Configuring the second server

Updated: February 17, 2009

Applies To: Windows SBS 2008

The following procedures explain how to configure your second server.

Join the second server to the Windows SBS 2008 domain

After you have installed the second server, you must join it to the Windows SBS 2008 domain by using native Windows Server 2008. After you join the second server to the domain, you can view it in the Windows SBS Console by clicking the Network tab, and then clicking Computers. The second server is listed in Client computers.

All Group Policy settings for client computers are applied to the second server with the exception of the Small Business Server Update Services Client Computers Group Policy setting. You must manually move the second server to the SBSServer organizational unit (OU) by using the Users and Computers administrative tool in Active Directory Domain Services.

To move the second server to the Servers category and apply the Group Policy settings for servers

  1. On the server that is running Windows SBS 2008, click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.

  2. At the User Account Control prompt, click Continue.

  3. In the console tree, expand the root node, and then expand the node for your domain.

  4. Expand MyBusiness, expand Computers, and then click SBSComputers.

  5. In the details pane, right-click the name of the second server, and then click Move.

  6. In the Move dialog box, expand MyBusiness, and then expand Computers.

  7. Select SBSServers, and then click OK.

To enable the second server to connect from the server that is running Windows SBS 2008 or other clients using Terminal Services, you need to enable the remote desktop on the second server.

To enable a remote desktop connection to the second server

  1. On the second server, click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties.

  2. In the System dialog box, under Tasks, click Remote Settings.

  3. At the User Account Control prompt, click Continue.

  4. On the Remote tab of the System Properties dialog box, select the appropriate remote desktop options to allow connections from other computers that are using the remote desktop. If you are uncertain about which options to select for your environment, click Help me choose.

  5. Click OK to exit the dialog box.

Promote the server as a domain controller

If you want to use the second server in a remote office as another domain controller in the Windows SBS 2008 domain, do the following:

To promote the server as a domain controller

  1. On the second server, click Start, click All Programs, and then click Accessories.

  2. Right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as administrator.

  3. At the User Account Control prompt, click Continue.

  4. Type dcpromo, and then press ENTER.

    The Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard opens after the domain controller binaries are installed.

  5. Click Next.

  6. On the Choose a Deployment Configuration page, select Existing forest and Add a domain controller to an existing domain, and then click Next.

Warning

Do not select Create a new domain in an existing forest or Create a new domain in a new forest. The second server can only be a member server or another domain controller in an existing Windows SBS 2008 network. If you run it as a new domain in an existing forest or in a new forest, it shuts down after a certain number of days.

  1. On the Network Credentials page, type the domain name, and then click Set to open the Windows Credentials dialog box.

  2. In the Windows Credentials dialog box, type a Domain Admin account name, and then click Next.

  3. On the Select a Domain page, select the Active Directory domain, and then click Next.

  4. On the Select a Site page, select the default site Default-First-Site-Name if you do not have other sites in your Windows SBS 2008 network, and then click Next.

  5. On the Additional Domain Controller Options page, make the following selections:

    • DNS Server   This option is selected by default so that your domain controller can function as a Domain Name System (DNS) server. If you do not want the domain controller to be a DNS server, clear this option.

Note

If you install the DNS server, you might receive a message that a DNS delegate for the DNS server could not be created, and that you should manually create a DNS delegate for the DNS server to ensure reliable name resolution. If you are installing an additional domain controller in the Active Directory domain, you do not need to create the DNS delegate. In this case, click Yes and disregard the message.

  - **Global Catalog**   This option is selected by default. It adds the Global Catalog and read-only partitions to the domain controller, and it enables the Global Catalog search functionality.

  - **Read-only domain controller**   This option is not selected by default. It makes the additional domain controller read-only. Do not select this option if you want to install SQL Server 2008 on the second server. SQL Server 2008 does not support installation on a read-only domain controller.
  1. On the Location for Database, Log Files, and SYSVOL page, if desired, choose a destination folder, and then click Next.

  2. On the Directory Service Restore Mode Administrator Password page, set a password for the Directory Service Restore Mode administrator account, and then click Next.

  3. On the Summary page, click Next to start the domain controller promotion.

  4. On the completion page, click Finish.

  5. Restart the server.

  6. To view the promoted server as a domain controller, in the Windows SBS Console, click the Network tab, and then click Computers.

Important

Do not transfer the flexible single master operations (FSMO) roles from the server that is running Windows SBS 2008 to the second server. This causes the server that is running Windows SBS 2008 to shut down after a certain number of days.

Back up the server

It is highly recommended that you back up the second server when it maintains critical data or hosts line-of-business applications. By using the Windows SBS Console, you can schedule backups for your server that is running Windows SBS 2008. To back up the second server, you can install Windows Server Backup, which is part of Windows Server 2008, and then configure it to your environment specifications.

For information about how to back up a second server by using Windows Server Backup, see “Windows Server 2008 Backup and Recovery Step-by-Step Guide” at the Microsoft Web site (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=93016). You can also implement online backups on the Internet by using a non-Microsoft data storage provider.