Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services

2. System Installation

Posted by Benny Tritsch on September 10, 2008; updated on December 31, 2008

[System Installation] [Requirements] [Installation Phases] [Server Manager]

2.1. Installation Requirements

Read in this lesson...

1. Prerequisites
2. Installation Options
3. Upgrade Paths

 

To successfully install Windows Server 2008, you need to make sure that you have the adequate hardware platform acting as a target. If your server hardware has less than the minimum requirements, you will not be able to install the operating system correctly.

Prerequisites

To install Windows Server 2008, a suitable hardware platform is essential. The following list includes the recommended features for different hardware components. It is assumed that the Standard edition and Enterprise edition are the most widely used options of terminal servers. The Datacenter edition is mentioned only for the sake of completeness.

• Processor: For the Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions, 32-bit and 64-bit processors are supported. The maximum number of processor sockets is 4 on Standard edition, 8 on Enterprise edition, 32 on x86 Datacenter edition and 64 on x64 Datacenter edition. The minimum recommended clock rate is 1GHz (x86 processor) or 1.4GHz (x64 processor), 2GHz or faster is recommended.
• Main memory: The minimum is 512MB RAM, however 2GB or greater is recommended. The maximum for x86 Standard edition is 4GB, and 64GB for x86 Enterprise and Datacenter editions. All x64 editions of Windows Server 2008 support significantly larger amounts of memory, 32GB for Standard edition, and 2TB for Enterprise and Datacenter editions.
• Disk space: The approximate disk space requirements for the system partition are 10GB, but 40GB or greater are recommended. Computers with more than 16GB of RAM may require more disk space for paging and dump files. These figures represent requirements for the operating system only and do not include disk space for swap space, application programs, potential local user profiles, and local user data.
• Drive: For standard installation procedures a DVD-ROM drive is required. If the installation is performed through the network, no DVD-ROM drive is necessary.
• Network: At least one available network adapter is required to install Windows Server 2008.
• Display and Peripherals: Installing Windows Server 2008 requires a Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher-resolution monitor, a keyboard and a Microsoft Mouse or compatible pointing device. Later Windows Server 2008 can be operated in a headless mode, which means that no input device is required. In this case, the management of the server is done remotely.

During installation you will be asked if you want to join a Windows domain or a workgroup. If you decide to join an existing domain, you need a domain name and an account for the server you want to install. The former can be obtained from the administrator of the domain name system (DNS), the latter from the domain administrator. You need both before you can install your new system. You can only generate a domain name and a server account during installation if you have domain administrator privileges.

NOTE: To join a domain, you need to make sure that a domain controller is available and that a server with DNS service is activated on your network.

If you are on a small network that has no domain or if you prefer to join the domain later, you can join a workgroup. You can select the name of an existing workgroup or create a new workgroup.

Before you install the server, you should also decide on a password for the local administrator account. The password should conform to general security guidelines to protect your server from potential attacks right from the start. If you enter a non compliant password, a corresponding message will appear. If you leave the password blank, you will not be able to access the server later using Terminal Services from a remote client.

NOTE: Like Microsoft, I do not advice to install Terminal Services on a domain controller. Better plan to install Terminal Services in application server mode on a member server or a standalone server, but never on a domain controller. When installed on a domain controller, Terminal Services performance is affected because of the additional memory, network traffic, and processor cycles required to performing the tasks of a domain controller. Additionally, security settings may be affected in a negative way.

Installation Options

The Windows Server 2008 operating system is delivered with all necessary components on one DVD-ROM. There are different installation methods, depending on the current configuration.

• Boot from a bootable DVD-ROM drive and perform a manual installation. The computer system must have the corresponding hardware to support this option.
• Unattended installation
• Network installation

In many environments, terminal servers are installed on enterprise-class system rather than on standard PC-based hardware. There are simple reasons for this. Enterprise-class servers are systems specifically built for large networks. They are designed for being extremely scalable and may even include redundant components due to unexpected issues which cause the server to fail. This means that an enterprise-class server usually contains advanced hardware, such as Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID). Implementing RAID is a best practice when deploying an enterprise class server, but missing or inadequate RAID drivers will prevent a successful installation of Windows Server 2008.

Typically, enterprise-class servers are shipped with their own management software tools which, among other important tasks, are used to install drivers. To configure RAID prior to the operating system installation sequence, you most probably will have to use the server BIOS or a management utility that came with the server. This being said, you must make sure that you have all of the drivers and software needed for the deployment of Windows Server 2008.

When installing Windows Server 2008, you may encounter issues even if you believe you fulfill the requirements mentioned previously. These issues may be created by one of the following reasons.

• You are trying to install Windows Server 2008 on an unsupported file system such as FAT.
• You have a corrupted installation media, such as a DVD-ROM or an ISO image.

Upgrade Paths

Make sure that you are following the correct upgrade paths.

• Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition (R2, SP1 or SP2) can be upgraded to a full installation of Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition or Enterprise Edition.
• Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition (R2, SP1 or SP2) can be upgraded to a full installation of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition.
• Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition (R2, SP1 or SP2) can be upgraded to a full installation of Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition. 

 

 

 

Read in this chapter...
2	System Installation
2.1	Installation Requirements
2.2	System Installation Phases
2.3	Server Manager and Server Roles