Windows Server Basics

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/deploy-windows-serve

What is Windows Server?

Windows Server enhances network management, featuring Active Directory for automated user and resource management, and Server Manager for easy administration of server roles on any machine.

Exploring Windows Server

Editions, Versions, and Hardware Requirements

Editions:

  • Windows Server 2022

  • Windows Server 2019

  • Windows Server 2016

Versions:

It has three versions: Essentials, Standard, and Data Center.

Feature
Essentials
Standard
Datacenter

Maximum Supported RAM

64 GB

24 TB

24 TB

Minimum Supported RAM

512 MB

512 MB

512 MB

Maximum Supported CPU Sockets

2

64

64

Minimum Supported CPU Sockets

1

1

1

Minimum Disk Space

32GB

32GB

32GB

Hyper-V

No

Yes

Yes

Price

Lowest

Moderate

Highest

Windows Server 2022, 2019, and 2016 share similar hardware requirements. For Windows Server 2022 (Essentials, Standard, and Datacenter), specifications include a 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor, 512 MB RAM (2 GB for Desktop Experience), and 32 GB disk space.

Windows Server 2019 and 2016 editions also exhibit comparable hardware specifications for processor, RAM, and disk space across Essentials, Standard, and Datacenter editions. Despite minor differences, overall hardware requirements remain consistent across these Windows Server versions.

Windows Server Installation and Configuration

Installation Media: You can install Windows Server from a DVD, USB device, or DVD image.

Installation Options: Choosing Between Server Core and Desktop Experience

  • Server Core:

    • Minimal installation with essential components and services only.

    • No traditional desktop interface.

    • Managed remotely through command line, PowerShell, or GUI tools like RSAT and Windows Admin Center.

  • Server with Desktop Experience:

    • Standard graphical user interface and comprehensive toolset.

    • Includes client experience features.

    • Suitable for scenarios requiring a GUI for management or specific applications incompatible with Server Core.

Partition and Volume: During the installation of Windows Server Essentials, it is crucial to choose the appropriate hard drive for the Windows operating system installation. It is advised to allocate a minimum of 60 GB for the C: volume. It is also recommended to establish two partitions on the operating system disk, emphasizing that the C: partition should not be utilized for storing any business-related data.

  • Minimum RAM: 512 MB (2 GB for Server with Desktop Experience installation option)

  • To ensure a successful installation of Windows Server 2022 on a virtual machine, avoid using the minimum supported hardware parameters (1 processor core and 512 MB RAM).

Instead, either allocate more than 800 MB RAM during installation, adjusting it later as needed.

Step-by-Step Guide: Installing Windows Server on Hyper-V Virtual Machine

Visit the official Microsoft Evaluation Center at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/download-windows-server-2022 to access the ISO image for Windows Server

Things to ensure in your Windows PC before you start before you start:

  • Hyper-V is installed.

  • 64-bit Processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)

  • Sufficient RAM (Memory)

  • Virtualization Technology (VT) Enabled in BIOS/UEFI

  • Adequate Disk Space

  • Decent CPU Performance

Let’s get started

Step1: Install Hyper-V

Steps to install Hyper-V:

  1. Open the Control Panel

  2. Click on "Programs."

  1. Click on "Turn Windows features on or off."

  1. Check the "Hyper-V" option.

  1. Click "OK" and wait for the installation to be completed.

Step2: Create a VM

  1. Open Hyper-V manager

  2. In the Actions pane, click on "New" and then "Virtual Machine."

  1. The New Virtual Machine Wizard will open. Click "Next" to start the setup.

  1. Enter a name for your virtual machine and choose a location to store the VM files. If you want to store the VM somewhere other than the default folder, select the "Store the virtual machine in a different location" option and browse. Click "Next."

  1. Choose the generation for your virtual machine. Select "Generation 2" for improved performance, enhanced security features, UEFI support, compatibility with newer operating systems, and streamlined virtualization. Click "Next"

  1. Specify the amount of memory (RAM) for the VM. Optionally, you can choose dynamic memory by selecting the "Use Dynamic Memory for this virtual machine" checkbox. Dynamic memory allows the VM to use only the memory it needs, optimizing resource utilization. Click "Next"

  1. Choose to connect the VM to a network switch. Click "Next."

  1. Create a virtual hard disk by setting the size and name according to your requirements. Optionally, you can choose to use an existing virtual hard disk. This is a quick way to recover a crashed virtual machine, enabling you to recreate the virtual machine with the same configuration and data for a faster recovery process. Click "Next."

  1. Choose an operating system to install (2) since you will be installing Windows Server. Click "Next"

1. Install an operating system later:

Postpone OS installation for later setup steps.

2. Install an operating system from a bootable image file:

Use a local image (like an ISO) for immediate OS installation.

3. Install an operating system from a network-based installation server:

Rely on a network server for remote OS deployment in large environments.

  1. Review the settings and click "Finish" to create the virtual machine.

Step 3: Install Windows Server

  1. In Hyper-V Manager, select the new VM, right-click on the actions pane and select "start" button to power on the VM.

  1. Press any key on the keyboard to start the boot process

  1. Press "Enter"

  1. Choose the language and click "next"

  1. Click "Install Now"

  1. Select the operating system as per your requirements and click "next"

  1. Accept the terms and click "next"

  1. Choose custom installation- This choice provides flexibility in tailoring the installation to your preferences. Ideal for users seeking more control, it allows customization of components for a personalized setup."

  1. "Choose the drive for OS installation; you have the option to create a new partition from the allocated space, separating OS files from other data. While crucial for business-critical tasks, in this instance, no modifications will be made to the drive. "Click "next"

  1. Wait for the installation to complete

  1. Once the installation is completed, configure the administrator password

  1. Sign in and the installation is completed succefully.

Optimizing Your Installed Virtual Machine

After installation, your new virtual machine will have 1 virtual processor and the Guest services will be disabled by default.

Note: Make sure that the VM is turned off whenever you are changing any settings in your Hyper-V virtual machine.

Adding a processor

Step 1: Adding a Processor

  1. Right-click on the virtual machine where you want to add a processor.

  2. Click on Settings

  1. Choose Processor

  2. Add the number of processors as needed (for this example, we used 2 processors)

  3. Click Apply

Enabling Guest Services

Enabling the Guest Services feature in your Hyper-V virtual machine provides an interface between the host operating system and the Virtual machine in your Hyper-V, this gives you the capability to copy files bidirectionally to or from the virtual machine.

Step1: Enabling Guest Services

1. Right-click on the virtual machine where you want to add the feature.

2. Click on Settings

  1. Select Integration Services by clicking on Integration Services.

  2. Click on the Guest Services box to enable the feature

  3. Click Apply

Configuring the Dynamic Memory

The earlier example shows that Dynamic Memory was enabled when the virtual machine was installed. The Dynamic Memory feature dynamically allocates or reclaims memory resources on the running virtual machines. Unused memory is reclaimed from virtual machines which do not perform intensive operations and reallocates the resource to the virtual machines that need it most and this happens real-time.

There would be cases where a virtual machine would need its own allocated memory due to the need for this resource to run its service (e.g. Exchange Server), for these cases Dynamic Memory could be disabled.

Step1: Disabling Dynamic Memory

  1. Right-click on the virtual machine where you want to add/remove the feature.

  2. Click on Settings

  1. Click on Memory

  2. Disable Dynamic memory by unchecking the Enable Dynamic Memory check box.

  3. Click Apply

Note: Enabling Dynamic Memory can be done by doing the same steps and checking the Enable Dynamic Memory check box.

Step-by-Step Guide: Installing Windows Server VM on VMware

Things to ensure in your host machine before you start:

1)Ensure VMware Workstation or VMware Player is installed on your host machine. Windows Server 2022 ISO:

Things to keep in mind before installing VMware workstation or VMware Player

VMware Workstation Pro prerequisites:

  • Requires a minimum of 4 GB of physical RAM for installation.

  • Does not support running on a Windows host with the Hyper-V capability enabled, unless using the Windows Hypervisor Platform (WHP) APIs.

The hardware requirements for installing VMware Workstation Pro and VMware Player are not the same, with Workstation Pro having higher minimum requirements. VMware Player is free while the Pro version is paid version.

In the below setup, we will be using VMware Workstation Pro 17

Step1: Creating a VM on VMware Workstation

  1. Open VMware Workstation

  2. Select 'Create a New Virtual Machine'

  1. The VM wizard will open. Click 'Next'

  1. The Hardware compatibility dialog box will open. Click 'next'

  1. Select "Installer disc image file (iso)" and browse to the location where you saved the Windows Server 2022 ISO

  1. Give the VM a name and store the VM in the required directory with Browse. Click 'Next'

  1. Select the Firmware Type. UEFI is recommended to be selected since it is the newer version

  1. Choose the number of processors as 2, rest of it keep as default

  1. Increase the memory to 2GB or 2048MB for better speed

  1. NAT(ii) is the default network type selected

  • Bridged: Gets a unique local IP, behaving as a separate device on the physical network.

  • NAT (Network Address Translation): Shares host's IP, providing internet access without a unique

  • Host-Only: Creates an isolated network for communication between the virtual machine and the host, without external network access.

  1. I/o controller types should be left as default. Click 'Next'

  1. Disk type should also be left as default. Click 'Next'

  1. 'Create a new virtual disk' option is selected by default. Click 'Next'

  1. Disk Capacity options should also be left as default. Click 'Next'

  1. Click 'Next'

  1. Summarize the configuration and click 'Finish'

We have successfully created the VM for Windows Server

Now lets install the OS on the VM. Power on the virtual machine and follow the same boot process as Hyper-V Windows Server VM

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