In Windows Server “8” Beta, Microsoft claims 300 new and improved features than Windows Server 2008 R2. In this article, we will install and Configure Active Directory Domain Services on Windows Server “8” Beta domain controller. In Windows Server “8” Beta, Microsoft discontinues (Dcpromo.exe), Active Directory Domain Services Installation Wizard. We hope Microsoft will continue this feature in next version of Windows Server “8” Beta. Therefore, we will use Server Manager Dashboard to promote domain controller in Windows Server “8” Beta.
Before we begin the process, let’s make sure that the TCP/IP and DNS Server addresses are configured properly. Be sure to specify the static IP address for the server.
Because this is the First Domain Controller / DNS Server, the installation process will install the DNS service automatically and update the primary DNS entry for you.
To Configure KTM-DC01-2K8 as a Domain Controller and DNS Server:
1. Open Server Manager Dashboard screen, click Manage and then click Add Roles and Features.
2. On the Before you begin page, click
Next.
3. On the Select installation type page, select
Role-based or features-based installation and click
Next.
4. On the Select destination server page, select
a server from the server pool and click
Next.
5. In the Select server roles page, select
Active Directory Domain Services and click Add Features when prompted, and then click
Next.
6. In the Select features page, click
Next.
7. In the Active Directory Domain Services page, click
Next.
8. In the Confirm installation selections page, click
Install. Wait for the installation to complete.
9. In the Installation progress page, click the
Promote this server to a domain controller.
10. In the Deployment Configuration page, select
Add a new forest and in the Root domain name field, type
msserverpro.com and then click
Next.
11. In the Domain Controller Options page, leave the default values and type
DSRM password and
click Next.
12. In the DNS Option page, click
Next.
13. In the Additional Option page, accept default
NetBIOS domain name and click
Next.
14. On the Paths page, click
Next.
15. In the Review Options page, Review your selections and click
Next.
16. In the Prerequisites Check page, verify
All prerequisite checks passed successfully and then
click Install to start the domain controller promotion. Allow the Installation to complete.
17. Allow the domain controller to restart.
18. After Restart the server verify an Active Directory Installation:
Open Server Manger Dashboard, click
Tools and select
Active Directory Users and Computers. Verify that the new Active Directory Domain has been created and the computer on which we installed Active Directory is listed as a Domain Controller for that domain.

On the Command prompt, type
net share and press
Enter. Verify NETLOGON and SYSVOL folder.
19. Open DNS Manager to configure Reverse Lookup Zones:
In the console tree of DNS Manager, expand
KTM-DC01-2K8, and click
Reverse Lookup Zones.
Right-click
Reverse Lookup Zones, and then click
New Zone.

On the Welcome to the New Zone Wizard page, click
Next.

On the Zone Type page, select
Primary Zone, and then click
Next.
On the Active Directory Zone Replication Scope, select
To all DNS servers running on domain controllers in this domain: msserverpro.com and click
Next.

On the
Reverse Lookup Zone Name page, make sure
IPv4 Reverse Lookup Zone is selected, and then click
Next.

On the Reverse Lookup Zone Name page, in the
Network ID field, type the start of the subnet range of your network (in this case, 192.168.xx), and then click
Next.

On the Dynamic Update page, select
Allow only secure dynamic updates (recommended for Active Directory) and click
Next.

On the Completing the New Zone Wizard page, click
Finish.

Expand Reverse Lookup Zones, right click on
214.168.192.in-addr.arpa, and select
New Pointer (PTR), type the
IP Address of the KTM-DC0102K8 (Domain Controller), click
Browse, then select
KTM-DC01-2K8 and click
OK twice.

After Configured Reverse Lookup Zones at first time, Open
Command Prompt, type
nslookup to verify the DNS configuration.
Summary:
We will be using Windows Server 8 soon. This session showed you new ways of configuring Domain Controllers in Windows Server 8 using a little different approach than the ones we are used to. There is no “DCPromo.Exe” – Your all familiar tool. Rather, Dashboard makes it even more convenient.
thank you very much sir.
you really made it very easy to install active directory in windows server 2012 .
it would be more better if u could add something as how to build policy .
thank you so very much.