11 steps to the perfect domain controller

Ways to stable and fast Active Directory

Active Directory is in Windows networks essential basis for a stable operation. In order for the AD function optimally, Administrators should install the domain and the domain controller particularly cautious approach. We show the 11 most important steps when you install new domain controllers.

Step 1: Install and set up DNS for Active Directory

To create a new Active Directory, must be the first planned on the first domain controller to be installed the DNS extension. The software is installed via the Server Manager as a server role. Once installed, the management program for the DNS server in Server Manager is to find "tools" of the area.

With the node "Forward Lookup Zones" and "Reverse Lookup Zones" lay administrators of the areas that requires Active Directory for its operation. The first and most important zone is the "forward lookup zone" of the first domain of Active Directory. Click to create these administrators with the right mouse button on "Forward Lookup Zones" and select in the context menu, select "New Zone" from. When creating new domains in Active Directory exclusively primary domains are needed.

On the next page of the wizard, the name of the new zone is set. Here it is extremely important that the name is used as a zone name exactly who was registered as a DNS suffix of the server and will be used as DNS name of the Active Directory domain.

DNS servers running Windows Server 2012 R2 work with dynamic updates. That is, all server names and IP addresses as well as the SRV records from Active Directory are automatically entered into this zone. The installation wizard of Active Directory must be able to create dozens of messages automatically in a zone. Therefore, when creating a new zone should the option "Allow non-secure and secure dynamic updates" are activated . "Allow only secure dynamic updates" can enable administrators only after the creation of Active Directory.

Microsoft Hyper-V 2012 at the Test

The third release of Hyper-V hypervisor introduced in 2008 Mach, Microsoft lost ground against the archrival VMware vSphere and its package. The current version of Hyper-V Windows Server 2012 makes the cloud platform.

Since time immemorial, the release cycles of Hyper-V are the Windows versions bound, so that innovations and rarely come in spurts. With Windows Server 2012, the Microsoft explicitly positioned as a comprehensive platform for private cloud, wins the hypervisor important: He is the driving force behind the virtualization of servers and desktops based on Windows.

Hyper-V 2012
• Hyper-V is a BareMetal hypervisor.
• The Hyper-V Switch extends the networking capabilities of the hypervisor.
• The new file format offers VHDX considerably more disk space for each virtual hard disk
• Hyper-V can delegate storing data to compatible storage systems.
• The sconfig command line is used as setup and configuration tool.
• Hyper-V is installed as a server role through Server Manager

To be against the powerful competition, most notably VMware, say, Microsoft has invested in the expansion of the art and the deeper integration of Hyper-V with the operating system, infrastructure and management solutions. In all important segments Hyper-V has been heavily drilled. It offers about improved live migration features, better scaling, and greater flexibility in networking with network virtualization techniques, advanced storage features as well as a package of new features that will greatly simplify the use in cloud environments.

Select Microsoft server licenses correctly

How will Microsoft server products licensed correct This clarifies the following contribution, taking into account the different rules, styles and approaches to licensing Microsoft servers.

For many products, Microsoft provides the conventional Server licensing with associated user or computer licenses on. There is must be licensed not only individual servers, but also their processors, sometimes the cores, as in SQL Server 2014. In the Standard Edition, you can, for example, buy a server license and for each user a user license (CAL) (see also Microsoft Client Access Licenses - when and which licenses are required). You also have the option to license on a per processor core.

What is ultimately cheaper, you have to calculate with a license specialist. You must license at least four cores per processor; CALs are no longer necessary in this case. The Business Intelligence edition of SQL Server 2014, you can turn to license only after the CAL model. The Enterprise Edition of the new server version only offers the possibility to license by processor cores; you must license at least four cores. That is, you need a license for each core and must purchase four licenses. This also applies if you are installing the product on a single-processor server and only two cores, even if this may be a relatively improbable constellation.