Windows Server Administration Fundamentals (98-365)

Overview

This section gives overview of The Windows Server Administration Fundamentals exam. It is designed to provide an assessment of knowledge of fundamental server administration concepts. It covers a wide range of topics, such as Windows Server, Windows-based networking, Active Directory, and system recovery.

Understand Device Drivers

This section takes a look at device drivers. It covers what a device driver is and how to install them. It also explain some of the common administrative tasks like how to upgrade, uninstall, and troubleshoot drivers.

Understand Services

This section covers the topic of services. It explains what services are and why they’re important to systems administrators. It demonstrates how services can be configured, the different startup types, and even creating service accounts.

Server Installation Options

This section gives an overview of the different installation options for Windows Server 2008R2. It explains many different versions of Server 2008R2, as well as the types of installations; specifically unattended vs. attended and upgrade vs. clean install all while actually installing Windows Server 2008R2 step-by-step.

Identify Application Servers

This section describes the unique attributes of different application servers. It covers Mail server different from a Database server or a Web server and how/why we use these servers as well as Collaboration servers like Microsoft’s Sharepoint, Monitoring servers, and Threat Management servers.

Web Servers

This section explains how a Web server, like Microsoft’s Internet Information Services(IIS) server, is used to make available a website. It also covers secure web traffic as well as using a web server to transfer files using the File Transfer Protocol(FTP).

Remote Access

This section describes Remote Access and the different methods employed to gain access to a remote system. It explains how to use the remote solutions provided by Microsoft Windows and Server products like Remote Desktop, used mostly by administrators, and Remote Assistance, used as a remote help desk access tool.

File and Print Services

This section explains the file and print services found in the Windows Server operating system. It demonstrates how to connect both local and network printers and complex options like printer pools and web printing and management. It also covers driver deployment, auditing and print job management.

Server Virtualization

This section explains the concept of server virtualization. It covers creating virtual hard drives and virtual machines using Microsoft’s virtualization software Hyper-V and explain many of the different options available like, memory allocation, creating virtual networks, and taking snapshots of virtual machines.

Accounts and Groups

This section covers User Accounts and Groups in both Workgroup/Local and Active Directory environments. It explains the difference between the two types of accounts as well as going over the group types and scopes.

OUs and Containers

This section explains Organizational Units and Containers found in Microsoft’s Active Directory. It explains the purpose, plan, and practical implementation of OUs as well as demonstrates how to create custom OUs for your own purposes.

AD Infrastructure

This section describes the Active Directory Infrastructure. It covers Domain Controllers, Forests, Domains, Replication, and Operational Roles.

Group Policy

This section discusses Group Policy for controlling a Windows Active Directory environment. It explains how, when, and where Group Policy is applied to computers and/or users and demonstrates how to create Group Policy Objects (GPO) in domain or local computer.

Storage Technologies

This section describes the different common storage technologies in use in a Windows Server environment. It covers the advantages and disadvantages of each. It also explains the storage solutions like NAS, SAN, Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and NFS as well as some of the hardware requirements needed for them.

Understanding RAID

This section explains how to protect and optimize the storage solutions using RAID technologies. The Redundant Array of Independent Disks solutions covered are RAID Level 0, 1, 5, and 10 giving the basic understanding of the most common RAID solutions in use today.

Disk Types

This section introduces disk management in Windows Server 2008 R2. It covers different types of disks as well as the filesystems that can be used by the Operating System to store files.

Server Components

This section explains actual server to identify some of the major hardware components found within. It covers components such as memory modules, hard disks, processor, cooling devices, power supplies, and even ports for expansion.

Performance Monitoring

This section describes performance monitoring methodology and procedures to keep the server running optimally. Unfortunately, slow downs happen to servers, so we need to be able to find out why. It also covers tools built into the Microsoft operating systems like, Perfmon, Resmon, and Task Manager.

Logs and Alerts

This section explains how to take a system baseline to take a snapshot of normal system operation so as to determine if and when a server is experiencing performance degradation. It covers how to create and access the logs and alerts generated by the Perfmon utility, allowing to compare data at different times under different loads on the server.

Startup Process

This section describe the process a server or PC goes through when booting up. It explains each of the startup processes beginning with the Power On Self Test(POST) and BIOS, then moving through the loading of the Windows operating system.

Business Continuity

This section explains some of the common methods for maintaining business continuity like the necessity of taking backups in the case of data loss.

Understanding Updates

This section helps in understanding updates; why they’re important, where they apply, and implementation practices. It explains updates for drivers, software, apps, and operating systems as well as an overview of Microsoft’s Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) system for update management.

Troubleshooting Methods

This section explains best practices and procedures used in the troubleshooting method. It covers two different types of approaches for troubleshooting. It also covers some of the tools found in the Windows Server operating system like performance monitor, resource monitor, event logs, event filtering, and central logging.