MS Windows 2008 Active Directory

Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is use to manage users, computers, groups, applications… from a centralized location. AD DS uses domain controllers to give network users access to permitted resources.

Configurations:
- Install a minimum of two domain controllers for a domain in case of a server outage.
- AD DS requires a DNS Server.
- After installation, run dcpromo.exe to make the server a domain controller.

Active Directory is in Server Manager -> Roles.
To install it, click on “Add Roles” and Select “Active Directory Domain Services“. The required feature is .NET Framework 3.5.1 and you’ll be prompt to add it during installation.

After installation, run dcpromo to configure it, an Installation Wizard will pop-up.
Select “Create a new domain in a new forest“, installing the first server.
Enter Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN); FQDN is a domain name that specifies it’s exact location in the tree hierarchy of the DNS.
Ex: server1.mydomain.net
The DNS server will also be install.

After the wizard completed configuring the new domain and DNS, the server will reboot.

Login to the new domain: server1\administrator