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Create Active Directory

Creating Active Directory
After installing Windows Server 2003 on a standalone server, run the Active Directory Wizard to create a new Active Directory forest or domain, and then convert the Windows Server 2003 computer to the first in the forest A domain controller. To convert a Windows Server 2003 computer to the first domain controller in the forest, follow these steps:

Insert the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM in your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
Click Start , click Run , and type dcpromo .
Click OK to launch the Active Directory Installation Wizard, and then click Next.
Click the domain controller for the new domain, and then click Next.
Click "Domain in new forest" and click Next.
Specify the full DNS name for the new domain. Note that because this process is used to implement a lab environment, rather than integrating the environment into an existing DNS infrastructure, you can use a generic name such as mycompany.local in this setting. Click Next.
Accept the domain's default NetBIOS name (it is "mycompany" if you use the suggestions in step 6). Click Next.
Set the location of the database and log files to the default settings c:\\winnt\ tds folder, and then click Next.
Set the location of the Sysvol folder to the default setting c:\\winnt\\sysvol folder, and then click Next.
Click "Install and configure a DNS server on this computer" and click Next.
Click "Permissions that are only compatible with Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 servers or operating systems", and then click Next.
Because this is a lab environment, leave the administrator password for the directory service recovery mode blank. Please note that in a full production environment, this password should be set by using a secure password format. Click Next.
Check and confirm the selected options, then click Next.
The installation of Active Directory will continue. Please note that this will take a few minutes.
Restart your computer when prompted. After the computer restarts, verify that the Domain Name System (DNS) service location record has been created for the new domain controller. To confirm that the DNS service location record has been created, follow these steps:
1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click DNS to start the DNS Management Console.
2. Expand the server name, expand Forward Lookup Zones, and expand the domain.
3. Confirm that the _msdcs, _sites, _tcp, and _udp folders already exist. These folders and the service location records they contain are critical to the operation of Active Directory and Windows Server 2003.
  
  to add users and computers to the Active Directory domain
  new Active Directory domain is established, create a user account in that domain as an administrative account. Use this account to add computers to the domain when the user is added to the appropriate security group.
  1. To create a new user, follow these steps:
    1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers to start Active Directory Users and Computers Console.
    2. Click on the created domain name and expand these directories.
    3. Right-click User , point to New , and then click User .
    4. Type the new user's first name, last name, and user login name, then click Next.
    5. Type a new password, confirm the password, and then click to select one of the following check boxes:
    6. User must change password at next logon (recommended for most users)
    7. user can not change password
    8. password never expires
    9. account is disabled
      
      click Next.
    10. Check if the information provided is correct for each item, click Finish. After
    11. create a new user, allowing the user account a member of the group to allow users to perform administrative tasks in. Because it controls the lab environment, you can grant full administrative access to the user account by making it a member of the Schema, Enterprise, and Domain Administrators groups. To add an account to the Schema, Enterprise, and Domain Administrators groups, follow these steps:
      1. From the Active Directory Users and Computers console, right-click the new account you created, and then click Properties. .
      2. Click the Member of tab and click Add.
      3. In the Select Group dialog box, specify a group and click OK to add the desired group to the list.
      4. Repeat the selection process for each group in which the user has account membership.
      5. Click OK to finish.
      6. The last step in the process is to add a member server to the domain. This process also applies to workstations. To add a computer to the domain, follow these steps:
        
        Log in to the computer where you want to add it to the domain.
        Right-click My Computer and click Properties.
        Click the Computer Name tab and click Change.
        In the Computer Name Change dialog box, click the domain that belongs to the group below, and then type the domain name. Click OK.
        When prompted, type the username and password for the account you created earlier, then click OK.
        
        message will be displayed welcoming you to the domain.
        Click OK to return to the Computer Name tab and click OK to finish.
        When prompted, restart your computer