Server for Active Directory

[SeaKayJay]

I am planning to build a server for Active Directory. I just wondering if the standard PC components are compatible with Windows Server 2016 operating system?

 

Is there any specific hardware requirement in order to install Windows Server 2016?

 

Anyone has any hardware recommendation for the server? I'm running a small office only with 4 to 5 workstations. The server does not require any hardware redundancy since it is not a production critical server.

[Electronics Wizardy]

You can run 2016 on any normal hardware.

 

For something basic like that, Id buy something like a dell t20. There cheap quiet, and will work out of the box.

[leadeater]

3 minutes ago, SeaKayJay said:

I am planning to build a server for Active Directory. I just wondering if the standard PC components are compatible with Windows Server 2016 operating system?

 

Is there any specific hardware requirement in order to install Windows Server 2016?

 

Anyone has any hardware recommendation for the server? I'm running a small office only with 4 to 5 workstations. The server does not require any hardware redundancy since it is not a production critical server.

Yes a fairly basic PC will be fine, Server 2016 is very much the same as Windows 10 anniversary update.

 

Only thing I would recommend is a high grade PSU, above average motherboard (I don't mean gaming), and a case with good airflow/fans to keep everything cool. Being 24/7 those 3 things are the main points to make sure it keeps operating for many years.

[fjdhdhcyfhf]

20 minutes ago, SeaKayJay said:

Is there any specific hardware requirement in order to install Windows Server 2016?

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server-docs/get-started/system-requirements

I think anything that was made for windows 10 should be ok for windows server 2016. Unlikely it will work on anything made before windows 8.

 

 

[ssfdre38]

I have a laptop at my house that is running windows server 2016 datacenter and its working just fine for a basic file share and media server. Just know that the more you are doing to your server, the more that you will need so first see what you need to do and then get the hardware that you will need.

[Blake]

21 hours ago, SeaKayJay said:

 

Is there any specific hardware requirement in order to install Windows Server 2016?

 

Yes, see https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server-docs/get-started/system-requirements

 

Small office so you could run it off a nuc pretty easily. Heck grab two and set em up to replicate so when one dies your still good.

[Mikensan]

If you're just seeking to learn AD, I would virtualize it (do not join the host it runs off of to AD unless you have a second DC on another box).

You can use vbox, works great.

[Nikolithebear]

Just pick up a dell or HP server from Ebay, or virtualize it and test it out! 

[Goksha]

Pretty much anything can run a DC. Give it 4GB of ram, get some reliable fans, and some sort of disk redundancy (rebuilding a primary domain controller kinda sucks) and you're laughing.

 

For context. my current physical DC is running an old A4-5300 APU on an Asus A88XM-A, and it's now going on 4 years.

[Guest]

On 21/11/2016 at 4:03 PM, Blake said:

Yes, see https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server-docs/get-started/system-requirements

 

Small office so you could run it off a nuc pretty easily. Heck grab two and set em up to replicate so when one dies your still good.

Could have driver issues with NUC's - only one or two of the SKU's natively supported 2012 R2. Haven't looked into 2016's compatibility with them but I'd assume it hasn't changed much.

[doup93]

On 21/11/2016 at 2:08 PM, Mikensan said:

If you're just seeking to learn AD, I would virtualize it (do not join the host it runs off of to AD unless you have a second DC on another box).

You can use vbox, works great.

Actually, you can set up your VM to start before the host OS and even if you don't, it still works: Demystifying virtualized domain controllers

[Blake]

12 hours ago, Windspeed36 said:

Could have driver issues with NUC's - only one or two of the SKU's natively supported 2012 R2. Haven't looked into 2016's compatibility with them but I'd assume it hasn't changed much.

I have found that most windows 8/8.1 drivers install perfectly fine, even though they are not 'officially' supported. I'd never recommend using a nuc in production, but to dick around with in a lab/"my home network is a AD domain, look how cool i am" sort of way. go nuts.

 

And the ones that don't just need to be extracted, have the server build number added as a windows 8.1 os into the setup.ini and then it works fine.