Installing Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Installing Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Installing Microsoft Windows Server 2003
IN THIS CHAPTER
Preplanning and Preparing a
Server Installation
Setting Up the Windows
2003
Using Alternative Methods of
Installation
Performing an Unattended
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RAM, there is also a recommended CPU and RAM configuration. For the sake of performance, you should usually stay away from the minimum requirements and stick to the recommended settings (or better). Table 3.1 lists system recommendations for Windows Server 2003. TABLE 3.1 System Requirements
Standard Server 133 MHz 550 MHz 128MB 256MB 4GB UP TO 4 1.5GB Enterprise Server 133 MHz for x86-based computers 733 MHz for Itanium-based computers 733 MHz 128MB 256MB 32GB for x86-based computers 64GB for Itanium-based computers Up to 8 1.5GB for x86-based computers 2.0GB for Itanium-based computers
Requirement Minimum CPU speed Recommended CPU speed Minimum RAM Recommended minimum speed Maximum RAM Multiprocessor support Disk space for setup
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previous versions of Windows does not mean they will work on Windows .NET Server 2003. As always, before performing any type of server maintenance, you should perform a complete backup of any applications and data that you want to preserve. To upgrade to Windows Server 2003, you must be running a server-level operating system. You cannot upgrade Workstation or Home editions to Windows Server 2003. To upgrade your existing server, you must be running Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0 Server (Service Pack 5 or higher). Table 3.2 lists the available upgrade paths to Windows Server 2003. TABLE 3.2 Upgrade Compatibility for Windows Server 2003
Ability to Upgrade to Windows Server 2003? No, you must first upgrade to NT 4.0 Service Pack 5 or higher. Yes, you must have Service Pack 5 or higher. Yes. Yes. No, only server-level operating systems can be upgraded. No, only server-level operating systems can be upgraded. No, but migration tools are available to migrate Novell Directory Services (NDS) information to a Windows domain.
Previous Operating System Windows NT versions 3.51 and earlier Windows NT 4.0 Server Windows 2000 Server Windows 2000 Advanced Server Windows 2000 Professional Windows XP Professional Novell NetWare
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Taking the time to gather the information described in the following sections before starting your installation will likely make your installation go faster and easier. 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 preWindows 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 AZ (upper- and lowercase), the numbers 09, and the hyphen (-). Although its 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 carefully and test thoroughly before straying from the standard Internet characters noted in the preceding paragraph. Name of the Workgroup or Domain During the server installation, the Setup Wizard will ask for the name of the workgroup or domain that the server will be joining. You can either enter the name of an existing organizational structure or enter a new name, creating a new workgroup or domain. Users new to Microsoft networking may ask, What is the difference between a workgroup and a domain? Simply put, a domain is a collection of computers and supporting hardware that share 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 independently and locally for all security and administration settings. Network Protocol and IP Address of the Server When installing Windows Server 2003, 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, which stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This protocol allows computers throughout the Internet to communicate. After you install the TCP/IP protocol, 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)
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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 an 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 service instead. Dynamic IP AddressA 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, domain name system (DNS) server address, and 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. When the lease expires, the workstation must again request an IP address from the DHCP server. It may or may 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 AddressUsing a static IP address is the most common decision for a server configuration. By static, we mean that the address will not change unless you change the configuration of the server. This point is important 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.
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. 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 and that you are comfortable with performing the process.
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FIGURE 3.1
Quick Formatting or Regular Formatting When you select NTFS or FAT to format the partition, the drive must be formatted. This process can take a significant amount of time.
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The new quick option can format the partitions much fasterin some cases more than 25 times faster! But be aware, in this instance the drive is not being truly formatted. The Quick Format option performs only a high-level format of a diskusing the tracks and sectors already defined by an earlier formatting. This option is most helpful when youre installing servers that did not previously contain any confidential information. And it really comes in handy when youre installing a server over and over in the lab. FAT or NTFS One of the most commonly asked questions when installing a Windows-based server is, Should I select FAT or NTFS?
FAT (which stands for file allocation table) has been around for a long timesince the days of MS-DOS. It was upgraded with Windows 95 SR-2, when FAT16 became FAT32, giving us the functionality of long filenames and allowing us to create larger disk and volume sizes. Although the theoretical partition size with FAT32 is up to 2 terabytes, Windows Server 2003 places a limitation that allows volumes only up to 32GB in size. Your file sizes are also limited; no file can be larger than 4GB (2GB in FAT16). There are two scenarios in which you would have to use the FAT file system. First, you use it if you are building a .NET server on a machine that will have to dual-boot to an operating system that does not support NTFS (such as Windows 95). And second, you use it if you want the ability to boot the server to a floppy disk (such as a DOS or Win95 boot disk) to access the files on the root partition. Keep in mind, however, that if you can boot your server to a floppy to access the files stored on the hard drive, so can someone else! NTFS (New Technology File System) is the recommended file system for use with Windows Server 2003, as it was for Windows 2000 and Windows NT servers. NTFS is actually NTFS5 and was upgraded with NT 4.0 Service Pack 4. This file system is less likely to become corrupt and is able to recognize errors and bad sectors of a hard drive. When one of these problems is discovered, the file system repairs itself automatically. Windows Server 2003 allows supported volume sizes up to 16 terabytes (minus 4KB), and the maximum file size is 16TB (minus 64KB). Additionally, NTFS has better file security, disk compression, and encryption capabilities, and it can use fault-tolerant disk configurations such as mirroring and disk striping. So, which file system do you use for Windows Server 2003? The rule of thumb is if you dont have to use FAT for one of the reasons mentioned here, go with NTFS.
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Per Server Licensing In Per Server licensing mode, each server has a defined number of clients that are allowed to connect at any one time. Each server in the network that uses this mode must have enough client access licenses (CALs) purchased to cover the maximum number of concurrent connections the server is going to support. If the number of connections exceeds the configured number of CALs, clients may be locked out or receive Access Denied messages when they attempt to connect to network resources. This option is typically selected by small companies with only one Windows Server 2003 system because smaller organizations have a smaller number of users. You may also want to select this option if you are configuring a Web server or Remote Access Service (RAS) server. You can configure the maximum number of users who will connect and, even if the client is not licensed as a .NET networking client, you are not breaking your licensing agreement. Per Device Licensing In the Per Device licensing mode, a CAL is required for each workstation (or seat) that connects to any licensed server. This includes users running any Windows operating system, Macintosh, or UNIX computers connecting to a Windows file server. In this scenario, a workstation is not limited to connecting to only one server; client computers are allowed access to any server within a Windows network, as long as each client machine is licensed with a CAL. This is the most common licensing option because most companies have more than one server. Although the cost of a CAL is more expensive than a Per Server client license, you have to pay only once for that user to access an unlimited number of Windows-based servers.
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Choosing Your Computer Name By default, the setup program suggests a computer name based on the information you provided earlier in the Organization field of the Personalize Your Software section. You can (and, in most instances, should) change that default name here. Insert the name you decided on earlier in the Gathering the Information Necessary to Proceed section of this chapter. Selecting an Administrator Password The Setup Wizard automatically creates a default account for the administrator called, surprisingly enough, Administrator. This account has local administrative privileges and enables you to manage all local configuration settings for the server. For the sake of security, you can (and should) rename this account after you complete the installation. You need to decide on a password for this account. You must enter it twicefirst in the Password box and then again in the Confirmation box. As in previous Windows operating systems, the password is case sensitive and can contain up to 127 characters. You should choose your password carefully to ensure the security of the system. If you enter a password that does not meet Microsofts criteria for strong passwords, you will receive a Windows Setup warning, as shown in Figure 3.2.
FIGURE 3.2
For security reasons, you should never choose a password that does not meet the minimum criteria listed.
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for that option is checked. A dialog box may or may not pop up, depending on installed hardware.
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Logging In
When youre prompted, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete to log in to Windows Server 2003. The default administrator name should be displayed for you. You must type in the password that you assigned and click OK to continue.
FIGURE 3.3
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Fill out the required information and click Next to continue. This begins the activation process as your server verifies connectivity to the Internet. Selecting No, I Dont Want to Register Now; Lets Just Activate Windows starts the activation process as your server verifies connectivity to the Internet. After connectivity is verified, you will see a window that confirms your copy of Windows has been activated. Click OK to close the Activation Windows Wizard. Activating Windows Server 2003 by Telephone To activate Windows Server 2003 by telephone, select Yes, I Want to Telephone a Customer Service Representative to Activate Windows and click Next to continue. The Activate Windows Wizard quickly generates a new installation ID and continues to the next phase. You are then instructed to select your location and are given a number to call. When you speak with the customer service representative, give him the installation ID that was automatically generated. The representative will then give you the confirmation ID to enter in step 4, shown in Figure 3.4.
FIGURE 3.4
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to continue.
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4. If the installation media you are using require a product key, enter it here. The 25-
character product key can be found on a sticker on the back of your Windows CD case. Enter the product key and click Next to continue.
5. The Setup Wizard next checks your computer for compatibility with Windows Server
2003. You can review details about each item by clicking the Details button. Also, you can save the compatibility report by clicking the Save As button.
6. After reviewing any discrepancies and ensuring that no show-stoppers exist on the
The process of completing the installation and activating Windows is the same for an upgrade as it is for an initial installation. Refer to the initial Installing Windows Server 2003 section for instructions.
The following sections will give you some information about these other installation options.
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provide all the information needed to complete the installation. Items such as the computer name, IP address, product key, and DNS settings can be written into the file. Unattended installations can be performed on fresh installations or on upgrades and on similar or dissimilar hardware. You can deploy Windows Server 2003 from a centralized installation point, and after you install the operating system, you can easily modify it.
If you hold down the Shift key as you do so, you can bypass the CDs autorun feature.
2. Open My Computer, right-click the CD-ROM drive, and select Explore. 3. Open the support\tools directory and double-click the deploy.cab file to open it. 4. Select all the files that are in the right pane, right-click, and select Extract. 5. Select the folder where you want to place the files (or make a new folder) and click
Extract.
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6. Open the folder where you placed the files and double-click the Setupmgr.exe file. 7. When the Setup Manager Wizard starts, follow the instructions to create your answer
file.
Sample unattend.txt File The unattend.txt file can be extremely simple or extremely complex, ranging in size from a few dozen lines of code to a few hundred. The following is a sample unattend.txt file that was created in about five minutes using the Setup Manager:
;SetupMgrTag [Data] AutoPartition=1 MsDosInitiated=0 UnattendedInstall=Yes [Unattended] UnattendMode=FullUnattended OemSkipEula=Yes OemPreinstall=Yes TargetPath=\WINDOWS [GuiUnattended] AdminPassword=xxxxxxxx EncryptedAdminPassword=Yes OEMSkipRegional=1 TimeZone=4 OemSkipWelcome=1 [UserData] ProductKey=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX FullName=Mark Weinhardt OrgName=Convergent Computing ComputerName=DotNET-Server-One [Display] Xresolution=800
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YResolution=600 [LicenseFilePrintData] AutoMode=PerServer AutoUsers=10 [TapiLocation] CountryCode=1 Dialing=Tone AreaCode=510 [SetupMgr] DistFolder=C:\windist installation DistShare=windist [Components] accessopt=On calc=On charmap=On clipbook=On deskpaper=On templates=On mousepoint=On paint=On freecell=Off hearts=Off zonegames=Off minesweeper=Off solitaire=Off spider=Off indexsrv_system=On msnexplr=Off certsrv=Off certsrv_client=Off certsrv_server=Off iis_www=Off iis_ftp=Off iis_smtp=Off iis_smtp_docs=Off iis_nntp=Off iis_nntp_docs=Off reminst=Off
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rstorage=Off TerminalServer=On wms=Off wms_admin_asp=Off wms_admin_mmc=Off wms_server=Off chat=On dialer=On hypertrm=On cdplayer=On mplay=On media_clips=On media_utopia=On rec=On vol=On [Identification] JoinDomain=Convergent DomainAdmin=convergent\administrator DomainAdminPassword=password [Networking] InstallDefaultComponents=No [NetAdapters] Adapter1=params.Adapter1 [params.Adapter1] INFID=* [NetClients] MS_MSClient=params.MS_MSClient [NetServices] MS_SERVER=params.MS_SERVER [NetProtocols] MS_TCPIP=params.MS_TCPIP [params.MS_TCPIP] DNS=No UseDomainNameDevolution=No EnableLMHosts=Yes
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AdapterSections=params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1 [params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1] SpecificTo=Adapter1 DHCP=No IPAddress=10.100.100.10 SubnetMask=255.255.255.0 DefaultGateway=10.100.100.1 DNSServerSearchOrder=10.100.100.50,10.100.100.51 WINS=Yes WinsServerList=10.100.100.60 NetBIOSOptions=0
As you customize and begin using unattended script files, you will find that they can save you an enormous amount of time installing Windows Server 2003 on multiple systems.
Sample unattend.bat File The unattend.bat file is the batch file used to launch the unattended installation. The steps of the batch file can be executed manually; however, if the process is repeated several times, running a batch file like the following one will simplify the process:
@rem SetupMgrTag @echo off set AnswerFile=.\unattend.txt set SetupFiles=\\WIN2KSERVER\windist\I386 \\WIN2KSERVER\windist\I386\winnt32 /s:%SetupFiles% /unattend:%AnswerFile%
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Client Requirements for RIS To use RIS to deploy a server, the computer must meet PXE 1.0 or 2.0 specifications. It must have a network interface card (NIC) that supports PXE or that is supported by the RIS boot floppy. Finally, the hardware must meet the minimum requirements for the version of Windows being installed.
Installing Windows Server 2003 with Group Policy and Systems Management Server
As a final note, you can use Group Policies to upgrade Windows Server 2003 in the existing Active Directory or Systems Management Server (SMS) infrastructure. You can perform complete operating system upgrades or just install service packs.
Best Practices
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You can also use SMS to inventory and confirm system compatibility before you upgrade and then to confirm that the upgrade to .NET was successful. The combination of Group Policy and SMS can use a central installation point to perform upgrades on similar or dissimilar hardware. It can be used for the prestaging of servers as well, and is easy to reconfigure if your needs change.
Summary
The Windows Server 2003 installation process and deployment tools bear similarities to those found in previous versions of Windows. However, feature and performance enhancements have improved the installation experiencewhether you are installing a single system by hand or deploying thousands of systems across your corporate environment.
Best Practices
Verify that your hardware is supported. Stick to using the recommended or better hardware and software requirements. Make sure you document your server configuration information and perform a backup of any data that you want to keep. Test your applications for compatibility before migration. Use a consistent naming convention to name the servers and client machines. Use only Internet-standard characters in your computer name. This would include the letters AZ (upper- and lowercase), the numbers 09, and the hyphen (-). Periodically verify that system backups can be used to recover a system in a lab environment. Use the regular formatting option to perform a true format. Use NTFS to create an efficient and secured file system. If you are not sure which licensing mode to use for your environment, select Per Server. Rename the Administrator account, for the sake of security, after you complete the installation. Automate installation by using deployment tools such as RIS, Sysprep, RIPrep, Unattend files, and Group Policy (with SMS).