How to Install Active Directory in Windows Server 2019

This article will show you how to install your first Windows Server 2019 Active Directory (AD) domain controller (DC). We’ll be installing and configuring AD with Server Manager, you must be running a version of Windows Server 2019 or 2016 that contains the Desktop Experience server role.

Alternatively, you can set up AD in Windows Server 2019 Server Core using Server Manager running on a remote device.

There are two steps to installing AD in Windows Server 2019. The first is to install the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) server role. The second step is to configure your server as a domain controller. An AD domain must have at least one DC. Your server will be the first DC in a new AD forest.
You will need to have an account with administrator privileges in Windows Server 2019.

Install the Active Directory Domain Services role

Let’s get started with installing and configuring AD.

• Log in to Windows Server 2019 with a local administrator account.
• Click the Start menu, find the Server Manager in the list of installed apps and click it.
• In Server Manager, click the Manage menu in the top-right corner and select Add Roles and Features from the menu.

• In the Add Roles and Features Wizard option, click Next on the Before You Begin screen.
• On the Installation Type screen, make sure that Role-based or feature-based installation is selected and click Next.

• On the Server Selection screen, make sure that your Windows Server is selected in the list and click Next.
• On the Server Roles screen, check Active Directory Domain Services in the list of roles.
• In the Add Roles and Features Wizard popup dialog, make sure that Include management tools (if applicable) are checked, and then click Add Features.

• Click Next on the Server Roles screen to continue.
• Click Next on the Features screen.
• Read the information on the AD DS screen and click Next.

• Now click Install on the Confirmation screen.
• When the installation is complete, close the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

Configure Active Directory in Windows Server 2019

After installing the AD DS role in Windows Server 2019, you may set up your first AD domain controller. Let’s go back to Server Manager and start the configuration.

• Back in Server Manager, you should see a yellow exclamation mark by the notifications flag in the top-right corner. Click it and then click Promote this server to a domain controller.

• In the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard dialog, check to mark the Add a new forest under Select the deployment operation.
• In the Root domain name box, type the Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) for your new AD forest. I’m going to use techybirb.local for my AD domain name. Click Next to continue.

• On the Domain Controller Options, enter the Directory Services Restore Mode (DSRM) password. You will need this if you want to restore AD from a backup. Click Next to continue.
• On the DNS Options screen, ignore the delegation warning and click Next.
• On the Additional Options screen, click Next to accept the assigned NetBIOS name.
• Click Next on the Paths screen to accept the default database, log files, and SYSVOL folder locations.

• Now click Next on the Review Options screen.

The wizard will run some prerequisite checks to make sure AD can be installed on the server. Hopefully, your server will pass, and you can continue installing AD. It’s normal to get a few warnings, as shown in the image below. You will not be able to proceed with the installation if the server fails the prerequisite checks.

• Now click Install to configure AD on the server. The server will automatically reboot to complete the installation process.

Once Windows Server has rebooted, log in with the domain administrator account. The domain administrator account is assigned the same password as the built-in administrator account.

Adding other Servers under AD Domain

• Go to the VM that you want to add under the AD Domain.
• Go to Firewall setting and click windows defender firewall properties.
• Turn off firewall state in Domain profile, Private profile, and Public profile.
• Go to Windows System properties, select Remotes, and turn on Allow remote connections to this computer.

Configure a static IP address

• Log in to Windows Server 2019 with a local administrator account.
• Right-click the network icon in the system tray in the bottom right of the taskbar and click Open Network & Internet settings.
• In the left pane of the Settings app, click Ethernet under Network & Internet.
• In the right pane under Related settings, click Change adapter options.

• In the Network Connections, right-click your server’s network adapter and select Properties from the menu.
• In the Ethernet Properties dialog, click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4), and click Properties.
• Examine the Use the DNS server addresses listed below, and set the Preferred DNS server to the same IP address as Windows Server. As an example, I’ll use 172.168.23.8. Click OK.

• Check the connection between the two servers (VM) using the command prompt. For example, enter Ping 172.168.23.8 and press OK. The result should be 0% Loss.

Changing the domain name

• Go to the system settings: select Change Settings, and System Properties. Click change under Computer name.

• Select the Domain option and enter the domain name- in my case domain is techybirb.local click OK and restart the VM.

Check the Active Directory Users and Computers in the server manager of the VM in which AD Domain Services is configured.

Read More: Windows 11: How to install the new Insider Preview build