As you might be aware, every Microsoft server product has the requirement to be manageable through PowerShell and System Center. The PowerShell requirement is formulated as part of the Common Engineering Criteria (CEC). With PowerShell available as a version 3 product (and part of Windows Server 2012) it’s time to see how the teams, responsible ...

When you build test environments regularly, at some point you’ll want to fill your Active Directory quickly. If, for instance, you have a data set with Organizational Units (OUs), user accounts and groups, you’ll want to quickly import this data. If, on the other hand, in your business you’re allowed to use the user information from a production ...

Microsoft released a KnowledgeBase article titled “ADDSDeployment module with the -Whatif argument shows incorrect DNS results” This KnowledgeBase article describes unexpected behavior in the PowerShell Cmdlets within the ADDSDeployment PowerShell module when you use the -WhatIf argument without specifying the -installdns argument.    ...

Microsoft has issued a new KnowledgeBase article that addresses an issue when you use the Install-ADDSDomain PowerShell Cmdlet from the ADDSDeployment PowerShell module remotely to create a child domain. This issue is related to PowerShell remoting and the fact that the Install-ADDSDomain PowerShell Cmdlet doesn’t perform a pre-check on the ...

The new Domain Controller Promotion process in Windows Server 2012 with the Active Directory Domain Services Configuration Wizard, is a nice new way to promote Windows Server 2012-based hosts to Domain Controllers, since it enables: Remote promotion of Windows Server 2012-based hosts to Domain Controllers Promotion of a group of Windows ...

Ranging from multi-server management to over 2400 PowerShell Cmdlets, Windows Server 2012 delivers on the promise of standards-based management and automation capabilities. Part of the new Domain Controller Promotion process is installing the Active Directory Domain Services role onto a stand-alone or member server. This activity needs to be ...

Back in Windows Server 2008 R2, Managed Service Accounts (MSAs) solved the problem of unsecure service accounts. Managing them was a nightmare, even if you knew what you were doing. Now, In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft addresses a couple of these challenges This blogposts shows how.     What’s New Challenges with service ...

As we’ve seen in part 4 of this series, Active Directory Domain Services in Windows Server 2012 now sports a grand total of 145 PowerShell Cmdlets. Learning these commands and putting them to good use, might seem like a week’s worth, but actually, the PowerShell History Viewer in the Windows Server 2012 Active Directory Administrative Center ...

With Windows PowerShell Scripting being one of the requirements in the current Common Engineering Criteria (CEC), all Microsoft server products need to comply with having Windows PowerShell scripting support. In Windows Server 2012, Active Directory Domain Services expands beyond the 76 Active Directory Management PowerShell Cmdlets and 15 Active ...

Windows Server 2012 can be seen as a major release for Windows Server. Not just in terms of virtualization (Hyper-V 3.0), storage (SMB 3.0 and Storage Spaces) or manageability, but also in terms of Active Directory. There’s a load of new features, improving the lives of many Active Directory admins! Active Directory Domain Services sees a lot of ...