This is procedure how to add Nano Server to domain. Basic idea behind this is to do offline join to domain. Before you venture to adding Nano Server to domain you must set network address and adequate DNS record on your DNS server.

Nano server is a headless server which you cant RDP or not a command prompt. For Nano Server management we have to use PowerShell or RSAT tools. So as a first step is to login to other server which stays in the same network and run the PowerShell and execute the following commands.

First add the server to TrustedHost List

Set-Item WSMan:\localhost\Client\TrustedHosts "192.168.2.95" -Concatenate

then run command for offline join on server.

djoin.exe /provision /domain taamneh.com /machine NanoServer01 /savefile c:\Temp\odjblob

Then we need to copy blob to Nano Server and easiest way is to copy from c:\Temp\odjblob to Nano Server is using file explorer \\192.168.2.95\c$

then connect to Nano Server using PowerShell

$ip = "192.168.2.95" $user = "$ip\Administrator" Enter-PSSession -ComputerName $ip -Credential $user

and execute following commands

djoin /requestodj /loadfile c:\temp\odjblob /windowspath c:\windows /localos shutdown /r

After restart Nano Server is joined to domain.

Note: This process is necessary if server or workstation where you are creating Nano server is not joined to your desired domain.