Is there an easy way to join Nano server to the domain like a normal server? No but it isn't necessarily harder either. Remember when I said you can configure Nano Server in one line of code? That is actually when you can join your Nano server to the domain. You can join them after they have been created but it is much more efficient to join them during VHDX creation process.
Requirements
Another machine that is already joined to the domain
Get the BLOB file!
From the machine that is already joined to the domain, open command prompt as an administrator.
CMD> Djoin.exe /provision /domain <domain name> /Machine <destination machine Name> /savefile .\blob
Example
Djoin.exe /provision /domain contoso.com /machine NanoServerABC /savefile c:\temp\blobNanoABC
Join Domain during VHDX creation
So now the blob file has been created time to join it to the domain. During the creation add this option "-DomainBlobPath"
Example
New-NanoServerImage -Edition Standard -DeploymentType host -MediaPath c:\tp5 -BasePath C:\Users\<UserName>\Desktop\Nanoserver\NanoServerImageGenerator\Base -TargetPath C:\TEMP\NanoServer\NanoServerABC.vhdx -OEMDrivers -storage -compute -clustering -DomainBlobPath c:\temp\blobABC
Notice: it does not have computer name option anymore during the VHDX creation process? This is because it has been specified in the blob file. It's not the end of the world if you had added, it just will prompt you to take it out.
Join Domain After VHDX creation
You can mount VHDX and transfer the blob file over to it then run the following code on it.
djoin /requestodj /loadfile <blob location> /windowspath c:\windows /localos
shutdown /r /t 5
Exit-PSSession
example
djoin /requestodj /loadfile c:\temp\odiblob /windowspath c:\windows /localos
shutdown /r /t 5
Exit-PSSession
But wait I can't mount my VHDX for whatever reason. Out of the box you can't map the Nano server drive nor ping it. So this one is a bit more tricky.
On the Nano Server
//import module
Import-Module NetSecurity
//to allow SMB Sharing
Set-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup “File And Printer Sharing” -Enabled True
Now on another machine just open a File explorer and type in \\<NanoServerABC>\C$. You should be able to transfer and place the Blob file there then just run the same code as above.
djoin /requestodj /loadfile <blob location> /windowspath c:\windows /localos
shutdown /r /t 5
Exit-PSSession
Now that we have gone through the essentials let's make this more interesting. Next we will go into Hyper converge Nano Server with Storage Spaces Direct.