Lessons Learned Forum at Troy

Today we are embarking on a journey to learn all we can about Windows Server 2003.  I have been using Server 2003 for many, many years and still discover new things about it all the time.  As a server, Windows Server 2003 can offer or host many services such as file and print services, back-up services, application services (Mail, Database, Terminal Services, Web, Certificate Services, or Share Point Services), data base services (SQL), network infrastructure services (DHCP, DNS, Routing, or WINS) and directory services (such as Active Directory or Netware Directory Services).  Active Directory is Microsoft’s LDAP based directory service.  Administrators use Active Directory to centrally access, manage and secure of all the resources (computers, servers, printers, users, etc.) of a network.  There are many directory services used in the world of IT.  Here is a list I found on Wikipedia of some of the more common LDAP/X.500 directory service implementations available.

Server 2003 machines can be set-up to operate alone as a Stand-Alone Server, with other machines and servers in a domain as a Member Server  or as the centralized directory and security database of a network – a Domain Controller.  I think it is important that each of you truly understand the difference between a member server and a domain controller. In your own words, I would like you to describe the difference between a member server and domain controller when you reply to this post.

To help you off to a good start while we begin to learn about Server, here are some great resources for all of you to use:

“A Day in Life of an Administrator” series at Microsoft

Microsoft’s Server 2003 Technology Center

Windows Server 2003 Tech Center at TechNet

TechNet Virtual Labs: Server2003

Windows Server 2003 Group Policy at Tech Net

Microsoft’s Help and Support - Windows Server 2003 Solution Center

Guy’s Server 2003 Resources at Computer Performance

Microsoft’s Server 2003 Resources Kit Tools

Redmond Magazine

MCP Magazine Online

Congratulations to all of our new Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists!!!!

Happy testing!!! Have a marvelous week! Have a great and safe Independence Day Weekend with your friends and family.

~Alice Kondraciuk, MCT

This week we begin our final course of the program, Implementing Internet Security and Acceleration Server (ISA).  Below are some very useful resources to help you over the weeks ahead:

ISAserver.org

How to build an ISA firewall lab with Virtual PC 2004

Microsoft’s ISA Server

TechNet’s ISA Server Resources

TechNet Virtual Labs on ISA 2006 & 2004

Check out these great links above and try out an ISA Virtual Lab or set-up a VPC with ISA as a firewall.  In your comments to this post, describe the virtual lab you tested out at TechNet or the one you implemented at home. Be sure to identify some of the key features of ISA you tested out and let me know what you think of them.

I look forward to your great comments!

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads in our class! I hope you had a great day.

Enjoy!

Alice Kondraciuk, Technical Instructor

Well, this is an exciting time! We are wrapping up Vista this week with a review and one more build lab for Blazin’ Bikes. I have mentioned many resources throughout class that are available online to enhance your learning and help you once you are out in the IT field. One site in particular I have mentioned many times and I am very fond is Microsoft’s TechNet site.  TechNet offers us a variety of tools to make our jobs easier supporting a Microsoft infrastructure and to learn about new products. The Scripting Center at TechNet is fantastic and one I highly recommend you bookmark or add to your favorites. The Virtual Labs at TechNet are also great. If you have not stopped by TechNet to try out the Vista Virtual Labs - there is no time like the present! I think they will prove to be particularly helpful when tackling simulations on your Vista certification exam. Check out the link below and let me know what you think:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/virtuallabs/bb539979.aspx 

If you have not made it by Guy’s Computer Performance site, this is also a great resource. Here is a link directly to Guy’s Vista page: http://www.computerperformance.co.uk/vista/index.htm

Last week, we checked out EventID.net and support.microsoft.com when we reviewed our troubleshooting and performance chapters in Vista. 

If you are interested in taking a look at the Vista Side Show feature, Tablet PC or Calendar publishing features, check out these great resources below:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/sideshow.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/tablet-pc.aspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/calendarpublishing.aspx?tabid=1&catid=1

I hope you enjoy these resources. I certainly have many more I have recommended and will continue to mention in class. If you have any site recommendations feel free to share them. Please be sure they are all legitimate and trustworthy sources.

I look forward to your great comments! I am also looking forward to celebrating your successes in the coming weeks as you all begin testing and achieving your first certification!

~Alice Kondraciuk, Technical Instructor
MCT,MCP+I,MCSA,MCSE NT/2000/2003/2008

Last week, we learned about security in Windows Vista. New to Vista is the Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.  We used this firewall and implemented a custom rule in our most recent build lab. Please read the following article:  http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc748991.aspx and explain why Windows Firewall with Advanced Security is a better solution than Windows Standard Firewall.  Also, tell me which versions of Windows Vista have the Advanced Firewall. 

I look forward to reading your great comments.

Go Wings!!!

~Alice

Windows Routing and Remote Access (RRAS) offers routing services such as LAN routing, site to site routing, NAT and a DHCP Relay Agent. In terms of remote access, you can set-up a Windows server as a VPN server or a Dial-up server. Windows Servers are commonly set-up as Remote Access VPNs and can use either PPTP or L2TP as a transport protocol. L2TP has the added benefit of supporting more networks and the use of IPSec for data integrity and confidentiality. It is essential you understand all of the configuration options available in RRAS for your 70-291 exam. Below are some links to great articles at TechRepublic on RRAS configuration:

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5089192.html

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5034703.html?tag=rbxccnbtr1

http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5814036.html?tag=rbxccnbtr1

In your reply to this post describe the 2 main LAN routing protocols supported by Server 2003, their key features and differences, any known issues with the protocols and improvements they offer.  

I look forward to your great comments!!!

Go Wings!

~Alice Kondraciuk, Technical Instructor

This week we are reviewing measures used to secure a network infrastructure, the TCP/IP protocol suite, and securing data using IPSec. IPSec is a security framework designed to provide security for data on TCP/IP networks. One of the tools we will be working with in class is Network Monitor. Network Monitor is Microsoft’s packet sniffer or protocol analyzer. Using a packet sniffer can be confusing at first. Here are some articles to help you with Network Monitor and some great articles from TechNet on IPSec.

Windows Networking - Network Monitor Tutorial

IPSec TechNet Article 1

IPSec TechNet Article 2

In your comments, I would like you summarize the benefits of IPSec and provide a specific example of when a company might implement it and why.

Here are some additional sites, you may find beneficial for our current studies:

“Don’t Fear the OSI Model” by Eric Eckel at TechRepublic

Microsoft’s OSI overview

OSI Model Overview at Wikipedia

Internetworking Technologies Overview at Cisco

OSI Primer at Novell.com

Overview of the TCP/IP Model at WikiPedia

The Internet Engineering Task Force

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority

Understanding TCP/IP

I look forward to your great comments!!!

Enjoy! Go Wings!!!

Alice Kondraciuk

MCT, MCSE NT/2000/2003/2008

This week we are looking at how network communications happen at an abstract level. Many years ago, the International Standards Organization (ISO) as a guideline developed the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model for vendors who create networking components. The idea was to ensure communications and interconnectivity among devices developed by different networking vendors. In other words, if different vendors adhere to a common set of standards we will not have to worry about whether the 3COM network interface cards (NICs), US Robotics switches and CISCO routers we purchased will work together.

The Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) also developed a model for network communications specific to the TCP/IP protocol suite. It is broken down into four layers.

Here are some great resources to further your understanding of network communications.  Look at two or more articles and bookmark the rest.

“Don’t Fear the OSI Model” by Eric Eckel at TechRepublic

Microsoft’s OSI overview

OSI Model Overview at Wikipedia

Internetworking Technologies Overview at Cisco

OSI Primer at Novell.com

Overview of the TCP/IP Model at WikiPedia

The Internet Engineering Task Force

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority

Understanding TCP/IP

In your comments to this post, list all seven layers of the OSI model and describe two of the seven layers in your own words (provide examples of protocols or devices at work at these layers).

I look forward to your great comments!!!

Enjoy! Go Wings!!!

Alice Kondraciuk

MCT, MCSE NT/2000/2003/2008

This week we covered creating users & groups and providing access to resources using NTFS & Share Permissions.  Here are some helpful articles for your review:

NTFS Permissions
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/2006.01.howitworksntfs.aspx

Share Permissions
http://www.windowsecurity.com/articles/Share-Permissions.html

Please post a comment and let me know what you think of the articles. I especially like the overview of Share Permissions which also covers combining NTFS & Share permissions.

If DNS is not working…finding anything by name on a TCP/IP network is not happening. This includes finding Active Directory Domain Controllers on our Windows based networks - which I am sure you would agree is pretty important. DNS is one of the most fundamental protocols in the TCP/IP suite. Without it, we would be tasked with remembering every IP address for every site we visit on the Internet as well as every IP address for every workstation or server on our network. In a world where administrators use DHCP to simplify IP address assignment this could become a logistical nightmare. Older implementations of the DNS server service and client did not support Dynamic updates…luckily for us, Windows DNS has supported DDNS (DNS Dynamic Update Protocol) for many years and versions.

Below are links to useful articles on DNS from Windows Networking:

Windows Networking: Understanding DNS - Part One

Windows Networking: Understanding DNS - Part Two

Conditional Forwarding in DNS on Windows Server 2003

Stub Zones in Windows Server 2003 DNS

Take a look at these articles to help you better understand the content we are learning to implement and manage this week. Next week, your build lab will entail implementing a DNS solution for a multi-domain environment.

After reviewing the articles, I would like you to post a reply describing an example of when you think you might implement stub zones or conditional forwarding to help improve the efficiency or name resolution process on a network. If you do not have  real world example to draw from you may use the networks we have used in class - either our current classroom network – the Contoso Forest or the Blazin’ Bikes Forest we have used in our build labs, in your example.

BTW, if you are looking for a great book to help clear up some of the tougher concepts we are covering I highly recommend books from NT Guru and author, Mark Minasi. I have all of his server books and I think you will greatly benefit from and enjoy reading (really) Mastering Windows Server 2003.

Next posting…why we must secure DNS!!!

Go Wings!!!

~Alice Kondraciuk
MCT, MCP+I,MCSE NT/2000/2003/2008

Here are some great technical websites I think you will find very useful. Be sure to add them to your favorites and use them on a regular basis.

Microsoft’s TechNet site http://technet.microsoft.com

Microsoft’s Support Site http://support.microsoft.com

EventID.net http://www.eventid.net

MCP Magazine http://www.mcpmag.com

http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsServer2003/evaluation/demos/sims/dayinlife/viewer.htm  - “A Day in the Life of an Administrator” Series (click the folder on the left)

The Virtual Labs at TechNet are a fantastic starting point for learning about Microsoft products. The Vista ones in particular will be very beneficial for you to try out. Let me know what you think.  Enjoy!

Alice Kondraciuk, MCT
alicek@computertraining.edu