I usually complete a worksheet.
Kind of like this one.
Prior to any server installation notice the first column.
This isn't the first question that you're asked during a server installation in fact adding roles and
features are the last part of a new server deployment.
But that said roles and features and identifying what your server is going to do and what your server
is going to be should be the first part of your plan.
Each role and each application will have its own set of requirements.
Some like DNS and DHS S.P. have a very small footprint and may be able to coexist on a server possibly
even with other roles.
Others have varying demands.
File sharing is likely to require high volumes of storage and fast network interfaces while acting as
a domain controller may require enhanced local security and controlled access planning which roles you're
going to add to a server should be done with these considerations of the security needs of the hardware
needs of the processing and memory as well as storage needs from the individual servers.
Actually installing the role once you've made these decisions is quite easy.
Adding a role or feature can be done from the server manager or from power show here in the desktop
experience.
You can add any role or feature from right here in the server manager from either selecting step two.
Notice again Step 1 was configure the server and that is the server name the network configuration and
so on step to add roles or features or if you've wandered off from this screen the manage menu has ADD
roles and features right here at the top of the list.
This wizard starts with a welcome screen which most people read once and then check the box to never
have to see it again and then moves on to the question of whether you're installing a role or a feature
a purpose for this server to conduct or if you're installing an application that needs to be available
to remote desktop clients.
If you're installing Microsoft Office for a desktop as a service environment this is what you would
select remote desktop for but we want to add a role or a feature to this server so we'll remain with
the top choice moving on to the next screen.
We get to select which server we would like to install a role or feature on.
Now in this single server environment that we've just begun to construct that seems like a very easy
choice.
But when you start managing multiple servers you can add your entire datacenter worth of servers into
this list and you can add roles or features to any server you like from this same wizard in this window
you can add any other windows 2012 server.
Now that includes 2012 and 2012 R2 as well as any other 2016 or 2019 servers that you want to manage
and then you can move forward and select the roles and the features roles are on a separate tab from
features you can select which components you'd like to add to the server for the most part when you
select a role you're going to be prompted for some prerequisites or some management tools.
In this case for hyper v it wants to add the power shell module which is the collection of command lists
and functions that you'll need to use in power shell to manage this role.
And it gives you the desktop the gooey management tools and we could move forward from there.
But let me back up and show you a couple of others.
If I was to select the web server it only adds the management console the tools that I need to administer
that particular role.
If I were to pick something a little more involved say Active Directory Domain Services it's going to
add a bigger list of tools other prerequisites might also be added to this list configuring any one
of these roles requires at least the same kind of planning that's used in preparing for the installation
of the server itself.
What's it going to do what resources does it need.
What are the clients going to need for this to function failure to do this kind of planning on a production
server would put an administrator in a category my grandfather used to warn me about.
He said that many people who don't take the time to do something right will often be forced to take
the time to do it over.
That's sage advice whether you're building a shed or deploying a certificate authority new versions
of Windows Server mean new features and upgraded versions of the roles you already know.
Sometimes you may assume the installation is pretty much the same as you've seen in previous versions
and so you go ahead and install the roll and then you have to pause to go figure out the roll configuration
maybe catch up on some prerequisites before you can finish and configure the role.
There is a better sequence of events here.
Understanding what the role will require allows you to complete the prerequisites first then install
the role and then conduct whatever configuration is necessary.
There is a prime example of this Active Directory Domain Services has gone through a few changes since
Windows Server 2016.
Now you could install the role and then pause the process to go back and update Active Directory so
that you can promote that machine to domain controller and you could get away with doing it like that.
But there are other roles like ADFA s that upgrade differently.
ADF s is an identity role.
It allows you to create single sign on relationships with outside entities.
It allows you to secure web based applications inside your own environments and more.
And this is another role that has changed from Windows Server 2016 to 2019.
But its upgrade or migration path is different with ADF s.
You install the roll on a new server join the cluster.
In this case the cluster is known as a farm and by joining that farm that 2019 server will automatically
take over and be the primary server in the cluster allowing you to decommission the old one and once
there are no old servers in the mix you can upgrade the functional level.
Take the time to figure out which roles require extensive migration processes.
Consider which roles can coexist on a server with others.
Study out each role learn its requirements learn the processes before you get started.
The concept of measure twice and cut once has applications far beyond just carpentry.