In this video from ITFreeTraining, I will look at exporting install configurations from
the “add remove” wizard in server manager.
Using this configuration, you can install the same roles or features on another server.
Let’s have a look at some of the reasons that you may want to do this.
Using Server Manager, you can easily install roles or features in Windows server.
For example, you could add DNS and BranchCache to a server.
This is a simple process using server manager, but let’s say you have an application that
requires additional features like DNS, BranchCache and the internal database.
If you start having a lot of roles and features that need to be added, this can start to become
complicated and if you need to repeat the install on multiple servers, it can be tricky
to get it right.
Remember also that some roles like IIS have a lot of components in the role that can be
either installed or left out.
When installing roles and features using server manager, the wizard gives you the option to
export the settings used to a configuration file.
This configuration file is in XML format which can be read on another server and the same
set of roles and features installed on a different server.
This may seem like a good tool for migration of roles and features between servers.
However, the following should be remembered.
The settings exported are only for installing the role or feature on the server.
It does not configure it.
For example, roles like Active Directory Domain Services and DHCP have a post configuration
wizard that needs to run to finish the installation.
The procedure used in this video will not configure the roles or features if they require
any configuration - it will only install them.
It is up to the administrator to perform any configuration required at a later date.
I will now change to my Windows Server 2012 R2 computer to look at how to export configuration
settings from server manager.
First of all I will open Server Manager from the quick launch bar and select the option
‘Add roles and features’.
Once past the welcome, I will leave it on the default option of “Role-Based or feature-based
installation” and move on.
On the next screen I will select the server NYDC1.
Even though you do not need to install the roles and features that I am about to select,
it is important to select a server that does not have the roles and features currently
installed that you wish to install on the next server.
If that does not make sense, don’t worry it will in a moment.
On the next screen, I need to select any roles that I want to add.
In this case I will select the role “Web Server (IIS)”.
When selected, it will prompt me to add the IIS Management console as well, which I will.
When I move onto the next screen I can select features.
Notice the feature “Client for NFS” is already installed.
In this case, imagine that “Client for NFS” is required by the application that is going
to be installed.
Since this feature is already installed, I cannot select it.
Since it cannot be selected, the problem is that this feature will not be included in
the settings file when I export it.
You can see why a production server may not always be the best choice to perform the export
on.
The production server may already have roles or features installed and these will not be
captured in the export file.
The next part of the wizard is the welcome screen for the IIS role.
If I move onto the next screen, I can select additional components of the IIS Role.
In this case I will select the component “HTTP Redirection”.
If you are selecting sub components of a role, you can see why being able to export this
configuration can save you a lot of time if you have a lot of servers that need to be
configured the same way.
Server Manager can also configure multiple servers at the same time.
The export settings option is useful if the servers you want to configure have not been
installed as yet or are not ready to be set up yet.
The next screen allows you to confirm the settings before starting the install.
Notice the option “Export configuration settings”.
When I hover over this, notice that an information message appears stating the command that needs
to be used in PowerShell to install the roles and features using the exported XML settings
file.
In a moment I will run this command on another server.
When I select the option to export the settings, the next step is to save the file.
In this case I will save the file to my USB key.
Once the setting file is saved, notice that I do not have to complete the wizard, I can
cancel out of the wizard without completing the install.
Of course you could complete the wizard and install the roles and features if you wanted
to.
I will change to another Windows Server running Server Core and install the roles and features
that I just looked at on that server.
To start with I just need to start PowerShell by entering PowerShell at the command prompt.
I have already placed the USB key in this computer that I used to the save the configuration
file on from the previous server.
To install the roles and features, I will use the command ‘Install-WindowsFeature’.
This command requires the parameter ‘ConfigurationFilePath’ followed by the location of the XML configuration
file.
Once I run this command, any roles or features in the configuration file will be install
on the server.
The install took a minute or so but I have sped up the process so that we do not have
to wait.
Once the install is complete, notice I get a message stating that the server needs to
be restarted and also automatic updates has not been configured on this server.
Remember also that this command only installs the roles and features and it does not configure
them.
For example, if you install Active Directory Domain Services, this command will install
the role but you will need to perform the steps in order to configure the server.
This covers everything about exporting server manager configuration and installing it on
another server.
I hope you have found this video useful and I hope to see you in the other free videos
from us.
Thanks for watching and see you next time.