WINDOW NT SERVER INSTALLATION

WINDOWS NT 4.0 Server installation


There are several phases involved in NT server installation which are as follows:

Phase 0 Preparing for NT server installation

Phase 1 Gathering information about the computer on which you tend to install Windows NT

Phase2 Implementing Windows NT networking

Phase3 Finishing the set-up process

Now we will discuss these phases one by one to understand the complete installation process:

Phase0: Preparing for the installation of NT server

In the preparation phase of installation, NT copies sufficient files to run a limited version of NT server. Once this limited version of NT server is running the installation process is speeded up due to multi-tasking capabilities of Windows NT. During phase 0 the installation program tries to detect the hardware of your computer and more specifically it tries to detect the video adapter and the mass storage devices. After this information is found, the installation program will ask the installer on which partition the NT should be installed, which file system be used (FAT or NTFS), and the name of the directory in which the NT system files should be stored.

Phase 1: Gathering Information about the Computer selected for Installation

At this stage the information about your computer is collected by the installation program. During the phase you will be prompted to provide the following information:

(a) Name and organization: Here you have to select an appropriate and the name of your organization. It is necessary to give a user name, however the organization name is optional. This information is needed for licensing purpose only.

(b) Licensing Mode: There are two licensing modes, per server and per seat. In per server licensing mode, each server must be licensed for each concurrent connection. For example if you have 10 users and three servers and all ten users are needed to access all the three servers then each of the three servers must be licensed per server for 10 concurrent connection. In the per seat license each client is licensed at the client side and can access any number of servers in the network. If you have per seat license for 10 users then all the 10 clients can access all the three servers simultaneously and there is no need for having separate license for each server. So in a network with a multi-server environment the per client licensing is economical but for a single server small network per server licensing is advisable.

(c) Computer name: you have to give and appropriate name for computer. This name will be used for accessing the NT server computer from the network.

(d) Type of server: Here you have to specify whether your server to be installed will act as primary domain controller, Backup domain controller or a member server. If this is first server it is advisable to make it a PDC.

(e) Administrative password: you have to specify a password which will be used for logging into the system with administrative privileges.

(f) Emergency repair disk: you can create an emergency repair disk at this stage; it could be useful in fixing system problems later. ERD’s are machine specific and you have to create one for each NT machine.

(g) Optional components: Select the optional components here which you wish to install, the optional components include Accessibility options, Accessories, Communications, Games, Microsoft Exchange and Multimedia.

Phase 2: Implementing Windows NT networking

In this phase you have to supply the parameters which are related with the networking aspects of the server being installed. You have to supply answer related to following parameters:

1. Direct or Dial-in connection to the network: in this you have to specify the server to be installed which will be connected directly or through modem and telephone line. For installing NT server you will most likely connect it direct to the network.

2. Optional Installation of Internet information server: You can install the IIS if you wish to build an internet in your organization using your server else you may not choose this option.

3. Adapter and Protocols: Here you have to select the network card from the list of network cards which corresponds to the actual card installed in your system so that the installation program may install the appropriate driver for the same. In case the list does not contain the network card installed in your system then you have to choose the “Have Disk” option and then give the path of the line driver files on the floppy or CD-ROM or hard disk as the case may be( the floppy or the CD containing the LAN driver must have been supplied with the network card by the manufacturer). This process will load the appropriate LAN driver, then you have to select the appropriate protocol like TCP/IP, NetBEUI etc and see that the protocol is properly bound with the network. In case you select TCP/IP then you have to give a unique IP address and the sub-net mask for your computer in the network. (Every computer has a unique IP address consisting of four numerical fields of eight binary bits each. The Sub-net mask identifies the fields containing the network address part the node address part in the IP address.).

4. Additional Network Services: Select from such services as services for Macintosh or Gateway services for Netware. (You may not select them if you don’t want them presently, you can select the services at a later stage after installation also.).

5. Domain: Specify the name of the domain your computer should belong to. It is very important. In case your server is going to be a PDC then this is the domain your server will control. If this is the BDC or any other server then you have to give the name of the domain same as that of the PDC already existing. Please note that for the installation of a BDC the primary requirements is that the PDC must be on, running and connected to the network.

Phase 3

This is the last phase of installation program. The NT requires following information for completing the configuration:

(a) Date/Time and Time Zone: You have to give these parameters here for correct system time and time zone; else NT will pick these from the computer by default.

(b) Video Driver: After your video settings, you are asked to test your settings before they are saved. This helps in preventing from selecting wrong settings since the wrong settings may lead to unreadable display which is as good as non-functioning of the server.

After discussing the different phases of installation, now we can go on to detailed steps in installation, following which you can practically install the Windows NT server on any computer fulfilling the minimum hardware requirements as discussed earlier.



STEPS FOR INSTALLING WINDOWS NT 4.0 SERVER

(1) Boot your system to DOS or Windows 95/98.

(2) In case your computer is booted to DOS then ensure that CD driver is installed. Put the first CD in CD drive and from command prompt enter x:\i386\winnt where x is the drive letter for your CD drive. Then setup screen will appear and will ask the path where the Windows NT files are located. By default this will show the directory from where you run winnt. Press enter to continue. In case your computer is running under Windows 95/98 environment then you can give above mentioned path through Run option or can select through explorer.

(3) Next the winnt program will create three NT boot floppies( keep ready three of the high density blank floppies for this purpose) which will be used later to start the installation and provide the storage device drivers for your computer.

Be careful in nothing the order in which these floppies will be created, the order is NT server setup disk #3, setup disk #2 and setup boot up disk #1.

(4) After the floppies have been created, the NT server setup boot disk is already in the floppy drive and all you need is just press enter to reboot the system. The computer will boot to windows NT setup screen. It may take some time to load the necessary setup files.

(5) The system will then prompt you for inserting setup disk #2, insert disk #2 and press enter. Now more files will be loaded and Windows NT kernel will load.

(6) Next screen will be welcome to setup screen. We can also do NT server installation without use of any floppy. For this in step no. 2 when the setup screen appears we have to give /b option with winnt program (for example x:\i386\winnt /b) and then installation program will proceed without asking for any diskettes.

(7) NT will now attempt to detect your mass storage device. Press enter and continue.

(8) You will then be prompted for inserting diskette#3, insert this floppy and press enter.

(9) Next the installation will display a list of mass storage devices detected in the system (for a SCSII device only controller is listed). If you find this list to be correct, press enter. In case the list is not correct choose S and provide the driver for your mass storage device actually present but not listed. At this point the NT supported file system FAT and NTFS and the appropriate device driver for your computer will be installed.



(10) Next the license agreement screen will appear. In order to read the agreement press page down until you have read the agreement. Press f8 to accept the terms and conditions of the agreement. (if you don’t agree, installation will not take place).

(11) Then the installation program will display a list of hardware and software components detected on your computer. If this list is correct press enter.

(12) Next the system will ask you, on which drive you want the NT systems files to be loaded. (As an example choose c: partition and press enter).

(13) The next screen will ask you how to partition your drive. Select the option “leave your current files system intact” and press enter.

(14) Next give the path where your NT server will be installed, \winnt is the default, you may accept it and press enter.

(15) The NT server setup screen will now display a notice that setup program will now check your hard disks for corruption, press enter to continue. Some more files will be copied which may take few minutes.

(16) After the completion of file copying process you will be prompted for restarting your system. Remove any floppy from the floppy drive and press enter. The computer will restart and NT server will load. While the NT is loading the CHKDSK utility will run and automatically check the disk partations.

(17) Next the windows NT setup screen will appear, click next and this will start the phase one. (gathering information about your computer) of installation.

(18) Next you will be prompted to type in the registration CO-key. Type in this and click next.

(19) Next you will be prompted to type in the registration CD-key. Type in this and click next.

(20) Next screen is for selecting the licensing mode. Choose per server license for 10 users and click next.

(21) Next you have to type in the name of your computer and click next.

(22) Next you will be prompted for entering your server type out of primary domain controller, Backup domain controller or standalone server. If this is first server than select PDC, if it is second or any subsequent server in the selected domain and you want this server to replicate the user database with PDC so as to participate in user login authentication then select the server type as BDC. If you don’t want the database replication and the don’t want server to participate in login authentication then choose standalone server, in such a case your server will act like an application server or file server only.

(23) Next you will be prompted for giving administrator password. Type some suitable password and then retype the same as password. The password length should not exceed 14 characters.

(24) Next you will be prompted for creating the emergency repair disk. Insert a high density blank floppy in the floppy drive and choose the option yes.

(25) Next you will be asked the components which you want to install, accept the default choice and click next.

(26) Now the next installation phase(phase 2- Installing NT networking) appears. Choose and click next.


(27) The installation program will ask you how this computer will participate in the network, select “wired to the network”.

(28) Next the NT server installation program will ask you whether you want to install internet information server (IIS), in case you don’t want to set up intranet at this stage, deselect the choice by un-checking the box (you can install IIS later on at any time whenever you need it). Click next to continue.

(29) Next the installation program searches for your network adapter card. Click start search to begin the search. After your network card is found click next.

(30) Next the network protocol screen will appear, leave the default selection of TCP/IP and NWlink IPX/SPX compatible transport and click next.

(31) Next the network services screen will appear. Keep the default services, RPC configuration, NetBios interface, workstation and server. Click next.

(32) Click next to install your network components.



(33) Now the network card screen will appear. Check the hardware configuration or your card as per the one displayed on this screen, if it is ok, click next, else modify the options as required and then click continue.



(34) In the next stage you will be required to give the configuration detail of the protocols configure TCP/IP. You will get the following messages:- If there is a DHCP server you can find out from your system administrator. In case DHCP is not being used or you don’t want the IP addresses to be assigned automatically then in response to “Do you wish to use DHCP?”, choose No. the installation program will then copy files relating to selected network components.

(35) Next the IP address configuration screen will appear. Click the “specify an IP address option. As an example you can choose and type IP address, subnet mask and default gateway as follows:

• IP address 140.130.120.01

• Subnet Mask 255.255.00.00

• Default gateway leave blank

Click ok

(36) Next, the network binding screen will appear, keep all the default settings and click next.

(37) Then you will be prompted to click next to start the network.

(38) Windows NT set program will now ask you to enter your computer name and domain name, type in these two names of your choice and click next. The system will take few minutes to check for duplicate names.

(39) Now beings the third and installation program will see the finishing setup screen. Click finish and the installation program will complete some configuration information based on options selected by you earlier.

(40) The next screen will prompt you for date/time properties. NT picks up the date and time from your computer’s CMOS information. The time zone will default to Greenwich mean time, therefore select the appropriate settings for your time zone. Click close.

(41) Now NT will detect your video adapter. If the correct video adapter appears, choose ok. If the correct video adapter does not appear, you can customize it after completing the NT installation by going to control panel and selecting “Display”.

(42) You can test your display for the correct settings by selecting the test button and clicking OK and test your video driver, this will take around five seconds, NT will then ask “Did you see the Test bit map properly? If the display was correct select yes and click ok to save your settings. Click ok again to close the display settings window.

(43) NT will now complete copying the windows NT system files. When the file copying is complete, you will be prompted to insert a floppy and click ok. This will become your emergency repair disk. Finally remove any floppy and reboot your system. This is end of installation.