Domain Controller Server Core

In my previous post i showed how you can install active directory domain services on windows server core and in this post i m going to show how you can add an additional domain controller to your environment because best practice recommends that you have at least two of them.

Domain controller server core. Recently i started flipping all my domain controllers in my labs to server core only. Installation eines zusätzlichen domain controller. Running a dc on windows server core is by far one of my favorite uses for server core. Domain controllers are decommissioned or promoted and renamed to maintain a naming convention.

Install windowsfeature name ad domain services includemanagementtools after installation new commands are available. Running server core also reduces the attack surface to dc s. Das kann man auch ändern. Just like on server with a gui installations you can use tools such as ntdsutil exe dcdiag exe dslint exe ldp exe setspn exe nltest exe csvde exe ldifde exe and repadmin exe on server core domain controllers.

Set the ip and dns address. I recommended using windows server core 2016 because it needs less patching restart and the attach surface is smaller. And after you rename your domain controller you must manually update the file replication service frs or distributed file system dfs replication member object. In terms of performance server core will take fewer resources compared to server with gui.

This object must be updated with the new domain controller name so that the domain. When another coworker or colleague sits down and tries to a log directly into the vm via they hyper v console or b tries to remote desktop into the domain controller if you left the. Windows server core starts with cmd by default. To be able to make the necessary configurations and promote the server to a domain controller you need to start powershell.

Promote server core to a domain controller by default server core starts in command line cmd. First we install the active directory services role. Bei der installation eines zusätzlichen domain controller öffnet man in server core die powershell mit dem befehl powershell. Add the server to the existing domain that you want to create an additional domain controller for and log in as a user with domain admin privileges for that domain.

Bevor ein server zum domain controller hochgestuft werden kann muss die rolle active directory domänendienste installiert werden. In cmd type powershell and hit enter. To add an additional domain controller to a domain first install windows server 2016 core as detailed above configure the network settings and any extra storage you require. Domain controllers are moved or placed in sites.

Next let s see which steps are needed to configure and promote this server to a domain controller in an existing domain. Primarily because it runs really really well on server core but also because of the woah wtf factor. I downloaded an evaluation copy from the technet. To add an additional domain controller we need to do following.

Installing an additional domain controller. Windows server core wird per default mit cmd gestartet. I did this to not only save on space but also lower memory consumption of my domain controllers.