The Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 requires initial configuration at a command prompt. A Server Core installation does not include the traditional full graphical user interface. Once you have configured the server, you can manage it locally at a command prompt or remotely using a Terminal Server connection. You can also manage the server remotely using the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) or command-line tools that support remote use.

Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2 support additional server roles (see the “What is a Server Core installation” section) and Windows features (see the section “Installing Windows Features on a server running a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008: Overview”).

In Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2, the Removable Storage feature has been removed. You can also remotely manage a Server Core server using Server Manager.

The target audience for the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 includes:

• IT planners and analysts who are technically evaluating the product.
  
  
• Enterprise IT planners and designers for organizations.
  
  
• IT professionals who are managing the Active Directory Certificate Services, AD DS, AD LDS, DHCP Server, DNS Server, File Services, Hyper-V, Print Services, Streaming Media Services, and Web Server (IIS) roles.
  
  

The Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 provides the following benefits:

• Reduced maintenance. Because the Server Core installation option installs only what is required to have a manageable server for the supported roles, less maintenance is required than on a full installation of Windows Server 2008.
  
  
• Reduced attack surface. Because Server Core installations are minimal, there are fewer applications running on the server, which decreases the attack surface.
  
  
• Reduced management. Because fewer applications and services are installed on a server running the Server Core installation, there is less to manage.
  
  
• Less disk space required. A Server Core installation requires only about 3.5 gigabytes (GB) of disk space to install and approximately 3 GB for operations after the installation.
  
  

• Deploying a Server Core installation: Overview
  
  
• Configuring a Server Core installation: Overview
  
  
• Installing a server role on a server running a Server Core installation: Overview
  
  
• Installing Windows Features: Overview
  
  
• Managing a Server Core installation: Overview
  
  
• Administering a Server Core installation
  
  
• Logging bugs and feedback
  
  
• Additional references
  
  
• Appendix A: Sample Server Core installation - Unattend.xml
  
  

To complete this task, you will need the following:

• The Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installation media
  
  
• For Windows Server 2008, a valid product key. For Windows Server 2008 R2, you can complete Setup without having the product key.
  
  
• A computer on which you can perform a clean Server Core installation
  
  

• There is no way to upgrade from a previous version of the Windows Server operating system to a Server Core installation. Only a clean installation is supported.
  
  
• There is no way to upgrade from a full installation of Windows Server 2008 to a Server Core installation. Only a clean installation is supported.
  
  
• There is no way to upgrade from a Server Core installation to a full installation of Windows Server 2008. If you need the Windows® user interface or a server role that is not supported in a Server Core installation, you will need to install a full installation of Windows Server 2008.
  
  

Follow this procedure to install a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008.

1. Insert the appropriate Windows Server 2008 installation media into your DVD drive.

2. When the auto-run dialog box appears, click Install Now.

3. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete Setup.

4. After Setup completes, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click Other User, type Administrator with a blank password, and then press ENTER. You will be prompted to set a password for the Administrator account.

Note
As in Windows 7 and full installations of Windows Server 2008 R2, Setup no longer prompts you to enter a product key. You should enter the product key using slmgr.vbs before activating the installation.

Using an unattend file for a Server Core installation enables you to perform most of the initial configuration tasks during Setup. Performing an unattended Server Core installation provides the following benefits:

• There is no need to perform the initial configuration by using command-line tools.
  
  
• You can include the settings in the unattend file to enable remote administration (when Setup is complete).
  
  
• You can configure settings that cannot be easily modified at a command prompt, such as display resolution.
  
  

1. Create a .xml file titled Unattend.xml by using a text editor or Windows System Image Manager.

2. Copy the Unattend.xml file to a local drive or shared network resource.

3. Boot your computer to Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE), Windows Server 2003, or Windows XP.

4. Insert the media disk with the Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 into your disk drive. If the auto-run Setup window appears, click Cancel.

5. At a command prompt, change to the drive that contains the installation media.

6. Type the following at a command prompt:

   setup /unattend: <path>\unattend.xml

   where path is the path to your Unattend.xml file.

7. Allow Setup to complete.

   Note
   Appendix A of this document contains a sample unattend file with comments that explain the settings in the sample configuration. This sample can be modified for use in your environment.

If you are going to join a server running a Server Core installation to an existing Windows domain, you need a user name and password for an account that has the administrative credentials to join a computer to the domain.

• If you close all command prompts, you will have no way to manage the Server Core installation. To recover, you can press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click Start Task Manager, click File, click Run, and type cmd.exe. Alternatively, you can log off and log back on again.
  
  
• Because there is no Web browser, you cannot activate a Server Core installation or access the Internet through a firewall that requires users to log on.
  
  

The following procedures explain how to configure a computer running a Server Core installation. The steps include:

• Setting the administrative password
  
  
• Setting a static IP address
  
  

Note
A DHCP address is provided by default. You should perform this procedure only if you need to set a static IP address.

• Joining a domain
  
  
• Activating the server and entering a product key, if required
  
  
• Configuring the firewall
  
  
• Configuring several aspects with one tool (Windows Server 2008 R2 only)
  
  

1. When your computer starts for the first time after the installation completes, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE. Type Administrator for the user name and leave the password blank.

2. The system will inform you that the password has expired and will prompt you to enter a new password.

3. Type an appropriate password.

1. At a command prompt, type the following:

   netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces

2. Make a note of the number shown in the Idx column of the output for your network adapter. If your computer has more than one network adapter, make a note of the number corresponding to the network adapter for which you wish to set a static IP address.

3. At the command prompt, type:

   netsh interface ipv4 set address name="<ID>" source=static address=<StaticIP> mask=<SubnetMask> gateway=<DefaultGateway>

   Where:

   ID is the number from step 2 above

   StaticIP is the static IP address that you are setting

   SubnetMask is the subnet mask for the IP address

   DefaultGateway is the default gateway

4. At the command prompt, type:

   netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name="<ID>" address=<DNSIP>index=1

   Where:

   ID is the number from step 2 above

   DNSIP is the IP address of your DNS server

5. Repeat step 4 for each DNS server that you want to set, incrementing the index= number each time.

Note
If you set the static IP address on the wrong network adapter, you can change back to using the DHCP address supplied by using the following command: netsh interface ipv4 set address name="<ID>" source=dhcp where ID is the number of the network adapter from Step 2.

1. At a command prompt, type:

   netdom join <ComputerName> /domain:<DomainName> /userd:<UserName> /passwordd:*

   Where:

   ComputerName is the name of the server that is running the Server Core installation.

   DomainName is the name of the domain to join.

   UserName is a domain user account with permission to join the domain.

2. When prompted to enter the password, type the password for the domain user account specified by UserName.

3. If you need to add a domain user account to the local Administrators group, type the following command:

   net localgroup administrators /add <DomainName>\<UserName>

4. Restart the computer. You can do this by typing the following at a command prompt:

   shutdown /r /t 0

1. Determine the current name of the server with the hostname or ipconfig command.

2. At a command prompt, type:

   netdom renamecomputer <ComputerName> /NewName:<NewComputerName>

3. Restart the computer.

• For Windows Server 2008 R2, enter a product key by typing the following at a command prompt:

  slmgr.vbs –ipk<productkey>

  Then, for both Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008, activate the server by typing the following at a command prompt:

  slmgr.vbs -ato

If activation is successful, no message will return in the command prompt.

Note
You can also activate by phone, using a Key Management Service (KMS) server, or remotely by typing the following command at a command prompt of a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008: cscript windows\system32\slmgr.vbs <ServerName> <UserName> <password>:-ato

• Use the netsh advfirewall command. For example, to enable remote management from any MMC snap-in, type the following:

  netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Remote Administration" new enable=yes

Note

You can also use the Windows Firewall snap-in from a computer running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 to remotely manage the firewall on a server running a Server Core installation. To do this, you must first enable remote management of the firewall by running the following command on the computer running a Server Core installation: netsh advfirewall set currentprofile settings remotemanagement enable

In Windows Server 2008 R2, a script is available in the \Windows\system32 directory that allows you to configure most of the basic server settings at one time.

To use the script, navigate to \Windows\system32 and start Sconfig.cmd. This script allows you to configure the following basic aspects of the server:

• [verb] a domain/workgroup.
  
  
• Change the computer name.
  
  
• Add a local Administrator.
  
  
• Configure remote management.
  
  
• Configure Windows Update settings.
  
  
• Download and install updates.
  
  
• [do something with] Remote Desktop
  
  
• Configure network settings
  
  
• Adjust date and time
  
  
• Configure Customer Experience [I] Program settings
  
  
• Log off a user
  
  
• Restart the server
  
  
• Shut down the server
  
  

To complete this task, you need the following:

• A computer on which you have installed and configured a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008.
  
  
• An administrator user account and password for the server running the Server Core installation.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a print server, another computer running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 on which you can run the Print Management Console to remotely configure the print server.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a DHCP server, the information required to configure a DHCP scope.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a DHCP server, you must configure the server running the Server Core installation to use a static IP address.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a DNS server, the information required to configure a DNS zone.
  
  
• If installing and configuring an Active Directory environment, the information required to either join an existing domain or to create a new domain.
  
  
• If you are going to promote the server running the Server Core installation to be a domain controller in an Active Directory domain, a domain administrator user name and password.
  
  

• You cannot use the Active Directory Domain Controller Installation Wizard (Dcpromo.exe) on a server running Server Core installation. You must use an unattend file with Dcpromo.exe to install or remove the domain controller role.
  
  Alternately, you can run Dcpromo.exe on another computer running Windows Server 2008 and use the wizard to save an unattend file that you can then use on the server running Server Core installation.
  
  
• Dcpromo.exe will restart the computer immediately when the installation is complete or when Active Directory is removed unless RebootOnCompletion=No is included in the answer file.
  
  
• The Web Server (IIS) role does not support ASP.NET in Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008. Because there is no support for managed code, the following IIS features are not available in Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008:
  
  
  • IIS-ASPNET
    
    
  • IIS-NetFxExtensibility
    
    
  • IIS-ManagementConsole
    
    
  • IIS-ManagementService
    
    
  • IIS-LegacySnapIn
    
    
  • IIS-FTPManagement
    
    
  • WAS-NetFxEnvironment
    
    
  • WAS-ConfigurationAPI
    
    

To install a server role on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008, perform the procedure for the desired role as follows.

Note
Ocsetup.exe syntax is case sensitive so be sure to follow the examples explicitly.

Available server roles

DNS Server role

To install the DNS Server role

1. At a command prompt, type:

   start /w ocsetup DNS-Server-Core-Role

   Note
   Using /w prevents the command prompt from returning until the installation completes. Without /w, there is no indication that the installation completed.

2. Configure a DNS zone at the command prompt by typing dnscmd or by remotely using the DNS MMC snap-in.

Note
Typing start /w ocsetup DNS-Server-Core-Role /uninstall at the command prompt will uninstall the DNS Server role.

DHCP Server role

To install the DHCP Server role

1. At a command prompt, type:

   start /w ocsetup DHCPServerCore

2. Configure a DHCP scope at the command prompt by using netsh, or by remotely using the DHCP snap-in from Windows Server 2008.

3. If the DHCP server is installed in an Active Directory domain, you must authorize it in Active Directory.

The DHCP Server service does not start automatically by default. Use the following procedure to configure it to start automatically and to start the service for the first time.

To configure and start the DHCP Server service

1. At a command prompt, type:

   sc config dhcpserver start= auto

2. Start the service by typing:

   net start dhcpserver

Note
Typing start /w ocsetup DHCPServerCore /uninstall at the command prompt will uninstall the DHCP Server role.

File Services role

The Server service is installed by default to provide administrative share support for management tools. To install additional file server features use the following commands:

To install File Services role features

• For File Replication Service, type the following at a command prompt:

  start /w ocsetup FRS-Infrastructure

• For Distributed File System service, type:

  start /w ocsetup DFSN-Server

• For Distributed File System Replication, type:

  start /w ocsetup DFSR-Infrastructure-ServerEdition

• For Services for Network File System (NFS), type:

  start /w ocsetup ServerForNFS-Base

  start /w ocsetup ClientForNFS-Base

Note
Uninstall any file server role options by using these commands with the /uninstall option.

Hyper-V role

Print Services role

Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services role

To install the AD LDS role

• At a command prompt, type:

  start /w ocsetup DirectoryServices-ADAM-ServerCore

Note
Uninstall the AD LDS role by typing the following at a command prompt: start /w ocsetup DirectoryServices-ADAM-ServerCore /uninstall

Active Directory Domain Services role

This command installs the Active Directory Domain Services role and promotes the server to a domain controller by using the settings in the unattend file.

For links to information about using an unattend file with Dcpromo.exe, see the Additional References section at the end of this document.

To install the Active Directory Domain Services role

• At a command prompt, type:

  dcpromo /unattend:<unattendfile>

  Where unattendfile is the name of a Dcpromo.exe unattend file.

Note
Dcpromo.exe can also be used to demote a domain controller to a server.

Streaming Media Services role

Web Server (IIS) role

To install the Web Server role

1. For the default installation, type the following at a command prompt and press ENTER:

   start /w pkgmgr /iu:IIS-WebServerRole;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel

2. For an installation that includes all of the options, type the following at a command prompt and press ENTER:

   start /w pkgmgr /iu:IIS-WebServerRole;IIS-WebServer;IIS-CommonHttpFeatures;IIS-StaticContent;IIS-DefaultDocument;IIS-DirectoryBrowsing;IIS-HttpErrors;IIS-HttpRedirect;IIS-ApplicationDevelopment;IIS-ASP;IIS-CGI;IIS-ISAPIExtensions;IIS-ISAPIFilter;IIS-ServerSideIncludes;IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics;IIS-HttpLogging;IIS-LoggingLibraries;IIS-RequestMonitor;IIS-HttpTracing;IIS-CustomLogging;IIS-ODBCLogging;IIS-Security;IIS-BasicAuthentication;IIS-WindowsAuthentication;IIS-DigestAuthentication;IIS-ClientCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-IISCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-URLAuthorization;IIS-RequestFiltering;IIS-IPSecurity;IIS-Performance;IIS-HttpCompressionStatic;IIS-HttpCompressionDynamic;IIS-WebServerManagementTools;IIS-ManagementScriptingTools;IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility;IIS-Metabase;IIS-WMICompatibility;IIS-LegacyScripts;IIS-FTPPublishingService;IIS-FTPServer;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel

Note
To uninstall the Web Server (IIS) role, use the following command: start /w pkgmgr /uu:IIS-WebServerRole;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel

To complete this task, you need the following:

• A computer on which you have installed and configured a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 R2.
  
  
• An administrator user account and password for the server running the Server Core installation.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a print server, another computer running Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2 on which you can run the Print Management Console to remotely configure the print server.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a DHCP server, the information required to configure a DHCP scope.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a DHCP server, you must configure the server running the Server Core installation to use a static IP address.
  
  
• If installing and configuring a DNS server, the information required to configure a DNS zone.
  
  
• If installing and configuring an Active Directory environment, the information required to either join an existing domain or to create a new domain.
  
  
• If you are going to promote the server running the Server Core installation to be a domain controller in an Active Directory domain, a domain administrator user name and password.
  
  

• You cannot use the Active Directory Domain Controller Installation Wizard (Dcpromo.exe) on a server running Server Core installation. You must use an unattend file with Dcpromo.exe to install or remove the domain controller role.
  
  Alternately, you can run Dcpromo.exe on another computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 and use the wizard to save an unattend file that you can then use on the server running Server Core installation.
  
  
• Dcpromo.exe will restart the computer immediately when the installation is complete or when Active Directory is removed unless RebootOnCompletion=No is included in the answer file.
  
  
• The Web Server (IIS) role supports a subset of ASP.NET in Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2. The following IIS features are available in Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2, see the section “Web Server (IIS) role.”
  
  

Unlike Windows Server 2008, Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2 use Dism.exe to install and uninstall most server roles. For more information about Dism.exe, see <FWLINK>.

To install a server role on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 R2, perform the procedure for the desired role as follows.

Note
Dism.exe syntax is case sensitive so be sure to follow the examples explicitly.

Available server roles

DNS Server role

To install the DNS Server role

1. At a command prompt, type:

   Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:DNS-Server-Core-Role

2. Configure a DNS zone at the command prompt by typing dnscmd or by remotely using the DNS MMC snap-in.

Note
Typing Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:DNS-Server-Core-Role at the command prompt will uninstall the DNS Server role.

DHCP Server role

To install the DHCP Server role

1. At a command prompt, type:

   Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:DHCPServerCore

2. Configure a DHCP scope at the command prompt by using netsh, or by remotely using the DHCP snap-in from Windows Server 2008 R2.

3. If the DHCP server is installed in an Active Directory domain, you must authorize it in Active Directory.

The DHCP Server service does not start automatically by default. Use the following procedure to configure it to start automatically and to start the service for the first time.

To configure and start the DHCP Server service

1. At a command prompt, type:

   sc config dhcpserver start= auto

2. Start the service by typing:

   net start dhcpserver

Note
Typing Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:DHCPServerCore at the command prompt will uninstall the DHCP Server role.

File Services role

The Server service is installed by default to provide administrative share support for management tools. To install additional file server features use the following commands:

To install File Services role features

• For File Replication Service, type the following at a command prompt:

  Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:FRS-infrastructure

• For Distributed File System service, type:

  Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:???

• For Distributed File System Replication, type:

  Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:DFSN-Server

• For Services for Network File System (NFS), type:

  Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:ServerForNFS-Base

  or:

  Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:ClientForNFS-Base,

  depending on which you want to install.

Note
Uninstall any file server role options by using these commands with the /disable-feature option instead of the /enable-feature option.

Hyper-V role

Print Services role

Active Directory Certificate Services

To install the AD CS role

1. At a command prompt, type:

   Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:CertificateServices

Note
Uninstall the AD CS role by typing the following at a command prompt: Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:CertificateServices

Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services role

To install the AD LDS role

• At a command prompt, type:

  Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:DirectoryServices-ADAM-ServerCore

Note
Uninstall the AD LDS role by typing the following at a command prompt: Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:DirectoryServices-ADAM-ServerCore

Active Directory Domain Services role

This command installs the Active Directory Domain Services role and promotes the server to a domain controller by using the settings in the unattend file.

For links to information about using an unattend file with Dcpromo.exe, see the Additional References section at the end of this document.

To install the Active Directory Domain Services role

• At a command prompt, type:

  dcpromo /unattend:<unattendfile>

  Where unattendfile is the name of a Dcpromo.exe unattend file.

Note
Dcpromo.exe can also be used to demote a domain controller to a server.

Web Server (IIS) role

Server Core installations of nextref_server_7, the following IIS features are supported:

• IIS-ASPNET
  
  

  Note
  This is the same IIS-ASPNET that is included in full installations of Windows Server 2008 R2. However, the Web Application Tool (WAT) is not available and you should use System.Net.Mail classes instead of System.Web.Mail classes.

• IIS-NetFxExtensibility
  
  
• IIS-ManagementService
  
  
• IIS-PowerShellProvider
  
  
• IIS-FTPExtensibility
  
  
• IIS-WebDAV
  
  
• WCF-HTTP-Activation
  
  

To install the Web Server role

1. For the default installation, type the following at a command prompt and press ENTER:

   <COMMAND>

2. For an installation that includes all of the options, type the following at a command prompt and press ENTER:

   start /w pkgmgr /iu:IIS-WebServerRole;IIS-WebServer;IIS-CommonHttpFeatures;IIS-StaticContent;IIS-DefaultDocument;IIS-DirectoryBrowsing;IIS-HttpErrors;IIS-HttpRedirect;IIS-ApplicationDevelopment;IIS-ASP;IIS-CGI;IIS-ISAPIExtensions;IIS-ISAPIFilter;IIS-ServerSideIncludes;IIS-HealthAndDiagnostics;IIS-HttpLogging;IIS-LoggingLibraries;IIS-RequestMonitor;IIS-HttpTracing;IIS-CustomLogging;IIS-ODBCLogging;IIS-Security;IIS-BasicAuthentication;IIS-WindowsAuthentication;IIS-DigestAuthentication;IIS-ClientCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-IISCertificateMappingAuthentication;IIS-URLAuthorization;IIS-RequestFiltering;IIS-IPSecurity;IIS-Performance;IIS-HttpCompressionStatic;IIS-HttpCompressionDynamic;IIS-WebServerManagementTools;IIS-ManagementScriptingTools;IIS-IIS6ManagementCompatibility;IIS-Metabase;IIS-WMICompatibility;IIS-LegacyScripts;IIS-FTPPublishingService;IIS-FTPServer;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel

Note
To uninstall the Web Server (IIS) role, use the following command: start /w pkgmgr /uu:IIS-WebServerRole;WAS-WindowsActivationService;WAS-ProcessModel

The following optional features require appropriate hardware:

• Failover Clustering
  
  
• Network Load Balancing
  
  
• Multipath IO
  
  
• Removable Storage
  
  
• Bitlocker Drive Encryption
  
  

Note
For more information about the hardware that is required for optional features, see the Additional References section at the end of this document.

There are no prerequisites for the following optional features:

• Subsystem for UNIX-based applications
  
  
• Backup
  
  
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
  
  
• Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)
  
  
• Telnet client
  
  
• QWAVE
  
  

There are no known issues for installing an optional feature on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008.

To install an optional feature on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008, perform the following procedure.

Note
The Ocsetup.exe syntax is case sensitive so be sure to follow the examples explicitly.

Available optional features

To discover the available optional features, open a command prompt and type the following:

Oclist

This command lists the server roles and optional features that are available for use with Ocsetup.exe. It also lists the server roles and optional features that are currently installed.

To install an optional feature

• At a command prompt, type:

  start /w ocsetup <featurename>

  Where featurename is the name of a feature from the following list:

  • Failover Clustering: FailoverCluster-Core
    
    
  • Network Load Balancing: NetworkLoadBalancingHeadlessServer
    
    
  • Subsystem for UNIX-based applications: SUACore
    
    
  • Multipath IO: MultipathIo
    
    
  • Removable Storage: Microsoft-Windows-RemovableStorageManagementCore
    
    
  • Bitlocker Drive Encryption: BitLocker
    
    

  Note
  To install the remote administration tool for BitLocker, type the following at a command prompt: start /w ocsetup BitLocker-RemoteAdminTool

  • Backup: WindowsServerBackup
    
    
  • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP): SNMP-SC
    
    
  • Windows Internet Name Service (WINS): WINS-SC
    
    
  • Telnet client: TelnetClient
    
    
  • QWAVE: QWAVE
    
    

Note
To remove an optional feature, use start /w ocsetup with the appropriate role name and the /uninstall switch.

The following optional features require appropriate hardware:

• Failover Clustering
  
  
• Network Load Balancing
  
  
• Multipath IO
  
  
• Removable Storage
  
  
• Bitlocker Drive Encryption
  
  

Note
For more information about the hardware that is required for optional features, see the Additional References section at the end of this document.

There are no prerequisites for the following optional features:

• Subsystem for UNIX-based applications
  
  
• Backup
  
  
• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)
  
  
• Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)
  
  
• Telnet client
  
  
• QWAVE
  
  
• Branch Cache
  
  
• .NET Framework
  
  
• Windows PowerShell
  
  
• WoW64
  
  
• IME support
  
  
• Windows Server Migration Tools
  
  

You can install .NET Framework 3.0 and 3.5 functionality, but WPF is not available.

The following .NET Framework namespaces are not available in Server Core installations:

• System.Data.Design
  
  
• System.Deployment.Application
  
  
• System.Diagnostics.Design
  
  
• System.Media
  
  
• System.Messaging.*
  
  
• System.Speech.*
  
  
• System.Web.UI.Design.* (although runtime support for expression builders is supported)
  
  
• System.Windows.*
  
  
• UIAutomationClientsideProviders
  
  
• Microsoft.Aspnet.Snapin
  
  
• Microsoft.Ink
  
  
• Microsoft.ManagementConsole.*
  
  
• Microsoft.StylusInput.*
  
  
• Microsoft.VisualBasic.Compatibility.VB6
  
  
• Microsoft.Windows.Themes
  
  
• Microsoft.WindowsCE.Forms
  
  
• Microsoft.WindowsMobile.DirectX.*
  
  
• System.ComponentModel.Design.*
  
  

The standard installation of the Subsystem for UNIX-based applications, Windows PowerShell, and .NET Framework 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5 does not include 32-bit support. If you need 32-bit support, install the WoW64 feature.

To install an optional feature on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 R2, perform the following procedure.

Note
The Dism.exe syntax is case sensitive so be sure to follow the examples explicitly.

Available optional features

To discover the available optional features, open a command prompt and type the following:

Dism /online /get-features /format:table

This command lists the server roles and optional features that are available for use with Dism.exe. It also lists the server roles and optional features that are currently installed.

To install an optional feature

• At a command prompt, type:

  Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:<featurename>

  Where featurename is the name of a feature from the following list:

  • Failover Clustering: FailoverCluster-Core
    
    
  • Network Load Balancing: NetworkLoadBalancingHeadlessServer
    
    
  • Subsystem for UNIX-based applications: SUACore
    
    
  • 32-bit support for Subsystem for UNIX-based applications: SUACore-WOW64
    
    
  • Multipath IO: MultipathIo
    
    
  • Removable Storage: Microsoft-Windows-RemovableStorageManagementCore
    
    
  • Bitlocker Drive Encryption: BitLocker
    
    

  Note
  To install the remote administration tool for BitLocker, type the following at a command prompt: Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename: BitLocker-RemoteAdminTool

  • Backup: WindowsServerBackup
    
    
  • Backup Windows PowerShell cmdlets: WindowsServerBackupCommandlet
    
    
  • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP): SNMP-SC
    
    
  • Windows Internet Name Service (WINS): WINS-SC
    
    
  • Telnet client: TelnetClient
    
    
  • QWAVE: QWAVE
    
    
  • Branch Cache: PeerDist, PeerDistHashP, and SMBHashGeneration
    
    
  • .NET Framework 2.0: NetFx2-ServerCore
    
    

    Note
    If you need 32-bit support: Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64.

  • .NET Framework 3.0 and 3.5 (installed together): NetFx3-ServerCore
    
    

    Note
    If you need 32-bit support, run both of the following commands: Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64 and Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3-ServerCore-WOW64.

  • Windows PowerShell: MicrosoftWindowsPowerShell
    
    
  • If you need 32-bit support for Windows PowerShell, run Dism /online/enable-feature /featurename:MicrosoftWindowsPowerShell-WOW64
    
    
  • Windows PowerShell Server Manager cmdlets: ServerManager-PSH-Cmdlets
    
    
  • Windows PowerShell Best Practices Analyzer cmdlets: BestPractices-PSH-Cmdlets
    
    
  • WoW64 is installed by default, but for your reference: ServerCore-WOW64
    
    
  • Input Method Editor 32-bit support: ServerCore-EA-IME-WOW64
    
    
  • Windows Server Migration Tools: ServerMigration
    
    
  • IIS Management Service: IIS-ManagementService
    
    

  Note
  Once you have installed IIS Management Service, to enable remote management of it, use Regedit.exe to find the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WebManagement\Server key and set EnableRemoteManagement to 1. Then start the Management Service with the command net start wmsvc.

Note
To remove an optional feature, use Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:<name> with the appropriate feature name from above.

To manage a server running Server Core installation, you need:

• A computer that has a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 installed and configured.
  
  
• An administrator user account and password for a server running a Server Core installation.
  
  

• Not all tasks can be performed at a command prompt or remotely through an MMC snap-in. There is a script included with the Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 that you can use to configure the following settings:
  
  
  • Enable automatic updates
    
    
  • Enable Remote Desktop for Administration
    
    
  • Enable Terminal Server clients on previous versions of Windows to connect to a server running a Server Core installation
    
    
  • Configure DNS SRV record weight and priority
    
    
  • Manage IPsec Monitor remotely
    
    
  The script is located in the \Windows\System32 folder of a server running a Server Core installation. At a command prompt, open the folder, and then use the following command to display the usage instructions for the previous options:
  
  cscript scregedit.wsf /?
  
  

Note
You can use this command with the /cli option to display a list of common command-line tools and their usage.

• If you close all Command Prompt windows and want to open a new Command Prompt window, press CTRL+ALT+DELETE, click Start Task Manager, click File, click Run, and then type cmd.exe. Alternatively, you can log off and log back on.
  
  
• Any command or tool that attempts to launch Windows Explorer will not work. For example, start . used from a command prompt will not work.
  
  
• There is no support for HTML rendering or HTML help in Server Core installations.
  
  
• Server Core installations do not support running managed code. Any management tools and utilities that run locally on a server running a Server Core installation must be written in native Win32 code.
  
  
• Server Core installations do not generate any notifications for activation, new updates, or password expiration because these notifications require the Windows Explorer shell, which is not part of the Server Core installation.
  
  
• If you need to write a script for managing a server running a Server Core installation, which requires the secure inclusion of an administrative password, see the scripting column on Microsoft TechNet (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=56421).
  
  
• Server Core installations support Windows Installer in quiet mode so that you can install tools and utilities from Windows Installer files.
  
  
• Windows Firewall can be configured at a command prompt by using netsh advfirewall.
  
  
• When installing Windows Installer packages on a server running a Server Core installation, use the /qb option to display the basic user interface.
  
  
• To change the time zone on a computer running a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008, run control timedate.cpl.
  
  
• To change international settings on a computer running a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008, run control intl.cpl.
  
  
• Control.exe will not run on its own. You must run it with either Timedate.cpl or Intl.cpl.
  
  
• Winver.exe is not available in Server Core installations. To obtain version information use Systeminfo.exe.
  
  

The following procedures explain methods for managing a server running a Server Core installation, including:

• Managing a server running a Server Core installation locally at a command prompt
  
  
• Managing a server running a Server Core installation remotely at a command prompt
  
  
• Managing a server running a Server Core installation by using Windows Remote Shell
  
  
• Managing a server running a Server Core installation by using Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
  
  
• Adding hardware to a server running a Server Core installation
  
  
• Obtaining a list of drivers installed on a server running a Server Core installation
  
  

1. Start a server running a Server Core installation.

2. Log on using an administrator account.

3. At the command prompt, use the appropriate command-line tool for the task you want to complete.

Note
For more information about command-line tools, see "Steps for administering a Server Core installation" later in this document. You can find further information at the Command-Line Reference A-Z (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=20331).

1. On the server running a Server Core installation, type the following command at a command prompt:

   cscript C:\Windows\System32\Scregedit.wsf /ar 0

   This enables the Remote Desktop for Administration mode to accept connections.

2. On another computer, click Start, click Run, type mstsc, and then click OK.

3. In Computer, enter the name of the server running a Server Core installation, and click Connect.

4. Log on using an administrator account.

5. When the command prompt appears, you can manage the computer using the Windows command-line tools.

6. When you have finished remotely managing the computer, type logoff in the command prompt to end your Terminal Server session.

Note
If you are running the Terminal Services client on a previous version of Windows, you must turn off the higher security level that is set by default in Windows Server 2008. To do this, after step 1, type the following command at the command prompt: cscript C:\Windows\System32\Scregedit.wsf /cs 0

Note
For more information about command-line tools, see "Steps for administering a Server Core installation" later in this document. You can find further information at the Command-Line Reference A-Z (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=20331).

Often it is useful to run Cmd.exe in a Command Prompt window on your local computer, rather than in the Terminal Services client. To do this, you need a standard Windows Server 2008 installation and the latest Terminal Services client.

1. Add the Terminal Services administration tools to the computer running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 using Server Manager.

2. Start MMC on the computer running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, add the TS RemoteApp Manager snap-in, and then connect the snap-in to a server running a Server Core installation.

3. In the Results pane of the snap-in, click RemoteApp Programs, and then navigate to \\<ServerName>\c$\windows\system32\cmd.exe (where ServerName is the name of the server running a Server Core installation).

4. In the Allow list, click Remote cmd.exe, and then click Create RDP package.

5. Connect to the server running a Server Core installation by using the Remote Desktop Protocol package.

1. To enable Windows Remote Shell on a server running a Server Core installation, type the following command at a command prompt:

   WinRM quickconfig

2. On another computer, at a command prompt, use WinRS.exe to run commands on a server running a Server Core installation. For example, to perform a directory listing of the Windows folder, type:

   winrs -r:<ServerName> dir c:\windows

   Where:

   ServerName is the name of the server running a Server Core installation.

Note
The WinRM quickconfig setting enables a server running a Server Core installation to accept Windows Remote Shell connections. This setting can also be set in an unattend file. See the example in Appendix A at the end of this document.

Important
For more information about using different security credentials to run commands, see the command-line help for WinRS.exe by typing winrs -? at a command prompt.

1. Start an MMC snap-in, such as Computer Management.

2. In the left pane, right-click the top of the tree and click Connect to another computer. (In the Computer Management example, you would right-click Computer Management (Local).)

3. In Another computer, type the computer name of the server running a Server Core installation and click OK.

4. You can now use the MMC snap-in to manage the server running a Server Core installation as you would any other computer running a Windows Server operating system.

1. If the server running a Server Core installation is not a member of a domain, establish alternate credentials to use to connect to the Server Core installation by typing the following command at a command prompt on your client computer:

   cmdkey /add:<ServerName> /user:<UserName> /pass:<password>

   Where:

   ServerName is the name of the server running a Server Core installation.

   UserName is the name of an administrator account.

   To be prompted for a password, omit the /pass option.

2. When prompted, type the password for the user name that is specified in the previous step.

3. If the firewall on the computer running a Server Core installation is not already configured to allow MMC snap-ins to connect, follow the steps in "To configure Windows Firewall to allow MMC snap-in(s) to connect." Then return to this procedure.

4. On a different computer, start an MMC snap-in, such as Computer Management.

5. In the left pane, right-click the top of the tree and click Connect to another computer. (In the Computer Management example, you would right-click Computer Management (Local).)

6. In Another computer, type the computer name of the server running a Server Core installation and click OK.

7. You can now use the MMC snap-in to manage the server running a Server Core installation as you would any other computer running a Windows Server operating system.

• To allow all MMC snap-ins to connect, at a command prompt, type:

  Netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=“remote administration” new enable=yes

• To allow only specific MMC snap-ins to connect, at a command prompt, type:

  Netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=“<rulegroup>” new enable=yes

  Where:

  Rulegroup is one of the values from the table below, depending on which snap-in you want to connect.

Note
Some MMC snap-ins do not have a corresponding rule group that allows them to connect through the firewall. However, enabling the rule groups for Event Viewer, Services, or Shared Folders will allow most other snap-ins to connect. Additionally, certain snap-ins require further configuration before they can connect through the firewall:

• Device Manager. You must first enable the Allow remote access to the PnP interface policy setting. To do this, on a computer running Windows Vista or a full installation of Windows Server 2008, open the Local Group Policy Editor MMC snap-in, connect to the computer running a Server Core installation, navigate to Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Device Installation, and then enable Allow remote access to the PnP interface. Restart the computer running a Server Core installation.
  
  Note that when Device Manager is used remotely, it is read-only.
  
  
• Disk Management. You must first start the Virtual Disk Service (VDS) on the computer running a Server Core installation. You must also configure the Disk Management rules appropriately on the computer that is running the MMC snap-in.
  
  
• IP Security Monitor. You must first enable remote management of this snap-in. To do this, at a command prompt, type:
  
  Cscript \windows\system32\scregedit.wsf /im 1
  
  
• Reliability and Performance. The snap-in does not require any further configuration, but when you use it to monitor a computer running a Server Core installation, you can only monitor performance data. Reliability data is not available.
  
  

1. Follow the instructions provided by the hardware vendor for installing new hardware:

   • If the driver for the hardware is included in Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, Plug and Play will start and install the driver.
     
     
   • If the driver for the hardware is not included, proceed with the steps 2 and 3.
     
     

2. Copy the driver files to a temporary folder on the server running a Server Core installation.

3. At a command prompt, open the folder where the driver files are located, and then run the following command:

   pnputil -i -a <driverinf>

   Where:

   driverinf is the file name of the .inf file for the driver.

4. If prompted, restart the computer.

• At a command prompt, type:

  sc query type= driver

Note
You must include the space after the equal sign for the command to complete successfully.

• At a command prompt, type:

  sc delete <service_name>

  Where:

  service_name is the name of the service that you obtain by running sc query type= driver.

To complete this task, you need:

• A computer on which you have installed and configured a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008
  
  
• An administrator user account and password for the server running a Server Core installation
  
  

• Server Core installation supports Windows Installer in quiet mode so that you can install tools and utilities from Windows Installer files.
  
  
• If you need to write a script for managing a server running a Server Core installation, which requires the secure inclusion of an administrative password, see the scripting column on Microsoft TechNet (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=56421).
  
  

The following procedures summarize common administrator tasks for a server running a Server Core installation.

Configuration and installation

 

Task	Steps
Set the local administrative password	At a command prompt, type: net user administrator *
Join a computer to a domain	At a command prompt, type on one line: netdom join %computername% /domain:<domain> /userd:<domain>\username> /passwordd:* Restart the computer.
Confirm that the domain has changed	At a command prompt, type: set
Remove a computer from a domain	At a command prompt, type: netdom remove
Add a user to the local Administrators group.	At a command prompt, type: net localgroup Administrators /add <domain>\<username>
Remove a user from the local Administrators group	At a command prompt, type: net localgroup Administrators /delete <domain\username>
Add a user to the local computer	At a command prompt, type: net user <domain\user name> /add *
Add a group to the local computer	At a command prompt, type: net localgroup <group name> /add
Change the name of a domain-joined computer	At a command prompt, type: netdom renamecomputer %computername% /NewName:<new computer name> /userd:<domain\username> /passwordd:*
Confirm the new computer name	At a command prompt, type: set
Change the name of a computer in a work group	At a command prompt, type: netdom renamecomputer <currentcomputername> /NewName:<newcomputername> Restart the computer.
Disable paging file management	At a command prompt, type: wmic computersystem where name="<computername>" set AutomaticManagedPagefile=False
Configure the paging file	At a command prompt, type: wmic pagefileset where name=”<path/filename>” set InitialSize=<initialsize>,MaximumSize=<maxsize> Where: path/filename is the path to and name of the paging file initialsize is the starting size of the paging file in bytes. maxsize is the maximum size of the page file in bytes.
Change to a static IP address.	At a command prompt, type: ipconfig /all Record the relevant information or redirect it to a text file (ipconfig /all >ipconfig.txt). At a command prompt, type: netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces Verify that there is an interface list. At a command prompt, type: netsh interface ipv4 set address name <ID from interface list> source=static address=<preferred IP address> gateway=<gateway address> Verify by typing ipconfig /all at a command prompt and checking that DHCP enabled is set to No.
Set a static DNS address.	At a command prompt, type: netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=<name of primary DNS server> address=<IP address of the primary DNS server> index=1 At a command prompt, type: netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=<name of secondary DNS server> address=<IP address of the secondary DNS server> index=2 Repeat as appropriate to add additional servers. Verify by typing ipconfig /all and checking that all the addresses are correct.
Change to a DHCP-provided IP address from a static IP address.	At a command prompt, type: netsh interface ipv4 set address name=<IP address of local system> source=DHCP Verify by typing Ipconfig /all and checking that DCHP enabled is set to Yes.
Enter a product key	At a command prompt, type: slmgr.vbs –ipk <product key>
Activate the server locally.	At a command prompt, type: slmgr.vbs -ato
Activate the server remotely.	At a command prompt, type: cscript slmgr.vbs –ipk <product key><server name><username><password> At a command prompt, type: cscript slmgr.vbs -ato <servername> <username> <password> Retrieve the GUID of the computer by typing cscript slmgr.vbs -did Type cscript slmgr.vbs -dli <GUID> Verify that License status is set to Licensed (activated).

Note
If Slmgr.vbs fails to activate the computer, the resulting error message advises you to run Slui.exe, along with the error code for more information. Slui.exe is not included in Server Core installations—it is available in Windows Vista, Windows 7,and full installations of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Networking and firewall

 

Task	Steps
Configure your server to use a proxy server.	At a command prompt, type: netsh Winhttp set proxy <servername>:<port number> Note Server Core installations cannot access the Internet through a proxy that requires a password to allow connections.
Configure your server to bypass the proxy for internet addresses.	At a command prompt, type: netsh winttp set proxy <servername>:<port number>bypass-list="<local>"
Display or modify IPSEC configuration.	At a command prompt, type: netsh ipsec
Display or modify NAP configuration.	At a command prompt, type: netsh nap
Display or modify IP to physical address translation.	At a command prompt, type: arp
Display or configure the local routing table.	At a command prompt, type: route
View or configure DNS server settings.	At a command prompt, type: nslookup
Display protocol statistics and current TCP/IP network connections.	At a command prompt, type: netstat
Display protocol statistics and current TCP/IP connections using NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NBT).	At a command prompt, type: nbtstat
Display hops for network connections.	At a command prompt, type: pathping
Trace hops for network connections.	At a command prompt, type: tracert
Display the configuration of the multicast router.	At a command prompt, type: mrinfo
Enable remote administration of the firewall.	At a command prompt, type: netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group=”Windows Firewall Remote Management” new enable=yes

Updates, error reporting, and feedback

Services, processes, and performance

Event logs

Disk and file system

Hardware