Lesson 1: Server Overview

1. What

a server does
server provides dedicated services, while a client requests services.
a network made up of servers and clients is a server based network.
it is best for sharing resources and data with centralized security
plan for a use of 3-5 years

1.1Server roles
server role ist he primary duty. one server can have multiple roles
examples: file, print, web service, remote access, application
servers, email servers (Microsoft Exchange) , database servers,
monitoring servers, threat management servers
1.2Server hardware
more powerful than most PCs -> break down affects more than 1
person; less prone to failure hardware
Primary subsystems: processor, memory, storage and network
if one fails all can fail. bottleneck could cause slow performance of
system.
anticipate the type of failure- add additional servers, components
and technology
have a plan - how to reduce chance and how to react
spend money to make it fault tolerant
Processor
brain of the computer;
two cores does not mean double performance -> software might be
bottleneck
you reach the limit of the motherboard or memory chip before you
reach the limit of the processor
you can also virtualize processor as if it were several
RAM

Random access memory is the temporary memory. more RAM more

performance
Storage
half electronic half mechanical devices that store magnetic fields on
rotating platters
new hard drives solid state harddrives have no mechanical
components
servers might have: NAS (network attached storage) or SAN (storage
area network)
optical drive = CD ROM
Network Connections
needed for communication; one or more NICs;
servers have to support many connections so the better connections
are preferred

Motherboard
bringing the four components together is the motherboard
nervous system of the computer
Firmware: software contained in read only memory (ROM) chips;
knows how to boot the system, test it and all other instructions;
cant be changed
BIOS: instincts of the computer; software; can be updated =
flashed; instructions that control communicating with disks, RAM
and monitor are kept in System ROM chips and BIOS are these
instructions.
Power Supply is the blood of the computer. It runs on electricity;
since electricity is half electronic half mechanical it is high failure
item - wears out. get redundant power supply - UPSs: uninterruptible
power supplies and or generators
Ports: plug sockets for external devices
check picture on page 8
laptops, personal computers and workstations are for one person.
BUT servers have two goal: they have an increased load; second: it
needs to be reliable (fault tolerant and reliable components)
Physical vs virtual servers: virtual servers have multiple operating
system run on one machine at the same time -save costs, good test
environments.
Locating the server: secure and locked room, access control, clean
uninterruptible power and proper cooling and equipment for proper
backups
1.3Selecting the Software
first choose: operating system then roles the operating system
provides, then install additional software for the server.
Editions of Windows Server 2008 R2
Foundation (15 users)
Standard
Enterprise
Datacenter
Windows Web Server 2008 R2
Server Roles
WS2008R2 has organized services into server roles. You install
the roles and configure a set of software program for a specific
function
Roles for example: Application Server, DNS Server, Print
Service, Web Server (IIS)
Server features: software programs not part of a role - enhance
the software; for example: Group Policy Mangement
Full Version vs. Server Core: there are two mode of WS2008R2. full
version is the normal version. server core has minimal environment
with commands; reduced attack surface; can be used as DHCP, DNS,
Domain controller and other roles

2. Installing Windows Server 2008 RS

Minimal system requirements:

Processor: 1. GHz
Memory: 512 MB RAM
Hard drive: 32 GB

2.1Clean Install
installing from scratch; all software needs to be reinstalled, patched,
configured + data. Even additional drives need to be installed at the
clean install.
2.2Upgrade
upgrade from another older version of Windows Server: as long as
its 64-bit also. And only on one level: standard to standard.
Enterprise to enterprise and datacenter to datacenter
2.3Disk Cloning
Norton Ghost: create an image file of a newly installed computer
and then copy said installation to use for other computers; sector by
sector copy
system preparation tool: Sysprep: helps to remove the identical
security identifier (SID) that occur when using disc cloning.
2.4Unattended Install
little interaction to install by using an answer file - XML file that
stores the answers.
use Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) download
after creating the anserfile the computer automatically performs
install with the parameters specified
2.5Windows Deployment Services
WDS: network based installation; deployment fully automated and
customized with answer files
Windows Imaging Format (WIM); connect computer to WDS server
and install configured image.
2.6Windows Licensing
software license gives you permission to use specific software
one copy per license and no distribution
OEM cheapest license with new computer
retail license come with key code
volume licensing is best for big companies
2.7Windows Activation
anti-piracy technology verifies legitimately licensed software.
if you dont activate get reminder and only critical updates
2.8Windows Updates
Windows Update can be found in control panel;
Patch Tuesday every second Tuesday of the month
large cooperations usually use Windows Server Update Service
(WSUS) or System Center Configuration Manger (SCCM)- test
updates before install to clients PCs