How do I perform ACTIVATION on the windows SERVER CORE?

 

To perform the ACTIVATION on the windows SERVER CORE type the following at the command prompt:

slmgr.vbs –ato

If activation is successful, no message will return in the command prompt.

 

OR

 

You can also activate by phone, using a Key Management Service (KMS) server, or remotely by typing the following command at a command prompt of a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008:

cscript windows\system32\slmgr.vbs <ServerName> <UserName> <password>:-ato

How do I configure the FIREWALL on the windows SERVER CORE?

To configure the FIREWALL on the windows SERVER CORE:

Use the following command.

netsh advfirewall

For example, to enable remote management from any MMC snap-in, type the following:

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Remote Administration" new enable=yes

Notes: You can also use the Windows Firewall snap-in from a computer running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 to remotely manage the firewall on a server running a Server Core installation. To do this, you must first enable remote management of the firewall by running the following command on the computer running a Server Core installation:

netsh advfirewall set currentprofile settings remotemanagement enable

How do I install the DHCP Server role on the SERVER CORE ?

To install the DHCP Server role on the SERVER CORE

• At a command prompt, type:

start /w ocsetup DHCPServerCore

• Configure a DHCP scope at the command prompt by using netsh, or by remotely using the DHCP snap-in from Windows Server 2008.

If the DHCP server is installed in an Active Directory domain, you must authorize it in Active Directory.

• The DHCP Server service does not start automatically by default. Use the following procedure to configure it to start automatically and to start the service for the first time.To configure and start the DHCP Server service

At a command prompt, type:

sc config dhcpserver start= auto

Start the service by typing:

net start dhcpserver

• Typing the following at the command prompt will uninstall the DHCP Server role

start /w ocsetup DHCPServerCore /uninstall

How do I join the “SERVER CORE” into an existing “DOMAIN” ?

To join the “SERVER CORE” into an existing DOMAIN:

• At a command prompt, type:
  

netdom join <ComputerName> /domain:<DomainName> /userd:<UserName> /password:*

ComputerName is the name of the server that is running the Server Core installation.
DomainName is the name of the domain to join.
UserName is a domain user account with permission to join the domain.

• When prompted to enter the password, type the password for the domain user account specified by

UserName

• If you need to add a domain user account to the local Administrators group, type the following command:

net localgroup administrators /add <DomainName>\<UserName>

• Restart the computer. You can do this by typing the following at a command prompt:
  

shutdown /r /t 0

Benefits of a Windows Server 2008 SERVER CORE installation

The Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 provides the following BENEFITS:

• Reduced maintenance:

- Because the Server Core installation option installs only what is required to have a manageable server for the AD DS, AD LDS, DHCP Server, DNS Server, File Services, Print Services, and Streaming Media Services roles, less maintenance is required than on a full installation of Windows Server 2008

• Reduced attack surface:

- Because Server Core installations are minimal, there are fewer applications running on the server, which decreases the attack surface.

• Reduced management:

- Because fewer applications and services are installed on a server running the Server Core installation, there is less to manage.

• Less disk space required:

- A Server Core installation requires only about 1 gigabyte (GB) of disk space to install and approximately 2 GB for operations after the installation.