Desktop Support Interview Questions and Answers

9)      What information is required when TCP/IP is configured on Window Server?

To configure a TCP/PI client for an IPv4 client, you have to provide the IP address and the subnet mask.

10)   Explain what does it mean caching only server in terms of DNS?

The caching only DNS server provides information related to queries based on the data it contains in its DNS cache.

11)   Explain what is the way to configure the DHCP server such that it allocates the same IP address to certain devices each time the address is removed?

To configure the DHCP server, you can create a reservation for the device.  To create a reservation, you must know the MAC hardware address of the device.  To determine the MAC address for a network device you can use the ipconfig or nbs tat command line utilities.

12)     Explain what is LDAP?

To look up for the information from the server, e-mail and another program follows or uses the internet protocol. This protocol is referred as LDAP or Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.

13)   Explain what is SYSVOL folder?

It is a set of files and folders that is stored on the local hard disk of each domain controller in a domain and are replicated by the FRS ( File Replication Service).  These files contain group or user policy information.

14)   Explain what is the difference between a thread and a computer process?

Computer Process: In computing, a process is an instance of a computer program that is executed sequentially by a computer system which can run several computer programs concurrently.

Thread: A thread is a several executable program that work together as a single process.  For instance, one thread might send an error message to the user; another might handle error signals while the third thread might be executing the original action.

15)   Explain what is INODE?

INODE holds the metadata of files; INODE is a pointer to a block on the disk, and it is unique.

In simple words, it is a unique number allocated to a file in UNIX-like OS.

16)   Explain what is RAID in Windows Server?

For storing same data at a different place RAID or Redundant Array of Independent Disks strategy is used. It is a strategy for building fault tolerance and increase the storage capacity. On separate drives it allows you to combine one or more volumes so that they are accessed by a single drive letter

17)   Explain what is the purpose of deploying local DNS servers?

A local DNS server provides the local mapping of fully qualified domain names to IP addresses.  To resolve remote requests related to the domains names on your network, local DNS servers can provide record information to remote DNS servers.

18)   To check TCP/IP configurations and IP connectivity, what are the two command line utilities that can be used?

Ipconfig: To check the computer’s IP configuration, command ipconfig can be used and also it can be used to renew the client’s IP address if it is provided by a DHCP server.

Ping: To check the connection between the local computer and any of the other computer device on the network Ping command is used

21)   Explain what is the major difference between NTFS ( New Technology File System) or FAT (File Allocation Table) on a local server?

For local users FAT (File Allocation Table) and FAT32 provides security, while NTFS ( New Technology File System) provides security for domain users as well as local users.  NTFS provides file level security which is not possible through FAT32.

22)   Mention what windows server 2008 service is used to install client operating system over the network?

WDE ( Windows Deployment Services ) allows you to install client and server operating systems over the network to any computer with a PXE enabled network interface

23) What Is Recovery Console ?

• • Recovery console is a utility used to recover the system when it is not booting properly or not at all booting. We can perform fallowing operations from recovery console

  • We can copy, rename, or replace operating system files and folders

  • Enable or disable service or device startup the next time that start computer

  • Repair the file system boot sector or the Master Boot Record

  • Create and format partitions on drives

24) What Is Dfs & Its Usage ?

• • DFS is a distributed file system used to provide common environment for users to access files and folders even when they are shared in different servers physically.

    • There are two types of DFS domain DFS and Stand alone DFS. We cannot provide redundancy for stand alone DFS in case of failure. Domain DFS is used in a domain environment which can be accessed by /domain name/root1 (root 1 is DFS root name). Stand alone DFS can be used in workgroup environment which can be accessed through /server name/root1 (root 1 is DFS root name). Both the cases we need to create DFS root ( Which appears like a shared folder for end users) and DFS links ( A logical link which is pointing to the server where the folder is physically shared)

      • The maximum number of Dfs roots per server is 1. 

      • The maximum numbers of Dfs root replicas are 31.

      • The maximum number of Dfs roots per domain is unlimited. 

      • The maximum number of Dfs links or shared folders in a Dfs root is 1,000

  • Question 19. What Is Ris And What Are Its Requirements ?

    • RIS is a remote installation service, which is used to install operation system remotely.

  • Question 20. Explain The Client Requirements?

    • • PXE DHCP-based boot ROM version 1.00 or later NIC, or a network adapter that is supported by the RIS boot disk.

      • Should meet minimum operating system requirements

      • Software Requirements

      • Below network services must be active on RIS server or any server in the network

      • Domain Name System (DNS Service)

      • Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

      • Active directory “Directory” service 

  • Question 21. How Many Root Replicas Can Be Created In Dfs?

    • 31 

  • Question 22. Can We Establish Trust Relationship Between Two Forests?

    • In Windows 2000 it is not possible. In Windows 2003 it is possible

  • Question 23. What Is Fsmo Roles ?

    • Flexible single master operation (FSMO) roles are :

      • Domain Naming Master

      • Schema Master

      • PDC Emulator

      • Infrastructure Master

      • RID Master 

  • Question 24. Brief All The Fsmo Roles?

    • Windows 2000/2003 Multi-Master Model

    • A multi-master enabled database, such as the Active Directory, provides the flexibility of allowing changes to occur at any DC in the enterprise, but it also introduces the possibility of conflicts that can potentially lead to problems once the data is replicated to the rest of the enterprise. One way Windows 2000/2003 deals with conflicting updates is by having a conflict resolution algorithm handle discrepancies in values by resolving to the DC to which changes were written last (that is, "the last writer wins"), while discarding the changes in all other DCs. Although this resolution method may be acceptable in some cases, there are times when conflicts are just too difficult to resolve using the "last writer wins" approach. In such cases, it is best to prevent the conflict from occurring rather than to try to resolve it after the fact. 

    • For certain types of changes, Windows 2000/2003 incorporates methods to prevent conflicting Active Directory updates from occurring. 

    • Windows 2000/2003 Single-Master Model

    • To prevent conflicting updates in Windows 2000/2003, the Active Directory performs updates to certain objects in a single-master fashion. 

    • In a single-master model, only one DC in the entire directory is allowed to process updates. This is similar to the role given to a primary domain controller (PDC) in earlier versions of Windows (such as Microsoft Windows NT 4.0), in which the PDC is responsible for processing all updates in a given domain. 

    • In a forest, there are five FSMO roles that are assigned to one or more domain controllers.

    • The five FSMO roles are: 

    • Schema Master: 

    • The schema master domain controller controls all updates and modifications to the schema. Once the Schema update is complete, it is replicated from the schema master to all other DCs in the directory. To update the schema of a forest, you must have access to the schema master. There can be only one schema master in the whole forest. 

    • Domain naming master: 

    • The domain naming master domain controller controls the addition or removal of domains in the forest. This DC is the only one that can add or remove a domain from the directory. It can also add or remove cross references to domains in external directories. There can be only one domain naming master in the whole forest. 

    • Infrastructure Master: 

    • When an object in one domain is referenced by another object in another domain, it represents the reference by the GUID, the SID (for references to security principals), and the DN of the object being referenced. The infrastructure FSMO role holder is the DC responsible for updating an object's SID and distinguished name in a cross-domain object reference. At any one time, there can be only one domain controller acting as the infrastructure master in each domain. 

    • Note: The Infrastructure Master (IM) role should be held by a domain controller that is not a Global Catalog server (GC). If the Infrastructure Master runs on a Global Catalog server it will stop updating object information because it does not contain any references to objects that it does not hold. This is because a Global Catalog server holds a partial replica of every object in the forest. As a result, cross-domain object references in that domain will not be updated and a warning to that effect will be logged on that DC's event log. If all the domain controllers in a domain also host the global catalog, all the domain controllers have the current data, and it is not important which domain controller holds the infrastructure master role. 

    • Relative ID (RID) Master: 

    • The RID master is responsible for processing RID pool requests from all domain controllers in a particular domain. When a DC creates a security principal object such as a user or group, it attaches a unique Security ID (SID) to the object. This SID consists of a domain SID (the same for all SIDs created in a domain), and a relative ID (RID) that is unique for each security principal SID created in a domain. Each DC in a domain is allocated a pool of RIDs that it is allowed to assign to the security principals it creates. When a DC's allocated RID pool falls below a threshold, that DC issues a request for additional RIDs to the domain's RID master. The domain RID master responds to the request by retrieving RIDs from the domain's unallocated RID pool and assigns them to the pool of the requesting DC. At any one time, there can be only one domain controller acting as the RID master in the domain. 

    • PDC Emulator: 

      • The PDC emulator is necessary to synchronize time in an enterprise. Windows 2000/2003 includes the W32Time (Windows Time) time service that is required by the Kerberos authentication protocol. All Windows 2000/2003-based computers within an enterprise use a common time. The purpose of the time service is to ensure that the Windows Time service uses a hierarchical relationship that controls authority and does not permit loops to ensure appropriate common time usage. 

      • The PDC emulator of a domain is authoritative for the domain. The PDC emulator at the root of the forest becomes authoritative for the enterprise, and should be configured to gather the time from an external source. All PDC FSMO role holders follow the hierarchy of domains in the selection of their in-bound time partner. 

      • In a Windows 2000/2003 domain, the PDC emulator role holder retains the following functions: 

      • Password changes performed by other DCs in the domain are replicated preferentially to the PDC emulator. 

      • Authentication failures that occur at a given DC in a domain because of an incorrect password are forwarded to the PDC emulator before a bad password failure message is reported to the user. 

      • Account lockout is processed on the PDC emulator. 

      • Editing or creation of Group Policy Objects (GPO) is always done from the GPO copy found in the PDC Emulator's SYSVOL share, unless configured not to do so by the administrator. 

      • The PDC emulator performs all of the functionality that a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Server-based PDC or earlier PDC performs for Windows NT 4.0-based or earlier clients. 

      • This part of the PDC emulator role becomes unnecessary when all workstations, member servers, and domain controllers that are running Windows NT 4.0 or earlier are all upgraded to Windows 2000/2003. The PDC emulator still performs the other functions as described in a Windows 2000/2003 environment. 

      • At any one time, there can be only one domain controller acting as the PDC emulator master in each domain in the forest.