Archives August 2022

1. Install Windows Deployment Services Role:

• Open Server Manager on a Windows Server machine.
• Click on “Add roles and features.”
• Select “Windows Deployment Services” as the role to install.
• Follow the wizard to complete the installation.

2. Configure Windows Deployment Services:

• After installing the role, open the Windows Deployment Services console from the Server Manager.
• Right-click on the server name and select “Configure Server.”
• Follow the wizard to configure the server.
• Choose the location to store the images (you can use the default location).
• Select “Integrated with Active Directory” if you want to use Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to authorize clients and manage computer accounts.
• Specify the DHCP server settings. You can choose to configure DHCP options 60, 66, and 67, or you can manually configure DHCP options if you’re using a separate DHCP server.

3. Add Boot and Install Images:

• In the Windows Deployment Services console, expand the server name.
• Right-click on “Boot Images” and select “Add Boot Image.”
• Browse to the location of the Windows installation files and select the boot image (boot.wim) file.
• Repeat the process to add the install image (install.wim) file for the Windows version you want to deploy.

4. Configure DHCP Options (if not done in step 2):

• If you didn’t configure DHCP options during the WDS configuration, you’ll need to do it manually on your DHCP server.
• Configure option 60 to PXEClient.
• Configure option 66 to the IP address of the WDS server.
• Configure option 67 to boot\x64\pxeboot.n12 for BIOS-based systems or boot\x64\wdsmgfw.efi for UEFI-based systems.

5. PXE Boot and Install Windows:

• Boot the client computer from the network (PXE boot). This usually involves pressing a key (e.g., F12) during startup to access the boot menu and selecting the network boot option.
• The client will contact the WDS server and load the boot image.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to select the install image and complete the Windows installation.

6. Monitor Deployment:

• Use the Windows Deployment Services console to monitor the deployment process and view the status of client installations.

By following these steps, you can set up Windows Deployment Services to deploy Windows operating systems over the network, making it easier to manage and deploy Windows installations across multiple computers.

1. Preparing the Environment:

• Ensure that both servers meet the hardware and software requirements for Windows Server and DHCP.
• Assign static IP addresses to each server.
• Ensure that DNS is properly configured and that both servers can resolve each other’s names.

2. Installing the DHCP Server Role:

• Open Server Manager on both servers.
• Select “Add roles and features” and proceed with the installation wizard.
• Select “DHCP Server” as the role to install.
• Complete the DHCP Server installation wizard.

3. Configuring DHCP Failover:

• Open DHCP Manager on one of the servers.
• Right-click on the DHCP server name and select “Configure Failover.”
• Follow the wizard to configure DHCP failover.
• Choose the partner server, configure the shared secret, and set the mode (Load Balance or Hot Standby) and relationship (Primary or Secondary).

4. Installing the Failover Clustering Feature:

• Open Server Manager on both servers.
• Select “Add roles and features” and proceed with the installation wizard.
• Select “Failover Clustering” as the feature to install.

5. Creating the Cluster:

• Open Failover Cluster Manager on one of the servers.
• Click on “Create Cluster” and follow the wizard.
• Add both servers to the cluster.
• Configure cluster settings such as the cluster name and IP address.

6. Configuring DHCP Server Role in the Cluster:

• In Failover Cluster Manager, right-click on “Services and Applications” and select “Configure a Service or Application.”
• Select “DHCP Server” as the service to configure.
• Follow the wizard to add the DHCP server role to the cluster.

7. Testing Failover:

• Perform a failover test to ensure that the DHCP server cluster functions correctly.
• Use the Failover Cluster Manager to initiate a failover and verify that DHCP services remain available during the failover process.

8. Monitoring and Maintenance:

• Regularly monitor the DHCP server cluster using Failover Cluster Manager to ensure it remains healthy.
• Perform regular maintenance tasks, such as applying updates and patches, to keep the cluster secure and up-to-date.

Note: Ensure that you have sufficient IP address ranges and leases configured to handle the increased demand that comes with clustering. Additionally, testing failover in a controlled environment is crucial to ensure proper functioning in a production environment.

1. Preparing the Environment:

• Ensure that both servers meet the hardware and software requirements for Windows Server and Active Directory.
• Assign static IP addresses to each server.
• Ensure that DNS is properly configured and that both servers can resolve each other’s names.

2. Installing Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS):

• Open Server Manager on both servers.
• Select “Add roles and features” and proceed with the installation wizard.
• Select “Active Directory Domain Services” as the role to install.
• Complete the AD DS installation wizard, which will include promoting the server to a domain controller.

3. Configuring DNS:

• Ensure that DNS is installed on both servers.
• Configure DNS zones to replicate across all DNS servers in the domain.

4. Installing the Failover Clustering Feature:

• Open Server Manager on both servers.
• Select “Add roles and features” and proceed with the installation wizard.
• Select “Failover Clustering” as the feature to install.

5. Creating the Cluster:

• Open Failover Cluster Manager on one of the servers.
• Click on “Create Cluster” and follow the wizard.
• Add both servers to the cluster.
• Configure cluster settings such as the cluster name and IP address.

6. Configuring Active Directory as a Clustered Service:

• In Failover Cluster Manager, right-click on “Services and Applications” and select “Configure a Service or Application.”
• Select “Active Directory Domain Services” as the service to configure.
• Follow the wizard to configure AD DS as a clustered service.

7. Configuring Quorum:

• Configure a quorum witness to avoid split-brain scenarios. This can be done using a disk witness, file share witness, or cloud witness, depending on your environment and requirements.

8. Testing Failover:

• Perform a failover test to ensure that the cluster functions correctly.
• Use the Failover Cluster Manager to initiate a failover and verify that AD services remain available during the failover process.

9. Monitoring and Maintenance:

• Regularly monitor the cluster using Failover Cluster Manager to ensure it remains healthy.
• Perform regular maintenance tasks, such as applying updates and patches, to keep the cluster secure and up-to-date.

Following these steps will help you set up an Active Directory cluster for high availability and fault tolerance in your environment.

1. Prepare the Windows ISO: Obtain a Windows installation ISO file. You can download these from the Microsoft website or use an existing ISO file you have.
2. Upload the ISO to EVE-NG: Log in to the EVE-NG web interface. In the top menu, go to “Images” and then click on “Browse” to select the Windows ISO file from your local machine. Click on “Upload” to upload the ISO file to EVE-NG.
3. Create a QEMU VM: In the EVE-NG web interface, go to the “Node” section and click on “Add Node.” Select the type as “QEMU” and configure the settings for the VM. You can specify the number of CPUs, amount of RAM, and the size of the hard disk.
4. Map the Windows ISO: In the QEMU VM settings, go to the “Console” tab. Under the “CD/DVD” section, select the Windows ISO file you uploaded earlier as the CD/DVD image.
5. Start the VM: After configuring the VM settings, click on “Add Node” to create the QEMU VM. Start the VM by clicking on the play button in the EVE-NG interface.
6. Install Windows: Access the VM console by right-clicking on the VM in the EVE-NG interface and selecting “Console.” The VM will boot from the Windows ISO. Follow the on-screen instructions to install Windows. You may need to format the virtual hard disk and select the installation partition during the process.
7. Complete the Installation: After Windows is installed, the VM will restart. You can then log in to Windows and configure it as needed.
8. Optional: Install VirtIO Drivers: For better performance, you can install VirtIO drivers in Windows. These drivers are included in the EVE-NG installation and can be found in the /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/virtio-win directory. To install the drivers, mount the VirtIO ISO in Windows and run the installer.
9. Access Windows from EVE-NG: Once Windows is installed and running, you can access it from EVE-NG by right-clicking on the VM in the EVE-NG interface and selecting “Console.”
10. Activate Windows: After installation, you’ll need to activate Windows using a valid product key. You can do this by going to “Settings” > “Update & Security” > “Activation” in Windows.

Remember to comply with Microsoft’s licensing terms and ensure that you have a valid license for Windows when using it on EVE-NG or any other virtualization platform.