Q. How can I install Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM)?

John Savill

August 29, 2004

3 Min Read
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A. Download the ADAM installation file at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/adam/default.mspx and execute it. The file self-expands to a folder you select. Navigate to the selected folder and perform the following steps:

  1. Double-click adamsetup.exe.

  2. At the "Welcome to the Active Directory Application Mode Setup Wizard" screen, click Next.

  3. Select the "I accept the terms in the license agreement" option and click Next.

  4. Under the installation options, select to install "ADAM and ADAM administration tools" and click Next.

  5. In the window that the figure at Figure shows, you can select the type of instance to create--a new unique instance or a replica of an existing instance. Select the "A unique instance" option and click Next.

  6. Enter the instance name for this ADAM installation. This name, with the prefix ADAM_ appended to it, names the service; for example, if you enter the name portal1, the service name is ADAM_portal1. Click Next to display the window that the figure at Figure shows.

  7. Next, you must specify the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) ports to use. By default, the ports are 389 for regular communications and 636 for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)-encrypted LDAP communications. If you're installing ADAM on an existing domain controller (DC), these ports are already in use, so you'll have to select other ports. Also, if you're installing a second instance of ADAM on a system and the first instance already uses ports 389 and 636, you'll need to select different port numbers. The recommended custom ports start at 50000, so you could use 50000 for LDAP and 50001 for SSL. Enter your port numbers and click Next.

  8. You're then asked whether you want to create an application partition. If you select "Yes, create an application directory partition", you must enter a valid partition name--for example,

    "cn=App1,o=Savilltech,c=US"

    Click Next.

  9. Choose the location for the database files and recovery files. You can accept the defaults (C:program filesmicrosoft adam<instance name>data) or enter a custom location. Click Next.

  10. Specify the account to run the ADAM service. In most cases you can use the default, "Network service account." Click Next. When the machine on which you're installing ADAM isn't in a domain and you select the Network service account, the wizard tells you that ADAM won't be able to replicate with other machines.

  11. Next, you're prompted to specify the ADAM default administrator. By default, this is the current user; alternatively, you can select "This account" and specify a different user or group--for example, the Domain Admins group. Click Next.

  12. At the window that the figure at Figure shows, you can select the LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) files to load. LDIF files define attributes and classes that will be added to your schema. For example, you can add the MS-InetOrgPerson type (i.e., the InetOrgPerson user definition). Select the "Import the selected LDIF files for this instance of ADAM" option, add the .ldf files you want to import to the "Selected LDIF files" list, and click Next.

  13. At the summary screen, click Next.

  14. After the ADAM installation is done, click Finish.

ADAM is now installed. You can check your installation by starting the ADAM ADSI Edit tool and making sure you can connect. If you run the command

net start

at a command prompt, you'll see a service listed that's the name of your instance (without the ADAM_ prefix). If you received an error during installation about creating a folder in the windowsadam folder, simply manually create an empty adam folder under the windows folder and retry the installation.

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