I currently got Windows 2008 server setup and Windows 7 in VMware workstation, I wonder if I create a Active Directory Domain Services, DNS and DHCP. They all setup in virtual enviroment, with NAT, both VM has same IP and subnet ( 2k8 = 192.168.150.131 and Win7 = 192.168.150.129) (255.255.255.0) Tried the ping command it pings each other, but the problem is when I try to join the domain server on win7 machine it came up an error about the server could not be contacted. how can I use Windows 7 to join the domain server I have just setup? or is it not possible to do this in virtual enviroment?
You need to tell the network connections on each VM to connect to the network directly & not NAT off the host connection.
You need to use the 2008 server as your DNS server for your Windows 7 workstation. Joining a domain requires custom DNS entries to locate a directory server - sounds like you're using DHCP in the NAT network, which will be handing out the default gateway as the DHCP server. Your default gateway will not have these custom DNS entries ... and thus it doesn't work.
How do I do that? Can you guide me please? is there a tutorial site have step by step about this? DNS was already installed cause that's a Active Directory requirement. I'm guessing the virtual machines are connected to my physical LAN, which my routers handing out the DHCP. Thanks
With the Win7 machine, in the control panel for the network connection, configure the connection manually, assign the gateway IP as being the current gateway, and for the DNS lines, put the primary as being the 2008 server, and the secondary as being the gateway IP This is the only way I could get it to work when I attempted it virtually.
Well you said they were on the "NAT" network, in which case its given out by VMware server's virtual networking stack. Given the IP leases you've got on your servers are stated as .129 and .131, I am assuming they are not "Bridged", as VMware server's DHCP server gives out from .128 and upwards, and most home routers give out from .2 or .100 and up. I'd recommend - strongly - that you put your DC onto a static IP, even if you are only screwing around in a lab environment for learning, as they do not handle IP changes - at all. An IP change usually means a full rebuild, or manually returning it to its previous IP. Anyway, I've no doubt you do have DNS configured, but I doubt your workstation is using it as its DNS server, which is what I was trying to say
just a suggestion, manually put IP addresses then ping if its really working... this will isolate if the virtual network is working. if its ok then you may need to check for some other areas.
Oh yes it worked! But only if I use static IP address and not DHCP IP address from Win Server 2k8. Is it something to do with the VMware Network Editior and the Virtual machine's network adapter connection? Currently both virtual machines are using VMnet3
