Convert your VPC to a Domain Controller
Today we will, in the series to build a complete VPC, change the server into an Active Directory server. And in the end we will add one Active Directory user to the AD store for later use.
First thing to do is open the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) Properties of your NIC.
And change the properties to use a fixed IP address and set the Preferred DNS server to point to itself as the server will be implementing DNS later on and will be its own DNS.
Now, start "dcpromo" in the Start-Run dialog box.
This will start the Active Directory Installation Wizard. Click Next to continue.
Click Next to continue
Select "Domain controller for a new domain" and click Next to continue
Select "Domain in a new forest" and click Next to continue
Enter the domain name you want to use and click Next to continue
Enter the NetBIOS Domain Name and click Next to continue
Leave the Database folder and the Log folder to the default location (in a production environment you want to store the database and the log on separate hard disks, but in your VPC that is not a real issue) and click next to continue
Leave the Shared System Volume to the default location and click next to continue
In this dialog an error is showed because the DNS server was not found. That is correct behaviour as you set the DNS to it's own IP. Select "Install and configure the DNS server on this computer ..." and click Next to continue
Select "Permissions compatible only with Windows 2000 ..." and click Next to continue
Enter the Restore Mode Administrator Password and click Next to continue
Check the summary and click Next to continue
Active Directory creation is now in progress...
Click Finish to continue
Now, if your system request for a reboot click the Restart Now button to reboot your VPC and your VPC will be an Active Directory enabled server after rebooting.
We will now create a service account for SQL Server that you will need later.
Open the Active Directory Users and Computers template from Start-Administrative Tools-Active Directory Users and Computers
First we create a new OU (Organizational Unit) under the domain we created. I called the OU "SharePointSvc" but you are free to call it what you like. I will store all my service accounts here that I use for the SharePoint services.
Next create a new User called "sqlsvc"
Set the password, confirm the password and check the Password never expires checkbox and click Next to continue
Click Finish to create the user and close all dialogs to wrap up.
We now created the Active Directory and added one Active Directory user that will act as a service account for SQL Server in a later stage.
Next we will change the VPC into an application server.
To be continued...