Windows Server 2003 Installation and Configuration

Installing windows 2003 server

In computing, a server is a computer that provides data to other computers (Clients). It may serve
data to systems on a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) over the Internet.
There are several types of servers e.g. database servers, file servers, mail servers, print servers,
web servers, game servers, and application servers.

To install Windows 2003 Standard Edition, one needs to perform the following steps:

1) Insert the Windows 2003 installation CD-ROM, then power on the machine. Windows Setup
will check the computer's configuration, prompt you to press the F2 key to start system recovery
(don't press this key), and load core files into memory.

2) When Windows Setup prompts you to Setup Windows, use the Recovery Console, or Exit,
press Enter to continue the installation process.

3) When you see the license agreement appear onscreen, press F8 to continue.

4) Windows Setup will display the disk partition screen. Select an existing partition, create a new
one by pressing C, or select an un-partitioned area of space and press Enter to continue
installation.

5) When you're prompted to choose from the following options, make a selection, then press
Enter:

 Format the partition using the NTFS file system (Quick)

 Format the partition using the FAT file system (Quick)
 Format the partition using the NTFS file system
 Format the partition using the FAQ file system

Leave the file system intact windows Setup will format the partition (if required) and copy files
to the disk from the installation CD-ROM.

6) The computer will then reboot (you can press Enter to avoid the 10-second delay), and the
graphical phase of the installation will begin. Windows Setup will complete the various
installation stages, including installing devices and configuration. After the installation has
finished detecting the computer's devices, Windows Setup will begin the portion of the
installation that requires user input.

7) Windows Setup will prompt you to set regional and language options. Click the Customize
and Details buttons, select the appropriate check boxes for the correct regional options, and click
next.

8) enter a name and organization for the installation, click next.

Page 1 of 6
9) Enter the product key, click next.

10) The Licensing Modes option appears onscreen, select either the "per user" or "per server"
option (along with the number of concurrent connections, if required, per server), click Next.

11) Enter a computer name for the server and an Administrator password. If you attempt to use a
password that doesn't meet Windows 2003's definition for a strong password (e.g., at least six
characters; doesn't contain "Administrator" or "Admin"; contains uppercase and lowercase
letters, numbers, and non-alphanumeric characters), Windows Setup will warn you and you'll
have to click Yes to continue with your chosen password. Click Next.

12)When Windows Setup prompts you to enter the date and time settings, change the time zone
if needed, select the automatic daylight savings setting (if appropriate), then click Next to begin
the network installation phase.

13) After the network installation phase performs several checks and detects your network
settings, confirm your TCP/IP settings when prompted. The installation defaults to using DHCP
(to automatically assign an IP address), but you can configure a static IP address or specify a
different configuration if the DHCP server isn't available. To modify the TCP/IP settings, select
"Custom settings," click next, select Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and then click Properties. After
you finish modifying the TCP/IP settings, click OK, and click next.

14) When Windows Setup prompts you, enter a workgroup or domain name, then click next. The
installation will continue without further user input. This final phase of the installation includes
further configuration, including copying of files, creating the Start menu, registering
components, and finalizing the settings. After the installation is complete, the machine will
reboot.

Installing and configuring server roles

Windows Server Roles 2003.

The following are the roles to configure your windows 2003 server

 Domain Controller
 DNS
 DHCP
 File Server
 Print Server
 Application Server
 Mail Server
 Terminal Services

Certain server roles are best combined, for example domain controller, DNS, and DHCP, while
other roles are better on their own server, for example I would separate email from Terminal
Services.

Page 2 of 6
Server Roles Windows Server 2003 Install the Replication Monitor from the Support folder of
the Server CD

Domain controller

Active Directory is a huge topic in itself. While DCPROMO is easy to run, planning of both the
physical and the logical structure is the key to a trouble free active directory. Good news, in
Server 2003 you can rename the both the domain itself and the domain controller

Domain controllers do not have to be your most powerful machines, however they must be
reliable and always available to answer logon requests. Decide which DCs will hold which
FSMO (Flexible single master operations) role. By default, only the first server is a GC (Global
Catalog). Having at least one GC on each site will improve any service which makes and LDAP
request for Active Directory names.

DNS (Domain Name System) role

Active Directory absolutely relies on DNS, this is why you must become an expert on
configuring DNS. Once DNS is setup, it runs itself thanks to the new dynamic component hence
DDNS. TCP/IP knowledge plus understanding of how DNS works is essential when
troubleshooting connectivity problems.

What DNS does is enable client machines to resolve servers IP addresses. Once the client finds
the server, Active Directory uses LDAP to locate services like Kerberos, Global Catalog that
4client’s request.

Your first domain controller can be tricky to setup. To begin with plan then check the Computer
Name found in the System Icon. Before you run DCPROMO make sure you have the correct
Primary DNS Suffix, drill down through the More.

Make it your reflex to install DNS on domain controllers.

DHCP (dynamic host control protocol) role

Once you have installed DHCP, there is much configuration work. But before you do anything
else, you must authorize the DHCP servers in Active Directory. I believe this authorization is a
device to make you stop and think ‘do I need another DHCP server?’ Officially the
authorization is to prevent rogue techies installing an extra DHCP server when it takes their
fancy.

How to configure a server: file server role

Unlike the above roles, file servers should be member servers, installing Active Directory here
would be a disadvantage. Here are is your checklist of features for a file server that you might
wish to deploy.

Page 3 of 6
  Disk Quotas – NTFS partitions
 Share and NTFS Permissions – Share Wizard
 Offline Settings for laptops
 DFS and or RAID
 Indexing service (Forgotten Service)
 RAID and or DFS?
 New feature – Shadow Copies

Fileservers have always combined well with print servers.

Print Server role

Print servers probably show the greatest variation of machine, from dedicated print servers, you
get printers hanging off domain controllers to ‘Jet Direct’ printers with their own network cards.
In my experience there is a contrast between the software settings which are easy to configure
and the hardware which constantly cries for attention e.g. paper jam, ‘out of toner’. Here is a
checklist to for the software components of your print server:

 Add Printer Wizard – same as ever

 Drivers for Windows 9x clients
 Change Spooler to another volume
 Printer Priority
 Network Printers
 Web Based Printing (Clients)
 Windows 8 Printer Problems

Application server role

The sort of applications that I mean are database, e.g. SQL or web e.g. IIS.

There is rarely any advantage in installing Active Directory on Application servers, and often
this combination creates problems as Active Directory and application services fight for
resources or control of components. So install Application servers on their own member server.

Authentication is important for all server roles, but fail to tie down permissions on an application
server and you could get sensitive company information being made available to everyone.
Failure to control security could also invite hackers to attacking your data. So, delve into all
aspects of security on your database servers.

How to configure a server: mail server role

Mail servers benefit from being on their own server, separate from domain controllers and
separate from database servers like SQL. Your checklist should include:

 Authentication
 DNS (MX) record

Page 4 of 6
  Site Connectors, SMTP connectors
 SMTP service, SMTP virtual server object
 POP3 and IMAP server objects
 Fire Wall
 Configuring Mailboxes
 OWA (Outlook web access)
 (Client’s Outlook)

Summary of how to configure windows server roles

Lookout for server roles that you can combine, for example domain controller, DNS, and DHCP.
Also be aware of other roles that are better deployed on their own server, for example, Exchange
Server or File and Print server.

Adding a PC to a domain

Adding a computer to Active Directory is straightforward. In most cases, all you need to do is
join the workstation to your Windows domain and reboot it once or twice. You can use Active
Directory Users and Computers to double check that a computer was successfully added. While
the feature is built into Windows Server, if you want to use a Windows 7 computer to manage
Active Directory computers, it must be joined to the domain as well after downloading Remote
Server Administration Tools for Windows 7.

I. Log in to the computer in question with a local administrator account.

II. Click Start and right-click “Computer.”
III. Click “Properties.”
IV. Click the “Change settings” link under “Computer name, domain, and workgroup
settings.”
V. Click the “Computer Name” tab.
VI. Click the “Change . . . “button.
VII. Click the “Domain” radio button and type the name of your Windows domain in the
domain field.
VIII. Click “OK.” When prompted, enter the username and password of an account that has the
right to add computers to the domain. Usually, this account must be in the Account
Operators, Domain Admins or Enterprise Admins security group.
IX. Click “OK” again.
X. Reboot the computer when prompted.

Configuration of network connections

Let us use steps of Configuring Network Connections for Windows 10

I. Click the Start icon (or press the Start button on the keyboard), and then tap or click
Settings.
II. Click Network & Internet.
III. Click Ethernet. ...

Page 5 of 6
IV. Click Change Adapter Options. ...
V. Right-click the connection that you want to configure and then choose Properties from
the contextual menu that appears.

Page 6 of 6