To begin with install Windows 2008 without activating it by running the setup and when prompted for an activation key do not enter anything and then click No to the message that appears. The 60 day trial period begins when the setup process has finished. Microsoft provide a script that can tell you how long you have left before your activation period expires to run the script open a command prompt and type the following slmgr.vbs –dli you might have to wait a moment while the script runs.

You will then see a dialog box showing you the time remaining until activation is required.

To extend your activation period for a further 60 days you can use the same script but with the –rearm switch as shown below (only do this when your first 6-0 day activation period is nearly finished though!)

Microsoft has an XML code example on their site available here http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/948472 that can be used with task scheduler to make this process happen automatically.

• The 32 bit version supports a maximum of 4Gb of RAM and up to Four processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.
• The 64 bit version supports a maximum of 32Gb of RAM and up to Four processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.
• This edition supports NLB (Network Load Balancing) but does not support failover clustering.

Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition

• The 32 bit version supports a maximum of 64Gb of RAM and up to Eight processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.
• The 64 bit version supports a maximum of 2Tb of RAM and up to Eight processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.
• Support for failover clustering.
• Support for Active Directory Federation Services.

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition

• The 32 bit version supports a maximum of 64Gb of RAM and up to Thirty Two processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.
• The 64 bit version supports a maximum of 2Tb of RAM and up to Sixty Four processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration. 
• Support for failover clustering.
• Support for Active Directory Federation Services.
• Unlimited virtual image rights.

Windows Server 2008 Web Edition

• The 32 bit version supports a maximum of 4Gb of RAM and up to Four processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.
• The 64 bit version supports a maximum of 32Gb of RAM and up to Four processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.
• Support for NLB (network Load Balancing) clusters

Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems

• Supports a maximum of 2Tb of RAM and up to Sixty Four Itanium processors in a Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) configuration.

The editions above are available in a Server Core edition. The server core edition is a stripped down version of Windows Server 2008 and is administered from a Command Shell.

You can remove features by typing ocsetup /uninstall DHCPServerCore

To see a list of features that have been installed type oclist. The table below shows all of the possible features that can be installed.

 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=9FF6E897-23CE-4A36-B7FC-D52065DE9960&displaylang=en 

RSAT requires Winodws Vista with a minimum of service pack 1. If you want to administer Server 2008 from Windows XP you need to use AdminPak available from here

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=c16ae515-c8f4-47ef-a1e4-a8dcbacff8e3&displaylang=en 

You can also administer Server 2008 from another Windows 2008 Server using the Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

For this post I have configured a Windows 2008 domain and added a Windows Vista client (with SP1) to the domain, I have also configured a Server Core installation as a member server and installed the DNS server role using the SmartX CoreConfigurator. Begin by installing RSAT on the Vista client and then go to Programs and Features under control panel and click on Turn Windows features on and off. The dialog below will appear we should now select the Administration tools that we require (in this case DNS) checking all of the tools increases the attack surface.

To see the new DNS administration tool on the Start menu or Program Files right click on the Start menu icon and select properties in the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog click the Start Menu tab and select Customise in the Customise Start menu dialog scroll down to the bottom and select Display on the All programs menu under System administrative tools (or Display on the All Programs menu and the Start Menu if you prefer)

You can now go to Start > All Programs > Administrative Tools > DNS and a dialog will appear asking you to connect to a DNS server. Just type the name of the server in the box and now you can administer Windows Server 2008 Core DNS role from a more familiar GUI.

http://www.vmware.com/download/eula/moviedecoder_v55.html

Some of the information used in this post is taken from a Microsoft Technet article which can be found here:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816722(WS.10).aspx

There are a number of requirements that need to be considered before using IFM these are as follows.

• You can use IFM to create the first Domain controller in the domain
• The domain controller you are setting up with IFM must be a member of the same domain
• If the new Domain Controller is to be a Global Catalog server the IFM media must be created using an existing GC
• If the new Domain Controller is to be a DNS server you must create the installation media on a DC that is already a DNS server for the domain
• To create installation media for a full (writable) DC, you must run the ntdsutil ifm command on a writable domain controller that is running Windows Server 2008 or 2008 R2
• To create installation media for a Read Only Domain controller (RODC) you can run the ntdsutil ifm command on either a writable domain controller or a RODC that is running Windows Server 2008 or R2. For the RODC installation media ntdsutil removes any cached secrets, such as passwords.
• You can use a 32bit domain controller to create the media for a 64bit one and vice versa
• To include the SYSVOL folder, the domain controller on which you generate the installation media and the domain controller that you plan to create must be running at least the release candidate (RC) version of windows Server 2008.

I started by using a virtual machine to set up a Windows 2008 DC, I then created a new OU in Active Directory with three users in as shown below.

Now open a command prompt as an Administrator and type the following then press return.

The output below will be displayed

I then logged in to the other server that I want to promote and copied the IFM folder from the first DC to the root of the C: drive. If the DC was in a different building or even a different continent you could burn the contents of this folder to DVD this means that when the new server is promoted replication traffic will be kept to a minimum.

Now run dcpromo /adv this will install Active Directory on the new server using Advanced Mode which will allow us to use IFM.

Click Next and Next again on the Operating System Compatibility dialog. On the next screen select the options below.

On the next screen configure the domain name that you are joining the new DC to and set the Alternate credentials then click next. Click Next on the Select a Domain screen & the Select a Site screen.

On the Additional Domain Controller Options screen you can select if you want  the DC to be a Global Catalog server a DNS server or a Read Only Domain Controller (RODC) select the appropriate options and click next.

The Install From Media dialog will appear now we want to select Replicate data from media at the following location and specify the IFM folder we created earlier (or the DVD drive if it was burnt to DVD)

On the next screen choose a replication partner for the new DC.

Click next to accept the default location for the AD database and log files and configure a Directory Services Restore mode password then click Next on the Summary screen. The AD installation will begin and the information will be copied into AD from the IFM folder we created. Only objects that have been created on other DCs within the domain since we created the IFM folder will be replicated to this new DC

Below is a link to a movie showing the whole process.

windows_server_2008_install_from_media

http://www.smart-x.com/?CategoryID=198&ArticleID=170&sng=1 

The program is free for non commercial use so if you are going to use it commercially you need to buy a licence.

I installed it on a server core virtual machine by burning the .iso file to CD and installing it as shown below.

Once you click Next the program will install and you will see the screen below. You have to re-login and to run the program you have to type CoreCFG at the command prompt.

When you log back in the Core Configurator will start and make configuring server core a whole lot easier.

Please remember that this program is NOT free for commercial use.