you must then decide how you’re going to install Windows Server 2012 R2. There are two ways to install Windows Server 2012 R2. You can upgrade a Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 or Windows Server 2012 machine to Windows Server 2012 R2, or you can do a clean install of Windows Server 2012 R2. If you decide that you are going to upgrade, there are specific upgrade paths you must follow.
Your choice of Windows Server 2012 R2 version is dictated by how your current network is designed. If you are building a network from scratch, then it’s pretty straightforward. Just choose the Windows Server 2012 R2 version based on your server’s tasks. However, if you already have a version of Windows Server 2008 installed, you should follow the recommendations in Table 1.2, which briefly summarize the supported upgrade paths to Windows Server 2012 R2.
TABLE 1.2 Supported Windows Server 2012 R2 upgrade path recommendations
Deciding on the Type of Installation
One of the final choices you must make before installing Windows Server 2012 R2 is what type of installation you want. There are three ways to install Windows Server 2012 R2.
Windows Server 2012 R2 with the Graphical User Interface (GUI) This is the version with which most administrators are familiar. This is the version that uses Microsoft Management Console (MMC) windows, and it is the version that allows the use of a mouse to navigate through the installation.
Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core This is a bare-bones installation of Windows Server 2012 R2. You can think of it this way: If Windows Server 2012 R2 is a top-of-the-line luxury car, then Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core is the stripped-down model with no air-conditioning, manual windows, and cloth seats. It might not be pretty to look at, but it gets the job done.
Windows Server 2012 R2 MinShell This is the best of both installation types mentioned previously. Minimum Shell (MinShell) gives you the advantage of using the GUI management tools, but MinShell does not actually install the GUI. It gives administrators the ability to use tools with which they are familiar but still provides a small attack surface and the advantages of Server Core.
In Windows Server 2012 R2, an administrator has the ability to remove the GUI shell after a GUI shell install has been completed. This removes Internet Explorer 10, Windows Explorer, the desktop, and the Start screen. Microsoft Management Console (MMC), Server Manager, and a subset of Control Panel are still present, giving you a MinShell installation plus PowerShell.
Server Core
Here is an explanation of Server Core that I have used ever since it was introduced in Windows Server 2008.
I am a huge sports fan. I love watching sports on TV, and I enjoy going to games. If you have ever been to a hockey game, you know what a hockey goal looks like. Between hockey periods, the stadium workers often bring out a huge piece of Plexiglas onto the ice. There is a tiny square cut out of the bottom of the glass. The square is just a bit bigger than a hockey puck itself.
Now they pick some lucky fan out of the stands, give them a puck at center ice, and then ask them to shoot the puck into the net with the Plexiglas in front of it. If they get it through that tiny little square at the bottom of the Plexiglas, they win a car or some such great prize.
Well, Windows Server 2012 R2 with the GUI is like regular hockey with a net, and Windows Server 2012 R2 Server Core is the Plexiglas version.
Server Core supports a limited number of roles.
■ Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
■ Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
■ Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
■ Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS)
■ Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS)
■ Application Server
■ DHCP Server
■ DNS Server
■ Fax Server
■ File and Storage Services
■ BITS Server
■ BranchCache
■ Hyper-V
■ Network Policy and Access Services
■ Print and Document Services
■ Remote Access
■ Remote Desktop Services
■ Volume Activation Services
■ Web Server (IIS)
■ Windows Deployment Services
■ Windows Server Update Services
■ .NET Framework 3.5 Features
■ .NET Framework 4.5 Features
■ Streaming Media Services
■ Failover Clustering
■ iSCSI
■ Network Load Balancing
■ MPIO
■ qWave
■ Telnet Server/Client
■ Windows Server Migration Tools
■ Windows PowerShell 4.0
Server Core does not have the normal Windows interface or GUI. Almost everything has to be configured via the command line or, in some cases, using the Remote Server Administration Tools from a full version of Windows Server 2012 R2. While this might scare off some administrators, it has the following benefits:
Reduced Management Because Server Core has a minimum number of applications installed, it reduces management effort.
Minimal Maintenance Only basic systems can be installed on Server Core, so it reduces the upkeep you would need to perform in a normal server installation.
Smaller Footprint Server Core requires only 1GB of disk space to install and 2GB of free space for operations.
Tighter Security With only a few applications running on a server, it is less vulnerable to attacks.
The prerequisites for Server Core are basic. It requires the Windows Server 2012 R2 installation media, a product key, and the hardware on which to install it.
After you install the base operating system, you use PowerShell or the remote administrative tools to configure the network settings, add the machine to the domain, create and
