MCSA Windows Server 2012 R2 Administration Study Guide

William Panek, MCP, MCP+I, MCSA, MCSE, MCTS, MCITP, CCNA, is also a Microsoft MVP. He has been an instructor at Boston University, Clark University, and the University of Maryland, and a consultant and trainer for the United States Secret Service, Cisco, the United States Air Force, and the United States Army. Will teaches Microsoft classes throughout the country for both public and private corporations, and is the author of numerous computer books.

Introduction xxi

Assessment Test xxxiii

Chapter 1 Manage and Maintain Servers 1

Using Windows Deployment Services 3

Configuring Windows Server Update Services 10

Windows Update 10

Windows Automatic Updates 11

Using Windows Server Update Services 13

Overview of Windows Server 2012

R2 Performance Monitoring 25

Using Windows Server 2012 R2 Performance Tools 27

Introducing Performance Monitor 27

Using Other Performance-Monitoring Tools 36

Summary 49

Exam Essentials 50

Review Questions 51

Chapter 2 Manage File Services 55

Configuring File Server Resource Manager 56

FSRM Features 56

Installing the FSRM Role Service 57

Configure File and Disk Encryption 58

Using BitLocker Drive Encryption 58

Features of BitLocker 59

Windows 7 and 2008 R2 vs. Windows 8 and 2012 R2 61

Using EFS Drive Encryption 63

Configuring Distributed File System 65

Advantages of DFS 65

Types of DFS 66

What’s New in Windows Server 2012 R2 67

Remote Differential Compression 69

Implementing an Audit Policy 69

Overview of Auditing 70

Implementing Auditing 70

Viewing Auditing Information 72

Using the Auditpol.exe Command 72

Windows Server 2012 R2 Auditing Features 73

Making Active Directory Objects Available to Users 74

Configuring Offline Folders 75

Summary 77

Exam Essentials 77

Review Questions 78

Chapter 3 Configure DNS 81

Introducing DNS 82

The Form of an IP Address 83

Understanding Servers, Clients, and Resolvers 88

Understanding the DNS Process 89

Introducing DNS Database Zones 95

Understanding Primary Zones 95

Understanding Secondary Zones 97

Understanding Active Directory Integrated DNS 98

Understanding Stub Zones 99

Global Name Zones 101

Zone Transfers and Replication 101

Advantages of DNS in Windows Server 2012 R2 104

Background Zone Loading 105

Support for IPv6 Addresses 105

Support for Read-Only Domain Controllers 106

DNS Socket Pools 106

DNS Cache Locking 106

DNS Security Extensions 107

DNS Devolution 108

Record Weighting 108

Netmask Ordering 108

DnsUpdateProxy Group 108

Introducing DNS Record Types 109

Start of Authority (SOA) Records 109

Name Server Records 110

Host Record 111

Alias Record 112

Pointer Record 112

Mail Exchanger Record 113

Service Record 113

Configuring DNS 114

Installing DNS 114

Load Balancing with Round Robin 117

Configuring a Caching-Only Server 117

Setting Zone Properties 118

Configuring Zones for Dynamic Updates 121

Delegating Zones for DNS 123

DNS Forwarding 125

Manually Creating DNS Records 125

DNS Aging and Scavenging 126

Monitoring and Troubleshooting DNS 127

Monitoring DNS with the DNS Snap-In 127

Troubleshooting DNS 129

Integrating Dynamic DNS and IPv4 DHCP 138

Summary 140

Exam Essentials 140

Review Questions 142

Chapter 4 Configure Routing and Remote Access 145

Overview of Dial-Up Networking 146

What DUN Does 147

How DUN Works 147

Overview of Virtual Private Networks 151

What VPNs Do 151

VPNs and Windows Server 2012 R2 152

How VPNs Work 152

Configuring Your Remote

Access Server 156

Configuring PPP Options 156

Understanding a VPN 160

How VPN Works 160

Enabling RRAS as a VPN 161

Configuring a VPN 162

Configuring VPN Ports 162

Troubleshooting VPNs 163

Managing Your Remote Access Server 164

Managing Remote Users with a RADIUS Server 165

Monitoring Overall Activity 165

Controlling Remote Access Logging 165

Reviewing the Remote Access Event Log 168

Monitoring Ports and Port Activity 169

Network Address Translation 169

Configuring a VPN Client 170

The General Tab 171

The Options Tab 172

The Security Tab 173

The Networking Tab 176

The Sharing Tab 176

Configuring a Web Application Proxy 177

Publishing Applications 177

Configuring Pass-Through Authentication 178

Understanding Direct Access 179

Direct Access vs. VPNs 179

Understanding the Direct Access Process 179

Knowing the Direct Access Infrastructure Requirements 181

Summary 182

Exam Essentials 182

Review Questions 183

Chapter 5 Configure a Network Policy Server Infrastructure 187

Overview of Wireless Access 188

Configuring Wireless Access 189

Remote Access Security 190

User Authentication 190

Connection Security 192

Access Control 193

Configuring User Access 194

Setting Up User Profiles 194

Using Network Access Policies 196

NPS as a RADIUS Proxy Server 202

Importing and Exporting NPS Policies 204

Using Remote Access Profiles 206

Setting Up a VPN Network Access Policy 211

Configuring Security 213

Controlling Server Security 213

Configuring Network Access Protection 215

Summary 217

Exam Essentials 218

Review Questions 219

Chapter 6 Configure and Manage Active Directory 223

Active Directory Security Overview 225

Understanding Active Directory Features 226

Understanding Security Principals 227

Managing Security and Permissions 237

Using ACLs and ACEs 238

Implementing Active Directory

Security 240

Using User Templates 242

Delegating Control of Users and Groups 243

Understanding Dynamic Access Control 245

Using Group Policy for Security 245

Fine-Grained Password Policies 249

Managing Multiple Domains 251

Managing Single-Master Operations 251

Forest Operations Masters 252

Domain Operations Masters 252

Assigning Single-Master Roles 253

Seizing Roles 254

Maintain Active Directory 256

Overview of the Windows Server 2012

R2 Backup Utility 257

Setting Up an Active Directory Backup 262

Restoring Active Directory 265

Active Directory Recycle Bin 267

Restartable Active Directory 268

Offline Maintenance 268

Monitoring Replication 270

Using the ADSI Editor 271

Wbadmin Command Line Utility 271

Summary 272

Exam Essentials 273

Review Questions 274

Chapter 7 Configure and Manage Group Policy 277

Introducing Group Policy Objects 279

Understanding Group Policy Settings 280

The Security Settings Section of the GPO 282

Group Policy Objects 283

Group Policy Inheritance 284

Planning a Group Policy Strategy 285

Implementing Group Policy 286

Creating GPOs 286

Linking Existing GPOs to Active Directory 290

Forcing a GPO to Update 290

Managing Group Policy 292

Managing GPOs 292

Security Filtering of a Group Policy 294

Delegating Administrative Control of GPOs 296

Controlling Inheritance and Filtering Group Policy 297

Assigning Script Policies 299

Understanding the Loopback Policy 300

Managing Network Configuration 301

Automatically Enrolling User and Computer Certificates in

Group Policy 302

Redirecting Folders 304

Managing GPOs with Windows PowerShell

Group Policy Cmdlets 306

Item-Level Targeting 307

Backup, Restore, Import, Copy, and Migration Tables 308

Deploying Software Through a GPO 311

The Software Management Life Cycle 311

The Windows Installer 313

Deploying Applications 317

Implementing Software Deployment 318

Preparing for Software Deployment 318

Software Restriction Policies 319

Using AppLocker 320

Group Policy Slow Link Detection 320

Publishing and Assigning Applications 320

Applying Software Updates 322

Verifying Software Installation 323

Configuring Automatic Updates in Group Policy 324

Configuring Software Deployment Settings 324

The Software Installation Properties Dialog Box 325

Removing Programs 328

Microsoft Windows Installer Settings 329

Troubleshooting Group Policies 330

RSoP in Logging Mode 331

RSoP in Planning Mode 335

Using the gpresult.exe Command 335

Summary 337

Exam Essentials 338

Review Questions 340

Appendix A Answers to Review Questions 343

Chapter 1: Manage and Maintain Servers 344

Chapter 2: Manage File Services 345

Chapter 3: Configure DNS 346

Chapter 5: Configure Routing and Remote Access 347

Chapter 6: Configure a Network Policy Server Infrastructure 348

Chapter 7: Configure and Manage Active Directory 349

Chapter 8: Configure and Manage Group Policy 350

Appendix B Contents About the Additional Study Tools 353

Additional Study Tools 354

Sybex Test Engine 354

Electronic Flashcards 354

PDF of Glossary of Terms 354

Adobe Reader 355

System Requirements 355

Using the Study Tools 355

Troubleshooting 355

Customer Care 356