Student Study Guide: Windows Server Administration Fundamentals
Student Study Guide: Windows Server Administration Fundamentals
Student Study Guide: Windows Server Administration Fundamentals
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Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Career Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi
Value of Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x
iv Contents
Introduction
Introduction v
Career Planning
vi Career Planning
Career Planning vii
Exploring Job Roles
IN THI S C HAP TE R
SCENARIO: Maurice Taylor is the network administrator for Fabrikam, Inc. A workstation that he plans to image
and roll out to production is having issues with the video display. The display worked initially when he first set up
the system. After applying several system and driver updates, the video has degraded to standard VGA 640x800
and performance has really stunk. He knows this won’t be acceptable.
Maurice also is having an issue with the firewall service on his Windows® Server® 2008 R2 Web server. The service
fails to start when the system starts; however, Maurice can start it manually after he logs in. Maurice does not
want to manually start that service every time maintenance on the web server is required, and he realizes that
he’ll be in big trouble if he doesn’t secure the web server by forgetting to turn on the firewall service.
Essential details
• A device driver is a software component that permits an operating system to communicate with a device.
• A service is a long-running executable that performs specific functions and that is designed not to require
user intervention.
• http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/driver/install/drvsign/default.mspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd919230(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732482.aspx
_______ /3
SCENARIO: On Thursday, Pat was tasked with setting up 10 servers and 20 workstations per specification.
Pat is aware that if he sets up each one individually, he will be at work through the weekend, and he doesn’t
want to do that because he has plans to go to a concert with some friends. Pat knows the company uses
Windows Deployment Services whenever a new workstation or server is rolled out. Pat would like to automate
these installations with as little human interaction as possible.
1. What can Pat do to make sure he can make it to the concert this weekend?
a. start his installations manually and hope they finish in time
b. create one completed installation, setup and configuration of a server and a workstation and use those
two copies to image the remaining systems using Windows Deployment Services and ImageX
c. sell his tickets to his buddy—it’s not going to happen
2. What is ImageX?
a. a picture editing utility
b. a personal image enhancement service
c. a system imaging software that takes a “snapshot” of an existing, configured server
or workstation and creates an “imaged” or “cloned” version of that system
and saves it to a file Answer files have a
3. What can Pat use to solve the last part of his problem, which requires as little variety of features that
human interaction as possible? can be used through
Windows Deployment
a. have a robot do the installations
Services to create a
b. use Windows System Image Manager to create an answer file that will automatically custom installation DVD.
provide the answers to the setup questions throughout installation as well as
configure and install any necessary software during the installation
c. create a DVD that will contain all of the necessary software that will be installed
on the servers and workstations
Essential details
• An unattended installation is a process of automating operating system installations by providing the
setup/install file with a configuration file or “answer file” to perform and answer normal
install tasks and questions.
• An answer file is an XML-based file that contains setting definitions and values to
o use
during Windows Setup. In an answer file, you specify various setup options, including
ding
how to partition disks, the location of the Windows image to install, and the product
uctt _______ /3
key to apply.
IN THI S C HAP TE R
SCENARIO: Cari is a systems administrator for Contoso, Ltd. She needs to develop a systems design so her
company can use an email messaging system that allows for message and calendar collaboration. Contoso, Ltd.
uses Microsoft® Office 2010 as their mainline office production suite. Her company also wants a collaboration
server for their intranet. The collaboration server should support dynamic updating from the employees
of Contoso, Ltd. Company officers would like to have the intranet monitored and protected with a threat
management solution.
Essential details
• Active Directory® is the central location for configuration information, authentication requests,
and information about all of the objects that are stored within your forest.
• SharePoint provides a turnkey solution that will integrate with the existing core production suite as well as a
communications server. Data will be stored with the inherent SQL application incorporated.
• http://www.microsoft.com/exchange/2010/en/us/default.aspx
• http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx _______ /3
• http://www.microsoft.com/forefront/threat-management-gateway/en
/us/overview.aspx
• http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint-server-help
/CH010030543.aspx
SCENARIO: Alicia is a server administrator for Tailspin Toys. Security personnel have contacted her to provide
them with security information regarding her web exposed servers. They want to know which servers will have
access from beyond the perimeter security appliance so that they can accommodate the incoming and outgoing
traffic. Alicia responds that two of her three servers require perimeter access: First, the intranet server, which is
running SharePoint, will need SSL access for the remote toy salespeople. Her second server is the company’s web
server, where online customers can buy their toys from the comfort of their own homes. Customer transactions
must be secured in some fashion. Their web developers also request FTP access to the web server so that they
can upload and download updated content.
1. The security people have asked for the ports Alicia wants available for the intranet server running
Microsoft SharePoint. What will her response be?
a. 445
b. 443
c. 80
2. Alicia wants all transactions to the storefront on their web server to be encrypted. What security
protocol encrypts web traffic?
a. Secure Socket Layer, SSL
b. Point to Point Tunneling Protocol, PPTP You can assume you
c. Central Intelligence Agency, CIA are using SSL if your
web address starts with
3. What does is FTP and what port(s) does it communicate on? https://, which is typical
a. FTP is File Transport Protocol, a fast, application-level protocol widely when performing any
used for copying files to and from remote computer systems on a network online transactions or
using TCP/IP, such as the internet. It communicates on ports 20 and 21 authentications.
b. FTP is File Tuning Package, which tunes the file packages and communicates
on port 3399.
c. FTP is a proprietary file protocol that only allows the transmission of encrypted files to and
d from
f remote
systems and uses port 20.
Understand Web ser vices 13
AnAnswers
Essential details
• A port is an application-specific communications endpoint used by Transport Layer protocols of the
Internet Protocol Suite. A specific port is identified by its number, commonly known as the port number,
the IP address with which it is associated, and the protocol used for communication.
• SSL supports authentication of client, server, or both, as well as encryptions during a communications session.
• http://www.iis.net
• http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/en-us/Pages/default.aspx
_______ /3
SCENARIO: Craig works for Fourth Coffee as their network administrator. Fourth Coffee provides coffee and
coffee-making products throughout the United States. Fourth Coffee wants their salespeople, who manage their
own regions of the country, to be able to have access to their enterprise resource management application so
that they can update their sales numbers regardless of where they are located. This access needs to be secured.
Craig also needs to provide remote support for their sales force. Fourth Coffee’s server infrastructure is predomi-
nantly Microsoft Server® 2008 R2 and their salespeople use Microsoft Windows® 7 Professional on their laptops.
1. What is the most cost-effective and efficient method to provide remote support for their sales force?
a. enable Remote Assistance for all of the salespeople, which will enable Craig to remote into their systems
while they are logged on and simultaneously troubleshoot or monitor their activities. Remote Assistance
is already a feature of Windows 7 at no additional cost.
b. make sure all salespeople have their own mobile phones so that Craig can provide phone
support for the salespeople
c. purchase a third-party remote support software license for each laptop. This would require Craig to
retrieve all remote laptops for installation and training purposes.
2. What can Craig do to provide secure access to Fourth Coffee’s enterprise software?
a. have their sales people email all sales data three times a day to the corporate
headquarters where the data can be input Remote Desktop
Services is an inherent
b. enable and configure Remote Desktop Services for Microsoft Windows Server 2008
application in Microsoft
R2 through Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel and push the enterprise software Windows Server 2008 R2 and the
as a Remote Application Remote Desktop Client is an
inherent service on Microsoft
c. install a third-party remote server on top of Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows 7 Professional.
with additional licensing
3. By default, what communication port does Remote Desktop Protocol
communicate on?
a. 443
b. 445
c. 3389 Understand remote access 15
Answers
1. The most cost-effective and efficient method is to:
a. enable Remote Assistance for all of the salespeople, which will enable Craig to remote into their
systems while they are logged on and simultaneously troubleshoot or monitor their activities
2. To provide secure access Craig can:
b. enable and configure Remote Desktop Services for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 through
Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel and push the enterprise software as a Remote Application
3. By default, Remote Desktop Protocol communicates on port:
c. 3389
Essential details
• Remote Desktop is used for administration. Remote desktop is available on
Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2 by enabling it through Advanced System
Settings. It allows a user to remote into a system when enabled and take
control.
• Right-click Computer->Properties
• Select Remote Settings on the left
• Click the radio button to Allow Connections Only From Computers
Running Remote Desktop With Network Level Authentication as shown here:
• Remote Assistance is a technology in Windows that enables Windows users to help
elp
each other over the internet.
_______ /3
FAST TR ACK HELP
• http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/appv/default.mspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/ee236407.aspx
SCENARIO: Kern Sutton is the regional systems administrator for Wingtip Toys. The company has asked Kern to
upgrade their existing file server to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. They also want Kern to configure the new
server to support print sharing as well. Kern eagerly accepts the challenge as he is excited to work with the new
operating system. Kern must secure both the shares and folders using the appropriate rights and permissions.
Kern discovers that this isn’t an old-time Windows Server!
Essential details
• A print server is a workstation that is dedicated to managing printers on a network. The print server can be
any station on the network.
• NTFS rights apply to a folder or file regardless of how it is being accessed. Share permissions apply to the
resource when it is being accessed over the network.
• The effective right of a resource being accessed over the network is based on the most restrictive permission
or right that is applied.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770906(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd759058.aspx _______ /3
SCENARIO: Molly Dempsey’s company, Northwind Traders, has more than 50 servers that are due to be upgraded.
Molly must determine the most cost-effective method of upgrading these servers. She has several options that
she must consider to make her decision. Northwind Traders has several older applications that are part of the
problem because they are only supported on the existing legacy operating systems. Molly also has a desire to
simplify her backup and disaster recovery procedures. Molly is considering virtualization to address these various
needs.
Essential details
• Server virtualization is the ability to run a full operating system on a platform so that the operating system
performs as though it were a real system.
• Physical to virtual (P2V) is a process in which an existing physical computer is
converted into a virtual machine. Virtual to physical (V2P) is a process in which an
existing virtual machine is converted or deployed to one or more physical computers.
t
ters.
_______ /3
FAST TR ACK HELP
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753637(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816638(WS.10).aspx
IN THI S C HAP TE R
SCENARIO: Sara Davis is the helpdesk manager for Wide World Importers (WWI). WWI has asked Sara to provide
procedures and training for her helpdesk staff that will allow them to be more proficient at normal day-to-day
administrative tasks, including creating domain and local user accounts, managing group memberships, and
understanding what’s “under the hood” as it relates to managing user accounts. This includes technical details
such as the location of the user database for both local and domain systems, acceptable naming conventions, and
what characters are not allowed.
1. What is the name and location of the file that contains the local user and group objects?
a. userDB: c:\userdb.mdb
b. Security Accounts Manager Database: %systemroot%\system32\config
c. ntds.dit: c:\windows\ntds
2. Which of the following is an unacceptable user account name?
a. Abercrombie?kim
b. Mu.Han
c. MPatten
3. What is the rule related to nesting domain and local groups?
a. domain groups can contain local groups, but local groups cannot contain domain The local users and
groups groups security
b. domain groups and local groups cannot be nested boundary is limited
to the system they are
c. local groups can contain domain groups, but domain groups cannot contain
created on.
local groups
Essential details
• The Security Accounts Manager (SAM) is a database present on servers running Windows Server 2008 R2
that stores user accounts and security descriptors for users on the local computer.
• The following steps create a local user account and add it to the Power Users group through the command
line:
• Start->All Programs->Command Prompt
Type: net user WHarp myP@ssword /fullname:”Walter Harp” /comment:”A member of the
Power Users Group” /logonpasswordchg:yes /add
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc756748(WS.10).aspx _______ /3
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/909264
SCENARIO: Victoria Flores is the Directory Services administrator for Humongous Insurance. Humongous
Insurance is a large insurance company with offices throughout the country. The IT needs and wishes of various
branches vary greatly and it is a challenge to manage it all.
The company wants to design its Active Directory structure to better suit these various needs and allow for easier
management of the various computers and departments. They have asked Victoria to create an organizational
unit design that will fit their goals. One of their main goals is to create a model with which they can maintain
consistency and usability. They also want to be able to manage each department without granting particular
users complete administrative privileges.
Essential details
• Organizational units are Active Directory containers into which you can place users, groups, computers, and
other organizational units.
• Organizational units can be structured to meet various needs. They can be structured based on geographic
location, business structure (departments), organizational need, specific role or function, operating system
version, or platform and any combination mentioned.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc758565(WS.10)
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732524.aspx
_______ /3
SCENARIO: Andrew Ma is the systems administrator for Coho Winery. Recent changes in the business and
in advertising strategies have increased the popularity of Coho wines beyond expectations. Because of the
meteoric rise of Coho’s sales, the company has decided to migrate from a workgroup network to a centrally
managed domain model using Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Active Directory Domain Services.
This IT change will allow Andrew to utilize several benefits of a domain, including organizing network objects,
applying group policies to manage desktop computers, and managing security. Andrew has decided to have
multiple domain controllers for redundancy, as well as to split operations roles. The new organization system will
support future company growth.
Essential details
• A domain is a unit of replication.
• A domain controller is a server that is running a version of the Windows Server operating system and has
Active Directory Domain Services installed.
• In a domain model, the user authenticates once to the domain, which maintains all information
about other objects in the domain. Compare this to a workgroup model in which the
administrator has to duplicate user accounts on any workstation that is sharing resources.
This means that a single user would have to have a user account created for on each
computer she accesses.
_______ /3
FAST TR ACK HELP
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc780856(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755450(WS.10).aspx
SCENARIO: Benjamin Harris works for Wingtip Toys as Some issues have arisen in various departments:
their desktop administrator. Ben’s primary function is
• Employees want to have customized desktops and
desktop management and support of the company’s features on their systems and still maintain consis-
desktop environment. His main goal is to have a quiet tency with Wingtip Toys
day at his desk so he can research new ideas for Wingtip • Administrators at Wingtip Toys want some primary
Toys. He has several tools at his disposal to accomplish settings to remain consistent on all systems in the
this but his most important tool is his use of group company but want to allow each department to
policies on their domain. have individual settings that will help them per-
form their jobs more efficiently
1. Wingtip Toys only want password policies 3. Ben has a policy that sets his homepage in
applied to their Testing Division. Ben wants to Internet Explorer to open to http://wingtip-
create a Group Policy Object for the Testing orga- toys.com. The testing department has their
nizational unit that sets these password policies. homepage in IE set to open to http://testing.
Will this accomplish what Wingtip Toys wants? wingtiptoys.com. What will the homepage
a. yes, the password policy set at the organiza- display when Ben logs into
tional unit level will only apply to the users a testing department
and computers in that OU workstation?
b. yes, the password policy will apply to the a. http://wingtiptoys.com
users in the Testing division no matter what .User Policy settings Group Policy
computer they log onto follow the user settings apply to
c. no, password policies can only be applied at b. http://testing.wingtiptoys users regardless
the domain level .com. He is authenticating of the workstation
to a testing department they authenticate to.
2. Ben wants to see if the policies he set are in station
effect. He does not want to reboot or wait
for the system to refresh automatically in c. Internet Explorer default
90 minutes. What command can he issue to MSN homepage. He is not
force the application of group policies? a Testing user and it’s not
his workstation
a. gpupdate /NOW
b. gpedit.msc /update
c. gpupdate /force
Understand group policy 29
Answers
1. Wingtip Toys want password policies applied only to their Testing division:
c. No, password policies can only be set and applied at the domain level. Password policies can only
be set and applied at the domain level. The user has already authenticated by the time organizational
unit policies are applied.
2. The command to force the application of group policies is:
c. gpupdate /force
3. When Ben logs into a testing department workstation his homepage will display:
a. http://wingtiptoys.com. User Policy settings follow the user
Essential details
• A Group Policy is an infrastructure that enables administrators to implement specific configurations for users
and computers.
• Winlogon is a component of the Windows operating system that provides interactive logon support.
Winlogon is the service in which the Group Policy engine runs.
• Group Policy Preference enables administrators to manage drive mappings, registry settings, local users
and groups, services, files, and folders.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc779838(WS.10).aspx
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/94372 _______ /3
• http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details
.aspx?FamilyID=18c90c80-8b0a-4906-a4f5-ff24cc2030fb&displaylang=en
IN THI S C HAP TE R
SCENARIO: Stepan spends much of his free time in the outdoors, camping, hiking, and canoeing. Whenever
school is not is session, he tries to take at least one trip. He has developed two applications to help him enjoy
his hobbies. The first application helps him log his activities, downloads data from his GPS unit, and automatically
posts updates to his favorite social media websites. The second is a relatively simple application for planning trips;
it helps him organize his maps, plan the supplies he’ll need, and keep track of weather reports in the days before
he leaves. Both programs are Windows Forms applications.
He has always run the applications from his own computer, but now that his friends have seen how well they
work, he would like to distribute copies for others to enjoy.
1. The planning application is newer and Stepan is still making frequent changes. Which deployment
option checks for updates before installing the application?
a. ClickOnce
b. Windows Installer
c. Both deployment options automatically check for updates.
2. The log application interfaces with a GPS and must install a device driver upon
deployment. Which option is best suited for this application?
a. ClickOnce
b. Windows Installer
c. Neither deployment option can install a device driver.
3. Which option will allow Stepan to distribute his applications via USB drives?
a. ClickOnce
b. Windows Installer
c. Both deployment options can be distributed via USB drive.
Answers
1. If Stepan wants the installer to check for updates, the deployment method he should use is:
A. ClickOnce
OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G S TO R AG E 4 . 1 /4 . 2
SCENARIO: Howard Gonzalez is the systems administrator for Humongous Insurance. The company is responsible
for protecting the property of hundreds of thousands of clients across 14 states. Because of the time-critical nature
of the data stored by Humongous Insurance, Howard is researching his best alternative to ensure that the customer
service representatives have access to their client’s information whenever they need it. Server downtime is not an
option for Humongous Insurance, where customer satisfaction is top priority. Howard is considering various form of
Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID), possibly configured in a Network Attached Storage (NAS).
1. What is the minimum number of hard drives required if Howard wants to configure
a RAID 5 solution?
a. 5
b. 2
c. 3
2. What is a benefit of NAS over Storage Area Network (SAN)?
a. There isn’t any advantage; they are equal
b. NAS provides file serving without the need for a server
c. NAS benefits from being attached to a server on the network to provide
file abstraction The amount of drive
3. Howard is configuring a server with RAID 5. He is using four 750-GB hard drives space used for
in his RAID array. How much available free space will Howard have after redundancy is 1/n (total
RAID is configured? drive space) where n is the
total number of drives in
a. 750 GB the array.
b. 2,250 GB
c. 2,250 TB
Essential details
• Network-attached storage (NAS) is file-level computer data storage connected to a computer network
providing data access to heterogeneous clients.
• NAS does not require a server to provide services. SAN requires a server to provide file abstraction services.
NAS reduces the number of servers on a network.
• A Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) is a data storage method in which data is distributed
across a group of computer disk drives that function as a single storage unit.
• Available free space after RAID 5 is configured =Total drive space-1/n (total drive space) 3000-¼(3000)=2,250
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms184252(SQL.90).aspx
_______ /3
SCENARIO: Luka Abrus works for City Power and Light as a systems administrator. Luka wants to increase the data
availability for three servers without having to rebuild them from scratch and without incorporating a great deal
of cost by purchasing array controllers. Luka also would like to be able to use data on one system and transport
it to another system and have it appear as another hard drive.
1. What can Luka do to increase his server data availability without additional costs of an array
controller or rebuilding each server?
a. make sure the servers are always on
b. add another physical drive to each server, convert the drives from basic disks to a dynamic disk,
and establish a mirror (RAID 1) between the two drives
c. make sure that his backups are running every night to ensure that he can restore data in the event
of a failure
2. What can Luka do to be able to transport data from one system to another and have
it appear as a separate drive?
a. create a virtual hard disk (VHD) to store the data
b. carry an external drive and attach it from one system to another
c. compress the data and email the data to himself Self-healing NTFS
3. What advantages will Luka experience when using self-healing NTFS does not protect
in Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2? against hardware
malfunctions.
a. continuous data availability
b. no concerns about physical drive failure
c. no need to install antivirus software
Essential details
• A dynamic disk is a physical disk that can use the master boot record (MBR) or GUID partition table (GPT)
partitioning scheme and has the ability to create fault tolerant volumes (mirrored and RAID-5 volumes).
• A mount point is an association between a volume and a directory on another volume.
• Microsoft virtual hard disk (VHD) file format specifies a virtual machine hard disk
that can reside on a native host file system encapsulated within a single file.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc938934.aspx
_______ /3
• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/
What-are-basic-and-dynamic-disks
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc758035(WS.10).aspx
Essential details
• The .NET Framework provides two primary technologies for deploying applications: ClickOnce and Windows
Installer.
• Both technologies:
• provide a user interface to guide users through the installation process.
• allow for the creation of Start Menu and desktop shortcuts.
• can be distributed by a website or by removable media.
• can register file types.
• The advantages and features of ClickOnce include:
• There is minimal user interaction during the installation process.
• The technology automatically checks for updates.
• Updates do not require complete reinstallation of application.
• Features of Windows Installer include the use of a “wizard” that assists the user with
installation and the flexibility to handle a variety of installation situations.
• In general, ClickOnce is simpler and is ideal for applications that are updated frequently.
• Windows Installer provides more control over the installation process and
is flexible enough to handle unusual or complicated setup requirements.
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/y18k4htb.aspx
• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/e2444w33.aspx
OBJECTIVE U N D E R S TA N D I N G S E RV E R PE R F O R M A N C E M A N AG E M E N T 5 . 1
SCENARIO: Proseware Inc. has recently purchased land to expand their business center. A great deal of thought
and research must go into planning for the technology needs of a business the size of Proseware.
Cari has been the server administrator at Proseware for several years and has a deep understanding of the
technology needs related to the server components. Proseware has asked Cari to submit a plan for the
redesigned datacenter that will ensure data redundancy and server availability. The overall business plan
is dependent upon a dependable data system.
1. What technology can Cari implement that will allow for the replacement of server components
while the servers are still running?
a. the technology does not exist
b. component live swappable
c. hot swappable/pluggable
2. What can Cari implement that will protect the servers from a power outage and allow the systems
to be shut down gracefully in the event of a power loss?
a. uninterruptable power supply (UPS)
b. a script that will shut down the server when the datacenter loses power
c. several surge suppressors for the servers ASHRAE recommends
a temperature range
3. Why is it important for Cari to have climate control within the datacenter? of 61 to 75 degrees
a. to be comfortable when she is working in the datacenter Fahrenheit and a humidity
b. to prevent servers from overheating range of 40 to 55 percent.
c. it is irrelevant— servers are configured with their own cooling systems
Essential details
• Hot pluggable technology includes replacing system components without shutting down the system.
• Memory is a hardware device where information can be stored and retrieved.
• A Network Interface Card (NIC) is a hardware device that handles an interface to a computer network and
allows a network-capable device to access that network.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_swapping
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/29/Chassis-Plans-Rack.jpg
_______ /3
SCENARIO: Cliff Majors works for Southridge Video as a systems administrator. Southridge Video began as a
start-up business in southern Georgia just a few years ago and its popularity has skyrocketed; Southridge has
a unique ability to anticipate customer needs and provide services before customers are even aware that they
would find the services valuable.
A while ago the company introduced a service for customers to rent videos over the internet and stream the
movies to their computers or internet-capable devices. In spite of their best planning and anticipation of prob-
lems, calls have come in from the customers complaining that the quality of the video is poor or that the videos
just aren’t available.
1. Cliff attempted to close a program on one of the video servers; however the application did not
respond. What application can he open to end that process?
a. File Manager
b. Task Manager
c. Command Prompt
2. Cliff wants to compare the performance reports he created when he initially
deployed the video servers. What application does he need to launch
to create a comparison report? Continuous page
a. Network Monitor file hits are a result
b. netstat of a system not having
c. Performance Monitor enough RAM.
3. Cliff is analyzing Performance Monitor and adds a counter that tracks page
file/usage and hits. Cliff notices that the page file is being accessed continuously.
What can Cliff do to solve this issue?
a. add more RAM
b. adjust the size of the page file
c. move the page file to another physical drive on the system
Essential details
• A page file is a hidden file on the hard disk that operating systems use to hold parts of programs and data
files that do not fit in memory.
• A process is a program or part of a program.
• Performance is the measure of how quickly a computer completes application and system tasks.
• http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323527
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc771692(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc755081(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc749249.aspx
_______ /3
SCENARIO: Walter Felhofer manages the network at Graphic Design Institute. He has been monitoring the
network for several months to better understand the traffic variations. The network performance seems to vary
greatly and Walter suspects a variety of causes ranging from the time-of-day use to events that coincide with
special promotions and cyclical events. Walter keeps this historical data as it relates to the systems performance.
He reviews this data on a regular basis as well as reviewing the data in comparison mode because he knows that
it contains details that will be valuable for justifying future technology acquisitions and creating business plans.
1. What benefit can Walter gain by maintaining a historical record of the system’s performance?
a. use of the data to justify future upgrades as well as to identify performance trends throughout the year
b. provide performance documentation if a supervisor asks for it
c. there is no benefit to keeping a historical record of your systems performance because technology
changes so frequently
2. Walter’s job keeps him very busy. He is unable to watch performance logs and data all day long.
What can Walter do so he can perform his other day-to-day tasks and not miss
any major performance issues?
a. hire an intern to watch performance monitor and page him whenever
something goes wrong
Performance
b. create a Performance Alert that will send a network message, write an event log, monitoring is crucial
or run a program when certain criteria are met for real-time system
c. remote into the systems periodically to check performance logs, regardless performance but is also
of whether he is busy important for scaling
future systems and
3. What is the default location for system performance logs? upgrades.
a. %systemroot%\logs
b. #system#\perflogs
c. %systemdrive%\PerfLogs
Essential details
• Objects are specific resources in the Performance Monitor that can be measured.
• Performance counters are measurements of system state or activity.
• Use of the overlay mode is only available in the Performance Monitor when it is running in stand-alone mode
with comparison enabled:
• Click Start->click in the Start Search box, type perfmon/sys/comp and press Enter.
• The Performance Monitor will open in stand-alone mode with comparison enabled.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc738564(WS.10).aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc722414.aspx#BKMK_alert
_______ /3
IN THI S C HAP TE R
SCENARIO: Fourth Coffee has expanded its business to 20 new stores in neighboring states. The expansion meant
that the company had to expand its IT department and hire several new technicians. It is critical that all of the
new hires have knowledge and skills in maintaining the company’s technology infrastructure—the success of the
company depends upon effective technology at every level of the business.
The CIO has asked the systems administrator, April Meyer, to provide training to her staff on Server 2008 R2.
She wants everyone to have a fundamental understanding of the boot process as well as some troubleshooting
techniques.
1. What command-line utility can April demonstrate to modify the boot configuration database?
a. bcdedit.exe
b. boot.ini
c. ntloader.exe
2. What does the Power-On Self Test (POST) do?
a. tests to see whether the power is on
b. performs initial hardware checks, verifies devices, and retrieves system
configurations from CMOS
c. calls programs such as autoexec.bat, config.sys, and win.ini Safe mode starts
Windows with a
3. April want to demonstrate starting a computer in safe mode. What are the steps limited set of files
to start a computer in safe mode? and drivers.
a. access the system BIOS and configure it to start in safe mode
b. boot the installation media and select the safe mode option
c. remove all media and then press and hold the F8 key before the
Windows Logo appears
Essential details
• Power-On Self Test (POST) is a set of routines stored in a computer’s read-only memory (ROM) that tests
various system components such as RAM, the disk drives, and the keyboard to see whether they are properly
connected and operating.
• The Master Boot Record (MBR) is the first sector of the first hard disk; it is a physically small but critical
element in the startup process on an x86-based computer.
• To start a computer in safe mode remove all floppy disks, CDs, and DVDs from the computer and then
restart the computer.
• If your computer has a single operating system installed, press and hold the
F8 key as your computer restarts.
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc976730.aspx _______ /3
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457123.aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721886(WS.10).aspx
• http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/
Start-your-computer-in-safe-mode
SCENARIO: Rachel Valdes is developing a strategic information technology plan for her company, Northwinds
Traders. The main focus of this plan is to maintain business continuity by ensuring that critical business
functions will be available for customers and business partners. Her plan must ensure that the needs and
important activities of Northwinds customers, suppliers, regulators, and employees can be met in event
of an unforeseen technology problem or a natural or human-induced disaster. She needs to plan for
data redundancy as well as disaster recovery.
1. Northwinds Traders core infrastructure runs on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2. What inherent
application can they use to implement the data redundancy portion of their strategic plan?
a. Windows Server Backup
b. Active Directory Restore Mode
c. NTBackup.exe
2. What benefit does folder redirection offer?
a. allows administrators to direct folders to perform data backups and migrations
b. allows users and administrators to redirect the path of a folder to a new
location that can provide backup on a network share
c. converts a folder from one file system to another A disaster recovery
3. Part of Rachel’s plan is to develop a disaster recovery plan. What is a disaster plan is related to
recovery plan? any technology infra-
structure and should
a. the process, policies, and procedures related to preparing for recovery
be updated on a
or continuation of critical technology after a natural or human-induced regular basis.
disaster
b. a plan that dictates how to recover data and financial loss after a theft
c. a procedure meant solely for recovering lost data
Essential details
• Data redundancy is a property of some disk arrays that provides fault tolerance so that all or part of
the data stored in the array can be recovered in the case of disk failure.
• Disaster recovery is the process, policies, and procedures related to preparing for recovery or continuation
of technology infrastructure critical to an organization after a natural or human-induced disaster.
• Business continuity is the activity performed by an organization to ensure that critical
business functions will be available to customers, suppliers, regulators, and other
entities that must have access to those functions.
Understand updates
SCENARIO: Mark Patten is a network engineer with Tailspin Toys. Tailspin Toys has asked Mark to find a way to
ensure that all of the systems on their network are updated on a regular basis. They also want Mike to discuss
updates with their software development team because developers sometimes run into issues with updates
conflicting with their custom software while they are in development process. Tailspin Toys’ desktop systems range
from Windows XP to Windows 7, both 32-bit and 64-bit. They also have a mix of server operating systems running
Windows Server 2003 R2 through Windows Server 2008 R2. This variety of computers and systems within a single
organization is not unusual, but requires strong network administration skill on Mark’s part!
Understand updates 51
Answers
1. To streamline update management for Tailspin Toys, Mark can:
a. configure Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) to download and deploy updates based
on his needs
2. To solve the issues with the software development team, Mark can:
b. configure WSUS to have a separate group and put all of the software development computers
and servers in that group. He can schedule updates to be selectively applied to their system.
3. To determine the security state in accordance with Microsoft security recommendations, Mark can use:
c. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)
Essential details
• A hotfix is a single package composed of one or more files used to address a problem in a product.
• Update management is the process of controlling the deployment and maintenance of interim software
releases into production environments.
• Service packs are cumulative set of hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and updates since
the release of the product, including many resolved problems that have not been made available
through any other software updates
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/wsus/default.aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc700845.aspx _______ /3
SCENARIO: Recent changes in the network configurations at Coho Winery have been successfully implemented.
Andrew Ma, the systems administrator, is pleased with his ability to organize network objects, apply group policies
to manage desktop computers, and manage security, but the changes have brought about the need to refresh the
skills of the helpdesk team.
Jeff Wang is responsible for updating the skills of the current team and training the new helpdesk hires at Coho
Winery. The helpdesk team is in charge of troubleshooting various issues that come in on a day-to-day basis from
the local winery and their remote winery locations located on both the east coast and the west coast.
Troubleshooting methodology is imperative for the success of the helpdesk team.
Essential details
• Event Viewer maintains logs about program, security, and system events on your computer.
• Resource Monitor is a system tool that allows you to view information about the use of hardware
(CPU, memory, disk, and network) and software (file handles and modules) resources in real time.
• Event viewer can be accessed through Start->Programs->Administrative Tools->Server manager->
Diagnostics->Event Viewer.
• Default location for event logs:
• %systemroot%\system32\config
• http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/
proddocs/en-us/snap_event_viewer.mspx?mfr=true _______ /3
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc766042.aspx
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd883276(WS.10).aspx