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Windows 2008/R2 Server Core

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Windows 2008/R2 Server Core

Server core is a an operating system which is having minimal components of a server 2008/R2 and uses less hardware requirements and less maintenance tasks.
It is mostly cmd based and there are only few options which are coming as a GUI (Ex. Time and Date).

Available server roles in Server Core

  • Active Directory (AD)
  • Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS)
  • DHCP Server
  • DNS Server
  • File Services
  • Hyper-V
  • Print Services
  • Streaming Media Services
  • Web Server (IIS)
  • Active Directory Certificate Services

Advantages of Server Core

  • Minimal usage of hardware
  • Less maintenance tasks
  • Reduces the attack interface
  • Requires less disk space(4-5 GB)

 

Server core initial configuration with CMD/PowerShell

Initial Configuration. To do the initial configuration (change hostname, ip address, rename network, activate) we can use cmd and PowerShell. But in Windows 2008 R2 there is a tool called sconfig.cmd which is giving easier options to the same configuration.

How to

Change computer name

 

Get the computer name type hostname name and press enter

 

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Rename computer- type netdom renamecomputer WIN-1MKA1D339E9 /newname EAGLE

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WIN-1MKA1D339E9 IS A PREVIOUS NAME AND EAGLE IS A NEW COMPUTER NAME

Press y and press enter

 

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For restart the computer type shutdown –r –t 00

 

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IP Configuration

Type netsh(Network shell) and press enter

 

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Type int ipv4 and press enter

 

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Type add address “local area connection” 192.168.1.100 255.255.255.0 (“local area connection” is a name of a local area connection. This can be find from typing ipconfig /all command)

 

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For adding gateway type add address “local area connection” gateway=192.168.1.1 gwmetric-1

 

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For adding dnsserver type add dnsserver “local area connection” 8.8.8.8(8.8.8.8 is a google dns server you can add your own server)

 

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Enable remote desktop (cscript c:\windows\system32\scregedit.wsf /ar 0)

Activate the server

Now type slmgr.vbs /ato(This will automatically activate your server for 180 days(Trial Period).Make sure that your server is connected with the internet)

SCONFIG.CMD

Using sconfig.cmd its easy to completed most of the command tasks in server core. It doesn't have GUI,but its only asking options based on the no's(EX-to get the network details we have to press 8)

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee441254(WS.10).aspx


Core configurator
http://coreconfig.codeplex.com/[

RSAT
](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2494162)http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=7887[

](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2494162)

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