Hi all :

  At any time after installing Windows Server 2012, you can run Setup to repair the installation (sometimes called “repair in place”) or, in certain cases, you can convert to a different edition.

  You can run Setup to perform a “repair in place” on any edition of Windows Server 2012; the result will be the same edition you started with.

  For Windows Server 2012 Standard, you can the system to Windows Server 2012 Datacenter as follows:

  From an elevated command prompt, determine the current edition name with the command DISM /online /Get-CurrentEdition.

  Make note of the edition ID, an abbreviated form of the edition name. Then run DISM /online /Set-Edition:<edition ID> /ProductKey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX /AcceptEula, providing the edition ID and a retail product key.

  And press Enter :

  Note : About KMS Client setup key , you can find it from : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj612867.aspx

  Press Y and the server will restart twice. When you logon again , the version is converted to Datacenter :

   Enjoy!

   Justin Gao

   Microsoft (China)

  Hi All :

  Today , I am installed a System Center 2012 Operations Manager SP1 Beta on new platform , Windows Server 2012 , SQL Server 2012 and so on .

  Installation phase the same on Windows Server 2008 R2 platform .

  For your reference .

  Please use Adobe Reader X or above version to open.

  Enjoy!

  Justin Gao

  Microsoft (China)

   Hi All :

   Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is the recommended process and toolset for automating desktop and server deployment.

   MDT provides you with the following benefits: 

• Unified tools and processes, including a set of guidance, for deploying desktops and servers in a common deployment console.
• Reduced deployment time and standardized desktop and server images, along with improved security and ongoing configuration management.

   Now , the MDT newest version is MDT 2012 Update 1 , you can order it from : http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=25175

   Some of the key changes in MDT 2012 Update 1 are:

• Added support for Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.
• Support for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1 CTP: Added support in MDT for deploying Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 with Configuration Manager  2012 SP1 CTP, while supporting all new Configuration Manager functionality (offline BitLocker, UEFI, and Assessment and Deployment Kit).
• Support for DaRT 8 Beta: Updated MDT to support DaRT 8 for Windows 8 deployments, while continuing to support DaRT 7 for Windows 7 deployments.  Added DaRT support for Configuration Manager scenarios.
• New “Build Your Own Pages” User-Driven Installation (UDI) feature: Enhanced the UDI wizard and designer to enable IT pros to design their own wizard pages with little effort.
• New System Center 2012 - Orchestrator support: Provided the ability to add steps into an OS deployment task sequence to execute Orchestrator runbooks as part of the deployment process.
• Other improvements: Added support for Windows PowerShell 3.0, reworked Roles and Features installation logic for Windows 8, improved “boot from VHD” deployment scenarios, and added support for Configuration Manager monitoring.

   MDT 2012 Update 1 Deployment Workbench :

   This document will to show you how to using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2012 Update 1 to deploy Windows 8 RTM . (Not contain integration with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager )

   Please use Adobe Reader X or above version to open .

   Enjoy !

   Justin Gao

   Microsoft (China)

    Hi All:

    Exchange Server 2013 preview published , all server components can install on the newest server OS (Windows Server 2012) . If you hope to try it ,you can download it from : http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/evalcenter/hh973395.aspx?wt.mc_id=TEC_116_1_6

    Today , I will to introduction how to installing Exchange Server 2013 preview .

    My test lab environment OS is all Windows Server 2012 datacenter RTM , forest and domain level are Windows Server 2012.

    The first phase is prepare AD , this phase need to running three commands :

     1.PrepareSchema :

      2.PrepareAD :

      3.PrepareDomain :

    When you finished AD preparation , now you will start to install Exchange Server 2013 preview . Because Exchange Server 2013 just have Mailbox and CAS roles , and Microsoft recommand first install Mailbox role .

    Now insert Exchange Server 2013 Preview image to starting install. 

    "STOP!!!!!!!"  I think you may to ask "You need to install Exchange requirements firstly".

    The answer is NO , Exchange Server 2013 more simplifying the installation process. When you start to install , you will into Check for Update ? dialog box :

      Check finished , will copy install file to local :

        Copy finished , will into Introduction dialog box :

    Click Next , will into License Agreement dialog box :

       Accept and click Next , will into Error Reporting dialog box :

     Select your option and click Next , will into Server Role Select dialog box , now you can select your need to installing Exchange role , Mailbox or CAS or both . By default , setup will automatically install Windows Server roles and features :

    Click Next , will into Installation Space and Location dialog box :

    Choose a location and click Next , will into Malware Protection Settings dialog box :

     Select your option and click Next , will into CEIP dialog box :

    Select your option and click Next will into Readiness Checks phase :

      Check if OK you can click install to start installing process , waiting some 10 minutes, install finished :

    Click complete , you can find Exchange Server 2013 preview shortcut in Start :

       The last , Exchange 2013 have not EMC (Exchange Management Console) mmc snap-in console , in 2013 they called EAC (Exchange Admin Center) , you can throw web browse to access , the address is : http(s)://CAS(FQDN)/ecp .

      Now you can build a test lab to testing more new features .

        Enjoy !

        Justin Gao

        Microsoft (China)

   Hi all :

   Windows Server 2012 already RTM , you may want to install more applications to the Windows Server 2012 . SQL Server 2012 is one of the most important applications！

   SQL Server 2012 need .Net Framework 3.5 and .Net Framework 4.0 ; .Net Framework 4.0 is already installed on Windows Server 2012 , so you need to installing .Net Framework 3.5 , even under the Windows Server 2012 OS.

   When you installing SQL Server 2012 on Windows Server 2012 , on Feature Selection dialog box , you can see the .Net Framework 3.5 to be turned on :

      If you Ignore this step , you may encounter Error Code : -2146498298 , like this :

      And the finally , installing failed :

       Now I use DISM command tool to check windows server features status :

       Dism / online /get-features | more

       Run this command , you can see NetFx3ServerFeatures & NetFx3 features not enable :

    Use two commands to enable these two features :

Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3ServerFeatures /source:X:\sources\sxs

Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /source:X:\sources\sxs

  Enable finished , you can check them again :

    You can reinstall SQL Server 2012 ,on the Feature Selection dialog box , you can saw .Net Framework 3.5 already installed :

     Continue to complete the installation.

     Enjoy !

     Justin Gao

     Microsoft (China)