1. Open Notepad or any text editor.
2. Type the following entries, one entry in each line:

   [DCINSTALL]

   InstallDNS=yes

   NewDomain=forest

   NewDomainDNSName=<fully qualified DNS Name>

   DomainNetBiosName=<first label of the FQDN, by default>

   ReplicaOrNewDomain=domain

   ForestLevel=<forest functional level number>

   DomainLevel=<domain functional level number>

   DatabasePath=<path to a folder on local volume, surrounded by double quotation marks>

   LogPath=<path to a folder on a local volume, surrounded by double quotation marks>

   RebootOnCompletion=yes

   SYSVOLPath=<path to a folder on local volume, surrounded by double quotation marks>

   SafeModeAdminPassword=<password>

3. Save the answer file to the location on the installation server from which it is to be called by Dcpromo.
4. To install a new domain controller by using the answer file created above, at the command prompt, type the following and then press ENTER:

   dcpromo /unattend:”path to the answer file”

Installing a new forest by entering the unattended installation parameters at the command line

Suppose you have an answer file that lists a blank Directory Services Restore Mode password like:

SafeModeAdminPassword=

Then you can supply the value for this password at the command prompt like:

dcpromo /unattend:”path to answer file”SafeModeAdminPassword=C^n3478#9k

Every time you supply the value of a parameter from the command line, the value of the corresponding entry in the answer file gets overwritten by the value given at the command prompt.

You can therefore install a new domain controller for a new forest by entering all required unattended parameters at the command line:

dcpromo /autoConfigDNS:yes /dnsOnNetwork:yes /replicaOrNewDomain:domain /newDomain:forest /newDomainDNSName:contoso.com /DomainNetbiosName:contoso /databasePath:”e:\ntds” /logPath:“e:\ntdslogs” /sysvolPath:”g:\sysvol” /safeModeAdminPassword:GH^&898# /forestLevel:2 /domainLevel:2 /rebootOnCompletion:yes

Forest Functional Levels

Domain Functional Levels

Answer File for creating a new Windows Server 2008 Child Domain

1. Open Notepad or any text editor.
2. Type the following entries, one entry in each line:

   [DCINSTALL]

   ParentDomainDNSName=<FQDN of the parent domain>

   UserName=<administrative account in the parent domain>

   Password=<specify * to have the user be prompted for credentials during

   installation>

   NewDomain=child

   ChildName=<Single-label DNS name for the new domain>

   DomainNetBiosName=<first label of the FQDN, by default>

   ReplicaOrNewDomain=domain

   DomainLevel=<domain functional level number; value cannot be lower than the current

   functional level value of the forest >

   DatabasePath=<path to a folder on local volume, surrounded by double quotation marks>

   LogPath=<path to a folder on a local volume, surrounded by double quotation marks>

   RebootOnCompletion=yes

   SYSVOLPath=<path to a folder on local volume, surrounded by double quotation marks>

   InstallDNS=yes

   DNSDelegation=yes

   DNSDelegationUserName=<DNS administrator account in the parent domain;specify *

   to have the user be prompted for credentials at the run time>

   DNSDelegationPassword=<password of the account specified above or *>

   SafeModeAdminPassword=<password>

   RebootOnCompletion=yes

3. Save the answer file to the location on the installation server from which it is to be called by Dcpromo.
4. To install a new domain controller by using the answer file created above, at the command prompt, type the following and then press ENTER:

   dcpromo /unattend:”path to the answer file”

References: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008