This article will explain how to enable and install the Active Directory Domain Services role on Windows Server 2012 to setup a Domain Controller. You can click on the pictures for a larger version of the picture.


You need to install Windows 2012 before you can start with deploying Active Directory Services (the core edition of Server 2012 AD services is not covered in this wiki).
 

To start with adding the Active Directory Domain Services role click on ‘Add roles and features’ in the Server Manager.

Click on ‘Next’ on the ‘before you begin’ information page.

On the next screen you have to choose if you want to do a role-based and feature-based installation or a Remote Desktop services installation. Select the role-based and feature based installation.

Select a server from the server pool or select a virtual hard disk. For this wiki I selected the local server.

The list of select-able roles will appear. Select the ‘Active Directory Domain Services’ role and click ‘Next’.

The list of features will be displayed that need to be included for installing the Active Directory Domain services role, click ‘Add features’ to continue.

Click ‘Next’ to continue with installing the AD Domain Services.

Click next on the ‘Select Features’ screen.

Click ‘next’on the Active Directory Domain Services info screen.

Click ‘Install’ to start the actual installation. Optionally you can select to automatically reboot the server if required.

The installation process will start.

Click on ‘Close’ when the installation has finished.

There will be a notification in the Server Manager that ‘Configuration is required for Active Directory Domain Services’.

Select the AD DS role on the left part of the screen to view the status of the Active Directory Domain Services. In the action list click on ‘Promote this server to a domain controller’.

The Active Directory Domain Services configuration wizard will appear.

To setup a new Forest select ‘Add a new forest’ and enter a root domain name for my forest (test.local for my test lab).

Next you can select the functional level for the new forest and root domain. 
 

Enter a password for the Directory Services restore mode and click ‘next’ to continue.

Ignore the DNS warning if you do not have an authoritative parent zone and click ‘Next’.

Enter the NetBIOS domain name and click ‘Next’.

Provide the path for the database, logging and SYSVOL folder and click on ‘Next’.

Overview of all the selected options will be displayed and the option to export all the selected configuration options to PowerShell with the ‘View script’ button. Click ‘Next’to continue.

The Prerequisites Check screen appear and some warning might be displayed there. Finally the install button is no longer greyed-out to you can select ‘Install’.

The Active Directory Domain Services will now be configured and the management tools will be installed.