Introduction

This multi-part guide will show you how to install the latest  baseline version of Configuration Manager from Microsoft. The latest available baseline version is  System Center Configuration Manager (Current Branch) version 1802 as of March 29th 2018. You can use this multi-part guide to get a hierarchy up and running on Windows Server 2016 using SQL Server 2017. The concept behind this is to guide you through all the steps necessary to get a working Configuration Manager Primary site installed (for lab use) using manual methods or automated using PowerShell. This gives you the power to automate the bits that you want to automate, while allowing you to manually do other tasks when needed. You decide which path to take. PowerShell knowledge is desired and dare I say required if you are in any way serious about Configuration Manager.

I will show you how to do most steps via two methods shown below, it’s up to you to choose which method suits you best but I highly recommend automating everything that you can, using PowerShell.

•     Method #1 – Do it manually
•     Method #2 – Automate it with PowerShell

Get your lab ready

In this guide I assume you have already installed two WorkGroup joined servers with Windows Server 2016 installed, how you install the operating system is up to you. When installing the servers please choose Windows Server 2016 Standard (Desktop Experience). The servers used in this guide are configured as listed below, the SmoothWall (NAT) is optional.

Server name: AD01

Server function: Domain Controller
Server status: Workgroup joined

• IPv4 Address: 192.168.9.1
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
• Default Gateway: 192.168.9.199
• DNS: 192.168.9.1

Server name: CM01

Server function: Configuration Manager Primary site
Server status: Workgroup joined

• IPv4 Address: 192.168.9.2
• Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
• Default Gateway: 192.168.9.199
• DNS: 192.168.9.1

Server name: Smoothwall

Server function:Linux firewall
Server status: 2 legacy nics

• eth0: 192.168.9.199
• eth1: x.x.x.x (internet facing ip)

Step 1. Configure Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS)

Note: Perform the following steps on the AD01 server as a Local Administrator.

To setup Active Directory Domain Services you could manually click your way through the appropriate wizard in Server Manager or automate it using PowerShell. For your benefit I’ll show you both methods below, all you have to do is choose which one suits you.

Method #1 – Do it manually

Open Server Manager. Click on Add roles and features

On the Before You Begin screen click Next

For Installation Type select Role-based or Feature-based installation

For Server Selection select Select a server from the server pool and choose AD01

For Server Roles select Active Directory Domain Services, when prompted to add features that are required for Active Directory Domain Services select Add Features

Select DNS Server, when prompted to add features that are required for DNS Server, accept the changes by clicking on Add Features

Continue the the wizard by clicking Next

On the Features screen click Next

On the AD DS screen click Next

On the DNS Server screen click Next

On the Confirmation screen click Install

and then click on Close

After it’s finished, perform the Post Deployment Configuration by clicking on Promote this server to a domain controller

select the Add a new forest option, give it a root domain name such as windowsnoob.lab.local

Next, depending on your requirements set the Forest functional level and Domain functional level, I’ve selected the default options below however you may want to configure it differently for your hierarchy,

For the password field use P@ssw0rd,

Click Next when ready, for DNS options, click Next,

Next verify the NetBIOS name and click Next

To specify the location of the AD DS database, log files and so forth, either accept the defaults, or change them to something that suits your hierarchy and click Next.

Next you can review the options (clicking view script will save your actions to a PowerShell script for use later if you wish). Click Next when done.

Next, click Install to begin

Once it is complete making the changes it will automatically reboot the server

 

Method #2 – Automate it with PowerShell

To configure ADDS and DNS automatically, use the ConfigureADDS.ps1 PowerShell script.

1. Copy the script to C:\scripts on AD01

2. Edit the variables in lines 17-24 as desired before running.

3. Start Windows PowerShell ISE as Administrator and run the script by clicking on the green triangle.

Once the script is run, it will automatically reboot.

You can read the rest of this guide @ windows-noob.com here.