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This chapter provides baseline planning guidelines and Windows Server 2003 installation instructions. With very few exceptions, the tasks needed to plan and install this new operating system are fundamentally the same as those needed to install Windows 2000 Server versions. Unless otherwise noted, the installation of Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 are treated in the same light. Since there are more significant differences with regard to migrating from Windows NT, we call out these changes specifically.
The first part of the chapter is primarily for system administrators who have more global responsibility for the design and maintenance of the enterprise. However, an administrator with a smaller scope of responsibility, such as the management of an organizational unit, might also find this material helpful because it puts into perspective some of the considerations that go into planning Windows Server installations. Most of these considerations have equal applicability in an enterprise-wide scheme and in an organizational unit deployment scheme. The second part of the chapter walks through the Windows Server 2003 operating system installation process.
This chapter provides information that enables a system administrator to do the following:
Understand the critical difference between the logical and physical structures inherent in Windows Server 2003.
Construct a checklist of baseline considerations that must go into the planning of a Windows Server 2003 implementation, by first evaluating the current computing environment and then addressing anticipated changes.
Use a series of underlying planning tips.
Prepare a checklist of information that must be gathered in the preinstallation phase of Windows Server 2003 deployment.
Formulate key decisions about Windows NT and Windows 2000 upgrades.
Perform a standard Windows Server 2003 installation.
Design and perform remote Windows Server 2003 installation procedures.
Design and perform automated or ghost Windows Server 2003 installations.
NOTE
The creation of a Windows Server 2003 enterpise is not trivial. Although Microsoft has given the system administrator a number of wizards and other tools, planning based on a solid understanding of Windows Server strengths and potential pitfalls is critical to successful deployment. A misstep during the early stages can be very costly. Therefore, we strongly encourage an early investment in the creation of a planning and deployment team, which should be empowered to consult system administrators and operational managers. They should gather all appropriate information discussed in this chapter as well as data unique to the environment. To translate this information into a working structure, the team must have a credible knowledge of Windows Server 2003 and its underlying technologies. The cost in time and money for a lead team of internal professionals and/or external expert consultants should be factored into a Windows Server deployment budget; Microsoft's much promoted reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) is predicated on making the correct decisions during the planning phase.
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