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I'm about to install a windows server 2012R2 essentials as our main server. I'm worried that if it crashes later in time that I will not have another server being able to authenticate users on the domain which means that users will at some point not be able to access network shares.

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There was something in my brain saying Essentials was a single-server network solution, but apparently R2 fixed that: "Previously, Windows Server 2012 Essentials could be installed as the only domain controller of a small office network. Now ...you can have more than one server running Essentials in your domain."

As for creating a BDC later on, it looks like a second Essentials server with the DC role is referred to as a Replica vs. BDC. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn408637.aspx

Actually finding out the functional difference between a replica and a BDC? That appears to take more research than finding out how to actually do it. Go figure.

Kara Marfia
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