MCSE Core Required Exams in a Nutshell
By William R. Stanek
... Publisher: O'Reilly
Pub Date: May 2006
Print ISBN-10: 0-596-10228-3
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-59-610228-9
Pages: 736
Table of Contents | Index
Written by the premier author in Windows administration, William Stanek, and addressing the needs of Windows 2003 administrators preparing for the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) exams, MCSE Core Required Exams in a Nutshell is invaluable. With the recent revisions of the MCSE exams including simulations, success is even more difficult. Not only does this book provide the resources administrators need to succeed on the exams, but to succeed in the real world as well. They can think of this book as the notes they would have highlighted and then recorded for every essential nugget of information related to the skills measured in Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, and 70-294 (and by association Exams 70-292 and 70-296).
To begin with, MCSE Core Required Exams in a Nutshell allows readers to see all of the topics expected for mastery in each of the exams. Then, each exam is covered in three parts: Exam Overview, Study Guide, and Test Your Knowledge sections. This makes for easy reference and a great study aid. The Exams covered include:
EXAM 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment
EXAM 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
EXAM 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure
EXAM 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure
MCSE Core Required Exams in a Nutshell
By William R. Stanek
... Publisher: O'Reilly
Pub Date: May 2006
Print ISBN-10: 0-596-10228-3
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-59-610228-9
Pages: 736
Table of Contents | Index
Copyright
Section 2.1. Essential Administration Tools
Section 2.2. Managing and Maintaining Physical and Logical Devices Section 2.3. Managing Users, Computers, and Groups
Section 2.4. Managing and Maintaining Access to Network Resources Section 2.5. Managing and Maintaining a Server Environment
Section 2.6. Managing and Implementing Disaster Recovery Chapter 3. Exam 70-290 Prep and Practice
Section 5.1. Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining IP Addressing Section 5.2. Installing, Configuring, and Managing DHCP
Section 5.4. Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining Network Security Section 5.5. Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining Routing and RemoteAccess Section 5.6. Maintaining a Network Infrastructure
Chapter 6. Exam 70-291 Prep and Practice
Section 8.1. Planning and Implementing Server Roles and Server Security Section 8.2. Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Network Infrastructure Section 8.3. Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Routing and RemoteAccess Section 8.4. Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Server Availability Section 8.5. Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Network Security andInfrastructure Chapter 9. Exam 70-293 Prep and Practice
Section 11.1. Planning an Active Directory Forest and Domain Structure
Section 11.2. Planning and Implementing a Strategy for Placing Global CatalogServers Section 11.3. Planning Flexible Operations Master Role Placement
Section 11.4. Planning and Implementing Organizational Unit Structure Section 11.5. Planning and Implementing an Administrative DelegationStrategy Section 11.6. Planning and Managing Active Directory Sites
Section 11.7. Maintaining Active Directory Infrastructure
Section 11.9. Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining Group Policy Chapter 12. Exam 70-294 Prep and Practice
Section 12.1. Preparing for Exam 70-294
Section 12.2. Exam 70-294 Suggested Exercises Section 12.3. Exam 70-294 Highlighters Index Section 12.4. Exam 70-294 Practice Questions About the Author
MCSE Core Required Exams in a Nutshell, Third Edition
by William R. Stanek
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Preface
Welcome to MCSE Core Required Exams in a Nutshell. As the author, I designed this book for IT professionals looking to complete their Microsoft Certification. Microsoft offers multiple certification tracks and as an administrator or engineer, the tracks you'll be most interested in are:
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
Entry-level certification track. To become an MCP, you need to pass only one current Microsoft certification exam.
Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)
Intermediate certification track for experienced
administrators. To become an MCSA, you must pass three core exams and one elective exam.
Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE)
Advanced certification track for experienced administrators with strong engineering backgrounds. To become an MCSE, you must pass six core exams and one elective exam.
Taken appropriately, the certification tracks can measure the progress of your IT career from beginner to pro. Or, for those already experienced, the certification tracks can be a measure of your progress through the process of getting your
70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment. When you pass this exam, you will get your MCP credentials.
The next exam I recommend studying for and taking is Exam 70-291: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure. When you pass this exam, you will have completed the two required networking systems exams for MCSA certification. To complete MCSA
certification, you will need to complete a client operating system exam and an elective exam.
Exams 70-290 and 70-291 are also two of the four required networking system exams for MCSE certification. The other two required networking system exams are Exam 70-293: Planning and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure and Exam 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure.
Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, and 70-294 are covered in this book. This book also covers Exam 70-292: Managing and
Maintaining a Microsoft Server 2003 Environment for an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000 and Exam 70-296: Planning,
Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE Certified on Windows 2000.
If you are a current MCSA on Windows 2000, you need to pass Exam 70-292 to upgrade your certification to Windows Server 2003. If you are a current MCSE on Windows 2000, you need to pass Exam 70-292 and Exam 70-296 to upgrade your
certification to Windows Server 2003. These exams are
The focus of this book is on providing the core knowledge to prepare you for the current certification exams, which include performance-based testing through simulation. This book is meant to be used as part of your final preparationand not as your only preparationfor the exams. Think of this book as the notes you'd have written down if you were to highlight and then record every essential nugget of information related to the skills being measured in Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, and 70-294 (and by association, Exams 70-292 and 70-296).
Basically, what I've done is boil down the required knowledge to its finest core. So, rather than having 500700 pages covering each exam, there's approximately 150 pages for each. With this in mind, the best way to use this book is as part of your final review. So, after you've built sufficient hands-on expertise and studied all the relevant texts, grab this book and study it cover to cover as part of your final exam cram.
Tip:
Unless you have access to a very complete test
environment, I recommend employing some type of virtual
machine technology as part of your exam preparation. Microsoft
offers Virtual PC and Virtual Server. Virtual PC lets you
configure desktops and servers and run them in a virtual
network environment. Virtual Server builds on Virtual PC and
offers better resource use and extended APIs for automated
deployment and management. Because Virtual Server 2005
supports two-node clustering between virtual machines on the
same Virtual Server host computer and uses a virtual shared
SCSI bus to implement the quorum device, you can implement
and test software failover between clustered virtual machines.
Clustering is a skill measured in Exam 70-293.
Each part in this book corresponds to a single Microsoft exam and consists of the following sections:
Exam Overview
Provides a brief introduction to the exam's topic, a list of objectives, and a cross reference to where the objectives are covered. For those studying for Exams 292 or 70-296, callouts are provided to point out the related
objectives.
Study Guide
Provides a comprehensive study guide for the skills being measured on the exam. This section should be read through and studied extensively. If you encounter topics you haven't practiced and studied enough prior to reading this text, you should do more hands-on work with the related area of study and refer to an expanded discussion in a relevant text. Once you've built the real-world know-how and
developed the essential background needed to succeed, you can resume your studies and move forward.
Prep and Practice
Provides exercises and practice questions to help test your knowledge of the areas studied. Sample solutions and answers are provided with explanations where necessary.
Constant width
Used for code terms, command-line text, command-line options, and values that should be typed literally.
Constant width italic
Indicates text that should be replaced with user-supplied values.
Italics
Used for URLs, variables, filenames, and to introduce new terms.
Tip:
Notes are used to provide additional information or
highlight a specific point.
Warning:
Warnings are used to provide details on potential
problems.
Other Study Resources
There is no single magic bullet for passing the Microsoft Certification exams. Your current knowledge will largely determine your success with this study guide and on the exams. If you encounter topics you haven't practiced and
studied extensively prior to reading this text, you need further preparation. Get the practical hands-on know-how and
Throughout your preparations for certification, I recommend that you regularly visit the Microsoft Certifications page
(http://www.microsoft.com/certification/). The related pages will help you keep up-to-date with the certification process and any changes that may occur.
There are a wide variety of Microsoft Certification study guides, training classes, and learning resources available. Regardless of whether these materials say they are for MCPs, MCSAs, or
MCSEs, the materials should relate to specific exams. The exams are the same regardless of the certification track.
Also, a large number of practice tests and exam simulations are available for purchase and for free on the Web. These tests, like this book, are useful as part of your exam preparation.
How to Contact Us
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Increasingly, I find myself trying to do things in fundamentally different ways than they've been done before. For this book, I had this crazy idea that I could get every essential nugget of information necessary for Exams 70-290, 70-291, 70-293, and 70-294 (and by association Exams 70-292 and 70-296) into one book and do so in a way that would give you, the reader,
maximum value and learning potential. With that in mind, I started from scratch and addressed the book in an entirely
different way from its predecessors. I organized the book into 4 parts and 12 chapters, creating a new approach that divides each exam study guide into three major components: an
overview and a study guide followed by "prep and practice." In the overview, I tied the exam objectives directly to the sections in which those objectives are discussed and added details on the upgrade certification path for those taking the upgrade exams. In the study guide, I delved as deep as possible into every exam objective. In the "prep and practice," I created a single chapter that contains everything you need for additional review, including notes on preparing for the exam, suggested exercises, highlights from the study guide, and practice
questions.
I hope the result of all the hard work is that the book you hold in your hands is something unique. This isn't a 400-page cram guide or a 600-page study guide for a single exam. This is a comprehensive 750-page guide to Exams 290, 291, 293, and 294 (and, by association, Exams 292 and 70-296) that contains the core knowledge to prepare you for certification.
person to work with, conscientious and dedicated. Her attention to detail through every step of the editing is much appreciated.
O'Reilly has an extensive editing and review process. Rodney Buike, Chris Buechler, and Pawan K. Bhardwaj were the
technical reviewers of the book. Each reviewed the book from start to finish, and it was a great pleasure working with them. Of particular note is the effort Pawan put into the project to ensure the book was as accurate as it could be. In the final
editing stages, the book was sent out for final comments to Ben Miller, Microsoft MVP Lead, Michael Dennis, Lead Program
Manager for Group Policy at Microsoft, and others. Al Valvano, Rob Linsky, and Lucinda Rowley of Microsoft provided extremely helpful information and support for this project. Thank you for all your help!
Thanks also to Studio B literary agency and my agents, David Rogelberg and Neil Salkind. David and Neil are great to work with.
Part PART I: Exam 70-290
Chapter1: Exam 70-290 Overview
Chapter2: Exam 70-290 Study Guide
Chapter 1. Exam 70-290 Overview
Exam 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment is designed to cover the skills
necessary to perform most day-to-day administration tasks. Before you begin studying for this exam, you should have extensive hands-on experience with general Windows Server 2003 administration, including management of disks, hardware devices, shared folders, and printers. You should also have a detailed understanding of configuring local, roaming, and mandatory user profiles; managing users, computers, and
groups; and working with filesystem permissions and changing file ownership.
Troubleshooting and monitoring are major parts of the exam. Many troubleshooting skills are tested, including the ability to solve user and computer account issues, user authentication problems, and remote access issues. You'll need to be able to monitor server hardware using Device Manager and Control Panel utilities, and the Hardware Troubleshooting wizard. You'll also need to demonstrate skill with regard to monitoring system and application performance, server optimization, and disaster recovery.
The exam covers some not-so-routine tasks as well. For example, you'll need to be able to manage software site
licensing and software update infrastructure. You'll also need to be able to resolve Terminal Services security and Terminal
Services client access issues. In many large enterprises, these tasks are handled by dedicated help desk staff rather than by individual administrators.
Automation
Microsoft really wants administrators to do more with the command line. You are expected to know key command-line tools as thoroughly as you know key GUI tools.
Optimization
The ability to optimize server and application performance is a skill that's best learned through real-world practice. You need a strong understanding of the performance objects used in optimization and how to use them to resolve bottlenecks.
Access/Authentication
Many things can go wrong with user authentication and resource access, especially when Terminal Services is
involved. If your organization doesn't use Terminal Services, take the time to create a test environment and work with this technology extensively.
To be prepared for Exam 70-290, you should have 12 to 18 months experience as a Windows Server 2003 administrator. You should have recently studied a Windows Server 2003 administrator's book, taken a training course, or completed a self-paced training kit that covers the related areas of study. You will then be ready to use the Exam 70-290 Study Guide in this book as your final exam preparation.
certification program that requires taking and passing one
Microsoft Certification exam. If you are a current MCSA on
Windows 2000, you need to pass Exam 70-292 to upgrade your
certification to Windows Server 2003. If you are a current
1.1. Areas of Study for Exam 70-290
1.1.1. Managing and Maintaining Physical and
Logical Devices
Manage basic disks and dynamic disks.
Monitor server hardware. Tools might include Device Manager, the Hardware Troubleshooting Wizard, and appropriate Control Panel items.
Optimize server disk performance.
Implement a RAID solution.
Defragment volumes and partitions.
Install and configure server hardware devices.
Configure driver signing options.
Configure resource settings for a device.
Configure device properties and settings.
See "Managing and Maintaining Physical and Logical Devices" on page 12.
Manage local, roaming, and mandatory user profiles.
Create and manage computer accounts in an Active Directory environment.
Create and manage groups. X
Identify and modify the scope of a group. X
Find domain groups in which a user is a member. X
Manage group membership. X
Create and modify groups by using the Active
Directory Users and Computers Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in. X
Create and modify groups by using automation. X
Create and manage user accounts. X
Create and modify user accounts by using the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in. X
Create and modify user accounts by using automation. X
Import user accounts. X
Diagnose and resolve issues related to computer accounts by using the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in.
Reset computer accounts.
Troubleshoot user accounts.
Diagnose and resolve account lockouts.
Diagnose and resolve issues related to user account properties.
Troubleshoot user authentication issues. X
See "Managing Users, Computers, and Groups" on page 32.
1.1.3. Managing and Maintaining Access to
Network Resources
Configure access to shared folders.
Manage shared folder permissions.
Troubleshoot Terminal Services. X
Diagnose and resolve issues related to Terminal Services security. X
Configure filesystem permissions.
Verify effective permissions when granting permissions.
Change ownership of files and folders.
Troubleshoot access to files and shared folders.
See "Managing and Maintaining Access to Network Resources" on page 62.
1.1.4. Managing and Maintaining a Server
Environment
Monitor and analyze events. Tools might include Event Viewer and System Monitor.
Install and configure software update infrastructure. X
Install and configure software update services. X
Install and configure automatic client update settings. X
Configure software updates on earlier operating systems. X
Manage software update infrastructure. X
Manage servers remotely. X
Manage a server by using Remote Assistance. X
Manage a server by using Terminal Services remote administration mode. X
Manage a server by using available support tools. X
Troubleshoot print queues.
Monitor system performance.
Monitor file and print servers. Tools might include Task Manager, Event Viewer, and System Monitor.
Monitor disk quotas.
Monitor print queues.
Monitor server hardware for bottlenecks.
Monitor and optimize a server environment for application performance.
Monitor memory performance objects.
Monitor network performance objects.
Monitor process performance objects.
Manage a Web server. X
Manage Internet Information Services (IIS). X
Manage security for IIS. X
See "Managing and Maintaining a Server Environment" on page 84.
1.1.5. Managing and Implementing Disaster
Recovery
Perform system recovery for a server.
Implement Automated System Recovery (ASR).
Restore data from shadow copy volumes.
Back up files and System State data to media.
Configure security for backup operations.
Manage backup procedures.
Verify the successful completion of backup jobs.
Manage backup storage media.
Recover from server hardware failure.
Schedule backup jobs.
Chapter 2. Exam 70-290 Study Guide
This chapter provides a study guide for Exam 70-290:Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment. Sections within the chapter are organized according to the
exam objective they cover. Each section identifies the related exam objective, provides an overview of why the objective is important, and then discusses the key details you should know to both succeed on the test and master the objective in the real world.
The major topics covered on Exam 70-290 are:
Managing and Maintaining Physical and Logical Devices
Designed to test your knowledge of standard disk
configurations involving both basic disks and dynamic disks. Also covers hardware devices and monitoring hardware
devices.
Managing Users, Computers, and Groups
Designed to test your knowledge of the many types of accounts used on Windows networks, including user accounts, computer accounts and group accounts. Also covers user authentication and user profiles.
Managing and Maintaining Access to Network Resources
client access.
Managing and Maintaining a Server Environment
Designed to test your knowledge of general administration, it is very much a catch-all objective for routine
administration tasks. Also covers Internet Information Services (IIS) management and security.
Managing and Implementing Disaster Recovery
Designed to test your knowledge of both disaster
preparedness and disaster recovery procedures. Also covers shadow copies.
The sections of this chapter are designed to reinforce your knowledge of these topics. Ideally, you will review this chapter as thoroughly as you would your course notes in preparation for a college professor's final exam. That means multiple readings of the chapter, committing to memory key concepts, and
performing any necessary outside readings if there are topics you have difficulty with.
As part of your preparation, I recommend installing a two-system test network, with one two-system acting as a workstation and the other system acting as a server. The workstation should run Windows XP Professional or later and be your primary
2.1. Essential Administration Tools
The essential administration tools every administrator must master are:
AdminPak
Support Tools
Microsoft Management Console (MMC)
Remote Desktop for Administration
Remote Assistance
2.1.1. AdminPak
The administrative tools available on your system depends on its configuration. As services are added to a system, the tools needed to manage those services are installed. If you manage systems remotely, these same tools might not be available. To ensure you have a consistent tool set, you should install the Windows Server 2003 Administration Tools (AdminPak) on
systems you use for administration by completing the following steps:
1. After you log on to the system using an account with administrator privileges, insert the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
3. Double-click I386, and then double-click Adminpak.msi to install the complete set of Windows Server 2003
management tools.
The AdminPak tools can be accessed from the command line and from the Administrative Tools menu.
2.1.2. Support Tools
In addition to the AdminPak, you'll want to install the Windows Server 2003 Support Tools on systems you use for
administration. The Windows Server 2003 Support Tools extend the core set of administration tools to include additional useful utilities and commands that can be used for administration.
To install the support tools, complete these steps:
1. Log on to the system using an account with administrator privileges and insert the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive.
2. When the Autorun screen appears, click Perform Additional Tasks, and then click Browse This CD to start Windows Explorer.
3. Double-click Support, and then double-click Tools.
4. Double-click Suptools.msi to start the Windows Support Tools Setup Wizard.
5. Click Next. Read the End User License Agreement. Click I Agree, and then click Next.
6. Enter your user information, and then click Next.
8. Click Install Now. Click Finish.
The Support Tools can be accessed through the Tools Management Console. To start the console, click Start
Programs Windows Support Tools Support Tools Help.
2.1.3. Microsoft Management Console
In Windows Server 2003, the primary administration tools are built using the MMC framework. At its heart are consoles and snap-ins. A console is a container window to which you can add functional components called snap-ins. You create custom
administration tools by adding snap-ins to an empty console. Consoles can also include taskpads to create custom view tabs in the console. The custom view tabs can include shortcut links to menu items, shell commands, and Favorites links.
All consoles, including the standard administration consoles, have two basic modes:
Author
In Author mode, administrators can make changes to the console by adding or removing snap-ins, and creating task pads. Most MMCs can be put in Author mode by
right-clicking the menu option and selecting Author, or by starting the console from the command prompt using the /a
parameter. This opens the console for authoring.
User
administrator consoles are in user mode by default. To switch from author mode to user mode in a console, click File Options, select the desired console mode, clear Do Not Save Changes To This Console, and then click OK. You can then save the updated console to its original location by clicking File Save or to a new location by clicking File Save As.
By default, consoles are set to work with the local computer when started. To work with a remote computer via the console, you'll need to right-click the console root node in the left pane and then select Connect To Another Computer. This displays the Select Computer dialog box, which you can use to specify the name or IP address of the remote computer.
2.1.4. Remote Desktop for Administration
Windows Server 2003 Terminal Services has two operating modes: Remote Desktop for Administration and Terminal Server. One way to think of the Remote Desktop for
Administration is as a limited Terminal Server mode that
enables administrators to establish remote connections. Each server configured with Remote Desktop for Administration can have up to two concurrent connections.
Remote Desktop for Administration can be enabled or disabled on a per computer basis on the Remote tab of the System utility under Control Panel. To enable this feature, access the System utility's Remote tab, select Enable Remote Desktop On This Computer, and then click Select Remote Users to specify users granted remote access permission via Remote Desktop. By default, any user that is a member of the Administrators group is granted this permission. If the computer is running a firewall, TCP port 3389 must be opened to allow remote access.
Remote Desktop Connection client found under Programs Accessories Communications or by using the Remote
Desktops console found on the Administrative Tools menu. Use the Remote Desktop Connection client to manage one computer remotely. Use the Remote Desktops console to manage multiple computers remotely. Both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 support remote desktop.
With Remote Desktop Connection, establish remote connections as follows:
1. Open the Remote Desktop Connection client and then click Options.
2. In the Computer field, type the name or IP address of the remote computer.
3. Enter your username, password, and domain information.
4. Enter display, resource, and other options using the other tabs as necessary.
5. Click Connect.
Tip:
Troubleshooting Remote Desktop connectivity is discussed
in "
Troubleshoot Terminal Services
," later in this chapter.
With Remote Desktops, establish remote connections as follows:
1. Open the Remote Desktops console.
2. Right-click Remote Desktops in the console tree and select Add New Connection.
4. Enter an optional Connection Name.
5. Enter your username, password, and domain information.
6. Click OK to close the Add New Connection dialog box.
7. In the left pane, expand the Remote Desktops node to show the defined connections.
8. Click a connection.
2.1.5. Remote Assistance
Remote Assistance allows a user to send an invitation to a more experienced user or administrator asking for troubleshooting help with a computer problem. The helper accepting the request can view the user's desktop, transfer files, and chat with the user needing help through a single interface.
Both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 support Remote Assistance, which can be enabled or disabled using the Remote tab of the System utility under Control Panel. To enable Remote Assistance, access the System utility's Remote tab, select Turn On Remote Assistance, and then click OK. You can click the Advanced tab to set the maximum amount of time the
invitations can remain open.
By default, the user or administrator accepting a remote invitation can remotely control the computer from which the invitation was sent during the remote assistance session. Typically, this is the desired behavior.
The easiest way to make a remote assistance request is to use Windows Messenger. In Windows Messenger, click Actions Ask for Remote Assistance, and then select the helper's
remote assistance invitation. The user seeking assistance then confirms it is OK to start the remote assistance session by clicking Yes.
2.2. Managing and Maintaining Physical and
Logical Devices
Server systems have both physical and logical devices. Physical devices include all hardware devices connected to or configured within the server system, and include sound cards, video cards, memory, system bus, disk controllers, and physical disks.
Logical devices are used to abstract the physical components of hardware devices and represent them in a way that is more manageable. The primary logical devices you'll work with are logical volumes, which are the basic unit of disk storage that you can configure and manage.
2.2.1. Installing and Configuring Server
Hardware Devices
Hardware devices installed on a computer communicate with Windows Server 2003 using software device drivers. For a
hardware device driver to work properly, the appropriate device driver variant must be installed, the resource settings for the device must be configured appropriately, and the device
properties must be set correctly. In most cases, hardware manufacturers will provide a device driver for the hardware device. Windows Server 2003 includes an extensive library of device drivers.
2.2.1.1. Understanding Plug-and-Play and
Non-Plug-and-Play devices
Plug-and-Play (PnP)
Non-Plug-and-Play (Non-PnP)
Most Windows-compatible devices support PnP. PnP allows Windows to detect and install a hardware device automatically either from the library of device drivers maintained by Windows or from a manufacturer-supplied device driver. If a device is detected and there is no device driver, Windows will prompt you to specify the location of the device driver.
In most cases, non-PnP devices are not detected automatically after installation and must be manually installed using the Add Hardware Wizard, which is accessible in the Control Panel and from the Hardware tab of the System utility.
2.2.1.2. Understanding signed and unsigned drivers
On Windows 2000 and later computers, all hardware device drivers are either signed or unsigned. If a device driver is signed, then the driver has a digital signature. The digital signature means that a driver has been authenticated by the digital signer, which typically is Microsoft Windows Publisher, and has not been altered or overwritten by other installation programs or by virus programs. If a device driver is signed by Microsoft Windows Publisher, then the device driver was
included with the operating system. If a device driver is signed by Microsoft Windows Hardware Compatibility Publisher, it
means the device driver has been tested in the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL) (and was probably released after the release of the operating system).
hardware using an unsigned (and potentially dangerous) driver,
you should test the driver on a similarly configured computer in
a development or test environment.
By default, Windows Server 2003 warns you if you try to install an unsigned device driver. Windows can also be configured to allow all device drivers to be installed or prevent unsigned
device drivers from being installed. These settings can be made for individual computers using Control Panel, and for all
computers in a domain, site, or organizational unit (OU)
through Group Policy. Group Policy can also be used to prohibit users from changing driver installation settings.
As long as you are not prohibited from doing so, you can
change driver settings for individual computers by clicking the Driver Signing button on the Hardware tab of the System utility. This displays the Driver Signing Options dialog box. In this
dialog box, you can choose the action you want Windows to take whenever someone tries to install an unsigned device driver. As Figure 2-1 shows, the options are:
Figure 2-1. Settings in the Driver Signing Options
dialog box can be used to change the way
Ignore
Allows all device drivers to be installed without having to see and respond to a warning prompt.
Warn
Prompts with a warning message prior to installing a
hardware device with an unsigned driver. The user can then continue or cancel the installation (the default).
Block
any unsigned device driver and will not display a warning prompt.
Make This Action The System Default
Select this checkbox to make this the default for all users. Clear this option to apply these options only to the current user.
Tip:
Windows Server 2003 will not install drivers with known
problems. If you try to install a driver with known problems, the
Windows Driver Protection facility will block the installation.
2.2.1.3. Installing hardware devices
Administrators can install any hardware device and its drivers, including both PnP and non-PnP devices. Users can only install PnP devices that are detected and installed automatically using signed drivers stored in Windows device driver library. If the device requires the operating system to prompt for any reason, including to specify manufacturer supplied drivers or designate configuration options, users will not be able to complete the installation. The only exception is for users who have been designated specific permission to install such devices.
Tip:
For the exam, you'll definitely want to have a strong
understanding of how device installation works for both
administrators and users.
If a device isn't automatically installed and you have a
using the disk. If this doesn't work or an installation disk isn't available, you can install it using the Add Hardware Wizard by following through these steps:
1. Open Add Hardware in Control Panel. When the wizards starts, it scans the computer for PnP devices and installs drivers for any that are found.
2. If no devices are found in Step 1, continue with the manual installation by clicking Next. Then select Yes, I Have Already Connected The Hardware, and then click Next.
3. The wizard then displays a list of all installed devices. If you select one of these devices and click Next, the wizard will quit. If you scroll down to the bottom of the installed hardware list and select Add A New Hardware Device and then click Next, you'll be able to continue with the
installation.
4. Next, you can choose whether to search for and install the new hardware device, or have it presented in a list from which you can manually select a driver. If you don't already have a driver, select the search option. If you do have a driver, select the install option, and then click Next.
5. If the wizard searches and fails, or if you elect to install the hardware, you can select the hardware category of the
device you are trying to install or simply accept the default to show all devices. Click Next.
6. If you have the drivers for the device, click Have Disk to specify the location of the drivers on your hard disk, floppy, or CD. Otherwise, choose the device manufacturer and
device model to use a driver already available in Windows. If the device model isn't listed, the driver isn't included with the operating system.
In some cases, you might be prompted to restart the computer as well.
2.2.1.4. Using Device Manager
All detected devices are listed in the Device Manager snap-in, which is installed by default in the Device Manager console (devmgmt.msc) and in the Computer Management console (compmgmt.msc) (see Figure 2-2). Devices that have been detected but are not installed or properly configured are shown with a yellow warning icon. Devices that have been disabled have a red warning icon.
Device Manager can be used to manage devices on local computers only. On remote computers, Device Manager has Read Only access. You can use Device Manager anytime you have a question as to whether hardware devices on a computer are working properly. Common tasks include:
Viewing hardware device status
Using options of the View menu, you can view devices by type or by connection. A yellow warning icon indicates improper installation or configuration, and, as such, can indicate that a device is detected but not installed or that a device has a resource conflict with another device.
Scanning for hardware changes
If you've made hardware configuration changes that aren't shown in Device Manager, you can select Action Scan For Hardware Changes.
Changing hardware configuration settings
Right-click the device and select Properties. You can then view the properties and settings for the device. If the device allows manual configuration through Windows, you'll be
able to change resource usage on the Resources tab.
Printing summaries of installed devices
class or device," or "All devices and system summary." Similar reports can be obtained from the command line using Driverquery. Type Driverquery /? for details.
2.2.1.5. Configuring hardware devices
In Device Manager, you can view and configure hardware
devices by right-clicking a device and selecting Properties. Most devices have a dialog box with General, Driver, Details, and Resources tabs. Depending on device type, some devices have fewer or additional tabs.
Figure 2-3 shows the three most common tabs you'll refer to when working with devices:
General
The General tab provides basic details on the device type, manufacturer, and installation location. It also lists the device status and provides a Troubleshoot button for
troubleshooting device issues. Clicking Troubleshoot starts the Hardware Troubleshooter in the Help and Support
Center. You can also enable or disable a device from the General tab.
Driver
The Driver tab lists the driver provider, date, version, and digital signer (if any). Clicking the Driver Details button shows the files associated with the driver as well as the standard driver details. Clicking the Update Driver buttons allows you to specify a new or updated driver for the device using a process that is similar to the manual driver
installation process described previously in "Installing hardware devices." If a driver update fails or the updated driver proves to be faulty, you can go back to the previously installed driver by clicking Roll Back Driver. Drivers can be uninstalled by clicking Uninstall. An uninstalled PnP device is removed from Device Manager. An uninstalled non-PnP
device is listed in Device Manager but not configured with a driver.
Resources
configured through Windows, you'll be able to clear Use Automatic Settings and then click Change Setting to define new resource settings. Typically, you won't need to
manually configure device resource assignment. If you manually assign resources, both the device and the resource will be unavailable for automatic configuration.
2.2.1.6. Troubleshooting hardware devices
Windows Server 2003 has fewer problems with hardware devices than previous versions of the operating system. That said, if something goes wrong with a device, it will more
typically be a non-PnP device than a PnP device. You may also experience problems with a device after updating its drivers.
In Device Manager, the device is listed with a yellow warning icon if there is a problem with its configuration or it has been detected but there is no driver installed. If you've recently
updated the driver for the device, you can try rolling back to the previous version to correct the problem. To do this, open Device Manager and access the device's properties dialog box. On the Driver tab, click Rollback Driver to start the rollback process and follow the prompts.
Other device problems can be resolved using the Hardware Update Wizard or the Hardware Troubleshooter. To start the Hardware Update Wizard, follow these steps:
1. Open Add Hardware in Control Panel. Click Next, select Yes, I Have Already Connected The Hardware, and then click Next again.
2. Select the hardware device you are having trouble with, as shown in Figure 2-4, and then click Next.
Figure 2-4. Begin troubleshooting with the Add
Hardware Wizard.
For a device whose drivers are not installed, you can start the Hardware Update Wizard from Device Manager as well. In Device Manager, right-click the device and then select
Properties. On the General tab, click Reinstall Driver to start the Hardware Update Wizard. If a device driver is installed, the
General tab of the driver properties dialog box will have a Troubleshoot button instead of a Reinstall Driver button. Clicking the Troubleshoot button starts the Hardware
Troubleshooter, which offers a series of prompts with questions and answers that can be used to troubleshoot.
the driver.
Faulty drivers can also cause the operating system to crash or fail to start. Use the following technique to resolve the problem:
If you had to restart the operating system after installing a driver and the operating system fails to start, press F8 as the system starts and then specify that you want to use the Last Known Good Configuration as the boot option.
Selecting this startup option restores the registry key HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet with the previous driver information.
If you had to restart the operating system after installing a driver and you successfully log on before a problem occurs, which could happen with an updated video driver, you will not be able to use the Last Known Good Configuration. The Last Known Good Configuration is overwritten when you successfully log on. In this case, you may need to start the computer in Safe Mode. When the computer is starting, press F8, and then choose Safe Mode as the boot option. After you log on, use Device Manager to correct the device problem by rolling back to the previous driver or disabling the device.
If both the Last Known Good Configuration and Safe Mode do not work, you can attempt to recover the system using the Recovery Console. If Recovery Console is not available as a boot option when you press F8, it has not been
installed and must be started from the operating system CD. Find it in the Windows Server 2003 CD, and then
see a command prompt. Type help to get a list of available
commands. When you are finished, type exit to exit the
console and restart the computer.
2.2.2. Managing Basic and Dynamic Disks
Physical disk drives are a type of hardware device that can be installed or attached to a computer. Although hot swappable disk drives can be installed or attached without powering down a computer, most other types of drives require that you power down a computer prior to installing or attaching the drive. Windows should automatically detect any drive you install or attach.
The primary tools you use to manage disks are the Disk
Management snap-in and the DiskPart command-line utility. You must be a member of the local Administrators group, the
Backup Operators group, or have been delegated permission to manage basic and dynamic disks. Only members of the local administrators group can format a disk.
2.2.2.1. Understanding partition styles
To allow files and file structures to be written on disks, you partition them. Two partition styles are used:
Master Boot Record (MBR)
GUID Partition Table (GPT)
x86-based computers use the MBR partition style.
Itanium-based computers running 64-bit Windows use MBR and GPT partition styles.
X64-based computers running 64-bit Extended Systems versions of Windows use the MBR partition style.
The partition style provides the underlying methodology for partitioning disks. Windows structures disks and their contents according to storage type. Windows Server 2003 supports two storage types:
Basic disk
With basic disks, Windows uses partitions to map out the disk structure and the areas of the disk available for
storage.
Dynamic disk
With dynamic disks, the unit of storage is the volume. All volumes on dynamic disks are known as dynamic volumes.
Basic disks are the industry standard and are accessible on just about every operating system. Dynamic disks, on the other hand, are specific to Windows 2000 and later. Dynamic disks are not supported for removable media, on portable computers, such as laptops and tablet PCs, or with disks connected via
FireWire/USB.
disks. Any basic disk can be easily converted to a dynamic
disk. However, dynamic disk volumes must be deleted before
dynamic disks can be converted to basic disksa process that
destroys the data on the disk.
2.2.2.2. Understanding special drive sections
Regardless of whether they are basic or dynamic, all disks have three special drive sections:
System
The system volume contains the hardware-specific files needed to load Windows.
Boot
The boot volume contains the operating system and operating system-related files.
Active
The active volume is the drive section from which the operating system starts.
One and only one of the primary partitions on the disk must be marked as active. Typically, the system, boot, and active
2.2.2.3. Using basic disks
The way basic disks are used depends on the partition style:
MBR partition style
With MBR disk partitions on basic disks, logical volumes are represented using primary partitions and extended
partitions containing logical drives. A basic disk can have up to four primary partitions, or up to three primary partitions and one extended partition. Each primary partition is
represented with one logical volume. Each extended partition is represented by one or more logical drives. A logical drive is a logical volume that is used to represent all of or part of an extended partition.
GPT partition style
With GPT disk partitions on basic disks, multiple partitions are created during setup and installation of the operating system, including an EFI system partition (ESP), a Microsoft Reserved (MSR) partition, and a primary partition. The disk may also contain OEM partitions. GPT disks support up to 128 partitions, any number of which can be primary
partitions. Only Itanium-based computers running 64-bit Windows use GPT disks.
Tip:
Under Windows NT 4.0, basic disks supported all the fault
tolerant features of dynamic disks. When a computer is
upgraded from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows Server 2003, you
will have limited management capabilities for these fault
tolerant features, such as the ability to repair a damaged
volume set or to delete a volume set. You will also be able to
upgrade the disks containing the volume set from basic disks to
dynamic disks.
2.2.2.4. Using dynamic disks
Dynamic disks were introduced with Windows 2000 and provide improved manageability by requiring fewer restarts after
configuration changes and by allowing disks to be combined or to create fault-tolerant disk sets. With dynamic disks, the unit of storage is the volume. All volumes on dynamic disks are known as dynamic volumes.
Although you can create up to 2,000 volumes on a dynamic disk, the recommended maximum number of volumes is 32. When a computer has multiple dynamic disks, you have additional options for combining disks and creating fault
tolerant volumes. The difference between a non-fault tolerant volume and a fault tolerant volume is an important one:
Non-fault tolerant volumes
Fault tolerant volumes
Provide data redundancy and failure protection beyond that offered by the underlying filesystem. If a fault tolerant drive fails, you can often rebuild the volume without having to recover data from backup.
Windows supports disk performance and fault tolerance options at the operating system level using redundant array of
independent disk (RAID) technology. Another term for Windows-supported RAID is software RAID .
Tip:
RAID can be implemented using hardware RAID
controllers. Because hardware RAID operates at the hardware
level, hardware RAID offers better performance than software
RAID. Windows sees disks configured with hardware RAID as
standard disks, which allows you to set the storage type and
the partitioning separately from the underlying hardware
implementation. You can format the disks as either basic disks
or dynamic disks, and you can also apply software RAID.
As with basic disks, one and only one of the volumes on a
dynamic disk must be marked as active, and the volume also is the system volume and the boot volume. With dynamic disks, the types of non-fault-tolerant and fault-tolerant volumes available are as follows:
Simple volume
Simple volumes are not fault tolerant and, as such, provide no redundancy.
Spanned volume
A spanned volume is used to combine unallocated space on multiple physical disks. Unallocated space on up to 32
physical disks can be combined to create a single spanned volume. The amount of space used on each disk can be different, and data is written to each volume in sequence, starting with the first volume. When space on the first volume fills, space on the next volume is used, and so on. You can extend spanned volumes to unallocated space as necessary to provide additional storage capacity. Spanned volumes provide no fault tolerance. If one of the disks of which the spanned volume consists fails, the entire volume fails and data must be recovered from backup.
Because of how data is written to spanned volumes, they offer poor performance and no fault tolerance. You cannot extend or span the system volume. Nor will Windows allow you to install the operating system on a spanned volume.
Striped volume
A RAID-0 or striped volume is used to combine unallocated space on multiple physical disks. As with spanned volumes, unallocated space on up to 32 physical disks can be
to be read from multiple disks, which significantly improves read performance.
Although striped volumes offer improved read/write performance over spanned volumes, striped volumes
provide no fault tolerance. If one of the disks of which the striped volume consists fails, then the entire volume fails and data must be recovered from backup. It should also be noted that you cannot extend striped volumes, nor can you stripe the system volume.
Mirrored volume
A RAID-1 or mirrored volume is used to create two identical copies of a volume. The amount of space allocated to the volume on each disk must be identical, and data is written to both disks through a technique called mirroring (if one disk controller is involved) or duplexing (if two disk
controllers are involved). With standard mirroring, two
independent writes are neededone to each diskwhich affects write performance. With duplexing, the two writes can be performed simultaneously using separate disk controllers, so write performance is the same as if one disk was being used.
Mirrored volumes provide fault tolerance. If one of the
drives in the set fails, the other disk can continue to operate and there is no data loss. The failed drive must be replaced or another drive must be specified as the mirror partner to restore fault tolerance. Boot and system volumes can be mirrored.
A RAID-5 or striped with parity volume is used to combine unallocated space on three or more physical disks. As with striped volumes, unallocated space on up to 32 physical disks can be combined to create a single striped volume, the amount of space allocated to the volume on each disk must be identical, and data is written to all the physical disks in the volume at the same rate (via striping). Unlike striping alone, RAID-5 writes the data with checksum information, called parity, which provides fault tolerance.
If one of the drives in a RAID-5 set fails, data on the failed disk can be regenerated using the parity information. The failed drive must be replaced or another drive must be specified as part of the volume to restore fault tolerance. System volumes cannot use 5. If two disks in a RAID-5 set fail simultaneously, all data is lost and must be
restored from backup.
Table 2-1 summarizes the volume types. Only Windows servers support fault-tolerant software RAID. Although Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP Professional support disk spanning and disk striping, they do not support disk mirroring (RAID-1) or disk striping with parity (RAID-5). Microsoft recommends that you implement RAID-1 and RAID-5 only on identical disks.
Table 2-1. Volume types on dynamic disks (continued)
Volume type
Number
of disks Fault tolerance/performance
Simple 1 No, single disk read/write.
Spanned 2-32 No, possible read/write over multiple disks might mean poorperformance. Striped 2-32 No, striping to multiple disks can offer improved read/writeperformance.
Mirrored 2 gives better write performance than mirroring with a single disk controller.
Striped with
parity 3-32
Yes, supports single-drive failure. Striping to multiple disks can offer improved read/write performance.
Table 2-2 compares the terms used with basic and dynamic disks. The most important thing to remember is the following: basic disks have partitions and within extended partitions there are logical drives. Dynamic disks have volumes and only server editions support fault-tolerant RAID.
Table 2-2. Terms used with basic and dynamic disks
Basic disks Dynamic disks
Active, boot, system partition Active, boot, system volume Logical drive Simple volume
Mirror set Mirrored volume (RAID-1 volume) Partition Simple volume
Primary partition Simple volume
Stripe set Striped volume (RAID-0 volume)
2.2.2.5. Understanding volume formatting
Primary partitions, logical drives on extended partitions, and volumes are formatted to create logical volumes. A logical volume must be formatted with a specific filesystem. Windows 2000 and later computers support three filesystems on basic and dynamic disks:
FAT (FAT16)
Uses 16-bit file allocation tables with maximum volume size of 4 GB.
FAT32
Uses 32-bit file allocation tables with maximum volume size of 2 TB; limited on Windows to 32 GB.
NTFS
Uses a master file table that contains a record for each file and volume as well as metadata on the volume itself. On Windows 2000 and later, NTFS supports 2 TB volumes on basic MBR disks.
NTFS supports advanced file permissions, disk quotas, remote storage, sparse files, file-based compression, and encryption. Because NTFS provides so many security, management, and resiliency features, usually you will want to format logical
2.2.2.6. Understanding volume mounting
When working with logical volumes, it is important to keep in mind that a logical volume may include more than one physical disk and it may also be used to present part of a disk with a single physical disk having multiple logical volumes. In Windows Server 2003, logical volumes are represented by:
A single drive letter
A mount point
Table 2-3 summarizes how drive letters and mount points are used. Generally, the drive letters E to Z are available for use with driver letters A and B being used with floppy/Zip drives, drive C for the primary disk, and drive D for the computer's CD/DVD-ROM drive. Logical volumes can be mounted to empty folders on NTFS volumes as well.
Table 2-3. Drive letter and mount point usage
Drive designator Typical usage
A:, B: Removable media drives, floppy/Zip C: Primary disk
D: Primary CD/DVD-ROM drive
2.2.2.7. Using Disk Management
The Disk Management snap-in is installed by default in the Disk Management console (diskmgmt.msc) and in the Computer Management console (compmgmt.msc). Disk Management can be used to manage disk storage on both local and remote
computers. Computer Management can be accessed from the Administrative Tools menu or by right-clicking My Computer on the Start Menu and then selecting Manage.
By default, Computer Management connects to the local computer. To connect to a remote computer, right-click the Computer Management node and select Connect To Another Computer. Then use the Select Computer dialog box to specify the name or IP address of the computer to which you want to connect.
Configuring disks and volumes using Disk Management is a five-step process:
1. Install or attach the disk with the system powered off if required. The disk should be automatically installed and listed when you access Disk Management. If it isn't, right-click the Disk Management node and select Rescan Disks.
2. Initialize the disk to make it available for use. When you start Disk Management after installing a disk, the Initialize Disk Wizard should appear automatically. If it doesn't, you can manually initialize the disk by right-clicking it in Disk Management and selecting Initialize Disk.
3. New disks are initialized as basic disks by default and can be converted to dynamic disks if desired.
primary partition becomes a logical volume. If you create an extended partition, you can create logical
drives in the partition. Right-click an area of unallocated space in the extended partition and select New Logical Drive.
If you want to use the disk as a dynamic disk, you must convert the disk type. Right-click the disk's status box and select Convert To Dynamic Disk. After you convert the disk, you can add volumes by right-clicking an area of unallocated space on the disk and selecting New Volume.
4. Format the volumes you've created as FAT, FAT32, or NTFS. You can do this as part of the volume creation process or afterward by right-clicking the volume and selecting Format.
5. Assign drive letter or mount points. You can do this as part of the volume creation process or afterward by right-clicking the volume and selecting Change Drive Letters And Paths. Volumes can be mounted only to empty folders on existing NTFS volumes.
2.2.2.8. Using DiskPart
DiskPart is a command-line utility for managing disks. DiskPart can be used interactively or it can call a script to obtain a list of commands to execute. When you type diskpart at a command
prompt and press Enter, you invoke the DiskPart interpreter, and the DISKPART> command prompt appears. You can obtain help
at anytime be entering ?. DiskPart has commands for listing and
selecting disks, partitions, and volumes. You should always select the specific disk, partition, or volume you want to work with before performing management tasks.
process:
1. Install or attach the disk with the system powered off if required. Invoke DiskPart by typing diskpart at a command
prompt. Type list disk to list the available disks. The disk
should be automatically installed and listed when you access DiskPart. If it isn't, type rescan.
2. New disks are initialized as basic disks by default and can be converted to dynamic disks if desired. Type list disk to
determine the number of the disk, and its size and status. Select the disk to specify that you want to work with by typing select disk n, where n is the number of the disk.
If you want to use the disk as a basic disk, you can create partitions using create partition primary create partition extended, and create partition logical.
If you want to use the disk as a dynamic disk, you must convert the disk type. Type convert dynamic. After you
convert the disk, you can add volumes using create volume raid, create volume simple, and create volume stripe.
3. Format the volumes you've created as FAT, FAT32, or NTFS. You cannot do this in DiskPart. To format volumes, you
must exit DiskPart by typing exit and then run the FORMAT
command. Type format /? for details on formatting volumes.
4. After you format volumes, you can assign drive letter or mount points using DiskPart. Invoke DiskPart by typing
diskpart at a command prompt. Type list disk to list the
available disks. Select the disk you want to work with by typing select disk n, where n is the number of the disk. Type list partition or list volume to list the available partitions or
volumes as appropriate. Select the partition or volume you want to work with by typing select partition n, where n is the
number of the partition or typing select volume n, where n is
point by typing assign letter=x, where x is the drive letter or assign mount=folderpath, where folderpath is the path to the
empty NTFS folder on which to mount.
2.2.2.9. Extending volumes
You can extend simple or spanned volumes on dynamic disks using Disk Management or DiskPart. In Disk Management, right-click the volume and select Extend Volume. In DiskPart, select the disk and volume you want to work with, then type
extend size=n, where n is the size in megabytes to extend the
volume. If a partition is formatted using NTFS and is followed by a contiguous block of unallocated space on the same
physical disk, you can extend a partition on a basic disk using the same technique.
2.2.3. Implementing RAID Solutions
RAID can be configured using hardware and software
implementations. With hardware solutions, a controller card creates and maintains the RAID configuration, which typically is set up using vendor-provided software. With software solutions, Windows Server 2003 creates and maintains the RAID
configuration at some cost to performance. As discussed previously, Windows supports:
Striping (RAID-0)
Mirroring (RAID-1)
Striping with parity (RAID-5)
