- Planning the Server Installation
- Server Hardware Requirements
- Checking Hardware and Software Compatibility
- Understanding Server Licensing Issues
- Choosing to Upgrade or Make a Clean Installation
- Using Supported File Systems
- Performing a Clean Installation
- Performing an Upgrade
- Understanding Windows Product Activation
- Choosing Between a Workgroup and a Domain
- Summary
- Q&A
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Choosing Between a Workgroup and a Domain
One aspect of a server's configuration that you should have determined long before installing Windows Server 2003 is whether the server will be part of a workgroup or domain.
In a workgroup setting, a Windows server 2003 can supply services such as the Internet Connection Sharing feature, the Internet Connection Firewall, and file and print services.
In a domain, a server can be a domain controller, can supply services such as DNS and DHCP, or can serve as a router or remote access server. Windows Server 2003 is built to provide services on a domain, so deploying this server software on a domain really gives you more bang for your buck (instead of running a workgroup using the services that can be deployed by Windows desktop operating systems over an expensive server).
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To make a server part of a workgroup or to add it as a member server to an existing domain, first select Start. Then right-click My Computer and select Properties. The System Properties dialog box opens. Select the Computer Name tab on the System Properties dialog box (see Figure 3.6).
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Figure
3.6 You can view the server's current membership on the Computer Name
tab.
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To change the workgroup membership or to add the server to a domain, click the Change button. The Computer Name Changes dialog box opens (see Figure 3.7). You can change the computer's name and its domain or workgroup affiliation.
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Figure
3.7 You can change the server's name or membership.
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To add the server to an existing domain, select the Domain option button and then type in the name of the domain (you need to provide the Fully Qualified Domain Name of the domain, which includes prefix and suffix). Or, to add the server to a different workgroup, select the Workgroup option button and type in the name of the workgroup. When you complete either choice, click OK. It might take a moment, but you then are welcomed to the domain or the workgroup that you have specified.