Installing the Domain Controller (Part 2)

Microsoft improved many features in Windows Server 2012 R2 compared to Windows 2008. Once you install Windows Server 2012, you will notice these new changes just by looking at the new management interface which provides administrators the ability to centralize the system. In this post, I will continue with my 3-part series in this second post: Installing the Domain Controller.  

  1. How to Install Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard (Part 1) (If you haven’t yet, read Part 1 before continuing here)
    2. Installing the Domain Controller (the current post)
    3. Join the Domain

Once you finish the installing the Server and reboot, you will see the server manager dashboard.Installing_Domain_Controller_Blog_Post_Chinho_Ko_Graphic.png

Domains are logical directory components that you can create to manage your organization. In general, domains are used to control where in the forest replication of domain that data occurs, while organizational units are used to further organize network objects into a logical hierarchy and delegate control to appropriate administrative support personnel. 

For example, if there is a soccer team, then think the soccer team is the domain and all the players are under the hierachy of the soccer team. Then who is controlling the soccer team? The coach. So in this example, the coach can be a domain controller. 

Installing Active Directory Domain Service

In order to make the Windows Server 2012 Domain Controller, we need to install Active Directory Domain Service (ADDS) roles from the dashboard. We will install ADDS, then we’ll promote this server as Domain Controller. Find below what the dashboard will look like. Click the 2nd option “Add roles and features”: 

1-924145-edited.png

Once you click that, you will see the “Select installation type” screen below. Click Next.

Select installation type screen in Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

Next you’ll see the “Select destination server” screen below. Click Next. 

Select destination server in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

Next you’ll see the “Select server roles” screen below. Check the Active Directory Domain Service box and click Install. 

select server roles screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

Promoting the Domain Controller{{cta(‘b8b979d0-8719-49fe-912b-ce4349253041′,’justifyright’)}}

Now you will see this “Promote this server to a domain controller” blurb. Click that.

check Active Directory Domain Service screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

Type your domain name (like in the screen below) since we are adding a new forest check on the add a new forest. 

deployment configuration screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

After that, create a password and click Next. 

domain controller options screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

Next you’ll see the “Paths” screen below, then click Next.

Paths screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

Next you’ll see the “Review Options” screen below, then click Next.

Review options screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

After review, if this is the configuration you’d like, then click Next. [NOTE: You can customize the installation in a variety of ways, but this how-to follows the standard.] Everything should look right, so click Install.

Prerequisites Check screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics

Reboot once you’ve finished thereboot after installation to be in domain screen in the Installing the Domain controller blog post by Chinho Ko at Easy Dynamics installation and you’ll be in the domain. You’ll see the screen below where you can login with your password that you set up in the middle of this post. Now you are all set!  

Now that you’ve Installed Windows Server 2012 R2 and created an Active Directory and Domain (Part 2), keep an eye out for the next tutorial which will cover how to join the Domain using other machines (Part 3). 


What other tips do you have for installing the Domain Controller? Share your wisdom with us in the comments below! 

While you’re here, make yourself comfortable and check out our blog home page to explore other technologies we use on a daily basis and the fixes we’ve solved in our day to day work. To make your life even easier, subscribe to our blog to get instant updates sent straight to your inbox:

{{cta(‘33985992-7ced-4ebd-b7c8-4fcb88ae3da4′,’justifycenter’)}}

Leave a Comment

Easy Dynamics Login