Some questions about setting up Active Directory and Dynamic DNS

Question

I'm trying to setup 800 computers to connect to a domain when they were previously managed by Windows SteadyState. I'm very new to this and I have some questions.

1. I tried setting up DHCP and DNS so that as soon as a computer joins a network, it attempts to join the domain. The only way it connects to the domain now is if I put 192.168.1.2 (DNS/DC/DHCP server) as the primary DNS for Windows 7. I tried setting up Dynamic DNS and it's not really working. Goal of this is to not have to individually type in or go to each computer and change the DNS

2. Is there any way for new computers to be added quickly? I don't have a list of serial numbers, UUID's or anything. I was hoping that there was a way so that when a computer connects to the network, it shows up in AD and I can then add it to a group.

3. I was looking at Windows Deployment Services. Is there a way to set custom hostnames for a computer?

4. Does anyone have any experience deploying AutoCAD 2011 using a network server for licensing? I've been having troubles setting it up.

Answer 1

You can set DHCP to give out your DNS server and domain: option 6 will give your DNS settings to clients. Option 15 will give them the domain.

You can pre-configure AD by adding computers before actually joining them to the domain, if you like.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc730845(WS.10).aspx Covers automatically joining a domain as part of an unattended installation. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732729(WS.10).aspx#Common May also be of use to you, among other things it addresses generating computer names.