What is Active Directory?
Ans. Active Directory is a Meta Data. Active Directory is a data base which store a data base like your user information, computer information and also other network object info. It has capabilities to manage and administor the complite Network which connect with AD.
Ans: Active Directory directory service is an extensible and scalable directory service that enables you to manage network resources efficiently.
Ans:Active Directory is directory service that stores information about objects on a network and makes this information available to users and network administrators.
Active Directory gives network users access to permitted resources anywhere on the network using a single logon process.
It provides network administrators with an intuitive, hierarchical view of the network and a single point of administration
3for all network objects.
Ans: active directory is a domain controller which is use to authenticate and administrate the group of computer,user,server etc. remotely. all the policies and security will be applicable on the client machine which one is join the domain.and all this policies and security is defined in active directory.
What is LDAP?
Ans2: LDAP(light weight directory accerss protocol) is an internet protocol which Email and other services is used to look up information from the server.
Q 4: Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
The AD data base is store in NTDS.DIT.
file
Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd-party Directory Services? Name a few options.
Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
What is the SYSVOL folder?
The sysVOL folder stores the server’s copy of the domain’s public files. The contents such as group policy, users etc of the sysvol folder are replicated to all domain controllers in the domain.
Name the AD NCs and replication issues for each NC
What are application partitions? When do I use them
How do you create a new application partition
How do you view replication properties for AD partitions and DCs?
What is the Global Catalog?
Ans.: Global Catalog is a server which maintains the information about multiple domain with trust relationship agreement..
The global catalog is a distributed data repository that contains a searchable, partial representation of every object in every domain in a multidomain Active Directory forest. The global catalog is stored on domain controllers that have been designated as global catalog servers and is distributed through multimaster replication. Searches that are directed to the global catalog are faster because they do not involve referrals to different domain controllers.
Why not make all DCs in a large forest as GCs?
Trying to look at the Schema, how can I do that?
What are the Support Tools? Why do I need them?
What is LDP? What is REPLMON? What is ADSIEDIT? What is NETDOM? What is REPADMIN?
What are sites? What are they used for?
What’s the difference between a site link’s schedule and interval?
What is the KCC?
Ans 18: KCC ( knowledge consistency checker ) is used to generate replication topology for inter site replication and for intrasite replication.with in a site replication traffic is done via remote procedure calls over ip, while between site it is done through either RPC or SMTP.
What is the ISTG? Who has that role by default?
What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server?
What can you do to promote a server to DC if you’re in a remote location with slow WAN link?
How can you forcibly remove AD from a server, and what do you do later? • Can I get user passwords from the AD database?
What tool would I use to try to grab security related packets from the wire?
Name some OU design considerations.
What is tombstone lifetime attribute?
What do you do to install a new Windows 2003 DC in a Windows 2000 AD?
What do you do to install a new Windows 2003 R2 DC in a Windows 2003 AD?
How would you find all users that have not logged on since last month?
What are the DS* commands?
What’s the difference between LDIFDE and CSVDE? Usage considerations?
What are the FSMO roles? Who has them by default? What happens when each one fails?
What FSMO placement considerations do you know of?
I want to look at the RID allocation table for a DC. What do I do?
What’s the difference between transferring a FSMO role and seizing one? Which one should you NOT seize? Why?
How do you configure a “stand-by operation master” for any of the roles?
How do you backup AD?
for taking backup of active directory you have to do this :
first go to START -> PROGRAM ->ACCESORIES -> SYSTEM TOOLS -> BACKUP
when the backup screen is flash then take the backup of SYSTEM STATE it will take the backup of all the necessary information about the system including AD backup , DNS ETC.
How do you restore AD?
How do you change the DS Restore admin password?
Why can’t you restore a DC that was backed up 4 months ago?
What are GPOs?
What is the order in which GPOs are applied?
Name a few benefits of using GPMC.
What are the GPC and the GPT? Where can I find them?
What are GPO links? What special things can I do to them?
What can I do to prevent inheritance from above?
How can I override blocking of inheritance?
How can you determine what GPO was and was not applied for a user? Name a few ways to do that.
A user claims he did not receive a GPO, yet his user and computer accounts are in the right OU, and everyone else there gets the GPO. What will you look for?
Name a few differences in Vista GPOs
Name some GPO settings in the computer and user parts.
What are administrative templates?
What’s the difference between software publishing and assigning?
Can I deploy non-MSI software with GPO?
You want to standardize the desktop environments (wallpaper, My Documents, Start menu, printers etc.) on the computers in one department. How would you do that?
What is latest service pack Exchange 2003?
What is the name of Exchange Databases?
How many databases in Standard Exchange version ?
How many databases in Enterprise Exchange version ?
What is Storage Group?
What is mail store?
Explain Exchange transaction logs ?
Explain Exchange transaction logs ?
Why exchange is using transaction logs? Why not to write to data directly to the Exchange database?
How exchange database gets defragmented?
What is white space, and how can it be reclaimed?
What time online maintenance runs by default in Exchange?
What event log exchange logs after online defragmentation ?
What is white space, and how can it be reclaimed?
What is an IP address?
What is DNS? (what port)
What is DHCP? (what Port)
IP address class range?
Private public IP range?
Public IP address range?
what is subnet mask, why it is important
What is Protocol?
Explain UDP
Explain TCP
How many ports available?
What’s new in Windows Server 2003 regarding the DNS management? When DC promotion occurs with an existing forest, the Active Directory Installation Wizard contacts an existing DC to update the directory and replicate from the DC the required portions of the directory. If the wizard fails to locate a DC, it performs debugging and reports what caused the failure and how to fix the problem. In order to be located on a network, every DC must register in DNS DC locator DNS records. The Active Directory Installation Wizard verifies a proper configuration of the DNS infrastructure. All DNS configuration debugging and reporting activity is done with the Active Directory Installation Wizard.
Question: What is the new kernel-mode driver for HTTP parsing and caching?
Ans: HTTP.SYS
Question: The act of allowing server applications to act as the user on the network is called:
Ans: Delegation
Question: How can an IT administrator manage how a Terminal Server can be used, such as enforcing redirection capabilities, password access, and wallpaper settings?
Ans: Group Policy
Question: Windows Server 2003 contains the following patch management software:
Ans: Microsoft Software Update Services
Question: What is application pool?
Question: What is web service extension?
What’s new in Terminal Services for Windows 2003 Server?
Supports audio transmissions as well, although prepare for heavy network load.
What’s new in Windows Server 2003 regarding the DNS management?
When DC promotion occurs with an existing forest, the Active Directory Installation Wizard contacts an existing DC to update the directory and replicate from the DC the required portions of the directory. If the wizard fails to locate a DC, it performs debugging and reports what caused the failure and how to fix the problem. In order to be located on a network, every DC must register in DNS DC locator DNS records. The Active Directory Installation Wizard verifies a proper configuration of the DNS infrastructure. All DNS configuration debugging and reporting activity is done with the Active Directory Installation Wizard.
When should you create a forest?
Organizations that operate on radically different bases may require separate trees with distinct namespaces. Unique trade or brand names often give rise to separate DNS identities. Organizations merge or are acquired and naming continuity is desired. Organizations form partnerships and joint ventures. While access to common resources is desired, a separately defined tree can enforce more direct administrative and security restrictions.
How can you authenticate between forests?
Four types of authentication are used across forests:
Kerberos and NTLM network logon for remote access to a server in another forest;
Kerberos and NTLM interactive logon for physical logon outside the user’s home forest;
Kerberos delegation to N-tier application in another forest; and
User principal name (UPN) credentials.
What snap-in administrative tools are available for Active Directory?
Active Directory Domains and Trusts Manager, Active Directory Sites and Services Manager, Active Directory Users and Group Manager, Active Directory Replication (optional, available from the Resource Kit), Active Directory Schema Manager (optional, available from adminpak)
What do you do if earlier application doesn’t run on Windows Server 2003? When an application that ran on an earlier legacy version of Windows cannot be loaded during the setup function or if it later malfunctions, you must run the compatibility mode function. This is accomplished by right-clicking the application or setup program and selecting Properties –> Compatibility –> selecting the previously supported operating system.
What snap-in administrative tools are available for Active Directory? Active Directory Domains and Trusts Manager, Active Directory Sites and Services Manager, Active Directory Users and Group Manager, Active Directory Replication (optional, available from the Resource Kit), Active Directory Schema Manager (optional, available from adminpak)
What types of classes exist in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory?
Structural class. The structural class is important to the system administrator in that it is the only type from which new Active Directory objects are created. Structural classes are developed from either the modification of an existing structural type or the use of one or more abstract classes.
Abstract class. Abstract classes are so named because they take the form of templates that actually create other templates (abstracts) and structural and auxiliary classes. Think of abstract classes as frameworks for the defining objects.
Auxiliary class. The auxiliary class is a list of attributes. Rather than apply numerous attributes when creating a structural class, it provides a streamlined alternative by applying a combination of attributes with a single include action.
88 class. The 88 class includes object classes defined prior to 1993, when the 1988 X.500 specification was adopted. This type does not use the structural, abstract, and auxiliary definitions, nor is it in common use for the development of objects in Windows Server 2003 environments.
How do you delete a lingering object? Windows Server 2003 provides a command called Repadmin that provides the ability to delete lingering objects in the Active Directory.
What is Global Catalog? The Global Catalog authenticates network user logons and fields inquiries about objects across a forest or tree. Every domain has at least one GC that is hosted on a domain controller. In Windows 2000, there was typically one GC on every site in order to prevent user logon failures across the network.
How is user account security established in Windows Server 2003? When an account is created, it is given a unique access number known as a security identifier (SID). Every group to which the user belongs has an associated SID. The user and related group SIDs together form the user account’s security token, which determines access levels to objects throughout the system and network. SIDs from the security token are mapped to the access control list (ACL) of any object the user attempts to access.
If I delete a user and then create a new account with the same username and password, would the SID and permissions stay the same? No. If you delete a user account and attempt to recreate it with the same user name and password, the SID will be different.
What do you do with secure sign-ons in an organization with many roaming users? Credential Management feature of Windows Server 2003 provides a consistent single sign-on experience for users. This can be useful for roaming users who move between computer systems. The Credential Management feature provides a secure store of user credentials that includes passwords and X.509 certificates.
Anything special you should do when adding a user that has a Mac? "Save password as encrypted clear text" must be selected on User Properties Account Tab Options, since the Macs only store their passwords that way.
What remote access options does Windows Server 2003 support? Dial-in, VPN, dial-in with callback.
Where are the documents and settings for the roaming profile stored? All the documents and environmental settings for the roaming user are stored locally on the system, and, when the user logs off, all changes to the locally stored profile are copied to the shared server folder. Therefore, the first time a roaming user logs on to a new system the logon process may take some time, depending on how large his profile folder is.
Where are the settings for all the users stored on a given machine? \Document and Settings\All Users
What languages can you use for log-on scripts? JavaScipt, VBScript, DOS batch files (.com, .bat, or even .exe)
What is a DNS resource record?
A resource record is an entry in a name server's database. There are several types of resource records used, including name-to-address resolution information. Resource records are maintained as ASCII files.
BOOTP helps a diskless workstation boot. How does it get a message to the network looking for its IP address and the location of its operating system boot files
BOOTP sends a UDP message with a subnetwork broadcast address and waits for a reply from a server that gives it the IP address. The same message might contain the name of the machine that has the boot files on it. If the boot image location is not specified, the workstation sends another UDP message to query the server.
What is the Network Time Protocol? Why is it used
The Network Time Protocol (NTP) is a protocol for synchronising the clocks of computer systems over packet-switched, variable-latency data networks. NTP uses UDP as its transport layer. It is designed particularly to resist the effects of variable latency.
What is Virtual Memory?
Virtual memory is a technique that allows the execution of processes that may not be completely in memory. A separation of user logical memory from physical memory allows an extremely large virtual memory to be provided for programmers when only a smaller physical memory is available. It is commonly implemented by demand paging. A demand paging system is similar to a paging system with swapping. Processes reside on secondary memory (which is usually a disk). When we want to execute a process, we swap it into memory.
Describe how the DHCP lease is obtained. It’s a four-step process consisting of (a) IP request, (b) IP offer, © IP selection and (d) acknowledgement.
I can’t seem to access the Internet, don’t have any access to the corporate network and on ipconfig my address is 169.254.*.*. What happened? The 169.254.*.* netmask is assigned to Windows machines running 98/2000/XP if the DHCP server is not available. The name for the technology is APIPA (Automatic Private Internet Protocol Addressing).
We’ve installed a new Windows-based DHCP server, however, the users do not seem to be getting DHCP leases off of it. The server must be authorized first with the Active Directory.
How can you force the client to give up the dhcp lease if you have access to the client PC? ipconfig /release
What authentication options do Windows 2000 Servers have for remote clients? PAP, SPAP, CHAP, MS-CHAP and EAP.
What are the networking protocol options for the Windows clients if for some reason you do not want to use TCP/IP? NWLink (Novell), NetBEUI, AppleTalk (Apple).
What is data link layer in the OSI reference model responsible for? Data link layer is located above the physical layer, but below the network layer. Taking raw data bits and packaging them into frames. The network layer will be responsible for addressing the frames, while the physical layer is reponsible for retrieving and sending raw data bits.
What is binding order? The order by which the network protocols are used for client-server communications. The most frequently used protocols should be at the top.
How do cryptography-based keys ensure the validity of data transferred across the network? Each IP packet is assigned a checksum, so if the checksums do not match on both receiving and transmitting ends, the data was modified or corrupted.
Should we deploy IPSEC-based security or certificate-based security? They are really two different technologies. IPSec secures the TCP/IP communication and protects the integrity of the packets. Certificate-based security ensures the validity of authenticated clients and servers.
What is LMHOSTS file? It’s a file stored on a host machine that is used to resolve NetBIOS to specific IP addresses.
What’s the difference between forward lookup and reverse lookup in DNS? Forward lookup is name-to-address, the reverse lookup is address-to-name.
How can you recover a file encrypted using EFS? Use the domain recovery agent.
| Microsoft software development engineer in test (SDET) interview questions |
Chris Sells writes about the set of tester questions his friend got when being interviewed for Software Development Engineer in Test position at Microsoft Corp.
How would you deal with changes being made a week or so before the ship date?
How would you deal with a bug that no one wants to fix? Both the SDE and his lead have said they won’t fix it.
Write a function that counts the number of primes in the range [1-N]. Write the test cases for this function.
Given a MAKEFILE (yeah a makefile), design the data structure that a parser would create and then write code that iterates over that data structure executing commands if needed.
Write a function that inserts an integer into a linked list in ascending order. Write the test cases for this function.
Test the save dialog in Notepad. (This was the question I enjoyed the most).
Write the InStr function. Write the test cases for this function.
Write a function that will return the number of days in a month (not using System.DateTime).
You have 3 jars. Each jar has a label on it: white, black, or white&black. You have 3 sets of marbles: white, black, and white&black. One set is stored in one jar. The labels on the jars are guaranteed to be incorrect (i.e. white will not contain white). Which jar would you choose from to give you the best chances of identifying the which set of marbles in is in which jar.
Why do you want to work for Microsoft?
Write the test cases for a vending machine. (Those were the questions I was asked. I had a lot of discussions about how to handle situations. Such as a tester is focused on one part of an SDK. During triage it was determined that that portion of the SDK was not on the critical path, and the tester was needed elsewhere. But the tester continued to test that portion because it is his baby. How would you get him to stop testing that portion and work on what needs to be worked on? Other situations came up like arranging tests into the different testing buckets (functional, stress, perf, etc.).)
Aaron Boodman took up a job with Microsoft (MSN division) and told the story of his interview in his Weblog. Below is an excerpt of questions potential candidates might find interesting.
Compare and contrast SQL Server with MySQL.
Compare and contrast stored procedures and dynamic SQL.
Describe a standard 3-tier architecture and the interfaces between each tier.
Compare and contrast a rich client and browser-based web application
Compare and contrast WS and remoting protocols.
Design the data structures for the game battleship.
Consider the Dead Sea Scrolls. Imagine that you have these torn up old shreds of paper with ancient words on them. You want to develop an application that will display one sheet at a time on the screen. When the user left-clicks a word, the page containing the previous occurence of that word is displayed and the word is highlighted. When the user right-clicks a word, the page containing the next occurence is displayed and the word is highlighted. When the user double-clicks a word, the definition is displayed. How would you design the application?
Given an array of the counties in NY represented as arrays of line segments, find the collection of line segments which represent the outline of the state.
Consider an SOA rich-client application used by several international vendors, where one vendor sees bandwidth usage far exceeding what would be expected based on their usage. What steps would you follow to debug the problem?
Imagine a trainyard. The purpose of a trainyard is to reorder trains so that they are most efficiently grouped for outbound travel. The basic unit of a trainyard is a piece of track which looks like the figure below. The train operator can perform three operations: move a car from the source to the spur, from the source to the destination, or from the spur to the destination. So, for example, he could reverse a train by moving each car onto the spur and then moving each car onto the destination. Write a function which, given an array of integers representing the order of cars on the source, and another representing the order of cars desired on the destination, prints instructions telling the trainyard operator which operations to perform to reorder the train correctly.
Implement a function which, given the integer value of the hours and minutes hands of a clock, returns the measure of the degrees between them.
Find the lowest valued node in a Binary Search Tree (BST) greater than or equal to a a certain value.
Verify that a given BST is valid.
Given the following database table, which represents the history of user account statuses, give the query that returns the users which had a certain status on a certain day.
Implement the datastructures for a Tree and a function to populate it based off a page of text.
Explain hidden shares. Hidden or administrative shares are share names with a dollar sign ($) appended to their names. Administrative shares are usually created automatically for the root of each drive letter. They do not display in the network browse list.
How do the permissions work in Windows 2000? What permissions does folder inherit from the parent? When you combine NTFS permissions based on users and their group memberships, the least restrictive permissions take precedence. However, explicit Deny entries always override Allow entries.
Why can’t I encrypt a compressed file on Windows 2000? You can either compress it or encrypt it, but not both.
If I rename an account, what must I do to make sure the renamed account has the same permissions as the original one? Nothing, it’s all maintained automatically.
What’s the most powerful group on a Windows system? Administrators.
What are the accessibility features in Windows 2000? StickyKeys, FilterKeys Narrator, Magnifier, and On-Screen Keyboard.
Why can’t I get to the Fax Service Management console? You can only see it if a fax had been installed.
What do I need to ensure before deploying an application via a Group Policy? Make sure it’s either an MSI file, or contains a ZAP file for Group Policy.
How do you configure mandatory profiles? Rename ntuser.dat to ntuser.man
I can’t get multiple displays to work in Windows 2000. Multiple displays have to use peripheral connection interface (PCI) or Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) port devices to work properly with Windows 2000.
What’s a maximum number of processors Win2k supports? 2
I had some NTFS volumes under my Windows NT installation. What happened to NTFS after Win 2k installation? It got upgraded to NTFS 5.
How do you convert a drive from FAT/FAT32 to NTFS from the command line? convert c: /fs:ntfs
Explain APIPA. Auto Private IP Addressing (APIPA) takes effect on Windows 2000 Professional computers if no DHCP server can be contacted. APIPA assigns the computer an IP address within the range of 169.254.0.0 through 169.254.255.254 with a subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
How does Internet Connection Sharing work on Windows 2000? Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) uses the DHCP Allocator service to assign dynamic IP addresses to clients on the LAN within the range of 192.168.0.2 through 192.168.0.254. In addition, the DNS Proxy service becomes enabled when you
implement ICS.
What is presentation layer responsible for in the OSI model? The presentation layer establishes the data format prior to passing it along to the network application’s interface. TCP/IP networks perform this task at the application layer.
Does Windows Server 2003 support IPv6? Yes, run ipv6.exe from command line to disable it.
Can Windows Server 2003 function as a bridge? Yes, and it’s a new feature for the 2003 product. You can combine several networks and devices connected via several adapters by enabling IP routing.
What’s the difference between the basic disk and dynamic disk? The basic type contains partitions, extended partitions, logical drivers, and an assortment of static volumes; the dynamic type does not use partitions but dynamically manages volumes and provides advanced storage options
What’s a media pool? It is any compilation of disks or tapes with the same administrative properties.
How do you install recovery console? C:\i386\win32 /cmdcons, assuming that your Win server installation is on drive C.
What’s new in Terminal Services for Windows 2003 Server? Supports audio transmissions as well, although prepare for heavy network load.
What scripts ship with IIS 6.0? iisweb.vsb to create, delete, start, stop, and list Web sites, iisftp.vsb to create, delete, start, stop, and list FTP sites, iisdir.vsb to create, delete, start, stop, and display virtual directories, iisftpdr.vsb to create, delete, start, stop, and display virtual directories under an FTP root, iiscnfg.vbs to export and import IIS configuration to an XML file.
What’s the name of the user who connects to the Web site anonymously? IUSR_computername
What secure authentication and encryption mechanisms are supported by IIS 6.0? Basic authentication, Digest authentication, Advanced digest authentication, Certificate-based Web transactions that use PKCS #7/PKCS #10, Fortezza, SSL, Server-Gated Cryptography, Transport Layer Security
What’s the relation between SSL and TLS? Transport Layer Security (TLS) extends SSL by providing cryptographic authentication.
What’s the role of http.sys in IIS? It is the point of contact for all incoming HTTP requests. It listens for requests and queues them until they are all processed, no more queues are available, or the Web server is shut down.
Where’s ASP cache located on IIS 6.0? On disk, as opposed to memory, as it used to be in IIS 5.
What is socket pooling? Non-blocking socket usage, introduced in IIS 6.0. More than one application can use a given socket.
Describe the process of clustering with Windows 2003 Server when a new node is added. As a node goes online, it searches for other nodes to join by polling the designated internal network. In this way, all nodes are notified of the new node’s existence. If other nodes cannot be found on a preexisting cluster, the new node takes control of the quorum resources residing on the shared disk that contains state and configuration data.
What applications are not capable of performing in Windows 2003 Server clusters? The ones written exclusively for NetBEUI and IPX.
What’s a heartbeat? Communication processes between the nodes designed to ensure node’s health.
What’s a threshold in clustered environment? The number of times a restart is attempted, when the node fails.
You need to change and admin password on a clustered Windows box, but that requires rebooting the cluster, doesn’t it? No, it doesn’t. In 2003 environment you can do that via cluster.exe utility which does not require rebooting the entire cluster.
For the document of size 1 MB, what size would you expect the index to be with Indexing Service? 150-300 KB, 15-30% is a reasonable expectation.
Doesn’t the Indexing Service introduce a security flaw when allowing access to the index? No, because users can only view the indices of documents and folders that they have permissions for.
What’s the typical size of the index? Less then 100K documents - up to 128 MB. More than that - 256+ MB.
Which characters should be enclosed in quotes when searching the index? &, @, $, #, ^, ( ), and |.
How would you search for C++? Just enter C++, since + is not a special character (and neither is C).
What about Barnes&Noble? Should be searched for as Barnes’&’Noble.
Are the searches case-sensitive? No.
What’s the order of precedence of Boolean operators in Microsoft Windows 2003 Server Indexing Service? NOT, AND, NEAR, OR.
What’s a vector space query? A multiple-word query where the weight can be assigned to each of the search words. For example, if you want to fight information on ‘black hole’, but would prefer to give more weight to the word hole, you can enter black[1] hole[20] into the search window.
What’s a response queue? It’s the message queue that holds response messages sent from the receiving application to the sender.
What’s MQPing used for? Testing Microsoft Message Queue services between the nodes on a network.
Which add-on package for Windows 2003 Server would you use to monitor the installed software and license compliance? SMS (System Management Server).
Which service do you use to set up various alerts? MOM (Microsoft Operations Manager).
What languages does Windows Scripting Host support? VB, VBScript, Jscript
How do you double-boot a Win 2003 server box? The Boot.ini file is set as read-only, system, and hidden to prevent unwanted editing. To change the Boot.ini timeout and default settings, use the System option in Control Panel from the Advanced tab and select Startup.
What do you do if earlier application doesn’t run on Windows Server 2003? When an application that ran on an earlier legacy version of Windows cannot be loaded during the setup function or if it later malfunctions, you must run the compatibility mode function. This is accomplished by right-clicking the application or setup program and selecting Properties –> Compatibility –> selecting the previously supported operating system.
If you uninstall Windows Server 2003, which operating systems can you revert to? Win ME and Win 98.
How do you get to Internet Firewall settings? Start –> Control Panel –> Network and Internet Connections –> Network Connections.
What are the Windows Server 2003 keyboard shortcuts? Winkey opens or closes the Start menu. Winkey + BREAK displays the System Properties dialog box. Winkey + TAB moves the focus to the next application in the taskbar. Winkey + SHIFT + TAB moves the focus to the previous application in the taskbar. Winkey + B moves the focus to the notification area. Winkey + D shows the desktop. Winkey + E opens Windows Explorer showing My Computer. Winkey + F opens the Search panel. Winkey + CTRL + F opens the Search panel with Search for Computers module selected. Winkey + F1 opens Help. Winkey + M minimizes all. Winkey + SHIFT+ M undoes minimization. Winkey + R opens Run dialog. Winkey + U opens the Utility Manager. Winkey + L locks the computer.
What is Active Directory? Active Directory is a network-based object store and service that locates and manages resources, and makes these resources available to authorized users and groups. An underlying principle of the Active Directory is that everything is considered an object—people, servers, workstations, printers, documents, and devices. Each object has certain attributes and its own security access control list (ACL).
Where are the Windows NT Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and its Backup Domain Controller (BDC) in Server 2003? The Active Directory replaces them. Now all domain controllers share a multimaster peer-to-peer read and write relationship that hosts copies of the Active Directory.
How long does it take for security changes to be replicated among the domain controllers? Security-related modifications are replicated within a site immediately. These changes include account and individual user lockout policies, changes to password policies, changes to computer account passwords, and modifications to the Local Security Authority (LSA).
What’s new in Windows Server 2003 regarding the DNS management? When DC promotion occurs with an existing forest, the Active Directory Installation Wizard contacts an existing DC to update the directory and replicate from the DC the required portions of the directory. If the wizard fails to locate a DC, it performs debugging and reports what caused the failure and how to fix the problem. In order to be located on a network, every DC must register in DNS DC locator DNS records. The Active Directory Installation Wizard verifies a proper configuration of the DNS infrastructure. All DNS configuration debugging and reporting activity is done with the Active Directory Installation Wizard.
When should you create a forest? Organizations that operate on radically different bases may require separate trees with distinct namespaces. Unique trade or brand names often give rise to separate DNS identities. Organizations merge or are acquired and naming continuity is desired. Organizations form partnerships and joint ventures. While access to common resources is desired, a separately defined tree can enforce more direct administrative and security restrictions.
How can you authenticate between forests? Four types of authentication are used across forests: (1) Kerberos and NTLM network logon for remote access to a server in another forest; (2) Kerberos and NTLM interactive logon for physical logon outside the user’s home forest; (3) Kerberos delegation to N-tier application in another forest; and (4) user principal name (UPN) credentials.
What snap-in administrative tools are available for Active Directory? Active Directory Domains and Trusts Manager, Active Directory Sites and Services Manager, Active Directory Users and Group Manager, Active Directory Replication (optional, available from the Resource Kit), Active Directory Schema Manager (optional, available from adminpak)
What types of classes exist in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory?
Structural class. The structural class is important to the system administrator in that it is the only type from which new Active Directory objects are created. Structural classes are developed from either the modification of an existing structural type or the use of one or more abstract classes.
Abstract class. Abstract classes are so named because they take the form of templates that actually create other templates (abstracts) and structural and auxiliary classes. Think of abstract classes as frameworks for the defining objects.
Auxiliary class. The auxiliary class is a list of attributes. Rather than apply numerous attributes when creating a structural class, it provides a streamlined alternative by applying a combination of attributes with a single include action.
88 class. The 88 class includes object classes defined prior to 1993, when the 1988 X.500 specification was adopted. This type does not use the structural, abstract, and auxiliary definitions, nor is it in common use for the development of objects in Windows Server 2003 environments.
How do you delete a lingering object? Windows Server 2003 provides a command called Repadmin that provides the ability to delete lingering objects in the Active Directory.
What is Global Catalog? The Global Catalog authenticates network user logons and fields inquiries about objects across a forest or tree. Every domain has at least one GC that is hosted on a domain controller. In Windows 2000, there was typically one GC on every site in order to prevent user logon failures across the network.
How is user account security established in Windows Server 2003? When an account is created, it is given a unique access number known as a security identifier (SID). Every group to which the user belongs has an associated SID. The user and related group SIDs together form the user account’s security token, which determines access levels to objects throughout the system and network. SIDs from the security token are mapped to the access control list (ACL) of any object the user attempts to access.
If I delete a user and then create a new account with the same username and password, would the SID and permissions stay the same? No. If you delete a user account and attempt to recreate it with the same user name and password, the SID will be different.
What do you do with secure sign-ons in an organization with many roaming users? Credential Management feature of Windows Server 2003 provides a consistent single sign-on experience for users. This can be useful for roaming users who move between computer systems. The Credential Management feature provides a secure store of user credentials that includes passwords and X.509 certificates.
Anything special you should do when adding a user that has a Mac? "Save password as encrypted clear text" must be selected on User Properties Account Tab Options, since the Macs only store their passwords that way.
What remote access options does Windows Server 2003 support? Dial-in, VPN, dial-in with callback.
Where are the documents and settings for the roaming profile stored? All the documents and
environmental settings for the roaming user are stored locally on the system, and, when the user logs off, all changes to the locally stored profile are copied to the shared server folder. Therefore, the first time a roaming user logs on to a new system the logon process may take some time, depending on how large his profile folder is.Where are the settings for all the users stored on a given machine? \Document and Settings\All Users
What languages can you use for log-on scripts? JavaScipt, VBScript, DOS batch files (.com, .bat, or
What's the difference between software publishing and assigning
New Active Directory features in Windows Server 2003 with sp1 :
1. Multiple selection of user objects.
2. Drag-and-drop functionality
3. Efficient search capabilities
4. Saved queries.
5. Active Directory command-line tools
6. InetOrgPerson class.
7. Application directory partitions.
8. Universal group membership caching.
9. Secure LDAP traffic.
10.Active Directory quotas.
New domain- and forest-wide Active Directory features :
1. Domain controller rename tool.
2. Different location option for user and computer accounts.
3. Domain rename.
4. Forest trusts.
5. Forest restructuring.
6. Defunct schema objects.
7. Dynamic auxiliary classes.
8. Global catalog replication improvements.
9. Replication enhancements.
10. User access control to resources between domains or forests.
Req to install win 2003 Domain
Requirement to install the Win 2003 Domain Conroller :
1. An NTFS partition with enough free space.
2. An Administrator's username and password.
3. The correct operating system version.
4. A NIC Properly configured TCP/IP (IP address, subnet mask
and - optional - default gateway).
5. A network connection (to a hub or to another computer via a crossover cable).
6. An operational DNS server (which can be installed on the DC itself).
7. A Domain name that you want to use
The Windows Server 2003 CD media (or at least the i386 folder).
Posts
