What is Server Core?
Server core is a minimal installation option for Windows Server "Longhorn" providing a minimal environment supporting specific server roles. Server Core reduces servicing and management requirements while providing a minimum attack surface for supported roles.
Server Roles
· DHCP server
· File Server
· DNS server
· Active Directory®
Optional Components
· BitLocker
· BitLocker Remote Admin Tool
· Client For NFS
· DFS Server
· DFS Replication
· Failover Cluster
· FRS
· Media Server
· MultipathIO
· Removable Storage Management
· Network Load Balancing
· LPD Print Service
· Server For NFS
· Single Instance Storage
· SNMP
· Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications
· Telnet Client
· Windows Server Backup
· WINS
Installing Server Core
Minimum Requirements:
|
Requirement |
Specification |
|
Minimum CPU Speed |
400 MHz for x86-based computers
733 MHz for x64-based computers |
|
Minimum RAM |
256 MB |
This will likely be your first installation of Longhorn Server Core, but tuck this away for future reference:
- Previous version of Windows Server cannot be upgraded to Server Core,
- Full installations of Longhorn cannot be converted to Server Core,
- Server Core cannot be upgraded to a full installation of Longhorn Server
- Server Core will be upgradable to Server Core R2.
Installation
1. Now throw in the DVD, wait a few minutes and click Install now…
2. Enter your product ID. (You do have a product ID, don’t you?)
3. Choose the Server Core option.
4. Accept the license agreement.
5. Choose Advanced
6. Select a disk to install to…
7. Wait for the file copy to complete…
Configuring Server Core
8. Logon with blank password.
9. Set local administrator password:
net user administrator new_password
- OR -
net user administrator *
10. Activate the server:
a. Check license status:
Cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -xpr
b. Local activation:
Cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -ato
c. Remote activation:
Cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs dc-contoso-01 contoso\administrator p@ssw0rd -ato
d. Activate with user provided activation code:
Cscript c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs -atp
e. Help -?
11. Rename the machine:
NETDOM RENAMECOMPUTER %computername% /NewName:DC-CONTOSO-01 /REboot
12. Set IP Properties
a. Get interfaces:
Netsh interface ipv4 show interfaces
b. Note IDX number for each network adapter to be modified.
c. Set Static IP, subnet mask and Default Gateway
netsh interface ipv4 set address name=3 source=static address=192.168.1.1 mask=255.255.255.0 gateway=192.168.1.2
Where:
Name is the number from step 2 above
Address is the static IP address you are setting
Mask is the subnet mask for the IP Address
DefaultGateway is the default gateway
d. To change back to DHCP:
netsh interface ipv4 set address name=3 source=dhcp
13. Configuring DNS Settings:
a. Set the DNS Server address.
netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=3 address=127.0.0.1 index=1
netsh interface ipv4 add dnsserver name=3 address=192.168.0.1 index=2
Where:
Index is the interface number.
Address is the IP address of your DNS server
Index is the ordinal for the DNS address you would like to change.
b. Repeat for each DNS server you want to set, incrementing the index= number each time.
c. To delete a DNS address:
Netsh int ipv4 delete dnsserver index=3 address=192.168.1.2
- Setting the display resolution to something useful with Regedit:
- Open Regedit,
- Find HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Video
- You'll have to go fishing to find the key for your video adapter
- Set DefaultSettings.Xresolution & DefaultSettings.Yresolution to something you monitor will support.
Example:
DefaultSettings.Xresolution = 1152
DefaultSettings.Yresolution = 768
Managing Server Core
Server Core may be manage as follows:
· Locally and remotely with Command Prompt.
· Remotely with Terminal Server.
· Remotely using Windows Remote Shell on Vista or "Longhorn"
· Remotely via MMC snap-ins.
15. Check event logs with wevtutil from Vista or Longhorn:
Wevtutil qe System /f:text /c:1 /rd:true
NOTE: Options and values are case-sensative
16. Complete local configuration tasks with Scregedit.wsf (1217 lines of script!)
a. Enable Terminal Server Remote Admin Mode:
cscript C:\Windows\System32\Scregedit.wsf /ar 0
b. Enable connection by down level TS clients:
cscript C:\Windows\System32\Scregedit.wsf/cs 0
c. Configure the pagefile.
d. Enable automatic updates.
e. Enable error reporting.
- Enable and use Windows Remote Shell (WinRS):
a. Enable WinRS on Server Core
WinRM quickconfig
b. Connect with WinRS:
winrs -r:dc-contoso-01 dir c:\windows
winrs -r:dc-contoso-01 wevtutil qe System /f:text /c:15 /rd:true
winrs -r:dc-contoso-01 wevtutil qe System /f:RenderedXml /e:SystemLog /c:15 /rd:true > event.xml
18. Time and International settings:
a. Setting Time:
control timedate.cpl.
b. International Settings:
control intl.cpl
19. Managing Server Core via MMC;
a. If you don't know how to do this, you are in the wrong session.
TIP: if not domain joined, establish a session first:
Net use * \\ServerName\c$ /u:UserName
Driver Management
20. Installing hardware with and without "in-box" drivers:
If the driver is included in Longhorn Server Core:
a. Add the hardware. PNP will start and do the rest.
Otherwise:
a. Copy the driver files to a temp folder on Server,
b. Execute the following command:
Pnputil –i –a <path>\<driver>.inf
c. Restart if needed.
21. List and delete installed drivers:
a. List installed drivers:
sc query type= driver
NOTE: The space after "type=" is a quirk of many tools you'll be using.
b. Delete specified driver:
sc delete service_name
22. Service Propeties
a. Change service parmeters:
Sc config /?
Sc config "RemoteRegistry" start= auto
NOTE: space after "=" sign.
Managing Applications
23. Installing, Viewing and Removing Applicaitons
a. Install:
Msiexec /I c:\install\NTBackupRestore.msi /qb
b. List applications by name:
Wmic product get name /value
c. Removing Applications
Wmic product where name="NTBackupRestore" call uninstall
d. Listing hotfixes
wmic qfe list
e. Installing Hotfixes
Wusa.exe <patchname>.msu /quiet
24. OCLIST & OCSETUP
NOTE: Ocsetup is case sensitive!!!
This will fail:
Start /w Ocsetup WindowsServerbackup
This will succeed:
Start /w Ocsetup WindowsServerBackup
Uninstall WindowsServerBackup
Start /w Ocsetup WindowsServerBackup /uninstall
Installing and Configuring Server Roles
Install and Configure DNS
25. Installing DNS Server Role - ALREADY INSTALLED!
a. Run the following:
Start /w Ocsetup DNS-Server-Core-Role
26. Configure DNS - Step By Step:
a. Allow auto-creation of reverse lookup zones.
dnscmd 192.168.1.1 /config /disableautoreversezones 0
b. Create a secondary zone:
dnscmd 192.168.1.1 /zoneadd contoso.com /Secondary 192.168.1.2
c. Create a Primary zone:
dnscmd 192.168.1.1 /zoneadd contoso.net /Primary
d. Create a new A record:
dnscmd 192.168.1.1 /RecordAdd contoso.net dc-contoso-01 A 192.168.1.1
e. Add CNAME:
dnscmd 192.168.1.1 /RecordAdd contoso.net www CNAME dc-contoso-01.contoso.com
f. Delete a zone:
dnscmd 192.168.1.1 /zonedelete contoso.net
27. To automate DNS configuration, put all the commands in a batch file and run:
Start /w c:\unattend\dns\dnsunattend.cmd
Install and Configure DHCP
28. Install DHCP Server Role using OCSETUP - Already Installed!!!
a. At the command prompt, type:
start /w ocsetup DHCPServerCore
29.