Install AD DS on Additional Domain Controllers in a New Regional Domain

Applies To: Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2008

To install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) on the computer that you want to make an additional regional domain controller, you run the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (Dcpromo.exe). You must complete the AD DS installation on the first domain controller and verify that installation is correct before you install AD DS on additional domain controllers in the regional domain. For more information, see Verify AD DS Installation on the First Domain Controller in a New Regional Domain.

The procedure for installing AD DS on additional domain controllers in a regional domain differs slightly from the procedure for installing AD DS on the first domain controller in a regional domain. For additional domain controllers in an existing regional domain, you can install AD DS from media. You use Install from Media (IFM) to prepopulate AD DS with system state data that you backed up from an existing domain controller. This data can reside on a CD, DVD, or local hard disk partition.

Using IFM greatly reduces the time that is required to install directory information by reducing the amount of data that is replicated over the network. IFM is most beneficial in large domains or when you install new domain controllers that have a slow network connection. To use IFM, you use the command-line tool Ntdsutil to back up the directory data from the existing domain controller. Then, you use Ntdsutil again when you install AD DS on the new domain controller.

To install an additional Windows Server 2008 domain controller in a Windows Server 2008 forest, you do not have to prepare the forest before you begin the installation. However, if the additional domain controller that you want to install is the first Windows Server 2008 domain controller in an existing Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server domain, complete the following tasks:

  • To prepare the forest, run adprep /forestprep on the server that holds the schema operations master role to update the schema. (Operations master roles are also known as flexible single master operations or FSMO.)

  • To prepare the domain, run adprep /domainprep /gpprep on the server that holds the infrastructure operations master role. For more information, see Prepare a Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 Domain for a Domain Controller That Runs Windows Server 2008 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=102564).

The Windows interface in Windows Server 2008 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 other wizard is the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (Dcpromo.exe), which you can access in either of the following ways:

  • When you complete the Add Roles Wizard, click the link to launch the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard.

  • Click Start, click Run, type dcpromo.exe, and then click OK.

If you use the advanced options in the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard, you can control how the AD DS database is installed on the server, by IFM or by replication:

  • Using IFM, you can provide a location for installation media that you have created with Ntdsutil or that you have restored from a backup copy of a similar domain controller in the same domain. If you create the installation media by using Ntdsutil, you can create secure installation media for a read-only domain controller (RODC). In this case, Ntdsutil removes cached secrets, such as passwords, from the installation media.

  • Using replication, you can specify a domain controller in the domain from which to replicate AD DS.

For more information on alternate methods of installing AD DS on additional domain controllers in a regional domain, see Installing an Additional Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=92692).

Membership in Domain Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to complete this procedure. Review details about using the appropriate accounts and group memberships at Local and Domain Default Groups (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=83477).

To install AD DS on additional domain controllers in a new regional domain

  1. Click Start, and then click Server Manager.

  2. In Roles Summary, click Add Roles.

  3. If necessary, review the information on the Before You Begin page, and then click Next.

  4. On the Select Server Roles page, select the Active Directory Domain Services check box, and then click Next.

  5. If necessary, review the information on the Active Directory Domain Services page, and then click Next.

  6. On the Confirm Installation Selections page, click Install.

  7. On the Installation Results page, click Close this wizard and launch the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard (dcpromo.exe).

  8. On the Welcome to the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard page, click Next.

    If you want to install AD DS from media or specify the source domain controller for AD DS replication, click Use advanced mode installation, click the options that you want, and then click Next.

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

  10. On the Network Credentials page, type the name of any existing domain in the forest where you want to install the additional domain controller, and then complete the following steps:

    1. Under Specify the account credentials to use to perform the installation, click My current logged on credentials or click Alternate credentials, and then click Set.

    2. In the Windows Security dialog box, provide the user name and password for an account that can install the additional domain controller.

      To install an additional domain controller, you must be a member of the Enterprise Admins group or the Domain Admins group.

    3. When you have finished providing credentials, click Next.

  11. On the Select a Domain page, select the domain of the new domain controller, and then click Next.

  12. On the Select a Site page, select a site from the list or select the option to install the domain controller in the site that corresponds to its IP address, and then click Next.

  13. On the Additional Domain Controller Options page, make the following selections, and then click Next:

    • DNS server: This check box is selected by default so that your domain controller can function as a DNS server. If you do not want the domain controller to be a DNS server, clear this check box.

    • Global Catalog: This check box is selected by default. It adds the global catalog, read-only directory partitions to the domain controller, and it enables global catalog search functionality.

    • Read-only domain controller. This check box is not selected by default. It makes the additional domain controller read-only.

  14. If you use the advanced installation mode earlier in this procedure, you can specify the following advanced options:

    1. On the Install from Media page, you can provide the location of the installation media that you want to use to create the domain controller and configure AD DS, or you can have all of the replication done over the network.

      Some data is replicated over the network even if you install from media. For information about using this method to install the domain controller, see Installing AD DS from Media (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=93104).

    2. On the Source Domain Controller page, you can specify a domain controller from which to replicate the configuration and schema directory partitions.

      If you select This specific domain controller, you can select the domain controller that you want to provide source replication to create the new domain controller. If you do not choose to install from media, all data is replicated from this source domain controller.

  15. 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 system volume (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 files that are not directory files.

  16. On the Directory Services Restore Mode Administrator Password page, type and confirm the restore mode password, and then click Next.

    You must use this password to start AD DS in Directory Service Restore Mode for tasks that must be performed offline.

  17. On the Summary page, review your selections.

    Click Back to change any selections, if necessary.

    To save the settings that you selected 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.

  18. On the Completing the Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard page, click Finish.

  19. When you are prompted to restart the server, you can either select the Reboot on completion check box to restart the server automatically or you can restart the server manually to complete the AD DS installation.