Installing Active Directory on a Fresh Windows Server

In this article i'll be walking you through installing a new Active Directory Domain Services feature on a fresh copy of Windows Server 2016. If you're not familiar with Windows AD DS. To put it simply it is a set of programs run on a server that handles security and access for users on a network of machines. A lot of companies are moving into Azure AD DS which is Microsoft's cloud based solution. Setting one of those up is very similar i'll cover that in a future article.

Assuming you've met the minimum hardware requirements you can find more about that on Microsoft's website here. Honestly hardware that you will need will vary largely depending on your production needs in field. The next step will be to give the server a static IP and configure it as the DNS for the network it will be the directory for you can read more about that here. Next you'll want to have a copy of Windows Server installed.

The first step is to install AD DS onto a windows server instance.
Server Manager will normally run automatically when you log in an admin. The powershell command for running server manager is "servermanager.exe".

Powershell servermanager.exe

Alternatively you can just use the start menu:

Start>Server Manager

Next you'll want to add the AD DS feature into the server you can do that from the manage menu in the upper left hand corner or the setup list:

Manage >Add Roles and Features

Next a dialogue will remind you to setup a strong password, static IP, and installed updates. Please due so it is always important to patch systems, but do so only according to your organizations protocols you don't want to kick a bunch of users off while they are working. You'll probably get a bunch of service tickets. when you are ready just hit next.

Verify strong password, static IP, and updated windows.

Next the setup wizard will ask if you'd like to role-based installation or remote desktop service installation. For the purposes of this article i'll just do a locally. I'll cover remote installation in a future article. So select role based and click next.

Role Based

Next it will ask you to select where the AD DS will reside for now i'll put it on the same server and click next.

Select Destination Server

Next it will ask you to install role just select Active Directory Domain Services, and click add roles to confirm the different features need for active directory.

Select Active Directory Domain Services

Add feature required for AD DS

Next it will ask you if you'd like to add extra features these are worth reading into later but for now just click next.

Adding more features

Next it will remind you to add fail overs or redundant servers and to add a DNS server if you haven't and it will advertise Azure and office 360 integration into you installation. Click next when you are ready.

AD DS learn more of just click next

Next is just a confirmation of all the stuff you want added if you ready just click install. When it is done just click the close button

install confirmation window

Next i recommend an restart. If you're in a production environment remember to follow protocols.

In the next article i'll cover basic set-up of you AD DS. Thanks for reading.