Complete Guide to Active Directory Configuration on Windows Server 2016

Complete Guide to Install Active Directory on Windows Server 2016 | Step-by-Step Configuration. This post provides a full Guide to the installation and configuration of the Windows Server 2016 Active Directory Role. Installation and Configuration are similar to Windows Server 2012 R2.

Some preparation:

Create a strong password for the Administrator account (it will be Domain Admin in the future);
Install all updates;
Rename your server with a Corporate naming policy. (When you install Windows Server, a random name is generated);
Assign a static IP to your server.

Installation

1. After Server Manager starts – click on Add roles and features link;

2. Click the Next button on the wizard screen. Also, you may set a check mark Skip this page by default and you don’t see this step at the next runtime;

3. For installation type, select Role-based or feature-based installation and click the Next button;

4. Choose the option Select a server from the server pool (selected by default) and click the Next button;

5. Click the checkbox for Active Directory Domain Services;

6. In the new pop-up window click Add Features;

7. Click the Next button;

8. For Features, don’t select anything, click the Next button;

9. For Active Directory Domain Services click the Next button;

10. At the confirmation screen, you may decide whether to restart the destination server automatically or not, in my case, I don’t set this option. Click the Install button;

11. Installation begins;

12. Once completed, click the Close button.

Configuration

1. From the Server Manager dashboard, click the flag with the exclamation mark symbol. Click Promote the server to a domain controller;

2. On the next screen, select the deployment operation that is needed. In this example, the Add a new forest is selected and the name enterinit.com is entered to create a new root domain. Click Next button;

3. Since this will be the only domain controller in this lab example, both the forest and domain functional levels will remain at Windows Server Technical Preview (I use Windows Server 2016 from VLSC, but is recognized as Technical Preview). Leave a checkbox on the Domain Name System (DNS) Server to make this system a DNS server. The option for GC is checked without the ability to modify since the first domain controller must be a Global Catalog server. The third option is unchecked and unmodifiable because the first domain controller cannot be a Read-Only Domain Controller;

4. Enter a DSRM password and click Next;

5. For DNS options, there is no existing DNS infrastructure since this is our first domain controller. So, the warning can be ignored. Click the Next button;

6. Enter the BIOS domain name and click the Next button;

7. If you need you may change folders locations (NOT RECOMMENDED), click the Next button;

8. Review options. Please note that a PowerShell shell script is provided if you need to automate this on future installs. Click View Script. If needed, copy this script for future use. Close the Notepad window and click the Next button;

9. System check prerequisites;

10. If the prerequisites check passes, then click the Install button;