Configure Active Directory Domain Services

In the earlier post we saw how to install Active Directory Domain Services, DHCP server and DNS server. Now that everything is installed lets start configuring these features.

In this post we will see how to Configure Active Directory Domain Services.

1. Since we just installed these features we got some warnings.
   To the left of ‘Manage’ Click on The flag with yellow symbol. Here you’ll see all the warnings. Click on Task Details.
   
   

   Click on Task Details

2. Under Task Name, you’ll see Post Deployment Configuration. Click on Promote this server under Action.
   
   

   Select Promote this server..

3. You’ll now see a Deployment Configuration window.
   Select Add a new Forrest since we don’t have a Forrest! Give a Root domain name of your choice.
   
   

   Add a new forrest, and name it.

4. In Domain Controller Options,
   Select Windows Server 2012 as Forrest Functional level and Domain Functional level.
   
   

   Select Forrest functional level

   

   Select domain functional level

   
   

5. Set a DSRM password. Remember this password since we are going to use it in the next steps.
   
   

   Enter DSRM password.

6. Since we still haven’t configured a DNS server, you can’t select anything in DNS options.
   
   

   Since we haven’t configured DNS, click Next

7. Give a NetBIOS domain name in Additional Options.
   
   

   Enter a NETBIOS name

8. You’ll not see an option to set paths for the database and log files. Leave the default paths as it is.
    Don’t change it since it might further complicated the configuring processes later on while dealing with Database and SYSVOL.
   
   

   Leave the default directories as it is.

    

9. Review Options. You’ll see a summary of everything you selected till now.
   
   

   Check the usmmary

10. Prerequisite check. These are warnings. You can either solve these warnings and click on install or just click Install. 

    NOTE: These warning will be solved automatically when we go deeper into Windows Server 2012.
    

    

    Prerequisites check

11. Restart so that server can start with the new settings.
    

    

    Restart warning

12. Login screen.
    
    

    login

13. Check the domain name.
    If it changed from WORKGROUP to the one who specified in first step, your Active Directory is configured successfully.
    
    

    Check domain.