Technical Interview Questions - Windows Server 2008/R2 TS/RDS

*What is presentation virtualization?

* Describe the benefits of using TS/RDS.

* Describe the drawbacks of using TS/RDS.

* Describe the main TS role services in Windows Server 2008.

* Describe the main RDS role services in Windows Server 2008 R2.

* What are the major changes between the Windows Server 2008 TS and the Windows Server 2008 R2 RDS roles in relation to Windows Server 2003 TS.

* What is the TS/RDS Session Host?

* What are the benefits of using 64-bit hardware and OS vs. using the 32-bit version?

* Describe your experience in using TS/RDS.

* How can you configure TS/RDS session limits? Describe a couple of methods.

* What is GPO Loopback Processing?

* How do you standardize user profiles and settings across a TS/RDS farm?

* What are the major drawbacks of using Roaming User Profiles?

* Working with Outlook on TS/RDS, what can you tell me about using cached modes?

* How do you install applications on a TS/RDS Session Host? Describe a couple of methods.

* What are the TS/RDS command line management tools?

* How would you achieve high availability with RD Session Hosts?

* What is "Virtual Machine Redirection" and when would it be used?

* Talk about TS/RDS licensing.

* Is there any difference in RDS licensing in Windows Server 2008 R2?

* What is the licensing grace period?

* Where would you install the RD Licensing server? Talk about small implementation and large implementation scenarios.

* What is RDS RemoteApp?

* Describe the benefits of using RDS RemoteApp.

* How do you publish a RemoteApp?

* What's the difference between using .RDP files and .MSI files when publishing a RemoteApp to the users' desktops?

* In Windows 7, it's possible to use RemoteApp in conjunction with RDS Web Access in a different manner. Can you describe this process?

* Needing to control which users get access to which RemoteApp. How can you do that?

* Describe the way RemoteApps integrate with the Windows desktop.

* Besides RemoteApp, what other ways or software lifecycle management solutions are you aware of?

* Talk about digital signatures and their relevance to RemoteApp publishing.

* What is RDS Web Access?

* Describe the benefits of using RDS Web Access.

* Talk about the implementation scenarios of RDS Web Access.

* Describe the process of securing RDS Web Access.

* How would you publish an RDS Web Access site?

* Can you use Web Access with other Microsoft-based solutions? Name a few.

* What's the alternative for using RDS Web Access?

* Talk about digital signatures in relation to RDS Web Access.

* How can you control who has access to the RDS Web Access website?

* What would you do in order to publish RemoteApps from multiple RD Session Hosts through one RD Web Access server?

* What would you do in order to publish RemoteApps from multiple RD Session Hosts through one RD Web Access server?

* What's RDS Gateway?

* What are the main usage scenarios for RDS Gateway?

* What are RAPs?

* What are CAPs?

* Describe the process of securing RDS Gateway.

* Talk about digital signatures in relation to RDS Gateway.

* What type of RD clients can be used with RD Gateway?

* What is the RD Session Broker?

* What was the original role of the RD Session Broker, and what where the names this role used in previous versions of Terminal Services?

* When would you need to implement a RD Session Broker?

* Talk about RD Session Broker and VDI.

* Talk about the entire process of using all RDS components along with RS Session Broker.

* How would you achieve high availability with RD Session Brokers?

Different between Server 2003 and 2008

1. RODC one new domain controller introduced in it [ Read-only Domain controllers.]

2. WDS (windows deployment services) instead of RIS in 2003 server

3. Shadow copy for each and every folders

4. Boot sequence is changed

5. Installation is 32 bit where as 2003 it is 16 as well as 32 bit, that’s why installation of 2008 is faster

6. Services are known as role in it

7. Group policy editor is a separate option in ads

8. 2008 is combination of vista and windows 2003r2. Some new services are introduced in it

9. The main difference between 2003 and 2008 is Virtualization, management.

2008 has more inbuilt components and updated third party drivers Microsoft introduces new feature with 2k8 that is Hyper-V Windows Server 2008 introduces Hyper-V (V for Virtualization) but only on 64bit versions. More and more companies are seeing this as a way of reducing hardware costs by running several 'virtual' servers on one physical machine. If you like this exciting technology, make sure that you buy an edition of Windows Server 2008 that includes Hyper-V, then launch the Server Manger, add Roles.

10. In Windows Server 2008, Microsoft is introducing new features and technologies, some of which were not available in Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), that will help to reduce the power consumption of server and client operating systems, minimize environmental byproducts, and increase server efficiency.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 has been designed with energy efficiency in mind, to provide customers with ready and convenient access to a number of new power-saving features. It includes updated support for Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) processor power management (PPM) features, including support for processor performance states (P-states) and processor idle sleep states on multiprocessor systems. These features simplify power management in Windows Server 2008 (WS08) and can be managed easily across servers and clients using Group Policies.

What is the difference between server 2003 and 2008

Ans: Many features are updated - as security, IIS and RODC.

1. Virtualization

2. Server Core provides the minimum installation required to carry out a specific server role, such as for a DHCP, DNS or print server.

3. Boot sequence is changed

4. Role-based installation or, services are known as role in it

5. Read Only Domain Controllers (RODC)

6. WDS (windows deployment services) instead of RIS in 2003 server

7. Network Access Protection Microsoft's system for ensuring that clients connecting to Server 2008 are patched, running a firewall and in compliance with corporate security policies.

8. Power Shell Microsoft's new(ish) command line shell and scripting language has proved popular with some server administrators.

9. In security it enable outbound firewall as well as inbound, IIS 7 release

10. Bit locker System drive encryption can be a sensible security measure for servers located in remote branch offices.

Windows Server 2008, formerly codenamed Longhorn, is no leas than 45 times faster than its predecessor, Windows Server 2003, in terms of network transfer speeds. Now whatever the perspective is on Microsoft's last 32-bit server operating system, the fact of the matter is that faster transfer speeds for of up to 45 times is quite an evolution compared to Windows Server 2003. Back in June 2007, Microsoft commissioned a study to the Tally Group focused on the networking performances of its latest Windows client and server operating system, which ended up as the "Enhanced Network Performance with Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008" whitepaper. The paper pointed to the fact that both Vista and Windows Server 2008 managed to offer "Dramatic network performance benefits".

Windows server 2008 has been more updated than windows server 2003.

Different between Server 2000 and 2003

1- When installing terminal services for win2000 u r prompted to select application server functions or administrative functions sets can be installed sequently on one server but it performs only one function at one time. But in 2003 still distinguishes between application and administrative services but installation and management are now consolidated.

2- In Win 2000 server we can apply 620 group policies but in 2003 we can apply nearly 720 so Win2003 server is more secure than win 2000 server.

3- In 2000 we cannot rename domain whereas in 2003 we can rename Domain.

4- In 2000 it supports of 8 processors and 64 GB RAM (In 2000 Advance Server) whereas in 2003 supports up to 64 processors and max of 512GB RAM.

5- Win 2000 Supports IIS 5.0 and 2003 Supports IIS6.0

6- Win 2000 doesn’t support Dot net whereas 2003 Supports Microsoft .NET 2.0

7- Win 2000 has Server and Advance Server editions whereas 2003 has Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter and Web server Editions.

8- Win 2000 doesn’t have any 64 bit server operating system whereas 2003 has 64 bit server operating systems (Windows Server 2003 X64 Std and Enterprise Edition)

9- Win 2000 has basic concept of DFS (Distributed File systems) with defined roots whereas Win 2003 has Enhanced DFS support with multiple roots.

10- In 2000 there is complexity in administering Complex networks whereas 2003 is easy administration in all & Complex networks.

11- In 2000 we can create 1 million users and in 2003 we can create 1 billion users.

12- In 2003 we have concept of Volume shadow copy service which is used to create hard disk snap shot which is used in Disaster recovery and 2000 doesn’t have this

service.

13- In 2000 we don’t have end user policy management, whereas in 2003 we have a End user policy management which is done in GPMC (Group policy management console).

14- In 2000 we have cross domain trust relation ship and 2003 we have Cross forest trust relationship.

15- Win 2000 Supports 4-node clustering and 2003 supports 8-node clustering.

16- Win 2003 has High HCL Support (Hardware Compatibility List) issued by Microsoft.

17- Code name of 2000 is Win NT 5.0 and Code name of 2003 is Win NT 5.1

18-Win 2003 has service called ADFS (Active Directory Federation Services) which is used to communicate between branches with safe authentication.

19- In 2003 their is improved storage management using service File Server Resource Manager (FSRM).

20- Win 2003 has service called Windows Share point Services (It is an integrated portfolio of collaboration and communication services designed to connect people, information, processes, and systems both within and beyond the organizational firewall).

21- Win 2003 has Improved Print management compared to 2000 server.

22- Win 2003 has telnet sessions available.

23- Win 2000 supports IPV4 whereas 2003 supports IPV4 and IPV6.

Level 1

Features of windows2003

ACTIVE DIRECTORY

Easier Deployment and Management

ADMT version 2.0—migrates password from NT4 to 2000 to 20003 or from 2000 to 2003

Domain Rename--- supports changing Domain Name System and/or NetBios name

Schema Redefine--- Allows deactivation of attributes and class definitions in the Active directory schema

AD/AM--- Active directory in application mode is a new capability of AD that addresses certain deployment scenarios related to directory enabled applications

Group Policy Improvements----introduced GPMC tool to manage group policy

UI—Enhanced User Interface

Grater Security

Cross-forest Authentication

Cross-forest Authorization

Cross-certification Enhancements

IAS and Cross-forest authentication

Credential Manager

Software Restriction Policies

Improved Performance and Dependability

Easier logon for remote offices

Group Membership replication enhancements

Application Directory Partitions

Install Replica from media

Dependability Improvements--- updated Inter-Site Topology Generator (ISTG) that scales better by supporting forests with a greater number of sites than Windows 2000.

FILE AND PRINT SERVICES

Volume shadow copy service

NTFS journaling file system

EFS

Improved CHDSK Performance

Enhanced DFS and FRS

Shadow copy of shared folders

Enhanced folder redirection

Remote document sharing (WEBDAV)

IIS

Fault-tolerant process architecture----- The IIS 6.0 fault-tolerant process architecture isolates Web sites and applications into self-contained units called application pools

Health Monitoring---- IIS 6.0 periodically checks the status of an application pool with automatic restart on failure of the Web sites and applications within that application pool, increasing application availability. IIS 6.0 protects the server, and other applications, by automatically disabling Web sites and applications that fail too often within a short amount of time

Automatic Process Recycling--- IIS 6.0 automatically stops and restarts faulty Web sites and applications based on a flexible set of criteria, including CPU utilization and memory consumption, while queuing requests

Rapid-fail Protection---- If an application fails too often within a short amount of time, IIS 6.0 will automatically disable it and return a "503 Service Unavailable" error message to any new or queued requests to the application

Edit-While-Running

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/overview/technologies/default.mspx

2. Difference between NT & 2000

NT SAM database is a flat database. Where as in windows 2000 active directory database is a hierarchical database.

In windows NT only PDC is having writable copy of SAM database but the BDC is only read only database. In case of Windows 2000 both DC and ADC is having write copy of the database

Windows NT will not support FAT32 file system. Windows 2000 supports FAT32

Default authentication protocol in NT is NTLM (NT LAN manager). In windows 2000 default authentication protocol is Kerberos V5.

Windows 2000 depends and Integrated with DNS. NT user Netbios names

Active Directory can be backed up easily with System state data

3. Difference between 2000 & 2003

Application Server mode is introduced in windows 2003

Possible to configure stub zones in windows 2003 DNS

Volume shadow copy services is introduced

Windows 2003 gives an option to replicate DNS data b/w all DNS servers in forest or All DNS servers in the domain.

Refer Question 1 for all Enhancements

4. Difference between PDC & BDC

PDC contains a write copy of SAM database where as BDC contains read only copy of SAM database. It is not possible to reset a password or create objects with out PDC in Windows NT.

5. Difference between DC & ADC

There is no difference between in DC and ADC both contains write copy of AD. Both can also handles FSMO roles (If transfers from DC to ADC). It is just for identification. Functionality wise there is no difference.

6. What is DNS & WINS

DNS is a Domain Naming System, which resolves Host names to IP addresses. It uses fully qualified domain names. DNS is a Internet standard used to resolve host names

WINS is a Windows Internet Name Service, which resolves Netbios names to IP Address. This is proprietary for Windows

7. Types of DNS Servers

Primary DNS

Secondary DNS

Active Directory Integrated DNS

Forwarder

Caching only DNS

8. If DHCP is not available what happens to the client

Client will not get IP and it cannot be participated in network . If client already got the IP and having lease duration it use the IP till the lease duration expires.

9. what are the different types of trust relationships

Implicit Trusts

Explicit Trusts—NT to Win2k or Forest to Forest

10. what is the process of DHCP for getting the IP address to the client

There is a four way negotiation process b/w client and server

DHCP Discover (Initiated by client)

DHCP Offer (Initiated by server)

DHCP Select (Initiated by client)

DHCP Acknowledgement (Initiated by Server)

DHCP Negative Acknowledgement (Initiated by server if any issues after DHCP offer)

11. Difference between FAT,NTFS & NTFSVersion5

NTFS Version 5 features

Encryption is possible

We can enable Disk Quotas

File compression is possible

Sparse files

Indexing Service

NTFS change journal

In FAT file system we can apply only share level security. File level protection is not possible. In NTFS we can apply both share level as well as file level security

NTFS supports large partition sizes than FAT file systems

NTFS supports long file names than FAT file systems

12. What are the port numbers for FTP, Telnet, HTTP, DNS

FTP-21, Telnet – 23, HTTP-80, DNS-53, Kerberos-88, LDAP-389

13. what are the different types of profiles in 2000

Local Profiles

Roaming profiles

Mandatory Profiles

14. what is the database files used for Active Directory

NTDS.DIT

15. What is the location of AD Database

%System root%/NTDS/NTDS>DIT

16. What is the authentication protocol used in NT

NTLM (NT LAN Manager)

17. What is subnetting and supernetting

Subnetting is the process of borrowing bits from the host portion of an address to provide bits for identifying additional sub-networks

Supernetting merges several smaller blocks of IP addresses (networks) that are continuous into one larger block of addresses. Borrowing network bits to combine several smaller networks into one larger network does supernetting

18. what is the use of terminal services

Terminal services can be used as Remote Administration mode to administer remotely as well as Application Server Mode to run the application in one server and users can login to that server to user that application.

19. what is the protocol used for terminal services

RDP

20. what is the port number for RDP

3389

PROFILES

1) What is profile?

Ans: Windows maintains a group of settings for each individual user that logs into he system. This group setting is known as a user ‘profile’.

2) Where are the documents and settings for the roaming profile stored?

Ans: 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.

3) What is Roaming and Mandatory profile?

Ans: Roaming user profile: A user profile that is copied to a network server so that it can be downloaded each workstation where the user logon

Mandatory profile: A user profile set up by the server administrator that is loaded from the server to the client each times the user logon. Changes that user makes to the profile are not saved

L2 Interview Question for Windows

1) What is the Difference between Win NT and Win 2000?

Ans:

Win NT

Win 2000

No concept of Active directory

Concept of Active directory

PDC,BDC--(read only copy)

DC,ADC--(read ,write copy)

Database stored in SAM(fixed size-40 MB)

Database stored in NTDS.DIT(Not fixed)

Not supported RIS

Supported RIS

2) What is the Difference between Win 2000 and Win 2003?

Ans:

Win 2000

Win 2003

Can’t rename the Domain

Can rename the Domain

No authorization with DHCP

Authorization with DHCP

Can’t create new domain tree in existing forest

Can create new domain tree in existing forest

3) What are the versions in Win 2000?

Ans: win 2000 server and win adv 2000 server and win 2000 Data center server.

4) What are the versions in Win 2003?

Ans: standard version and enterprise version and web version and data center server

5) How much RAM, Processor supported by Win 2000 versions?

Ans: 2000Server: 4GBRAM, 4 Processors, 2000Advanced server: 8GB RAM, 8 Processors, data center server: 64 GB RAM, 32 Processors

6) How much RAM, Processors supported by Win 2003 versions?

Ans: standard – 4Gb , Web- 2 Gb,2 Proce, Enterprise-32 Gb,8 Processors, Data Center – 64 Gb, 32 processors

7) What is the diff between win 2000server and Advanced server?

Ans: Network load balancing and clustering

8) Can I rename the win 2003 DC?

Ans: If you have a Windows 2003 DC, you can use the Netdom tool to rename the DC. The Netdom provides a secure and supported methodology to rename one or more domains. You can find the tool from the Windows 2003 installation CD-ROM

9) What is Privilege mode?

Ans: A protected Memory Space Allocated for the win 2000 kernel that cannot be directly accessed by software applications.

9) In win2000, what is the partition Size, File Size in FAT 16?

Ans: 4 GB partition size and 2 GB File Size.

10) In win2000, what is the partition Size, File Size in FAT 32?

Ans: 2 GB to 2 TB partition size and 4GB file Size

11) In win2000, what is the Partition Size, File Size in NTFS?

Ans: 2 TB Partition size, File size is theoretically 16 Exabytes.

12)what is the difference between FAT and NTFS?

Ans:FAT does not support Data compression and encryption

13) what is the difference between win98 and Windows XP?

Supports Fat16 and Fat32

Supports Fat16 and Fat32,NTFS

No disk quotas

Disk quotas

Only Disk compression

Supports Data compression and encryption

No remote assistance and remote desktop

remote assistance and remote desktop

14)What is System restore?

15)What is the difference between Basic Disk and dynamic Disk?

16)Can you convert dynamic to basic?

17)What is the difference between system restore and last known configuration?

18)What is the difference between remote assistance and remote desktop?

19)What is the difference between IP4.0 and IP 6.0?

20)what is the difference between router and switch?

21)what is the difference between switch and hub?

22) Hub works in which layer?

23) switch works in which Layer?

24) router works in which Layer?

25) Describe all layers?

26)what is the port numbers of FTP,SMTP,Telnet,SMTP,DNS,DHCP,POP3,TFTP,SNTP?

Exchange Server Interview Questions

Exchange Server Interview Questions

What are the different Exchange 2003 versions?

What’s the main differences between Exchange 5.5 and Exchange 2000/2003?

What are the major network infrastructure for installing Exchange 2003?

What is the latest Exchange 2003 Service Pack? Name a few changes in functionality in that SP.

What are the disk considerations when installing Exchange (RAID types, locations and so on).

You got a new HP DL380 (2U) server, dual Xeon, 4GB of RAM, 7 SAS disks, 64-bit. What do you do next to install Exchange 2003? (you have AD in place)

Why not install Exchange on the same machine as a DC?

Are there any other installation considerations?

How would you prepare the AD Schema in advance before installing Exchange?

What type or permissions do you need in order to install the first Exchange server in a forest? In a domain?

How would you verify that the schema was in fact updated?

What type of memory optimization changes could you do for Exchange 2003?

How would you check your Exchange configuration settings to see if they’re right?

What are the Exchange management tools? How and where can you install them?

What types of permissions are configurable for Exchange?

How can you grant access for an administrator to access all mailboxes on a specific server?

What is the Send As permission?

What other management tools are used to manage and control Exchange 2003? Name the tools you’d use.

What are Exchange Recipient types? Name 5.

You created a mailbox for a user, yet the mailbox does not appear in ESM. Why?

You wanted to change mailbox access permissions for a mailbox, yet you see the SELF permission alone on the permissions list. Why?

What are Query Based Distribution groups?

What type of groups would you use when configuring distribution groups in a multiple domain forest?

Name a few configuration options for Exchange recipients.

What’s the difference between Exchange 2003 Std. and Ent. editions when related to storage options and size?

Name a few configuration options related to mailbox stores.

What are System Public Folders? Where would you find them?

How would you plan and configure Public Folder redundancy?

How can you immediately stop PF replication?

How can you prevent PF referral across slow WAN links?

What types of PF management tools might you use?

What are the differences between administrative permissions and client permissions in PF?

How can you configure PF replication from the command prompt in Exchange 2003?

What are the message hygiene options you can use natively in Exchange 2003?

What are the configuration options in IMF?

What are virtual servers? When would you use more than one?

Name some of the SMTP Virtual Server configuration options.

What is a Mail Relay? Name a few known mail relay software or hardware options.

What is a Smart Host? Where would you configure it?

What are Routing Groups? When would you use them?

What are the types of Connectors you can use in Exchange?

What is the cost option in Exchange connectors?

What is the Link State Table? How would you view it?

How would you configure mail transfer security between 2 routing groups?

What is the Routing Group Master? Who holds that role?

Explain the configuration steps required to allow Exchange 2003 to send and receive email from the Internet (consider a one-site multiple server scenario).

What is DS2MB?

What is Forms Based Authentication?

How would you configure OWA’s settings on an Exchange server?

What is DSACCESS?

What are Recipient Policies?

How would you work with multiple recipient policies?

What is the “issue” with trying to remove email addresses added by recipient policies? How would you fix that?

What is the RUS?

When would you need to manually create additional RUS?

What are Address Lists?

How would you modify the filter properties of one of the default address lists?

How can you create multiple GALs and allow the users to only see the one related to them?

What is a Front End server? In what scenarios would you use one?

What type of authentication is used on the front end servers?

When would you use NLB?

How would you achieve incoming mail redundancy?

What are the 4 types of Exchange backups?

What is the Dial-Tone server scenario?

When would you use offline backup?

How do you re-install Exchange on a server that has crashed but with AD intact?

What is the dumpster?

What are the e00xxxxx.log files?

What is the e00.chk file?

What is circular logging? When would you use it?

What’s the difference between online and offline defrag?

How would you know if it is time to perform an offline defrag of your Exchange stores?

How would you plan for, and perform the offline defrag?

What is the eseutil command?

What is the isinteg command?

How would you monitor Exchange’s services and performance? Name 2 or 3 options.

Name all the client connection options in Exchange 2003.

What is Direct Push? What are the requirements to run it?

How would you remote wipe a PPC?

What are the issues with connecting Outlook from a remote computer to your mailbox?

How would you solve those issues? Name 2 or 3 methods

What is RPC over HTTP? What are the requirements to run it?

What is Cached Mode in OL2003/2007?

What are the benefits and “issues” when using cached mode? How would you tackle those issues?

What is S/MIME? What are the usage scenarios for S/MIME?

What are the IPSec usage scenarios for Exchange 2003?

How do you enable SSL on OWA?

What are the considerations for obtaining a digital certificate for SSL on Exchange?

Name a few 3rd-party CAs.

What do you need to consider when using a client-type AV software on an Exchange server?

Distribution List?

GAL, Routing Group, Stm files, Eseutil & ininteg - what are they used for?

What is MIME & MAPI?

List the services of Exchange Server 2000?

How would you recover Exchange server when the log file is corrupted?

What is latest service pack Exchange 2003?

What is latest service pack Exchange 2000?

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

What is default size for 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