The Windows interface provides two wizards that guide you through the AD DS installation process. The first wizard is the Add Roles Wizard, which you can access in Server Manager. The second wizard is the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard, which you can access in the following ways:
To perform this procedure, you must be logged on as the local Administrator for the computer. Depending on the operating system installation options that were selected for the computer, the local Administrator password might be blank or it might not be required. In this case, run the following command at a command prompt before you start to install AD DS:
Click Start and then click Server Manager.
In Roles Summary, click Add Roles.
If necessary, review the information on the Before You Begin page and then click Next.
On the Select Server Roles page, click the Active Directory Domain Services check box, and then click Next.
If necessary, review the information on the Active Directory Domain Services page and then click Next.
On the Confirm Installation Selections page, click Install.
On the Installation Results page, click Close this wizard and launch the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (dcpromo.exe).
On the Welcome to the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard page, click Next.
You can select the Use advanced mode installation check box to get additional installation options.
On the Operating System Compatibility page, review the warning about the default security settings for Windows Server 2008 domain controllers and then click Next.
On the Choose a Deployment Configuration page, click Create a new domain in a new forest, and then click Next.
On the Name the Forest Root Domain page, type the full Domain Name System (DNS) name for the forest root domain, and then click Next.
If you selected Use advanced mode installation on the Welcome page, the Domain NetBIOS Name page appears. On this page, type the NetBIOS name of the domain if necessary or accept the default name and then click Next.
On the Set Forest Functional Level page, select the forest functional level that accommodates the domain controllers that you plan to install anywhere in the forest, and then click Next.
If you select any forest functional level other than Windows Server 2008, the Set Domain Functional Level page appears next.
On the Set Domain Functional Level page, select the domain functional level that accommodates the domain controllers that you plan to install anywhere in the domain, and then click Next.
On the Additional Domain Controller Options page, DNS server is selected by default so that your forest DNS infrastructure can be created during AD DS installation. If you plan to use Active Directory–integrated DNS, click Next. If you have an existing DNS infrastructure and you do not want this domain controller to be a DNS server, clear the DNS server check box, and then click Next.
If the wizard cannot create a delegation for the DNS server, it displays a message to indicate that you can create the delegation manually. To continue, click Yes.
On the Location for Database, Log Files, and SYSVOL page, type or browse to the volume and folder locations for the database file, the directory service log files, and the SYSVOL files, and then click Next.
Windows Server Backup backs up the directory service by volume. For backup and recovery efficiency, store these files on separate volumes that do not contain applications or other nondirectory files.
On the Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Password page, type and confirm the restore mode password, and then click Next. This password must be used to start AD DS in Directory Service Restore Mode for tasks that must be performed offline.
On the Summary page, review your selections. Click Back to change any selections, if necessary.
To save the selected settings to an answer file that you can use to automate subsequent AD DS operations, click Export settings. Type the name for your answer file, and then click Save.
When you are sure that your selections are accurate, click Next to install AD DS.
You can either select the Reboot on completion check box to have the server restart automatically or you can restart the server to complete the AD DS installation when you are prompted to do so.