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TheAbider edited this page Feb 24, 2026 · 1 revision

Server Role Templates

RackStack includes 10 built-in server role templates for common Windows Server roles, plus support for custom templates defined in defaults.json. Templates automate the installation of Windows features and provide post-install guidance where applicable.

New in v1.4.0: Server role templates with built-in and custom template support.

Table of Contents

Built-in Templates

Key Name Features Reboot Post-Install
DC Domain Controller AD-Domain-Services, DNS, RSAT-AD-Tools, RSAT-DNS-Server, GPMC Yes AD DS Promotion
FS File Server FS-FileServer, FS-Data-Deduplication, FS-DFS-Namespace, FS-DFS-Replication, FS-Resource-Manager No --
WEB Web Server (IIS) Web-Server, Web-Asp-Net45, Web-Mgmt-Console, Web-Scripting-Tools, Web-Security, Web-Filtering No --
DHCP DHCP Server DHCP, RSAT-DHCP No DHCP setup steps
DNS DNS Server DNS, RSAT-DNS-Server No --
PRINT Print Server Print-Server, Print-Services No --
WSUS WSUS Server UpdateServices, UpdateServices-RSAT, UpdateServices-UI Yes WSUS setup steps
NPS Network Policy Server NPAS, RSAT-NPAS No --
HV Hyper-V Host Hyper-V, Hyper-V-PowerShell, RSAT-Hyper-V-Tools, Multipath-IO Yes --
RDS Remote Desktop Services RDS-RD-Server, RDS-Licensing, RSAT-RDS-Tools Yes --

All built-in templates have ServerOnly: true -- they require Windows Server and cannot be installed on client operating systems (Windows 10/11).

Installing a Template

Menu path: Tools & Utilities > [8] Server Role Templates

The template selector shows all available templates with their current installation status:

  SERVER ROLE TEMPLATES

  BUILT-IN TEMPLATES
  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  [DC]     Domain Controller              Not Installed
  [FS]     File Server                    Installed
  [WEB]    Web Server (IIS)               Partial (2/6)
  [DHCP]   DHCP Server                    Not Installed
  [DNS]    DNS Server                     Installed
  [PRINT]  Print Server                   Not Installed
  [WSUS]   WSUS Server                    Not Installed
  [NPS]    Network Policy Server          Not Installed
  [HV]     Hyper-V Host                   Installed
  [RDS]    Remote Desktop Services        Not Installed

  CUSTOM TEMPLATES
  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
  [MYAPP]  Custom App Server              Not Installed

  [R]  Show All Installed Roles
  [B]  Back

Status indicators:

  • Installed -- All features in the template are present
  • Partial (x/y) -- Some features installed, some missing
  • Not Installed -- No features from the template are present

Installation Wizard

  1. Select a template by typing its key (e.g., DC, FS, WEB)
  2. RackStack displays the features that will be installed with their current status
  3. Already-installed features are skipped (incremental install)
  4. Confirm to begin installation
  5. Each feature is installed via Install-WindowsFeature
  6. If the template requires a reboot, the reboot flag is set
  7. If a post-install action exists and no reboot is pending, the post-install guidance is shown

Server OS check: Templates marked ServerOnly will not install on client operating systems. RackStack validates this before proceeding.

Custom Templates

Define custom templates in defaults.json under CustomRoleTemplates. Custom templates appear in the selector alongside built-in templates.

"CustomRoleTemplates": {
    "MYAPP": {
        "FullName": "Custom App Server",
        "Description": "Features for a custom application stack",
        "Features": ["Web-Server", "NET-Framework-45-Core", "MSMQ"],
        "PostInstall": null,
        "RequiresReboot": false,
        "ServerOnly": true
    }
}

Field Reference

Field Type Required Description
FullName string Yes Display name shown in the selector menu
Description string Yes Brief description of what the template installs
Features array Yes Array of Windows feature names (as used by Install-WindowsFeature)
PostInstall string/null Yes Function name to call after installation, or null for no post-install action
RequiresReboot bool Yes Whether the features require a reboot after installation
ServerOnly bool Yes If true, blocks installation on client operating systems

Tip: Use Get-WindowsFeature on a Windows Server to list all available feature names.

Custom templates are merged with built-in templates at runtime. Keys starting with _ (comments) are ignored during import.

Viewing Installed Roles

Select [R] from the template selector to view all currently installed Windows roles and features on the server. The display groups results into three categories:

  • Roles -- Top-level server roles (e.g., Hyper-V, DNS Server, DHCP Server)
  • Role Services -- Sub-components of roles (e.g., RDS-RD-Server under Remote Desktop Services)
  • Features -- Standalone features (e.g., Multipath-IO, Failover-Clustering, GPMC)

Each entry shows the display name and technical feature name.

Post-Install Guidance

Some templates include post-install guidance that is shown after successful feature installation:

Domain Controller (DC)

After installing AD DS features, the DC template directs you to the AD DS Promotion wizard to complete the promotion:

Menu path: System Configuration > [3] Promote to Domain Controller

Three promotion types are available: New Forest, Additional DC, and RODC. See AD DS Promotion for the full walkthrough.

DHCP Server

After DHCP feature installation, guidance covers:

  • Authorizing the DHCP server in Active Directory
  • Creating scopes with address ranges
  • Configuring scope options (gateway, DNS, domain name)

WSUS Server

After WSUS feature installation, guidance covers:

  • Running wsusutil.exe postinstall to complete setup
  • Configuring the content storage location
  • Completing initial configuration in the WSUS console

Batch Mode

Use the ServerRoleTemplate key in your batch config to install a role template during automated configuration. This runs as step 14 in the batch sequence.

Key Type Default Description
ServerRoleTemplate string/null null Template key to install: DC, FS, WEB, DHCP, DNS, PRINT, WSUS, NPS, HV, RDS, or a custom key. null to skip. 
{
    "ConfigType": "HOST",
    "ServerRoleTemplate": "HV",
    "InstallHyperV": true
}

In batch mode:

  • The template key is case-insensitive (converted to uppercase)
  • Both built-in and custom templates (from defaults.json) are available
  • Invalid template keys cause a validation warning
  • Features are installed sequentially via Install-WindowsFeature
  • The reboot flag is set if the template requires it and features were actually installed
  • Post-install actions are not executed in batch mode (they require interactive input)

See also: AD DS Promotion | Configuration Guide | Batch Mode | Troubleshooting

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