Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Administration

Course Overview

Organisations are facing a multitude of administrative challenges to their infrastructure. Windows Server 2008 provides administrators with powerful and flexible tools to overcome these challenges and manage complex server environments. In this course, you gain the practical experience to administer, troubleshoot and secure a Windows Server 2008 environment.

If you have a question about this Microsoft training course, call one of our advisors who will be happy to help answers any queries you may have.

Related Courses

• Microsoft Sharepoint 3.0: Implementing and Administering in Windows Server 2008
• Microsoft SharePoint Services 3.0: Implementing and Administering Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 in Windows Server 2008
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Fundamentals of Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Active Directory
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Deploying Windows Server 2008
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Configuring and Troubleshooting a Network Infrastructure
• Citrix XenApp: XenApp & Terminal Services on Windows Server 2008 Hands on Exploration
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Managing & Maintaining Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Servers
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Group Policy Management
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008: Administration

Audience

Those developing an administrative strategy within a Windows Server 2008 environment. Experience with Windows Server and the Active Directory at the level of Course 595, "Windows Server 2003 Comprehensive Introduction", or Course 960, "Windows Server 2008 Comprehensive Introduction", is assumed.

Skills Gained

Delegates attending this course will experince "hands-on" administering Windows Server 2008, exercises and training to include:

• Managing remotely with PowerShell and Server Manager
• Creating baselines with MBSA
• Reducing the attack surface with Server Core
• Automating deployment of patches through WSUS
• Creating a fault tolerant environment with clusters, DFS and Hyper-V
• Troubleshooting a sluggish system
• Recovering from driver failures and Bluescreens
• Solving boot configuration problems

Prerequisites

Experience with Windows Server and the Active Directory at the level of Course 595, "Windows Server 2003 Comprehensive Introduction", or Course 960, "Windows Server 2008 Comprehensive Introduction", is assumed.

Course Outline

Windows Server 2008 Administration

• Developing an effective administrative strategy
• Tools, techniques and best practices

Building Blocks of Server Management

Implementing role-based server administration

• Analysing available server roles
• Remotely configuring features to maximise functionality

Leveraging fundamental tools and components

• Controlling resources with Server Manager
• Performing common administrative tasks with PowerShell
• Microsoft System Center

Securing Windows Server 2008

Hardening your server

• Reducing the attack surface
• Baselining your server with Microsoft Baseline Security Analyser (MBSA)

Implementing Group Policies for security

• Generating custom templates with Security Configuration Wizard (SCW)
• Creating effective security policies
• Building security templates with the Security Configuration and Analysis tool
• Integrating local and AD policies

Tracking internal access

• Achieving your security goals with selective auditing
• Centralising the audit management process

Reducing vulnerabilities with Server Core

• Managing Server Core from the command line
• Minimising exploitable components

Patch Management Implementation

Developing a strategy for patch management

• Addressing the challenges of managing patches
• Taking inventory and documenting the existing environment
• Deploying service packs and hotfixes

Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)

• Managing the WSUS catalogue
• Configuring WSUS components
• Preparing the workstations with Group Policy
• Authorising and distributing patches to clients

Maintaining a High-Availability Environment

• Building fault-tolerant servers
• Maximising resource utilisation with Hyper-V
• Enabling failover clustering to ensure business continuity
• Analysing cluster models for optimal architectures

Replicating with the Distributed File System (DFS)

• Transferring data with the DFS Replication (DFSR) service
• Optimising and troubleshooting replication

Virtualising servers to extend uptime

• Selecting the appropriate virtualisation model
• Best practices for architecting your virtual environment

Disaster recovery methods and tools

• Repairing the server with imaging technologies
• Full server backup with scripts and scheduled tasks

Maximising Performance and Increasing Responsiveness

Diagnosing sluggish systems

• Monitoring applications and processes with Reliability and Performance Monitor
• Identifying the essential system counters
• Optimising servers with Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM)

Tuning network components

• Locating and solving bottlenecks
• Analysing traffic with a network monitor
• Troubleshooting Windows Server 2008

Resolving issues with diagnostic tools

• Shutdown Event Tracker
• Pathping
• DirectX Diagnostic Tool
• BCDEDIT
• Netdiag

Repairing the Registry

• Rooting out Registry problems
• Restoring corrupted Registry hives manually

Coping with driver failures

• Backing up and restoring drivers
• Revealing and uninstalling phantom devices
• Demystifying and recovering from common Bluescreens

Solving boot configuration problems

• Identifying critical boot components
• Fixing partition tables and the boot configuration data store