How to Set Up DHCP in Windows Server 2008 R2

 How to Set Up DHCP in Windows Server 2008 R2

Continuing our series on learning IT basics, today we’re going to show you how to setup DHCP on Windows Server 2008 instead of using it on a router.

Note: this is part of our ongoing series teaching IT administration basics, and might not apply to everybody.

This guide assumes that you have Server 2008 up and running on a machine–if you don’t, you should check out our guide on how to install it. You should also have set a static IP address on the server before continuing.

To get started, fire up the Server Manager, right click on roles, and then select add roles.

You will be prompted with the normal “Before You Begin” screen, and after clicking Next you’ll be able to choose DHCP Server.

Next you’ll want to select the network connection to bind the DHCP protocol to.

Put in the IP address of your DNS Server, which in this case is the same machine–but be careful not to put the loopback address (127.0.0.1) as this will be the address your clients will go to for name resolution.

Click next again to skip the WINS setup, this will bring you to creating a DHCP Scope, where you can click the Add button.

Now you need to:

• Give your scope a name
• Enter the first address that you want available to clients to use
• Enter the last address that you want available to clients to use
• Enter the subnet mask (usually 255.255.255.0)
• Enter the IP address of your default gateway (usually your router IP at .1)

Once you have clicked on OK, you can click next 4 times to get to the confirmation screen where you can finally click install.

Once the installation is complete your DHCP will be functioning, and you can start managing your DHCP server right away.

How To Assign A Static Ip Address To Server 2008

Next step you should complete just after the installation is assigning a static ip address to server. To do this follow this process

click on start and select control panel

select Network and Sharing Center

click on Manage network connections

select local Area Connection and open its properties

select Internet Protocol Version 4(TCP/IPv4) and click on properties Tab

click on Use the following IP address: then type IP address, subnet mask and DNS server and click on OK button

Now click on ok and again ok to close the properties of TCP/IP

Localize Time Zone

You can localize time zone during the installation. ICT wizard also have option to update it. You can update these settings any time by following these steps.

Click on start button and select Run. In run box type control timedate.cpl

From open dialog box you can adjust date and time. You can also change time zone. To change date and time click Change date and time . 

To change time zone click Change time zone

Another dialog box will pop up which contain all available time zone in drop down menu.

Select the your time zone from list and click OK

click on apply and ok button

In same way you can change date and time by clicking Change date and time

Initial Configuration Tasks

From windows Server 2008 setup process reserves configuration steps for the post-installation process. These pre-deployment options are left for the end of installation to improve efficiency. Administrators can set these as soon as the install completes, which shortens time-to-launch for a fresh server installation.

Post-setup configuration tasks are similar for full installations and for Server Core. On full installations, WS08 will reboot the system once the installation is complete and, after generating the initial profile, will display a wizard: the Initial Configuration Tasks (ICT) Wizard.

This wizard includes three categories of post-installation tasks:

• Provide computer information
• Update this server
• Customize this server

Initial Configuration Task provide following services

• Provide the computer name and domain
• Enable updates and feedback
• Download and installing updates
• Add core system features
• Enable the Remote Desktop
• Configure the Windows Firewall
• Configure the Event Log
• Configure devices
• Rename the administrator account
• Create a backup administrator account
• Configure paging file and recovery settings
• Install administration, support and resource kit tools
• Install the Windows Recovery Environment

How to launch Initial Configuration Tasks ICT wizard after installation

You could launch ICT wizard anytime after installation if you prefer to configure these option from ICT wizard. To launch ICT wizard type ‘oobe’ in search box and hit enter.

You can configure these options right here. You could configure these option later If you have skipped ICT wizard.

How To Change Server 2008 Computer Name

Computer name is randomly generated and assigned during the installation, you can change it in Initial Configuration Tasks (ICT) Wizard. If you have skipped ICT wizard you should follow this process.

Click Start and select Run option. In run window type system.cpl and press ok

From opened system properties dialog box click Change

Type computer name

Always use a descriptive name with proper naming convention for server and other network locations.

After typing computer name click OK, Click Close

Restart is required to take effect. It would prompt for restart. Click Restart Now

After restart computer name would be changed.

New Features Of Windows Server 2008

A number of improvements and additions have been made to Windows Server 2008. In this article we would discuss about those features.

Server Manager

The Server Manager not only provides quick access to many of the management snap-ins, but it also includes quick access to the Add New Roles Wizard and enables you to view the services that are installed and running in association with a particular server role.

Server would automatically launch it just after the installation of server 2008. This would allow you to view the roles that are currently installed on the server and also provides easy access to settings such as the time zone, the computer name and domain membership, automatic updates, and the server's network interfaces.

You could launch it in following ways

• Start ==> Administrative Tools==>Server Manager
• Right-click Computer in the Start menu and select Manage
• execute this command ServerManagerCmd.exe

Server Core

Server Core allows you to install only what's needed on the server to support the specific role the server will assume.

It is a completely new feature in Windows Server 2008. A noticeable difference between Server Core and the full edition of server is that Server Core does not have a graphical user interface (GUI). Instead, all interaction with Server Core takes place through the command line.

Benefits of Core Server

• It's easier to manage.
• It minimizes the attack surface since fewer ports are opened by default.
• It requires less software so uses less disk space. Only about 1 GB is used for the install.
• Since it is less software, it requires fewer updates.

Core server does not include all the features available on other Server installations like NET Framework or Internet Explorer.

PowerShell

PowerShell is brand new feature of server 2008. Server would not install PowerShell by default. To take the advantage of PowerShell you need to install it separately.

PowerShell is a powerful set of command-line tools (called cmdlets) and a full-fledged scripting language. PowerShell is added to Windows Server 2008 as a feature, it provides you with an alternative to the various snap-ins and other GUI tools provided by the network operating system.

you can use PowerShell to manage the following:

• Managing services, processes, and the registry
• Active Directory Domain Services
• Internet Information Services
• Terminal Services
• Exchange Server
• SQL Server

Print Management snap-in

Print Management snap-in makes the management of printers and print servers easier in your domain. The new Print Management snap-in enables you to view print servers and the printers that they provide for the domain. You can even locate (using filters) printers that currently have print jobs and printers that are not ready (meaning paused or offline).

Read-only domain controllers

The RODC is just like a global catalog server in Active Directory used to authenticate users and as a resource to look up objects in the directory; however, instead of being a read/write copy of the directory, an RODC only maintains a read-only copy of Active Directory and forwards all write and authentication requests to a read/write domain controller.

Internet Information Services 7 (IIS7)

IIS7 provides an easily managed platform for a number of web-based technologies, including ASP.NET and SharePoint services. IIS7 also enables you to manage your web servers, using a web browser.

Internet Protocol version 6

Windows Server 2008 installs IPv6 by default and allows you to run IPv4 and IPv6 in tandem on your network interfaces.

Server virtualization

Windows Server 2008 provides Hyper-V, which is a software virtualization technology that enables you to run multiple virtual servers on a single server.

Change from previous version

• Active Directory has been renamed to Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
• Active Directory in Application (ADAM) to Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS). ADAM has been a downloadable add-in to Windows 2003 Active Directory that provides a directory typically used in organizations for nonemployees who need access to network services.
• Windows Deployment Services— Windows Deployment Services (WDS) replaces the Remote Installation Services (RIS) provided by Windows Server 2003. WDS allows you to install both Windows Server 2008 and client operating systems (including Windows Vista and Windows XP) using an image-based installation.

How To Install Window Server 2008x64 Bit Enterprise Edition

Window server 2008 available for both 32 and 64 bit architecture. With the release of Server 2008 R2 in 2009, Microsoft discontinued the development of 32 bit Server OS, however its support for 32 bit will be continued. To be future ready, you should consider only 64 bit hardware, whenever you purchase new one.

For exam prospective you should be prepare for both architecture. We have installed x86 version in our previous article. In this tutorial we will install Server2008 x64.

For this article I assume that you know how to boot system from DVD. Adjust boot device priority and boot system from Server 2008x64 DVD. It will ask for confirmation of installation with following message

Press any key boot to from disc

Press Enter key to confirm the installation. Window will load the necessary files for installation.

Window allows you to localize the installation. You can localize the language, time, currency format, keyboard layout.

Click Install Now button to start the installation.

Enter product key of Server 2008x64 it is available on sticker inside the Disc cover and tick mark on "Automatically activate Windows when i'm online" then click on Next

if you do not have product Key than uncheck the "Automatically Activation" option. You can enter product key after installation as well.

select x64 Enterprise version

Tick mark on "I accept the license terms" and click Next button

Upgrade option is used when we have previous version of server ie 2003, installed. We would do it in other article.

For this article Select custom (advanced) option

Select unallocated spaces and click on New button

Type the size and click Apply button

Click Next for installation process

Thats all information window need prior to installation. Window will start the installation and this process will take several minutes

After restart server would prepare the user desktop

Before server load for first time you must have to change the default blank password. It would prompt for password change.

Type administrator password

(Note:- Admin password must be complex and at least 7 character long , we could change this policy after installation.)Check mark on "Do not show on Startup" option and click Close

Check mark on "Do not show on Startup" option on Server Roles configuration Wizard and click on close

Window server 2008 64bit has successfully installed.