory 2008

Before installing Active Directory you should ensure that your computer has:

  • A meaningful name. i.e. DC1, Server1, Es-netDC
  • A static IPv4 address.
  • At least one NTFS partition.
  • A Network connection, for testing a loopback connection can be used.

Use the buttons below to navigate through the lesson


Select Roles. Click Add Roles.Click Next. Select Active Directory Domain Services. Then click Next. Click Next. Click Install. Active Directory binaries will be installed.

Installation has completed, select dcpromo.exe. Alternately you can run dcpromo from a command prompt. Click Next. Click Next. Select Create a new domain in a new forest. Then click Next. Fill in the domain name. NOTE this must be Fully Qualified i.e. end in .com .uk .local. Click Next.

Set Forest functional level. There are 3 levels.
Windows 2000. The Windows 2000 Forest function level allows domains that contain only Windows 2000/2003/2008 domain controllers. The disadvantage to this is that nearly all of the features of Windows Server 2008 forests are disabled apart from the improved replication between Servers running Windows Server 2008.

The Windows Server 2003 forest function level allows only domains controlled by Windows Server 2003/2008 Domain Controllers.

The Windows Server 2008 forest levels allow only domains that contain Windows Server 2008 Domain controllers. Once all domain controllers in your organization are running Server 2008 you should upgrade the level to Windows Server 2008.

For this presentation we will use the Windows Server 2003 forest function level. Click Next to continue. Set Domain functional level. There are 3 levels.
Windows 2000 Native.

Windows 2000 Native Mode domains allow only Windows 2000/2003/2008 Domain Controllers. For this presentation we will use the Windows Server 2003 domain function level. Click Next to continue. Select DNS Server and click Next.

Static IP assignment has detected a dynamically assigned IP address, if you have configured a static IPv4 address this can be ignored. This is because the IPv6 address is dynamically assigned.

Select Yes, the computer will use a dynamically assigned IP address (not recommended). Click Yes to continue. Click Next to accept the default Database and Sysvol folders location. Set up and confirm Restore Mode Password. Then click Next.

The summary page. All the settings can be reviewed. If you click Export settings all the settings can be saved to an answer file which can be used to perform an unattended installation of Active Directory. Choose a name and location for the answer file. Then click Save. Click Next. Active Directory components will now be installed. When complete click Finish. Click Restart Now to complete the setup.

After the restart Server Management console displays the newly added roles.

In the Server Management console if a role is selected, the Events and System Services information for the last 24Hrs are displayed.

Select Start>Administrative Tools>Active Directory Users and Computers. The newly created domain is displayed.