1. What is IP Address?

A unique string of numbers separated by periods that identified each

computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network. Its
32Bit address.
2. What is a subnet mark?
A mask used to determine what subnet an IP address belongs to. An IP
address has two components, the network address and the host address. For
example, consider the IP address 150.215.017.009. Assuming this is a part of
Class B network, the first two numbers (150.215) represent the Class B
network address, and the second two numbers (017.009) identify a particular
host on this network.
3. What is APIPA?
APIPA stands for Automatic Private IP Addressing. APIPA is a DHCP fail over
mechanism for local networks. With APIPA, DHCP clients can obtain network
address when DHCP servers are non-functional. APIPA exists in all modern
versions of Windows except Windows NT. When DHCP server fails, APIPA
allocates IP addresses in the private range 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254.
4. How Release and renew IP address from Command prompt?
Ipconfig /Release
Ipconfig /renew
5. What is loop back address?
Loopback address is 127.0.0.1. An address that sends outgoing signals back
to the same computer for testing.
6. What is MAC address.
Short for Media Access Control, a MAC address also known as physical
address and hardware address is a unique address number formatted in
hexadecimal format and given to each computer or network device on a
computer network. The addresses are usually assigned by the hardware
manufacturer, and these IDs are considered burned into the firmware of the
network access hardware. Because of this process, some vendors use their
own specific code in the hardware address. Below is an example of a MAC
address:
D4-BE-D9-08-D0-46-9A (48Bit).
7. What is ARP?
Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a protocol for mapping an IP address (32bit) to a MAC address (48-bit) i.e. physical machine address that is recognized
in the local network. A table, usually called the ARP cache, is used to
maintain a correlation between each MAC address and its corresponding IP
address.
ARP provides the protocol rules for making this correlation and providing
address conversion in both directions.
8. How to display ARP in Windows?
StartRUNCMD
C:\> arp-a
9. What is NSlookup?

NSLOOKUP is network utility program used to obtain information about

internet servers. As its name suggests, the utility finds name server
information for domains by querying DNS.
10.What is a default gateway? What happens if I dont have one?
In general default gateway is a device on a network that acts as an entrance
to another network. In technical terms, a gateway is a routing device that
know how to pass traffic between different subnet and networks.
If you dont have gateway your network communication have no problem but
you cannot communicate with other networks.
11.Can a workstation computer be confirmed to browse the internet and yet not
have a default gateway?
No. Never. A workstation computer can browse the internet only if it has a
default gateway.
12.What is DNS?
Domain Name Services/System, a DNS is an Internet or other network server
that helps to point domain names or the hostname to their associated IP
address.
If a domain name is not found within the local database, the server may
query other domain servers to obtain the address of a requested domain
name.
For example, when a user is accessing the Google domain, a user would enter
the easy to remember domain : google.com.
When entered that requested domain name is looked up on a Domain Name
System (DNS server) to translate that name into an IP address that can be
better understood by computer.
Using that IP address the computers can then find the computer containing
the Google webpage and forward that information to your computer.
Two types of lookup in DNS.
Forward lookup : It converts Domain name to IP address
Reverse lookup : It converts IP address to Domain name.
Three types of zone:
i.
Primary Zone
ii.
Secondary Zone
iii.
Stub Zone
13.What is SRV record?
SRV record is a Domain Name System(DNS) resource record that is used to
identify computers that host specific services.
For example SRV resource records are used to locate domain controllers for
Active Directory.
14.What is PTR record?
PTR record resolves an IP address to a fully-qualified domain name (FQDN) as
an opposite to what A record does. PTR records are also called Reverse DNS
records.
PTR records are mainly used to check if the server name is actually
associated with the IP address from where the connection was initiated.
15.What is A record?

The record A specifies IP address (IPv4) for given host. A records are used for
conversion of domain names to corresponding IP addresses.
16.What is AAAA record?
The record AAAA (also quad-A record) specifies IPv6 address for given host.
So it works the same way as the A record and the difference is the type of IP
address.
17.What is CNAME record?
The CNAME record specified a domain name that has to be queried in order to
resolve the original DNS query.
Therefore CNAME records are used for creating aliases of domain names.
CNAME records are truly useful when we want to alias our domain to an
external domain.
In other cases we can remove CNAME records and replace them with A
records and even decrease performance overhead.
18.What is MX resource record?
The MX resource record specifies a mail exchange server for a DNS domain
name. The information is used by Simple Mail Transfer Protocol(SMTP) to
route emails to proper hosts.
Typically there are more than one mail exchange server for a DNS domain
and each of them have set priority.
19.What is DHCP?
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a network protocol that enables a
server to automatically assign an IP address to a computer from a defined
range of number (scope) configured for a given network.
20.Describe the steps taken by the client and DHCP server in order to obtain an
IP address.
a. A user turns on a computer with a DHCP client.
b. The client computer sends a broadcast request (called a DISCOBER or
DHCPDISCOVER), looking for a DHCP server to answer.
c. The router directs the DISCOVER packet to the correct DHCP server.
d. The server receives the DISCOVER packet. Based on availability and
usage policies set on the server, the server determines an appropriate
address to give to the client. The server then temporarily reserve that
address for the client and send backs to the client an OFFER (or
DHCPOFFER) packet, with that address information. The server also
configures the clients DNS servers, WINS servers, NTP servers and
sometimes other services as well.
e. The client sends a REQUEST packet, letting the server know that it
intends to use the address.
f. The server sends an ACK packet, confirming that the client has been
given a lease on the address for a server-specified period of time.
When a computer uses a static IP address it means that the computer is
manually configures to use a specific IP address.
One problem with static assignment, which can result from user error or
inattention to details, occurs when two computers are configures with the

same IP address. This created a conflict that results in loss of service.

Using DHCP to dynamically assign UP addresses minimizes these conflicts.
Advantage : It minimize the administrative burden. By using DHCP there is
no change to conflict IP address.
Disadvantage:- When client make query to DHCP server it is UDP query it
consume more bandwidth. When DHCP server is unavailable client unable
to access enterprise network.
21.What is DHCP scope?
A range of IP addresses that DHCP server can assign to clients that are on
one subnet.
22.What protocol and port DHCP use?
UDP protocol and port 67 in client and port 68 in server.
23.What is DHCP lease?
A DHCP lease is the amount of time that DHCP server grants to DHCP client to
use particular IP address. A typical server allow its administrator to set the
lease time.
24.Can DHCP support static assigned IPs?
Yes.
25.Define DORA process and why it is used?
Discover, Offer, Request and Acknowledgement. It is used to assign IP
address automatically to the clients.
26.What is Authorizing DHCP server in Active Directory?
If a DHCP server has to operate within Active Directory, it must has to
Authorize in Active Directory first.
27.How to backup and restore DHCP in Windows Server 2008?
Backup DHCP server:
a. Open Server Manager DHCP role
b. Right Click on Server Name, choose Backup
c. Choose location for backup and click OK.
Restore DHCP server:
a. Open Server Manager DHCP role
b. Right Click on Server Name, choose Restore
c. Choose the location for backup and click OK.
d. Restart DHCP service.
DHCP database location :- C:\Windows\System32\DHCP directory.
28.How do I know the path that packet takes to reach destination?
Use Tracert command-line.
29.What can you do with NETSH?
NETSH is one of the most powerful yet less known networking tools including
in Windows Server 2000 and Server 2003. It installed by default and located
at c:\windows\system32 folder.
NETSH enables you to display, import, export, modify many aspects of the
network parameters of the system. It can also connect to remote computer
with remote machine parameters (-r). We can use NETSH command to

import & export network configurations. You can use NETSH to make dynamic
IP address changes from static IP address to DHCP simply by importing file.
30.What is Active Directory?
Active directory is directory services that Microsoft developed for Windows
domain networks and it is included in most of the windows server operating
systems as a set of services and processes.
31.What is LDAP?
LDAP stands for Light weight Directory Access Protocol. It is an application
protocol used over an IP network to manage and access the distributed
directory information service.
32.Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd party Directory services? Name
few.
Yes, we can connect Active Directory to other vendors directory services like
OSD (Oracle Sun Direcoty) and NSD (Novel Directory System).
33.Where is the AD database help? What other folders are related to AD?
The Active Directory Database is stored in %SYSTEM ROOT%\NDTS folder.
Main database file for active directory is NTDS.DIT. Along with this file there
are other files also present in this folder. These files are created when you run
DCPROMO. These are the main files controlling the AD structure.
Ntds.dit :- This is the main database file for active directory.
Edb.log :- Transaction performed to AD stored in this file.
Res1.log : Used as reserve space in the case when drive had low space.
Res2.log : same as Res1.log
Edb.chk : This file records the transactions committed to AD database.
When a change is made to the Win2K database, triggering a write operation,
Win2K records the transaction in the log file (edb.log). Onve written to the log
file, the change is then written to the AD database. System performance
determines how fast gthe system writes the data to the AD database from
the log file. Any time the system is shutdown; all transactions are saved to
the database. During the installation of AD, Windows creates two files:
res1.log and res2.log. The initial size of each is 10MB. These files are used to
ensure that changes can be written to disk should the system run out of free
disk space. The checkpoint file (edb.chk) records transactions committed to
the AD database(ntds.dit). During shutdown, a shutdown statement written
to the edb.chk file. Then, during a reboot, AD determines that all transactions
in edb.log have been committed to AD database. If for any reason edb.chk
file doesnt exists on reboot or shutdown statement is not present, AD will
use the edb.log file to update AD database.
The last file in our list of files to know is database file itself i.e. ntds.dit. By
default, the file is located in \NTDS, along with other files we ve discussed.
34.What is the SYSVOL folder?
The term SYSVOL refers to a set of files and folders that reside on the local
hard disk of each domain controller in a domain and that are replicated by
the File Replication service (FRS). Network clients access the contents of the
SYSVOL tree by using the NETLOGON and SYSVOL shared folders.
35.How do you view replication properties for AD partitions and DCs?

We can use repadmin command line tool.

36.What is the Global Catalog?
A global catalog is domain controller that stores a copy of all Active Directory
objects in a forest. The global catalog stores a full copy of all objects in the
directory for its host domain and a partial copy of all objects for all other
domains in the forest.
The partial copies of all domain objects included in the global catalog are
those most commonly used in user search operations. These attributes are
masked for inclusion in the global catalog as part of their schema definition.
Storing the most commonly searched upon attributes of all domain objects in
the global catalog provides users with efficient searches without affecting
network performance with unnecessary referrals to domain controllers.
You can manually add or remove other objects attributes to the global catalog
by using the Active Directory Schema snap-in.
37.How to you view all GCs in the forest?
To find the GC from the command line you can try using DSQUERY command.
Dsquery server isgc to find all the gcs in the forest.
38.Why not make all DCs in a large forest as GCs?
Unless you have some really bad connections that may not be able to handle
the extra traffic there is no reason not to make every DC a GC. In ANY single
domain forest, it is recommended and beneficial to make all DCs GCs since it
has no replication impact and serves to better distribute query load.
39.How to look at the Schema in AD how can you do that?
To view the schema we must need to register schmgmt.dll using this
command
C:\windows\system32>regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll
Open mmcadd snap in add Active Directory Schema name it as
schema.msc
Open administrative tool Schema.msc
40.What is LDP?
This GUI tool is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) client that
allows users to perform operations (such as connect, bind, search, modify,
add, delete) against any LDAP-compatible directory, such as Active Directory.
LDP is used to view objects stored in Active Directory along with their
metadata, such as security descriptor and replication metadata.
41.What is ADSIEDIT?
Active Directory Service Interfaces Editor (ADSI Edit) is a Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) editor that you can use to manage objects
and attributes in Active Directory. ADSI Edit (adsiedit.msc) provides a view of
every object and attribute in an Active Directory forest. You can use ADSI Edit
to query, view and edit attributes that are not exposed through other Active
Directory Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-ins; Active Directory
Users and Computers, Active Directory Sites and Services, Active Directory
Domains and Trusts, and Active Directory Schema.
42.What is NETDOM?

Enables administrators to manage Active Directory domains and trust

relationships from the command prompt. Netdom is a command-line tool that
is built into Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008R2. It is available
if you have the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) server role
installed. It is also available if you install the Active Directory Domain
Services Tools that are part of the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT).
To use netdom, you must run the netdom command from an elevated
command prompt. To open an elevated command prompt. To open an
elevated command prompt, click Start, right-click Command Prompt, and
then Click Run as administrator.
43.What is 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 seem from the perspective of each domain
controller. In addition, Repadmin can be used to manually create the
replication topology, to force replication events between domain controllers,
and to view both the replication metadata and upt0 dataness vectors.
Repadmin.exe can also be used for monitoring thje relative health of an
Active Directory forest. The operations replsummary, showrepl, showrepl /cvs,
and showvector /latency can be used to check for replication problems.
Usually the Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) manmages the replication
topology for each naming context help on domain controllers.
44.What is Dsastat?
This command-line diagnostic tool compares and detects differences between
naming contexts on domain controllers. DsaStat can be used to compare two
directory trees across replicas within the same domain or, in the case of a
global catalog, across different domains. The tool retrieves capacity statistics
such as megabytes per server, objects per server, and megabytes per object
class, and performs comparisons of attributes of replicated objects.
45.What is DNSlint?
DNSLint is a Microsoft Windows utility that helps you to diagnose common
DNS name resolution issues. DNSLint has three functions that verify Domain
Name System (DNS) records and generate an HTML report.
The three functions are:
Dnslint /d : This diagnoses potential cause of lame delegation and other
related DNS problems.
Dnslint /ql : This verifies a user-defined set of DNS records on multiple DNS
servers.
Dnslint /ad : This verifies DNS records specifically used for Active Directory
replication.
46.What is Dcdiag?
Analyzes the state of domain controllers in a forest or enterprise and reports
any problems to help in troubleshooting. As an end-user reporting program,
dcdiag is command-line tool that encapsulates detailed knowledge of how to

identify abnormal behavior in the system. Dcdiag displays command output

at the command prompt.
Dcdiag consists of a framework for executing tests and a series of tests to
verify different functional areas of the system. This framework selects which
domain controllers are tested according to scope directives from the user,
such as enterprise, site or single server.
47.What is Acldiag tool?
This command-line tool detects and reports discrepancies in the access
control lists (ACLs) of objects in Active Directory. It can also reapply a security
delegation template to an ACL, eliminating special permissions and restoring
incomplete delegations.
With AclDiag you can:
Display the access control entries (ACEs) in the ACL, and inheritance and
audit settings.
Display the effective permissions of users and groups to an Active Directory
object.
Compare the ACL for an object In Active Directory to the default permissions
defined in the schema.
Compare the ACL of an Active Directory object to a delegation template.
Reapply the delegation template to the ACL of an Active Directory object.
48.What is ntdsutil?
Ntdsutil.exe is a command-line tool that provides management facilities for
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and Active Directory Lightweight
Directory Services (AD LDS). You can use the ntdsutil commands to perform
database maintenance of AD DS, manage and control single master
operations, and remove metadata left behind by domain controllers that were
removed from the network without being properly uninstalled. This tool is
intended for use by experienced administrators.
Ntdsutil.exe is built into Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008R2. It
is available if you have the AD DS or the AD LDS server role installed. It is
also available if you install the Active Directory Domain Services Tools that
are part of the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT). For more
information, To use Ntdsutil.exe, you must run the ntdsutil command from an
elevated command prompt.
If you have the AD LDS server role installed but not the AD DS server role,
you can use the dsdbutil.exe and dsmgmt.exe command-line tools to perform
the same tasks that you can perform with ntdsutil.exe.