Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration: Command References

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration
with Scott Burrell
Command References
Here’s what you need:

• A Windows Server or Professional Client with the Hyper-V role (server) or Windows Feature
(workstation) installed
• 8GB of RAM available for the virtual machine (it can be done with as little as 1GB but small amounts
of memory allocated to the virtual machine will respond more slowly)
• Windows Server 2016 DVD or *.iso file – evaluation copies of Server 2016 may be available for
download from Microsoft’s website
• 100GB available HDD
• Processor that supports virtualization preferred, should be enabled in BIOS
Steps:
Create a New Virtual Server
Install Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition
Create and Mount Virtual Hard Drives
Configure New Drives in Windows Server 2016
Let’s Get Started

Create a New Virtual Server
Start by opening the Hyper-V Manager. Before creating a new virtual machine, look in the top, center pane
to see if any other virtual machines are currently running. If so, make sure you will have enough available
memory for this new virtual machine.
Under the Action menu, select New > Virtual Machine… to start the New Virtual Machine Wizard. Name
your new virtual machine Server 2016 Drive Configuration Lab and click Next >.
Choose to create a Generation 1 virtual machine, especially if you are uncertain about your processor’s
compatibility with virtualization support, and click Next > to continue.
Next you will specify the amount of memory that will be available to the virtual machine. If you have 8GB
available, enter 8192 in the box. You can enter more or less based on available resources and the virtual
Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

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server’s performance will be effected accordingly. Checking the box for Dynamic Memory is a good way to
not block out the entire specified amount of RAM when the virtual machine isn’t using it.
It is not necessary to connect to the internet for this lab. Leave the network connection on Not Connected
and click Next >.
On the Connect Virtual Hard Disk screen you will want to Create a virtual hard disk. The defaults for the
name and location should be fine. Change the Size to 100 and click Next >
Here you will specify that you want to install from the Server 2016. Select the second option: Install an
operating system from a bootable CD/DVD-ROM, then select your DVD drive if installing from physical
media or select Image file (.iso) is installing from a downloaded image. Browse to the Server 2016 image
before clicking Next >.
When your summary page looks something like this you can click the Finish button.
Select your new virtual machine from the top, center pane of Hyper-V Manager and open your new virtual
machine by selecting the Action menu and clicking Connect…

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Install Windows Server 2016 Standard Edition
If you were able to complete all of the steps in the

previous section, your virtual machine should be created
with the installation DVD already mounted and the boot
order set. Power on your virtual server by clicking the
blue-green power button on the toolbar at the top of the
virtual machine.
The new virtual machine may have a screen that is larger

than the visible area, so scroll the virtual machine to be
able to see the installation prompts.
Set your language and region and begin the installation. If you downloaded an evaluation, or if you plan
to delete this virtual machine upon completion of this exercise, you may continue without entering a
product key using the link at the bottom of the install screen.
When prompted to select an operating system to install, select Windows Server 2016 Standard (Desktop
Experience). Accept the license agreement and continue to the screen where you can select upgrade or
custom. Choose Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
On the next screen you get to make some decisions about how the first hard drive is configured. It is
currently unallocated, meaning no partitions or volumes have been defined. Click on the New link to
create your Windows partition. Server 2016 needs a minimum system partition of 32GB. This lab will not
require us to install roles, features, and apps that take a lot of space, but minimums are never good, so
enter 50000 in the size box and click the Apply button. A dialog will appear to let you know that Windows
might create an additional recovery partition. This is for information only and does not give you anything
to select, so click the OK button to clear the dialog. Make sure your new partition, 48.3GB in size, is
selected and click the Next button to continue.
You now have between 10 minutes and an hour to wait, depending on the amount of RAM and other
resources available to the virtual machine. When it is complete it will reboot the virtual machine. When the
installation is almost complete you will be prompted to enter a password for the adminsitrator account.
It should have uppercase and lowercase letters as well as a number and symbol, so use Action1! for the
password. Type it twice and continue so Windows can complete the installation.

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Before continuing to the next session, take a moment to see how your hard drive is configured now. Log
in to your newly installed server. Once you are at a desktop, right-click on the Start menu and select Disk
Management from the menu that appears. Your screen should look a bit like this one
Notice in the diagram below that you have one physical disk, labeled Disk 0 and that it is a basic disk.
You also have a CD/DVD drive assigned the letter D:. In Disk 0 you can see the recovery partition that
Windows created, labeled System Reserved, and the 48.34GB partition (C:) that you created during
installation. You also have just over 50GB not assigned to a partition. If your disk manager looks like this,
you are ready to continue.
Create and Mount Virtual Hard Drives
Adding a hard drive to a server is most easily done when the server is powered down, so shut down your
virtual server and return to the Hyper-V Manager. Watch the top, center pane of Hyper-V Manager to
confirm that your lab server is in the Off state. Then you can single-click the lab machine and under the
Action menu select Settings…
On the left you will see a hardware list for your server. Click on IDE Controller 0 and notice the option to

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the right. Select Hard Drive and click the Add button to launch the wizard. The controller and disk location
should automatically be set. We have not yet created a second virtual drive so select the New button to
continue. The settings you will enter in the New Virtual Disk Wizard are:
• VHDX
• Dynamically Expanding
• Drive Lab 2nd Disk
• <<default path>>
• Create: 50GB
If your summary screen looks like this, click the Finish button to return to the settings for your virtual
server.
Go through these steps again with the following changes:

• Before you click the New button, select Controller IDE Controller 1 and Location 1.
• Name this drive Drive Lab 3rd Disk.

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Once you finish creating the 2nd disk, the hard drive section of the virtual machine settings page should
look like this. When it does, click the OK button to finish, then return to your virtual machine and power it
back on. Keep in mind that if you closed the window to the virtual server, you will need to both power on
and connect to the server to continue. Log in to the server as administrator with the password, Action1!
and close Server Manager.
Configure New Drives in Windows Server 2016
You now have a server with three hard drives installed. The first time you launch the disk manager you will
be prompted to initialize the disks so they can be part of the managed resources. Go ahead and do this,
selecting MBR as the partition type.
You are prepared to experiment with different types of volumes to see their setup processes and their
limitations. Feel free to explore these features on your own. I have provided a few exercises below that,
if you choose to follow them, must be done in order. As always, I encourage you to become familiar with
these configurations through experience in a safe lab environment before configuring production servers.
This lab environment is a great way to learn.
Shrink the C Drive:

• In the graphic view of Disk Management, right click on the C: partition and select Shrink Volume
• Enter the amount of shrink (the amount to cut out) at 24499 and click the Shrink button
Convert to Dynamic Disk

• Right click on one of the physical disks (Disk 0, Disk 1, or Disk 2)
• Select Convert to Dynamic Disk

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• Check the boxes for all drives and click the OK button
• Confirm that all three disks will be converted and click the Convert button
• Read the warning and click the Yes button
Mirror the Windows System Volume

• Right-click on the C: drive and select Add Mirror…
• Select Disk 2 as the location of the mirror and click the Add Mirror Button
• The server will copy everything from the C drive to the allocated space on the 3rd disk (will take
several minutes)
Create a RAID 5 (striping with parity) Volume

• Right-click on any unallocated space and select RAID-5 Volume
• Proceed through the wizard and select the remaining two drives by double-clicking them one at a
time until all three appear in the Selected box and none are in the Available box
• The amount of space per drive is already set to the maximum space on the smallest drive; change
the number to 25000 and click next
• Assign this drive letter R and click next
• Change the file system to ReFS, change the volume label to RAID5, and check the box for quick
format.
Create an Extended Volume

• Right-click on the remaining space at the end of Disk 2 and select Create Simple Volume
• Accept the suggested size for the volume
• Assign the letter E
• Format NTFS and set the volume label to Extended
• Check the box for a quick format and finish the wizard
• Right click on the volume labeled Extended and select Extend Volume
• Add Disk 0 by double-clicking it in the Available box
• Leave the amount of space as suggested
• Finish the wizard

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Questions:
What color header is on a volume with no protection if one drive fails?

Red / Blue / Purple
What color header is on a volume that could continue with one drive failing and no downtime?
Red / Blue / Purple
Would you have been able to create the mirrored set if the physical disks were left as Basic Disk?

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Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration

with Scott Burrell

Here’s what you need:

• 100GB available HDD

• Processor that supports virtualization preferred, should be enabled in BIOS

Let’s Get Started

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

If you were able to complete all of the steps in the

The new virtual machine may have a screen that is larger

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

Create and Mount Virtual Hard Drives

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

• Drive Lab 2nd Disk

Go through these steps again with the following changes:

• Name this drive Drive Lab 3rd Disk.

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

Configure New Drives in Windows Server 2016

Shrink the C Drive:

Convert to Dynamic Disk

• Select Convert to Dynamic Disk

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

• Read the warning and click the Yes button

Mirror the Windows System Volume

Create a RAID 5 (striping with parity) Volume

• Assign this drive letter R and click next

Create an Extended Volume

• Accept the suggested size for the volume

• Assign the letter E

• Format NTFS and set the volume label to Extended

• Add Disk 0 by double-clicking it in the Available box

• Leave the amount of space as suggested

• Finish the wizard

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

What color header is on a volume with no protection if one drive fails?

Windows Server 2016: Installation and Configuration with Scott Burrell

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