Lets Get started with Windows Server 2k8...!!!

In this post I will tell you people how to prepare a lab to perform all the hands on. For performing the practice sessions on your end you need following software:

1. Virtual Machine Software (My personal choice is VmWare Workstaion)
2. Iso files for Windows server 2008 and Windows Vista/Windows Xp(which can be downloaded from Microsoft's website for free)


So lets prepare a LAB now.
We will initially create two machines in our lab. For that we need to use the virtualization software to do so, or you can also do it directly on two physical systems if you want.(I am assuming here that you will install the Windows Server 2008 and Windows Xp on your own, if you need some help in that then let me know by posting a comment.)

To perform the all the admin tasks now we need to deploy the Domain to our environment. Once we have a domain we can join in any machine to our domain to perform the required task. To deploy the domain, we will install the Active Directory Role on W2K8AD.

Before starting to install Active Directory, we need to make sure that our server is properly configured. Things we need to check are:

• Computer name
• Static IP Address
• DNS Address(As if now keep this same as system's IP address, will explain the purpose later)

To install Active Directory to the server, Click on Server Manager>>Add Roles>>Active Directory Domain Services and then hit Next>>Next>>Install. When the installation finishes hit Close. After that in the Run box type DCPROMO and then Hit Enter. It will start the installation of AD.

It will ask you, whether you want to install a New Forest or in an Existing Forest.

Select New, then it will prompt for the name for your Domain(For Eg. : XYZ.com)

Then keep on hitting next with all the default options as it is and then Finish. The wizard will also ask for the password for the backup recovery, provide one there. It will take some time to install the AD. Once it is done then restart your Domain Controller (Yes, now W2K8AD is a Domain Controller as you have installed the AD on it).

After installing Click on Start --> Windows Administrative Tools --> Active Directory Users and Computers. It will populate all the groups available to your Domain now. You can add users here and add
them to whichever group you think they fit to. Lets create one as abc.

Now we will move towards the Client machine. After you install Windows Xp/Windows Vista to a virtual/physical box, we need to configure it with a proper name and Static IP address, as we did for our Domain Controller.
And also we need to join this system to the domain to make it a part of it. For that we will do following steps:-

1. Start>>Right Click on My Computer>> Select Properties.
2. Under Computer Name tab select Change.
3. Now select Domain, then enter the name of your domain and hit OK.
4. It will ask for the administrative credentials of your domain, as only a admin can connect a system to the domain.
5. After authentication is successful, you will be welcomed to the Domain, and for the changes to take affect reboot your system.
6. After reboot you will notice that at the time of login it is asking for your credentials to log in.
7. Here you need to enter the credentials of our newly created user abc to log in to the system.

If you are able to log in, then your Lab is ready to function. :-)