A DHCP relay agent is a computer that relays DHCP and BOOTP messages between clients and servers on different subnets. This way, you can have a single DHCP server handle several subnets without the DHCP server being connected directly to those subnets.
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Forests, domains and organizational units are considered logical structure because they don’t follow any subnet or network boundary. The physical structure of the Active Directory, which uses subnet/network boundaries, consists of domain controllers and sites.
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Over at CertCities.com, they reported an interesting tidbit news relating to the Microsoft Windows 2008 certifications. The number of people who have taking the MCTS: Vista- Configuration exam is quickly approaching 20,000 people. If you recall from my previous posts, the MCTS: Vista - Configuration exam is one of the first exams listed in the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator for the Windows Server 2008 certifications and it also counts as the client requirement for the Windows Server 2003 MCSE certifications. It has also become one of the current fastest growing certifications.
Before installing a DNS server, you must make sure that the TCP/IP protocol is installed, a static IP address is assigned and the appropriate DNS domain name is specified. During the DNS Server service installation process, the following happens:
As most of you probably already know, there has been a lot of press about Windows Vista, even before it came out. Since its release, Microsoft Vista has gotten a lot bad press usually stating that Windows Vista is bloated which require hefty machine requirements and slow performance. In addition to these and the change in interfaces, changes to how Windows handles security and other changes that affect compatibility for applications and the users, have had many business say that they will not upgrade to Windows Vista, especially since Windows XP is still a capable, reliable and secure environment.
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When troubleshooting problems, Microsoft has some pretty magnificent tools. One of the best companies that Microsoft purchased was Sysinternals, which was a company that made advanced system utilities that will help you manage, troubleshoot and diagnose your Windows system and applications. These tools can be found at:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/default.aspx
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Since Active Directory supports multimaster replication of directory data between all domain controllers in the domain, it is impractical to have certain tasks handled by multiple domain controllers. Therefore, those tasks are assigned to individual domain controllers called operatings masters. Because each operations master role can be assumed by another domain controller, Microsoft calls them Flexible Single-Master Operations (FSMO). There is no automatic fail-over when an operations master becomes unavailable; each role must be manually assigned to another domain controller in the event of a failure.
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A DNS zone is a portion of the DNS namespace whose database records exist and are managed in a particular DNS database file. Each zone is based on a specific domain node, which is also referred to as the zone’s root domain. It is the authority source for that node. Zone files do not necessarily contain the complete DNS branch since subdomains may be its own zone. Note: If subdomains are added below the domain, the subdomains can be part of the same zone or belong to another zone.
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The computer that stores a replica (copy) of the account and security information of the domain and defines the domain is known as the domain controller. A Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 domain controller is a Windows server with an NTFS partition running Active Directory services. The directory data (account and security information) is stored in the NTDS.DIT file on an NTFS partition on the domain controller. Access to domain objects is controlled by access control lists (ACLs). ACLs contain the permissions associated with objects that control which users can gain access to an object and what type of access users can gain to the objects.
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Domain Name System (DNS) is a hierarchical client/server-based distributed database management system that translates Internet domain names such as MICROSOFT.COM to an IP address. It is used because domain names are easier to remember than IP addresses. The DNS clients are called resolvers and the DNS servers are called name servers.
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A little bit ago, I wrote an article discussing the Windows Small Business Server (SBS). The Small Business Server is a set of bundled software packages aimed at small businesses. The Standard edition is based on the Windows Server 2003 operating system, Microsoft Exchange Server mail server, Internet Information Services (IIS) web server, Windows SharePoint Services for collaboration, Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 email client, Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS), Windows Server Update Services for update management across the network, and a Fax server. The Premium edition also includes Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server and Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003.
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For a TCP/IP network, there are several utilities can be used to test and troubleshoot the network. To verify the TCP/IP configuration, you would use either the IP Configuration program (WINIPCFG.EXE) command (available in Windows 9X) and the IPCONFIG.EXE (available in Windows 98, Windows NT and Windows 2000).
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If you supporting a small company that only has 5, 10, 25 or 50 users, having them purchase a Microsoft Windows Server with Exchange (email) and SQL (database) can be very expensive for the small company. When you go for your Microsoft certification, you focus on the Windows Server operating systems and the available network services and applications that come with it. What many people don’t realize is that Microsoft has bundled several software packages together and added wizards and other features that allow for easy administration, specifically aimed at these small companies. This software bundle is known as the Small Business Server (SBS).
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Microsoft maintains two version of certifications. Previously, Microsoft had the MCSE for Windows NT and MCSE for Windows 2000. When Windows Server 2003 and its certification was release, Microsoft dropped the MCSE for Windows NT. Now with the Windows Server 2008 certifications being released, it is time to say goodbye to the Windows 2000 certifications. Therefore, on March 31, 2008, many of the Windows Server 2000 exams including the two upgrade exams from Windows Server 2000 to Windows Server 2003 are being retired.
The list of exams being retired on March 31, 2008 include:
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By the way, I did see another article that suggested why Microsoft change the name from Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer to Microsoft Certified IT Professional is because for several years, Novell and Microsoft have been getting grief by referring to their certification as an engineer.
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With the release of Windows Server 2008, they are a lot of MCSE’s who want to upgrade the Windows Server 2008 certifications.
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If you have not heard by now, when you take many of Microsoft exams, and if you fail the exam, you have the chance to retake the exam. To qualify, you must register for the Microsoft Second Shot offer and take your first exam no later than May 31, 2008. If you do not pass on your first try, receive a free Second Shot at passing the exam through June 30, 2008. To take advantage of this offer, you must first register for Second Shot on the Microsoft Web site, and receive an exam voucher number.
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While part I reviewed IP addressing, this article covers name resolution. While IP addresses are 32 bits (or 128 bits for IPv6) in length, most users do not memorize the numeric addresses of the hosts to which they attach. Instead, people are more comfortable with host names. Most IP hosts, then, have both a numeric IP address and a host name. While this is convenient for people, however, the name must be translated back to a numeric address for routing purposes. This is done with either a HOSTS file or by using a DNS server.
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As a network administrator, you will need to have a good understanding of TCP/IP networks and how the addresses are arranged on the network. After you understand all of this, you will then need to know how break down this network so that you can troubleshoot network problems and you need to be familiair with the tools that are available for troubleshooting. The first part of this series will review the IP addressing.
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It is important that you keep your systems up-to-date with updates and security patches. If your system is not kept up-to-date, it may not run as reliable as it should and it would not be as resistant against viruses and other forms of DoS attacks.
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If you go for the MCSE or MCITP Enterprise, you will have to take an exam covering a client operating system. One exam, you can take the 70-620: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista. The first place you should look when preparing for this exam is to visit Microsoft’s website that will show the exam objectives, http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-620.mspx. When taking the exam, you should have 90 minutes to complete 50 questions.
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Although many websites offer information about what to study for a particular exam, few sites explain how you should study for an exam. The study process can be broken down into various stages. However, key to all of these stages is the ability to concentrate. Concentration, or the lack of, plays a big part in the study process.
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It is an established fact that computers and networking is a fast-paced environment. Therefore, employees who work in Information Technology (IT), must learn to keep up with the ever changing technology and have the ability to learn new technology. It is said that a person in IT must be able to learn or retrain him or herself every 1 to 1½ years.
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In just 90 days, Windows Server 2008 will be officially released along with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. As you might have heard, this is a big deal since it is the first major release of the server operating system in almost 5 years.
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When you take most Microsoft exams, you will become either a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) or a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). The MCP is usually associated with the Windows Server 2003 and XP operating system for skills to successfully implement a Microsoft Product or technology as part of a business solution in an organization. The MCTS is usually associated with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista is for professionals who target specific technologies and want to distinguish themselves by demonstrating in-depth knowledge and expertise in the various
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Group policies can be used to define many security settings including Password and Account Lockout policies. It should be noted that Account Policies (Password and Account Lockout polices) are defined on a domain basis only.
The password policy determines the password settings for domain and local user accounts. It can be found by opening the Computer Configuration, opening the Windows Settings, opening Account Policies, and clicking on Password Policies. The most commonly used password settings are as follows:
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Microsoft Certifications:
Everything you need to know with Patrick Regan: 2 p.m.- 3 p.m., December 11. No registration required. Just show up, log in, and start asking questions.
Now that we discussed on creating group policy object, you now need to learn how to control them. This is done with attributes and permissions. For example, sometimes, you might want to enforce a policy so that an earlier executed policy is not overwritten by the policies executed later. To maintain these settings, open the Properties of the GPO, click the Options button, and select No Override. You typically use this in one of the higher levels such as the site or domain GPO to make sure that the administrators of the OUs do not overwrite settings that you want to assign to everyone.
Each computer that is running Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 (member server) and Windows Server 2008 (member server) has one local policy object, which can be stored on individual computers regardless of whether they are part of an Active Directory environment or a networked environment. These settings can be overwritten by any group policies (sites, domains, and organizational unit).
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One of the most powerful, but often misunderstood, features of Active Directory is group policies. Group policies can be used to manage and enforce security and configuration settings and to automate tasks, all of which can simplify administration and reduce IT costs. You can also use it to distribute software, execute scripts and redirect folders.
For those who are pursuing an MSCE certification, group policies appear in detail on multiple exams including the Exam 70-290: Managing and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Environment, Exam 70-294: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Infrastructure and the required design exams.
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Patrick Regan has been a PC technician, network administrator/engineer, design architect and security analyst for the past 16 years after graduating with a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Akron. He is currently a senior network engineer at Pacific Coast Companies, supporting a large enterprise network. He holds many certifications including the Microsoft MCSE, MCSA, MCT; CompTIA's A+, Network+, Server+, Linux+, Security+ and CTT+; Cisco CCNA; and Novell's CNE and CWNP Certified Wireless Network Administrator (CWNA).
Over the last several years, he has written several textbooks, including Troubleshooting the PC, Networking with Windows 2000 and 2003, Linux, Local Area Networks, Wide Area Networks and the Acing Series (Acing the A+, Acing the Network+, Acing the Security+ and Acing theLinux+). He has also co-authored the ExamCram 70-290 MCSA/MCSE Managing Linux+ and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment, 2nd Edition and authored the ExamCram 70-620 Microsoft Windows Vista, Configuration. He is currently writing the study guides for the A+ certification exams for Cisco Press and the ExamCram 70-643 Windows Server 2008 Applications Platform Configuration.
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