Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed (26 page)

can return it to member server status. In addition, with Windows Server 2008 R2, server

roles such as Web Server (IIS), DHCP, and DNS can be added or removed via the Server

Manager tool.

Gathering the Information Necessary to Proceed

During the installation of Windows Server 2008 R2, you will have to tell the setup wizard

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how you want your server configured. The wizard will take the information you provide

and will configure the server settings to meet your specifications.

Taking the time to gather the information described in the following sections before start-

ing your installation will likely make your installation go faster, smoother, and easier.

NOTE

Although items such as the server name and IP address are required for a server to

function, they are manually entered after the installation is complete, unless an unat-

tended installation with an answer file is used.

Selecting the Computer Name

Each computer on a network must have a name that is unique within that network. Many

companies have a standard naming convention for their servers and workstations. If not,

you can use the following information as a guideline for creating your own.

Although the computer name can contain up to 63 characters, workstations and servers

that are pre–Windows 2000 recognize only the first 15 characters.

It is widely considered a best practice to use only Internet-standard characters in your

computer name. This includes the letters A–Z (upper- and lowercase), the numbers 0–9,

and the hyphen (-).

Although it’s true that implementing the Microsoft domain name system (DNS) service in

your environment could allow you to use some non-Internet standard characters (such as

Unicode characters and the underscore), you should keep in mind that this is likely to

cause problems with any non-Microsoft DNS servers on your network. You should think

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Installing Windows Server 2008 R2 and Server Core

carefully and test thoroughly before straying from the standard Internet characters noted

in the preceding paragraph.

Name of the Workgroup or Domain

After the server installation is complete, you need to determine the name of the work-

group or domain that the server will be joining. You can either enter the name of an

existing Windows domain or workgroup to join, or create a new workgroup by entering in

a new name.

Users new to Microsoft networking might ask, “What is the difference between a work-

group and a domain?” Simply put, a domain is a collection of computers and supporting

hardware that shares the same security database. Grouping the equipment in this manner

allows you to set up centralized security and administration. Conversely, a workgroup has

no centralized security or administration. Each server or workstation is configured inde-

pendently and locally for all security and administration settings.

Network Protocol and IP Address of the Server

When installing Windows Server 2008 R2, you must install and configure a network

protocol that will allow it to communicate with other machines on the network.

Currently, the most commonly used protocol is called TCP/IP version 4, which stands for

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This protocol allows computers

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throughout the Internet to communicate. After you install TCP/IP, you need to configure

an IP address for the server. You can choose one of the following three methods to assign

an IP address:

.
Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA)—
APIPA can be used if you have a small

network that does not have a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server,

which is used for dynamic IP addresses. A unique IP address is assigned to the

network adapter using the LINKLOCAL IP address space. The address always starts

with 169.254 and is in the format 169.254.x.x. Note that if APIPA is in use, and a

DHCP server is brought up on the network, the computer will detect this and will

use the address that is assigned by the DHCP server instead.

.
Dynamic IP address—
A dynamic IP address is assigned by a DHCP server. This

allows a server to assign IP addresses and configuration information to clients. Some

examples of the information that is distributed include IP address, subnet mask,

default gateway, DNS server address, and the Windows Internet Naming Service

(WINS) server address. As the dynamic portion of the name suggests, this address is

assigned to the computer for a configurable length of time, known as a lease. Before

the lease expires, the workstation must again request an IP address from the DHCP

server. It might or might not get the same address that it had previously. Although

servers and workstations can both be configured to use this method of addressing, it

is generally used for workstations rather than servers.

.
Static IP address—
Using a static IP address is the most common decision for a serv-

er configuration. By static, we mean the server or workstation will not leverage

DHCP; the IP address and settings are configured manually. The address will not

change unless you change the configuration of the server. This point is important

Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008 R2 Operating System

89

because clients and resources that need to access the server must know the address

to be able to connect to it. If the IP address changed regularly, connecting to it

would be difficult.

NOTE

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes the latest TCP/IP protocol suite known as the Next

Generation TCP/IP stack. The legacy protocol stack was designed in the early 1990s

and has been modified to accommodate future growth of computers networked togeth-

er. The new TCP/IP stack is known as Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

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Backing Up Files

Whether you are performing a new installation on a previously used server or upgrading

an existing server, you should perform a complete backup of the data and operating

system before you begin your new installation. This way, you have a fallback plan if the

installation fails or the server does not perform the way you anticipated.

When performing a new installation on a previously used server, you overwrite any data

that was stored there. In this scenario, you will have to use your backup tape to restore

any data that you want to preserve.

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On the other hand, if you are going to upgrade an existing server, a known good backup

will allow you to recover to your previous state if the upgrade does not go as planned.

NOTE

Many people back up their servers but never confirm that the data can be read from

the backup media. When the time comes to recover their data, they find that the tape

is unusable or unreadable, or that they do not know the proper procedures for restoring

their server. You should perform backup/recovery procedures on a regular basis in a

lab environment to make sure that your equipment is working properly, that you are

comfortable with performing the process, and that the recovery actually works.

Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008

R2 Operating System

The setup GUI for Windows Server 2008 R2 is a significant departure from the blue back-

ground and white text of previous versions. After the installation software loads into

memory, the configuration setup pages have a consistent look and feel. Each step outlined

in the following sections also has integrated links to relevant Help topics. Many of the

choices and options that were part of the preinstallation setup process in Windows

2000/2003 are now relegated to postinstall configuration after the base OS installation has

completed. Thus, the steps required during initial installation are minimized, allowing for

a faster installation and more streamlined initial process, consolidating operations pertain-

ing to settings specific to the final role of the server to the postinstallation phase.

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The following sections outline the elements that must be entered during a clean installa-

tion of Windows Server 2008 R2.

1. Customizing the Language, Time, Currency, and Keyboard

Preferences

The first element when installing Windows Server 2008 R2 is entering the Language to

Install of the server. Typically, the language selected is English; however, the language

selections vary based on a region. Examples of languages include English, Arabic, French,

Dutch, Spanish, and much more. The next element to be specified is the Time and

Currency Format. This setting dictates how the server will handle currencies, dates, and

times, including daylight savings. The final element is the Keyboard or Input Method.

Specify the country code, such as US, Canada, or China, and click Next to begin the

installation. These languages and other preferences can be seen in Figure 3.1.

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FIGURE 3.1

Specifying the language and other preferences.

2. The Install Now Page

The next page in the installation process prompts you with an action to Install Now. Click

Install Now to commence the Windows Server 2008 R2 installation. Alternatively, before

running the installation, you can click on the two operational links such as What to Know

Before Installing Windows and Repair Your Computer. The What to Know Before

Installing Windows link provides a list of prerequisite tasks, error messages, and general

information about the installation. The Repair Your Computer link should be utilized if

there is a need to fix a Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system that is already installed.

Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008 R2 Operating System

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3. Selecting the Type of Operating System to Install

The next page is Select the Operating System You Want to Install. One of the first items

that needs to be addressed on every new installation of Windows Server 2008 R2 is which

type of operating system will be installed. The options include a Complete installation or

a Server Core installation. A Complete installation is a traditional installation of Windows

and includes all of the user interfaces and supports all the server roles. As mentioned

earlier, a Server Core installation is a scaled-down installation of Windows Server 2008 R2

with the intent to reduce surface attack and management. A subset of the server roles is

present and the server is managed through the command prompt; therefore, the GUI does

not exist. Click Next to continue, as depicted in Figure 3.2.

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FIGURE 3.2

Specifying which operating system to install.

4. Accepting the Terms of the Windows Server 2008 R2 License

The Please Read the License Terms page is invoked next. Review the license terms and

check the I Accept the License Terms check box if you comply with these terms. Click

Next to continue.

5. Selecting the Type of Windows Server 2008 R2 Installation

On the Which Type of Installation Do You Want page, you have the ability to either select

to upgrade an existing Windows server or install a clean copy of Windows. Because this is

a clean installation and a legacy operating system does not exist, the Upgrade selection