Your domain is at the Windows Server 2012 R2 forest and domain functional level. You need to be able to deploy a new domain controller that runs Windows Server 2025 while minimizing administrative work. Which two actions should you take? (Choose two.)

To introduce a Windows Server 2025 domain controller, your forest and domain functional levels must be at least Windows Server 2016. Therefore, raising the functional level to Windows Server 2016 is a necessary step. Since your current functional level is Windows Server 2012 R2, you cannot directly raise it to Windows Server 2025. You must first remove all domain controllers running an operating system older than the target functional level. In this scenario, DC1, DC2, and DC3 are all running Windows Server 2012 R2. Removing them allows you to then raise the functional level to Windows Server 2016, after which you can introduce a Windows Server 2025 domain controller. Upgrading DC1, DC2, and DC3 to Windows Server 2025 is not the most efficient path as it involves in-place upgrades, which are generally more complex than deploying new DCs.