For as long as I can remember, Microsoft’s Small Business Server (SBS) and Essentials Server would default to using .local for the internal domain suffix during installation. So, if your company name was Contoso, it would create Contoso.local as your internal domain.
And for me, using .local worked great all these years. The customer would still use .com (such as Contoso.com) for their public web site and for their email address. Contoso.local was strictly for internal DNS purposes.
But SSL Certificate authorities have announced that they will not issue new UCC/SAN SSL certificates that contain non-public local Intranet domain suffixes (such as .local) or IP addresses.
See detail announcements from these vendors: GoDaddy DigiCert
So … the question was raised recently within my Microsoft MVP group: how does one install Windows Server 2012R2 Essentials with a custom internal domain suffix, since by default Essentials uses .local?
My good MVP friend, Robert Pearman, took the time to post a solution today on his blog site. He gives step by step instructions, along with screen shots:
http://titlerequired.com/2015/06/27/install-windows-server-essentials-with-a-custom-domain-suffix/
Here is a quick summary of the steps:
- Perform the pre-install of Essentials 2012 R2
- When the Essentials Configuration Wizard (ECW) starts up, click CANCEL.
- From System Properties, change the name of your server
- Now add Active Directory Domain Services as a server role (Systems Manager > Manage > Add Roles and Features) and use all the defaults.
- Then run the Post Deployment task and promote the server to a domain controller.
- Select to create a new forest and enter your root domain name.
- Note: many now suggest using a subdomain of your public domain name. So if your public domain is Contoso.com, you might use Corp.Contoso.com)
- After the pre-requisite check, use the defaults to complete the install of the server role.
- After the server has rebooted, login as the domain admin, and the ECW will start up again.
