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Windows Admin Interview Questions & Answer

Windows Admin Interview Questions & Answer

  1. What is Active Directory?
  2. What is LDAP?
  3. Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd-party Directory Services? Name a few options.
  4. Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
  5. What is the SYSVOL folder?
  6. Name the AD NCs and replication issues for each NC
  7. What are application partitions? When do I use them
  8. How do you create a new application partition
  9. How do you view replication properties for AD partitions and DCs?
  10. What is the Global Catalog?
  11. How do you view all the GCs in the forest?
  12. Why not make all DCs in a large forest as GCs?
  13. Trying to look at the Schema, how can I do that?
  14. What are the Support Tools? Why do I need them?
  15. What is LDP? What is REPLMON? What is ADSIEDIT? What is NETDOM? What is REPADMIN?
  16. What are sites? What are they used for?
  17. What’s the difference between a site link’s schedule and interval?
  18. What is the KCC?
  19. What is the ISTG? Who has that role by default?
  20. What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server?
  21. What can you do to promote a server to DC if you’re in a remote location with slow WAN link?
  22. How can you forcibly remove AD from a server, and what do you do later? • Can I get user passwords from the AD database?
  23. What tool would I use to try to grab security related packets from the wire?
  24. Name some OU design considerations.
  25. What is tombstone lifetime attribute?
  26. What do you do to install a new Windows 2003 DC in a Windows 2000 AD?
  27. What do you do to install a new Windows 2003 R2 DC in a Windows 2003 AD?
  28. How would you find all users that have not logged on since last month?
  29. What are the DS* commands?
  30. What’s the difference between LDIFDE and CSVDE? Usage considerations?


  • What are the FSMO roles? Who has them by default? What happens when each one fails?
  • What FSMO placement considerations do you know of?
  • I want to look at the RID allocation table for a DC. What do I do?
  • What’s the difference between transferring a FSMO role and seizing one? Which one should you NOT seize? Why?
  • How do you configure a “stand-by operation master” for any of the roles?
  • How do you backup AD?
  • How do you restore AD?
  • How do you change the DS Restore admin password?
  • Why can’t you restore a DC that was backed up 4 months ago?
  • What are GPOs?
  • What is the order in which GPOs are applied?
  • Name a few benefits of using GPMC.
  • What are the GPC and the GPT? Where can I find them?
  • What are GPO links? What special things can I do to them?
  • What can I do to prevent inheritance from above?
  • How can I override blocking of inheritance?
  • How can you determine what GPO was and was not applied for a user? Name a few ways to do that.



  • A user claims he did not receive a GPO, yet his user and computer accounts are in the right OU, and everyone else there gets the GPO. What will you look for?
  • Name a few differences in Vista GPOs
  • Name some GPO settings in the computer and user parts.
  • What are administrative templates?
  • What’s the difference between software publishing and assigning?
  • Can I deploy non-MSI software with GPO?
  • You want to standardize the desktop environments (wallpaper, My Documents, Start menu, printers etc.) on the computers in one department. How would you do that?


  • What is the SYSVOL folder?
    The sysVOL folder stores the server’s copy of the domain’s public files. The contents such as Group Policy, users etc of the sysvol folder are replicated to all domain controllers in the domain.
    The sysvol folder must be located on an NTFS volume.

    Que.: What is Active Directory?
    Ans. Active Directory is a Meta Data. Active Directory is a data base which store a data base like your user information, computer information and also other network object info. It has capabilities to manage and administor the complite Network which connect with AD.
    Que.: What is the Global Catalog?
    Ans.: Global Catalog is a server which maintains the information about multiple domain with trust relationship agreement..
    Que: What is Active Directory?
    Ans: Active Directory directory service is an extensible and scalable directory service that enables you to manage network resources efficiently.
    Q01: What is Active Directory?
    Ans:Active Directory is directory service that stores information about objects on a network and makes this information available to users and network administrators.
    Active Directory gives network users access to permitted resources anywhere on the network using a single logon process.
    It provides network administrators with an intuitive, hierarchical view of the network and a single point of administration
    3for all network objects.
    Q; What is active directory?
    Ans: active directory is a domain controller which is use to authenticate and administrate the group of computer,user,server etc. remotely. all the policies and security will be applicable on the client machine which one is join the domain.and all this policies and security is defined in active directory.
    Q2: What is LDAP?
    Ans2: LDAP(light weight directory accerss protocol) is an internet protocol which Email and other services is used to look up information from the server.
    Q 18: What is KCC ?
    Ans 18: KCC ( knowledge consistency checker ) is used to generate replication topology for inter site replication and for intrasite replication.with in a site replication traffic is done via remote procedure calls over ip, while between site it is done through either RPC or SMTP.

    Q 10: What is Global Catalog Server ?
    Ans 10 : Global Catalog Server is basically a container where you put the same type of member ,computer etc and applied the policies and security on the catalog server in place of individual user or computer.
    Q; What is active directory?
    active directory is a domain controller which is use to authenticate and administrate the group of computer,user,server etc. remotely. all the policies and security will be applicable on the client machine which one is join the domain.and all this policies and security is defined in active directory.
    Q 10 : what is Global catalog server GC?
    Ans : i m sorry i was given wrong ans of this question above but now im giving the exact ans of this question, and th ans which iwas given previously is the ans of Organisatinal Unit not of GC….. and the ans is
    The global catalog is a distributed data repository that contains a searchable, partial representation of every object in every domain in a multidomain Active Directory forest. The global catalog is stored on domain controllers that have been designated as global catalog servers and is distributed through multimaster replication. Searches that are directed to the global catalog are faster because they do not involve referrals to different domain controllers.
    Q 4: Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
    A 4: The AD data base is store in NTDS.DIT.
    Q 5 :  What is the SYSVOL folder?
    A 5; The sysVOL folder stores the server’s copy of the domain’s public files. The contents such as group policy, users etc of the sysvol folder are replicated to all domain controllers in the domain.
    Q 19: What is the ISTG? Who has that role by default?
    A 19: Windows 2000 Domain controllers each create Active Directory Replication connection objects representing inbound replication from intra-site replication partners. For inter-site replication, one domain controller per site has the responsibility of evaluating the inter-site replication topology and creating Active Directory Replication Connection objects for appropriate bridgehead servers within its site. The domain controller in each site that owns this role is referred to as the Inter-Site Topology Generator (ISTG).
    Q :15 What is LDP? What is REPLMON? What is ADSIEDIT? What is NETDOM? What is REPADMIN?

    A 15 : LDP : Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) is often used to establish MPLS LSPs when traffic engineering is not required. It establishes LSPs that follow the existing IP routing, and is particularly well suited for establishing a full mesh of LSPs between all of the routers on the network.
    Replmon : Replmon displays information about Active Directory Replication.
    ADSIEDIT :ADSIEdit is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that acts as a low-level editor for Active Directory. It is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) tool. Network administrators can use it for common administrative tasks such as adding, deleting, and moving objects with a directory service. The attributes for each object can be edited or deleted by using this tool. ADSIEdit uses the ADSI application programming interfaces (APIs) to access Active Directory. The following are the required files for using this tool: ADSIEDIT.DLL
    ADSIEDIT.MSCNETDOM : NETDOM is a command-line tool that allows management of Windows domains and trust relationships. It is used for batch management of trusts, joining computers to domains, verifying trusts, and secure channels.
    REPADMIN :
    This command-line tool assists administrators in diagnosing replication problems between Windows domain controllers.Administrators can use Repadmin to view the replication topology (sometimes referred to as RepsFrom and RepsTo) as seen from the perspective of each domain controller. In addition, Repadmin can be used to manually create the replication topology (although in normal practice this should not be necessary), to force replication events between domain controllers, and to view both the replication metadata and up-to-dateness vectors.
    Q 36: how to take backup of AD ?
    A 36 : for taking backup of active directory you have to do this :
    first go to START -> PROGRAM ->ACCESORIES -> SYSTEM TOOLS -> BACKUP
    when the backup screen is flash then take the backup of SYSTEM STATE it will take the backup of all the necessary information about the syatem including AD backup , DNS ETC.
    Q 37 : how to restore the AD  ?
    a 37 : For ths do the same as above in the question 36 but in place of backup you select the restore option and restore the system state .
    Q 19: What is the ISTG? Who has that role by default?
    A 19: Inter-Site Topology Generator(istg)  is responsible for managing the inbound replication connection objects for all bridgehead servers in the site in which it is located. This domain controller is known as the Inter-Site Topology Generator (ISTG). The domain controller holding this role may not necessarily also be a bridgehead server.
    Q 29 :What are the DS* commands 
    A 29 : You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to scripting tools for creating Active Directory objects.  In addition to CSVDE, LDIFDE and VBScript, we now have the following DS commands: the da family built in utility DSmod - modify Active Directory attributesDSrm - to delete Active Directory objectsDSmove - to relocate objectsDSadd - create new accountsDSquery - to find objects that match your query attributesDSget - list the properties of an object
    Q 30 :What’s the difference between LDIFDE and CSVDE? Usage considerations?
    A 30 : CSVDE is a command that can be used to import and export objects to and from the AD into a CSV-formatted file. A CSV (Comma Separated Value) file is a file easily readable in Excel. I will not go to length into this powerful command, but I will show you some basic samples of how to import a large number of users into your AD. Of course, as with the DSADD command, CSVDE can do more than just import users. Consult your help file for more info.
    Like CSVDE, LDIFDE is a command that can be used to import and export objects to and from the AD into a LDIF-formatted file. A LDIF (LDAP Data Interchange Format) file is a file easily readable in any text editor, however it is not readable in programs like Excel. The major difference between CSVDE and LDIFDE (besides the file format) is the fact that LDIFDE can be used to edit and delete existing AD objects (not just users), while CSVDE can only import and export objects.
    Q 25 : What is tombstone lifetime attribute?
    A 25 : The number of days before a deleted object is removed from the directory services. This assists in removing objects from replicated servers and preventing restores from reintroducing a deleted object. This value is in the Directory Service object in the configuration NIC.
    You want to standardize the desktop environments (wallpaper, My Documents, Start menu, printers etc.) on the computers in one department. How would you do that? How it is possibal
     (20)What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server?
    Ans:1)The Domain structure2)The Domain Name3)storage location of the database and log file4)Location of the shared system volume folder5)DNS config Methode6)DNS configuration

    7. What are application partitions? When do I use them.
    Ans: AN application diretcory partition is a directory partition that is replicated only to specific domain controller.Only domain controller running windows Server 2003 can host a replica of application directory partition.
    Using an application directory partition provides redundany,availabiltiy or fault tolerance by replicating data to specific domain controller pr any set of domain controllers anywhere in the forest
    Q:You want to standardize the desktop environments (wallpaper, My Documents, Start menu, printers etc.) on the computers in one department. How would you do that? How it is possibal.
    Ans:Login on client as Domain Admin user change whatever you need add printers etc go to system-User profiles copy this user profile to any location by select Everyone in permitted to use after copy change ntuser.dat to ntuser.man and assgin this path under user profile
    Q. 8. How do you create a new application partition
    ANS:
    Use the DnsCmd command to create an application directory partition. To do this, use the following syntax:
    DnsCmd ServerName /CreateDirectoryPartition FQDN of partition
    Global catalog provides a central repository of domain information for the forest by storing partial replicas of all domain directory partitions. These partial replicas are distributed by multimaster replication to all global catalog servers in a forest.


    How do you view all the GCs in the forest?
    Ans
    C:\>repadmin /showreps
    domain_controller
    where domain_controller is the DC you want to query to determine whether it’s a GC. The output will include the text DSA Options: IS_GC if the DC is a GC. . . .
    Trying to look at the Schema, how can I do that
    Ans:
    type “adsiedit.msc” in run or command prompt
    Q. Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd-party Directory Services? Name a few options.
    Ans. Yes, you can use dirXML or LDAP to connect to other directories
    In Novell you can use E-directory
    Q 38 :How do you change the DS Restore admin password ?
    Ans 38: A. In Windows 2000 Server, you used to have to boot the computer whose password you wanted to change in Directory Restore mode, then use either the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Local User and Groups snap-in or the command
    net user administrator *
    to change the Administrator password. Win2K Server Service Pack 2 (SP2) introduced the Setpwd utility, which lets you reset the Directory Service Restore Mode password without having to reboot the computer. (Microsoft refreshed Setpwd in SP4 to improve the utility’s scripting options.)
    In Windows Server 2003, you use the Ntdsutil utility to modify the Directory Service Restore Mode Administrator password. To do so, follow these steps:
    1. Start Ntdsutil (click Start, Run; enter cmd.exe; then enter ntdsutil.exe).
    2. Start the Directory Service Restore Mode Administrator password-reset utility by entering the argument “set dsrm password” at the ntdsutil prompt:
    ntdsutil: set dsrm password
    3. Run the Reset Password command, passing the name of the server on which to change the password, or use the null argument to specify the local machine. For example, to reset the password on server thanos, enter the following argument at the Reset DSRM Administrator Password prompt:
    Reset DSRM Administrator Password: reset password on server thanos
    To reset the password on the local machine, specify null as the server name:
    Reset DSRM Administrator Password: reset password on server null
    4. You’ll be prompted twice to enter the new password. You’ll see the following messages:
    5. Please type password for DS Restore Mode Administrator Account:
    6. Please confirm new password:
    Password has been set successfully.
    7. Exit the password-reset utility by typing “quit” at the following prompts:
    8. Reset DSRM Administrator Password: quit
    ntdsutil: quit
    Q.40: What are Group Policy objects (GPOs)?
    A.40: Group Policy objects, other than the local Group Policy object, are virtual objects. The policy setting information of a GPO is actually stored in two locations: the Group Policy container and the Group Policy template. The Group Policy container is an Active Directory container that stores GPO properties, including information on version, GPO status, and a list of components that have settings in the GPO. The Group Policy template is a folder structure within the file system that stores Administrative Template-based policies, security settings, script files, and information regarding applications that are available for Group Policy Software Installation. The Group Policy template is located in the system volume folder (Sysvol) in the \Policies subfolder for its domain.
    Q 41 :What is the order in which GPOs are applied ?
    A 41: Group Policy settings are processed in the following order:
    1.
    Local Group Policy object—Each computer has exactly one Group Policy object that is stored locally. This processes for both computer and user Group Policy processing.
    2.
    Site—Any GPOs that have been linked to the site that the computer belongs to are processed next. Processing is in the order that is specified by the administrator, on the Linked Group Policy Objects tab for the site in Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). The GPO with the lowest link order is processed last, and therefore has the highest precedence.
    3.
    Domain—Processing of multiple domain-linked GPOs is in the order specified by the administrator, on the Linked Group Policy Objects tab for the domain in GPMC. The GPO with the lowest link order is processed last, and therefore has the highest precedence.
    4.
    Organizational units—GPOs that are linked to the organizational unit that is highest in the Active Directory hierarchy are processed first, then GPOs that are linked to its child organizational unit, and so on. Finally, the GPOs that are linked to the organizational unit that contains the user or computer are processed.
    At the level of each organizational unit in the Active Directory hierarchy, one, many, or no GPOs can be linked. If several GPOs are linked to an organizational unit, their processing is in the order that is specified by the administrator, on the Linked Group Policy Objects tab for the organizational unit in GPMC. The GPO with the lowest link order is processed last, and therefore has the highest precedence.
    This order means that the local GPO is processed first, and GPOs that are linked to the organizational unit of which the computer or user is a direct member are processed last, which overwrites settings in the earlier GPOs if there are conflicts. (If there are no conflicts, then the earlier and later settings are merely aggregated.)
    What is LDAP?
    Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
    This article will tell you how to add your first Windows 2003 DC to an existing Windows 2000 domain. This article is particularly useful if you have Windows 2000 servers that will be replaced by new hardware running Windows Server 2003.
    The first step is to install Windows 2003 on your new DC. This is a straighforward process, so we aren’t going to discuss that here.
    Because significant changes have been made to the Active Directory schema in Windows 2003, we need to make our Windows 2000 Active Directory compatible with the new version. If you already have Windows 2003 DCs running with Windows 2000 DCs, then you can skip down to the part about DNS.
    Before you attempt this step, you should make sure that you have service pack 4 installed on your Windows 2000 DC. Next, make sure that you are logged in as a user that is a member of the Schema Admin and Enterprise Admin groups. Next, insert the Windows 2003 Server installation CD into the Windows 2000 Server. Bring up a command line and change directories to the I386 directory on the installation CD. At the command prompt, type:
    Code :
    adprep /forestprep
    After running this command, make sure that the updates have been replicated to all existing Windows 2000 DCs in the forest.
    Next, we need to run the following command:
    Code :
    adprep /domainprep
    The above command must be run on the Infrastructure Master of the domain by someone who is a member of the Domain Admins group.
    Once this is complete, we move back to the Windows 2003 Server. Click ’start’ then ‘run” - type in dcpromo and click OK. During the ensuing wizard, make sure that you select that you are adding this DC to an existing domain.
    After this process is complete, the server will reboot. When it comes back online, check and make sure that the AD database has been replicated to your new server.
    Next, you will want to check and make sure that DNS was installed on your new server. If not, go to the control panel, click on ‘Add or Remove Programs’, and click the ‘Add/Remove Windows Components’ button. In the Windows Components screen, click on ‘Networking Services’ and click the details button. In the new window check ‘Domain Name System (DNS)’ and then click the OK button. Click ‘Next’ in the Windows Components screen. This will install DNS and the server will reboot. After reboot, pull up the DNS Management window and make sure that your DNS settings have replicated from the Windows 2000 Server. You will need to re-enter any forwarders or other properties you had set up, but the DNS records should replicate on their own.
    The next 2 items, global catalog and FSMO roles, are important if you plan on decomissioning your Windows 2000 server(s). If this is the case, you need to transfer the global catalog from the old server to the new one.
    First, let’s create a global catalog on our new server. Here are the steps:
    1. On the domain controller where you want the new global catalog, start the Active Directory Sites and Services snap-in. To start the snap-in, click ‘Start’, point to ‘Programs’, point to ‘Administrative Tools’, and then click ‘Active Directory Sites and Services’.
    2. In the console tree, double-click ‘Sites’, and then double-click ’sitename’.
    3. Double-click ‘Servers’, click your domain controller, right-click ‘NTDS Settings’, and then click ‘Properties’.
    4. On the General tab, click to select the Global catalog check box to assign the role of global catalog to this server.
    5. Restart the domain controller.
    Make sure you allow sufficient time for the account and the schema information to replicate to the new global catalog server before you remove the global catalog from the original DC or take the DC offline.
    After this is complete, you will want to transfer or seize the FSMO roles for your new server. For instructions, read Using Ntdsutil.exe to transfer or seize FSMO roles to a domain controller.
    After this step is complete, we can now run DCPROMO on the Windows 2000 Servers in order to demote them. Once this is complete, copy over any files you need to your new server and you should have successfully replaced your Windows 2000 server(s) with a new Windows 2003 server(s
    Global Catalyst is the one where the authentication happens, by default primary domain controller is Global Catalyst, we can add global catalyst to improve the Netwrk Performance
    What is Active Directory?
    Its a Directory Service which stores and manages the information of Objects(User,computer,printer shared folder etc)
    What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server?
    Win2K3 CD
    DNS
    Static IP
    You want to standardize the desktop environments (wallpaper, My Documents, Start menu, printers etc.) on the computers in one department. How would you do that?
    go to Start->programs->Administrative tools->Active Directory Users and Computers
    Right Click on Domain->click on preoperties
    On New windows Click on Group Policy
    Select Default Policy->click on Edit
    on group Policy console
    go to User Configuration->Administrative Template->Start menu and Taskbar
    Select each property you want to modify and do the same

    1. What are the required components of Windows Server 2003 for installing Exchange 2003? - ASP.NET, SMTP, NNTP, W3SVC
    2. What must be done to an AD forest before Exchange can be deployed?


    This post first appeared on Albert Alex, please read the originial post: here

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