1

Server Core machine with Windows 2008R2

I frequently get asked about how to install Windows 2008 Server Core on a new computer
(that is not the tough part), however the "difficult" part could be to configure the Server Core in
order to make it work for you properly.
So, I will show you all the steps required in order that you can have a Windows Server
2008R2 Beta Server Core machine with a DNS and Active Directory, the good thing to have
all that machine is:
1. It uses just 2.65GB all the machine with the Active Directoy, DNS and DHCP working
2. It uses just 400MB of RAM (in fact right now is using 385MB!) for all the mentioned roles
3. It works really fast!
So this machine can help you to have a Windows 2008R2 AD machine (Server Core), so you
have more 'RAM' to test the failover clustering or the new features that Windows2008R2 Beta
has or Windows 7 with Windows2008R2, of course this procedure works on the Windows
2008 Core as well, just few screen changes but the commands are the same. Just remember
that this procedure is for the server that will be the first forest, first tree, first domain on your
environment, as I told you as testing procedure will work.
You just need the ISO image, and load this in your preferred Virtualization software and begin
the installation, I will put in BOLD the general steps and with the numbers the detailed steps:
-1- Begin the installation of Windows Server 2008R2 Server Core with the default
parameters.
1. Turn on your machine with the ISO image of Windows Server 2008R2 on it.
2. When the Install Windows Screen appears, press Next.
3. In the next screen press Install Now.
4. When the list of Select Operating Systems to Install appears, select Windows Server 2008
Enterprise (Server Core Installation) and press Next.
5. You must accept the license, you can read it, check the checkbox I accept the license
terms and press Next.
2

6. In the screen Which type of installation do you want?, select Custom (advanced).
7. Notice that you should have just one drive (the one that you created), select it and press
NEXT.
Note: Now, You are done!, lets wait for the Windows 2008 Server Core to be installed this will
take easily 10 min. or more.
-2- First Login - and enter a new password (example: P@SSW0rd)
1. Since this is the first time that we start the machine, we need to enter a password, so login
as Administrator and password blank.
2. In the next screen enter as a new password: P@SSW0rd, and confirm it on the dialog box
below. And after that You will be in
3. Now go back to your Win2008Core Configuration, and install the additions needed (for
example in Virtual Server 2005 you need to install the Virtual Machine Additions)
-3- Basic configuration of Windows Server 2008 Core: host name: ServerDC1 and IP
192.168.0.1
1. Log on to the virtual machine as Administrator with the password P@SSW0rd.
2. Check the actual IP configuration, execute the command IPCONFIG /ALL. Check the
current configuration and take note of the host name.
Note: In Windows 2008 the name is automatically configured, typically it starts with WIN-
XXXXXXXXXXX (WIN- and 11 chars).
3. Configure your name of the machine. Run the command:
netdom renamecomputer WIN-XXXXXXXXXXX /newname:SERVERDC1
4. When prompted to Proceed, press Y.
5. Now we need to configure our network, run the command: netsh, once it loaded, write
interface (enter), then ipv4 (enter), and write show interfaces
Note: That command will show you the current interfaces that you have right now the more
important here is to get the right name of the interface to configure, another interesting
command is the show ipaddresses.
6. Execute the following command:
3

set address name="local area connection" source=static address=192.168.100.1
mask=255.255.255.0
7. Verify that you configured correctly your address, and restart your computer using the
command shutdown -r

-4- Install DNS Server on the Server Core Machine
1. To install the DNS Server on the Windows 2008R2 Server Core, just is needed to execute
the following command:
start /w ocsetup DNS-Server-Core-Role
-5- Install the Active Directory on the Server Core, domain: testing.local
1. Execute the command "notepad unattend.txt".
2. You will be prompted to create a new file, press YES.
3. On the notepad write the following:
[DCINSTALL]
AutoConfigDNS=Yes
DomainNetBiosName=testing
NewDomainDNSName=testing.local
ReplicaOrNewDomain=Domain
NewDomain=Forest
ForestLevel=3
DomainLevel=3
SafeModeAdminPassword=P@SSW0rd
RebootOnSuccess=Yes
4. Launch the installation of AD with the following command:
dcpromo /unattend:unattend.txt
5. Machine will be restarted if all is successfully installed.
4

Note: You should have right now an AD+DNS machine, so you can start adding any windows
client here, advisable is to have a Windows Vista machine to perform the remote
administration and/or another Windows 2008 machine.
-6- Test your Active Directory and DNS installation
Some command that you can use to check if your AD is installed properly:
dsquery user
net share
dnscmd /enumzones
dcdiag /q
wevtutil qe system /c:5 /rd /f:text | more

enjoy!!
Posted on 3/9/2009 6:05:00 PM by Miklos
Categories: Windows 2008R2
Tags: windows 2008r2 beta, windows 2008, server core.