Computers that run Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, must be on the compatibility list for Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition. For details, see the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=37824

The requirements for systems on the compatibility list for Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, include the following:

• For an x86-based computer:
  
  
  • Must be able to support eight or more processors with a minimum speed of 400 megahertz (MHz). For new installations, the minimum processor speed is 550 MHz. A maximum of 32 processors per computer is supported.
    
    
  • 512 megabytes (MB) of RAM minimum, 64 gigabytes (GB) maximum.
    
    
  • 2 gigabytes (GB) of free hard-disk space (minimum) for Setup.
    
    
• For an Itanium-based computer:
  
  
  • Must be able to support eight or more processors with a minimum speed of 733 MHz. A maximum of 64 processors per computer is supported.
    
    
  • 1 GB of RAM minimum, 1024 GB (1 Terabyte) maximum.
    
    
  • 4 gigabytes (GB) of free hard-disk space (minimum) for Setup
    
    
• For an x64-based computer:
  
  
  • Must be able to support eight or more processors with a minimum speed of 1.4 gigahertz (GHz). A maximum of 64 processors per computer is supported
    
    
  • 1 GB of RAM minimum, 1024 GB (1 Terabyte) maximum.
    
    
  • 4 gigabytes (GB) of free hard-disk space (minimum) for Setup
    
    For computers with more than 4 GB of RAM, be sure to check the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=37824
    
    A hard disk partition or volume with enough free space to accommodate the setup process. To ensure that you have flexibility in your later use of the operating system, it is recommended that you allow considerably more space than the minimum required for running Setup, which is approximately 2 GB to 3 GB on an x86-based computer and 4 GB on an Itanium-based or x64-based computer. The larger amount of space is required if you are running Setup across a network instead of from a CD-ROM.
    
    

  Note:

  The setup process requires the free disk space described in the previous paragraph. After Setup is finished, actual hard disk space used for the operating system will be more than the free space required for Setup, because of space needed for the paging file, for any optional components you install, and (on domain controllers) for user accounts and other Active Directory® information. The usual size for the paging file is 1.5 times the size of the RAM. For information about the paging file, optional components, user accounts, and information stored in Active Directory, see Help and Support Center. To open Help and Support Center, after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support.

• VGA or higher-resolution monitor (Super VGA 800x600 or higher recommended), keyboard, and (optionally) a mouse or other pointing device.
  
  As an alternative, for operation without a monitor or keyboard, you can choose a remote diagnostic and support processor that is designed for products in the Windows Server 2003 family. For details, see the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=37824
  
  

For CD-ROM installation:

• A CD-ROM or DVD drive.
  
  

For network installation:

• One or more network adapters and related cables that are designed for products in the Windows Server 2003 family. For details, see the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=37824
  
  
• A server from which to offer network access for the Setup files.
  
  

When you purchase a server running Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, you are purchasing a system that has been extensively tested for compatibility between the hardware components, the drivers, and the operating system. For more information hardware compatibility, contact your hardware manufacturer, and see the hardware compatibility information in the Windows Catalog at:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=3782

If you have a custom Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) file supplied by your computer manufacturer, before you begin Setup, locate the floppy disk or other medium containing the file. During the early part of Setup, a line at the bottom of the screen will prompt you to press F6: at this time press F5 (not F6). After you press F5, follow the prompts to include your HAL file in the Setup process.

If you have a FAT or FAT32 partition on which you want to install a product in the Windows Server 2003 family, and you want to use NTFS instead, you have two choices:

• You can convert the FAT or FAT32 partition to NTFS. This leaves files intact, although the partition may have somewhat more fragmentation and slower performance than a partition formatted with NTFS. However, it is still advantageous to use NTFS, regardless of whether the partition was formatted with NTFS or converted.
  
  

If you install a product in the Windows Server 2003 family on a FAT or FAT32 partition, you are offered the option to convert the partition to NTFS. You can also convert a FAT or FAT32 partition after Setup by using Convert.exe. For more information about Convert.exe, after completing Setup, click Start, click Run, type cmd and then press ENTER. In the command window, type help convert, and then press ENTER.

• You can reformat the partition with NTFS. This erases all files on the partition, but results in less fragmentation and better performance than with a converted partition.
  
  

For more information, see "Starting Setup on an Itanium-based Computer" in "Running Setup for a New Installation: Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition."

If you format a partition during Setup, the file systems choices are listed as NTFS and FAT. The following table provides information about the relationship between partition size and file system choices during Setup.

If you format a partition during Setup, you can choose between a quick format and a full format:

Quick format: Quick format creates the file system structure on the disk without verifying the integrity of every sector. Choose this method for any disk that has no bad sectors and no history of file-corruption problems that might be related to bad sectors.

Full format: A full format identifies and tracks bad sectors so that they are not used for storing data. Choose this method for any disk that has bad sectors or has a history of file-corruption problems that might be related to bad sectors.

NTFS has always been a more powerful file system than FAT and FAT32. Windows 2000, Windows XP, and the Windows Server 2003 family include a new version of NTFS, with support for a variety of features including Active Directory, which is needed for domains, user accounts, and other important security features. For more details about features in NTFS, see "NTFS" later in this topic.

FAT and FAT32 are similar to each other, except that FAT32 is designed for larger disks than FAT. The file system that works most easily with large disks is NTFS.

The following table compares disk and file sizes possible with each file system.

This section provides background information about the features available with NTFS. Some of these features include:

• Better scalability to large drives. The maximum partition or volume size for NTFS is much greater than that for FAT, and as volume or partition sizes increase, performance with NTFS does not degrade as it does with FAT.
  
  
• Active Directory (and domains, which are part of Active Directory). With Active Directory, you can view and control network resources easily. With domains, you can fine-tune security options while keeping administration simple. Domain controllers and Active Directory require NTFS.
  
  
• Compression features, including the ability to compress or uncompress a drive, a folder, or a specific file. (However, a file cannot be both compressed and encrypted at the same time.)
  
  
• File encryption, which greatly enhances security. (However, a file cannot be both compressed and encrypted at the same time.)
  
  
• Permissions that can be set on individual files rather than just folders.
  
  
• Remote Storage, which provides an extension to your disk space by making removable media such as tapes more accessible. (This feature is not included with Windows Server 2003, Web Edition, or with Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition.)
  
  
• Recovery logging of disk activities, which allows NTFS to restore information quickly in the event of power failure or other system problems.
  
  
• Sparse files. These are very large files created by applications in such a way that only limited disk space is needed. That is, NTFS allocates disk space only to the portions of a file that are written to.
  
  
• Disk quotas, which you can use to monitor and control the amount of disk space used by individual users.
  
  

For information about converting or reformatting a FAT or FAT32 partition, see "Reformatting or Converting a Partition to Use NTFS" earlier in this topic.

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If you plan to use Remote Installation Services on this server so that you can install operating systems onto other computers, a separate partition for use by Remote Installation Services is necessary. Plan on using NTFS on this partition: NTFS is required for the Single Instance Store feature of Remote Installation Services.

If you need to create a new partition for Remote Installation Services, plan on doing it after Setup, and leave enough unpartitioned disk space so that you can create it (at least 4 GB of space is recommended). As an alternative, for the system disk (not cluster disks), you can plan to make the disk a dynamic disk, which allows more flexibility in the use of the disk space than a basic disk.

For more information about Remote Installation Services and about disk and partition choices, see Help and Support Center. To open Help and Support Center, after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support.

You can change the partitions on your disk during Setup only if you are performing a new installation, not an upgrade. You can modify the partitioning of the disk after Setup by using Disk Management.

If you are performing a new installation, Setup examines the hard disk to determine its existing configuration, and then offers the following options:

• If the hard disk is unpartitioned, you can create and size the partition on which you will install a product in the Windows Server 2003 family.
  
  
• If the hard disk is partitioned but has enough unpartitioned disk space, you can create the partition for your Windows Server 2003 family product by using the unpartitioned space.
  
  
• If the hard disk has an existing partition that is large enough, you can install a product in the Windows Server 2003 family on that partition, with or without reformatting the partition first. Reformatting a partition erases all data on the partition. If you do not reformat the partition, but you do install a Windows Server 2003 family product where there is already an operating system, that operating system will be overwritten, and you must reinstall any applications you want to use with the Windows Server 2003 family product.
  
  
• If the hard disk has an existing partition, you can delete it to create more unpartitioned disk space for a partition for a Windows Server 2003 family product. Deleting an existing partition also erases any data on that partition.
  
  

You can set up a computer so that each time you restart it, you can choose from different installations of products in the Windows Server 2003 family. If you want to set up a computer this way, note the following:

• It is not necessary to maintain multiple operating systems as a safeguard against problems with starting the computer. With products in the Windows Server 2003 family, you have other options for system recovery. For example, if you have a problem with a newly installed device driver, you can use Safe Mode, in which Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, restarts with default settings and the minimum number of drivers.
  
  
• Install each operating system on a different partition, and install the applications used with an operating system on the same partition with it. If an application is used with two different operating systems, install it on two partitions.
  
  
• If the computer participates in a domain, use a different computer name for each installation. Because a unique security identifier (SID) is used for each installation on a domain, the computer name for each installation must be unique, even for multiple installations on the same computer.
  
  
• If you use the Encrypting File System (EFS) on a computer containing multiple installations of products in the Windows Server 2003 family, the encrypted files will not be readable between the different installations unless you take one of the following approaches. One approach is to ensure that all the installations are in the same domain and that the user of these installations has a roaming profile. Another approach is to export the user’s file encryption certificate and associated private key from one installation and import it into the other installations. For more information about EFS, roaming user profiles, and importing and exporting certificates, see Help and Support Center. To open Help and Support Center, after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support.
  
  

A dynamic disk is a disk using the new storage type introduced with Windows 2000. If you changed a disk to dynamic and you want to perform a new installation on the disk, review the following.

• If you used Windows 2000 or Windows XP to change a disk with no partitions directly to a dynamic disk, you must revert the disk to basic before you can install an operating system on it.
  
  

  Caution:
  All data will be lost in the process of reverting the disk to basic, so back it up first.

  You can use Windows 2000 or Windows XP to revert the disk, or you can use the Setup program for a product in the Windows Server 2003 family. To use Windows 2000 or Windows XP, follow the instructions in Help for your operating system. To use Setup for a product in the Windows Server 2003 family, during the partitioning phase, find the dynamic disk among the list of available partitions and then delete it (which erases all data on all volumes). You will be prompted to confirm your action. After you do this, the disk will contain only unpartitioned space, and you can use Setup to create a new (basic disk) partition on it.
  
  
• If you plan to rerun Setup on a computer on which a product in the Windows Server 2003 family was already installed, and the computer contains dynamic disks, be sure to read about the limitations for installing operating systems on disks that are changed to dynamic using a product in the Windows Server 2003 family. For more information, see topics about dynamic disks and the partition table in Help and Support Center. To open Help and Support Center, after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support.
  
  

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As outlined in the preceding section, using TCP/IP requires that an IP address be provided for each computer. This section describes IP addressing options. For descriptions of name resolution options, which are also needed in a TCP/IP network, see "Name Resolution for TCP/IP" later in this topic.

There are two basic approaches for providing an IP address for a server you are installing:

Name resolution is a process that provides users with easy-to-remember server names, instead of requiring them to use the numerical IP addresses by which servers identify themselves on the TCP/IP network. The name-resolution services are Domain Name System (DNS) and Windows Internet Name Service (WINS).

With Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition; or Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, servers in a domain can have one of two roles: domain controllers, which contain matching copies of the user accounts and other Active Directory data in a given domain, and member servers, which belong to a domain but do not contain a copy of the Active Directory data. (A server that belongs to a workgroup, not a domain, is called a stand-alone server.) It is possible to change the role of a server back and forth from domain controller to member server (or stand-alone server), even after Setup is complete. However, it is recommended that you plan your domain before running Setup and change server roles (and server names) only when necessary.

Multiple domain controllers provide better support for users, compared to a single domain controller. With multiple domain controllers, you have multiple copies of user account data and other Active Directory data; however, it is still important to perform regular backups, including Automated System Recovery backups, and familiarize yourself with the methods for restoring a domain controller. In addition, multiple domain controllers work together to support domain controller functions, such as carrying out logon validations. For more information about domain controllers and other Active Directory topics, see Help and Support Center (after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support).

For detailed information about domains and forests, operations master roles, the global catalog, and other Active Directory topics, see Help and Support Center, which is available after you install (or upgrade to) a product in the Windows Server 2003 family on your first server. To open Help and Support Center, after completing Setup, click Start, and then click Help and Support.

For information about setting up multiple domains with structured relationships, see the Windows Deployment and Resource Kits on the Web at:

http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=29883

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