Microsoft Exchange is a big combine that includes receiving and processing letters, as well as a web interface for your mail server, access to corporate calendars and tasks. Exchange is integrated into Active Directory, so let's imagine that it has already been deployed.
Well, Windows Server 2019 Core is a non-GUI version of Windows Server.
This version of Windows has no traditional Windows, nothing to click on, no start menu. Only a black window and a black command line. But at the same time, a smaller area for attack and an increased level of entry, because we don’t want anyone to delve into critical systems, right?
This guide also applies to GUI servers.
1. Connect to the server
Open Powershell and enter the command:
Enter-PSSession 172.18.105.6 -Credential AdministratorOptional: Enable RDP. This simplifies installation, but is not necessary.
cscript C:WindowsSystem32Scregedit.wsf /ar 0In the Ultravds image, RDP was already enabled.
2. Connect the server to AD
You can do this through the Windows Admin Center or through Sconfig in RDP.
2.1 Specify DNS servers or domain controllers
In the Windows Admin Center, we connect to the server, go to the network section and specify the ip addresses of domain controllers or DNS domain servers.
Through RDP, enter “Sconfig” into the command line and get to the blue server configuration window. There we select item 8) Network Settings, and do the same, specifying the DNS server of the domain.
2.2 Join the server to the domain
In WAC, click "Change Computer ID" and a familiar window for selecting a workgroup or domain opens in front of us. Everything is as usual, select a domain and join.
Using Sconfig We must first select item 1, choose whether we are joining a workgroup or a domain, specify the domain if we are joining a domain. And only after the procedure is completed, we will be allowed to change the server name, but even this will require you to enter the password again.
Through Powershell, this is even easier:
Add-Computer -DomainName test.domain -NewName exchange -DomainCredential Administrator3. Set
If you're using RDP, you'll need to install the prerequisites before installing Exchange itself.
Install-WindowsFeature Server-Media-Foundation, RSAT-ADDSNext, we need to download the disk image with the Exchange installer.
Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri 'https://website.com/ ExchangeServer2019-x64.iso -OutFile C:UsersAdministratorDownloadsExchangeServer2019-x64.isoMount ISO:
Mount-DiskImage C:UsersAdministratorDownloadsExchangeServer2019-x64.isoIf you do this all through the command line, you just need to mount the downloaded disk and enter the command:
D:Setup.exe /m:install /roles:m /IAcceptExchangeServerLicenseTerms /InstallWindowsComponentsHack and predictor Aviator
As you can see, installing Exchange on Windows Server Core, like logging into a domain, is not a painful process, and considering how we won in security, it was worth it.
I was especially pleased that entering the server into AD using Powershell is easier than using the GUI or Windows Admin Center.
It's a pity that the Exchange installation option was added only for Exchange 2019, it was long overdue.
In our previous posts you can read how we prepare client virtual machines using our tariff as an example with Server Core for 99 rubles, how to work with Windows Server 2019 Core and how to install a GUI on it, and also how server using Windows Admin Center.
Source: habr.com