Windows admin

1. Describe how the DHCP lease is obtained. It’s a four-step process consisting of (a) IP
request, (b) IP offer, © IP selection and (d) acknowledgement.

2. I can’t seem to access the Internet, don’t have any access to the corporate network
and on ipconfig my address is 169.254.*.*. What happened? The 169.254.*.* netmask
is assigned to Windows machines running 98/2000/XP if the DHCP server is not
available. The name for the technology is APIPA (Automatic Private Internet Protocol
Addressing).
3. We’ve installed a new Windows-based DHCP server, however, the users do not
seem to be getting DHCP leases off of it. The server must be authorized first with the
Active Directory.
4. How can you force the client to give up the dhcp lease if you have access to the
client PC? ipconfig /release
5. What authentication options do Windows 2000 Servers have for remote clients?
PAP, SPAP, CHAP, MS-CHAP and EAP.
6. What are the networking protocol options for the Windows clients if for some
reason you do not want to use TCP/IP? NWLink (Novell), NetBEUI, AppleTalk (Apple).
7. What is data link layer in the OSI reference model responsible for? Data link layer
is located above the physical layer, but below the network layer. Taking raw data bits
and packaging them into frames. The network layer will be responsible for addressing the
frames, while the physical layer is reponsible for retrieving and sending raw data bits.
8. What is binding order? The order by which the network protocols are used for client-
server communications. The most frequently used protocols should be at the top.
9. How do cryptography-based keys ensure the validity of data transferred across the
network? Each IP packet is assigned a checksum, so if the checksums do not match on
both receiving and transmitting ends, the data was modified or corrupted.
10. Should we deploy IPSEC-based security or certificate-based security? They are
really two different technologies. IPSec secures the TCP/IP communication and protects
the integrity of the packets. Certificate-based security ensures the validity of
authenticated clients and servers.
11. What is LMHOSTS file? It’s a file stored on a host machine that is used to resolve
NetBIOS to specific IP addresses.
12. What’s the difference between forward lookup and reverse lookup in DNS? Forward
lookup is name-to-address, the reverse lookup is address-to-name.
13. How can you recover a file encrypted using EFS? Use the domain recovery agent.

DHCP Relay Agent

The DHCP Relay Agent component is a Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) relay agent that relays Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) messages between DHCP clients and DHCP servers on different IP
networks. The DHCP Relay Agent is compliant with RFC 1542, "Clarifications and Extensions for the
Bootstrap Protocol." For each IP network segment that contains DHCP clients, either a DHCP server or a
computer acting as a DHCP Relay Agent is required.

14.

Windows 2000

1. Explain hidden shares. Hidden or administrative shares are share names with a dollar
sign ($) appended to their names. Administrative shares are usually created automatically
for the root of each drive letter. They do not display in the network browse list.
2. How do the permissions work in Windows 2000? What permissions does folder
inherit from the parent? When you combine NTFS permissions based on users and
their group memberships, the least restrictive permissions take precedence. However,
explicit Deny entries always override Allow entries.
3. Why can’t I encrypt a compressed file on Windows 2000? You can either compress it
or encrypt it, but not both.
4. If I rename an account, what must I do to make sure the renamed account has the
same permissions as the original one? Nothing, it’s all maintained automatically.
5. What’s the most powerful group on a Windows system? Administrators.
6. What are the accessibility features in Windows 2000? StickyKeys, FilterKeys
Narrator, Magnifier, and On-Screen Keyboard.
7. Why can’t I get to the Fax Service Management console? You can only see it if a fax
had been installed.
8. What do I need to ensure before deploying an application via a Group Policy? Make
sure it’s either an MSI file, or contains a ZAP file for Group Policy.
9. How do you configure mandatory profiles? Rename ntuser.dat to ntuser.man
10. I can’t get multiple displays to work in Windows 2000. Multiple displays have to use
peripheral connection interface (PCI) or Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) port devices to
work properly with Windows 2000.
11. What’s a maximum number of processors Win2k supports? 2
12. I had some NTFS volumes under my Windows NT installation. What happened to
NTFS after Win 2k installation? It got upgraded to NTFS 5.
13. How do you convert a drive from FAT/FAT32 to NTFS from the command line?
convert c: /fs:ntfs
14. Explain APIPA. Auto Private IP Addressing (APIPA) takes effect on Windows 2000
Professional computers if no DHCP server can be contacted. APIPA assigns the
computer an IP address within the range of 169.254.0.0 through 169.254.255.254 with a
subnet mask of 255.255.0.0.
15. How does Internet Connection Sharing work on Windows 2000? Internet
Connection Sharing (ICS) uses the DHCP Allocator service to assign dynamic IP
addresses to clients on the LAN within the range of 192.168.0.2 through
192.168.0.254. In addition, the DNS Proxy service becomes enabled when you
implement ICS.

Windows Server 2003 IIS and

Scripting
What is presentation layer
responsible for in the OSI model?
The presentation layer establishes the
data format prior to passing it along to
the network application’s interface.
TCP/IP networks perform this task at
the application layer.
Does Windows Server 2003 support
IPv6? Yes, run ipv6.exe from command
line to disable it.
Can Windows Server 2003 function
as a bridge? Yes, and it’s a new
feature for the 2003 product. You can
combine several networks and devices
connected via several adapters by
enabling IP routing.
What’s the difference between the
basic disk and dynamic disk? The
basic type contains partitions, extended
partitions, logical drivers, and an
assortment of static volumes; the
dynamic type does not use partitions
but dynamically manages volumes and
provides advanced storage options
What’s a media pool? It is any
compilation of disks or tapes with the
same administrative properties.
How do you install recovery
console? C:\i386\win32 /cmdcons,
assuming that your Win server
installation is on drive C.
What’s new in Terminal Services for
Windows 2003 Server? Supports
audio transmissions as well, although
prepare for heavy network load.
What scripts ship with IIS 6.0?
iisweb.vsb to create, delete, start, stop,
and list Web sites, iisftp.vsb to create,
delete, start, stop, and list FTP sites,
iisdir.vsb to create, delete, start, stop,
and display virtual directories,
iisftpdr.vsb to create, delete, start, stop,
and display virtual directories under an
FTP root, iiscnfg.vbs to export and
import IIS configuration to an XML file.
What’s the name of the user who
connects to the Web site
anonymously? IUSR_computername
What secure authentication and
encryption mechanisms are
supported by IIS 6.0? Basic
authentication, Digest authentication,
Advanced digest authentication,
Certificate-based Web transactions that
use PKCS #7/PKCS #10, Fortezza,
SSL, Server-Gated Cryptography,
Transport Layer Security
What’s the relation between SSL and
TLS? Transport Layer Security (TLS)
extends SSL by providing cryptographic
authentication.
What’s the role of http.sys in IIS? It is
the point of contact for all incoming
HTTP requests. It listens for requests
and queues them until they are all
processed, no more queues are
available, or the Web server is shut
down.
Where’s ASP cache located on IIS
6.0? On disk, as opposed to memory,
as it used to be in IIS 5.
What is socket pooling? Non-blocking
socket usage, introduced in IIS 6.0.
More than one application can use a
given socket.
Describe the process of clustering
with Windows 2003 Server when a
new node is added. As a node goes
online, it searches for other nodes to
join by polling the designated internal
network. In this way, all nodes are
notified of the new node’s existence. If
other nodes cannot be found on a
preexisting cluster, the new node takes
control of the quorum resources
residing on the shared disk that
contains state and configuration data.
What applications are not capable of
performing in Windows 2003 Server
clusters? The ones written exclusively
for NetBEUI and IPX.
What’s a heartbeat? Communication
processes between the nodes designed
to ensure node’s health.
What’s a threshold in clustered
environment? The number of times a
restart is attempted, when the node
fails.
You need to change and admin
password on a clustered Windows
box, but that requires rebooting the
cluster, doesn’t it? No, it doesn’t. In
2003 environment you can do that via
cluster.exe utility which does not require
rebooting the entire cluster.
For the document of size 1 MB, what
size would you expect the index to
be with Indexing Service? 150-300
KB, 15-30% is a reasonable
expectation.
Doesn’t the Indexing Service
introduce a security flaw when
allowing access to the index? No,
because users can only view the
indices of documents and folders that
they have permissions for.
What’s the typical size of the index?
Less then 100K documents - up to 128
MB. More than that - 256+ MB.
Which characters should be
enclosed in quotes when searching
the index? &, @, $, #, ^, ( ), and |.
How would you search for C++? Just
enter C++, since + is not a special
character (and neither is C).
What about Barnes&Noble? Should
be searched for as Barnes’&’Noble.
Are the searches case-sensitive? No.
What’s the order of precedence of
Boolean operators in Microsoft
Windows 2003 Server Indexing
Service? NOT, AND, NEAR, OR.
What’s a vector space query? A
multiple-word query where the weight
can be assigned to each of the search
words. For example, if you want to fight
information on ‘black hole’, but would
prefer to give more weight to the word
hole, you can enter black[1] hole[20]
into the search window.
What’s a response queue? It’s the
message queue that holds response
messages sent from the receiving
application to the sender.
What’s MQPing used for? Testing
Microsoft Message Queue services
between the nodes on a network.
Which add-on package for Windows
2003 Server would you use to
monitor the installed software and
license compliance? SMS (System
Management Server).
Which service do you use to set up
various alerts? MOM (Microsoft
Operations Manager).
What languages does Windows
Scripting Host support? VB,
VBScript, JScript
Windows Server 2003 interview and certification questions
How do you double-boot a Win 2003 server box? The Boot.ini file is
set as read-only, system, and hidden to prevent unwanted editing. To
change the Boot.ini timeout and default settings, use the System
option in Control Panel from the Advanced tab and select Startup.
What do you do if earlier application doesn’t run on Windows Server
2003? When an application that ran on an earlier legacy version of
Windows cannot be loaded during the setup function or if it later
malfunctions, you must run the compatibility mode function. This is
accomplished by right-clicking the application or setup program and
selecting Properties –> Compatibility –> selecting the previously
supported operating system.
If you uninstall Windows Server 2003, which operating systems can
you revert to? Win ME and Win 98.
How do you get to Internet Firewall settings? Start –> Control Panel
–> Network and Internet Connections –> Network Connections.
What are the Windows Server 2003 keyboard shortcuts? Winkey
opens or closes the Start menu. Winkey + BREAK displays the
System Properties dialog box. Winkey + TAB moves the focus to the
next application in the taskbar. Winkey + SHIFT + TAB moves the
focus to the previous application in the taskbar. Winkey + B moves
the focus to the notification area. Winkey + D shows the desktop.
Winkey + E opens Windows Explorer showing My Computer. Winkey
+ F opens the Search panel. Winkey + CTRL + F opens the Search
panel with Search for Computers module selected. Winkey + F1
opens Help. Winkey + M minimizes all. Winkey + SHIFT+ M undoes
minimization. Winkey + R opens Run dialog. Winkey + U opens the
Utility Manager. Winkey + L locks the computer.
What is Active Directory? Active Directory is a network-based object
store and service that locates and manages resources, and makes
these resources available to authorized users and groups. An
underlying principle of the Active Directory is that everything is
considered an object—people, servers, workstations, printers,
documents, and devices. Each object has certain attributes and its
own security access control list (ACL).
Where are the Windows NT Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and
its Backup Domain Controller (BDC) in Server 2003? The Active
Directory replaces them. Now all domain controllers share a
multimaster peer-to-peer read and write relationship that hosts
copies of the Active Directory.
How long does it take for security changes to be replicated among
the domain controllers? Security-related modifications are replicated
within a site immediately. These changes include account and
individual user lockout policies, changes to password policies,
changes to computer account passwords, and modifications to the
Local Security Authority (LSA).
What’s new in Windows Server 2003 regarding the DNS
management? When DC promotion occurs with an existing forest,
the Active Directory Installation Wizard contacts an existing DC to
update the directory and replicate from the DC the required portions
of the directory. If the wizard fails to locate a DC, it performs
debugging and reports what caused the failure and how to fix the
problem. In order to be located on a network, every DC must register
in DNS DC locator DNS records. The Active Directory Installation
Wizard verifies a proper configuration of the DNS infrastructure. All
DNS configuration debugging and reporting activity is done with the
Active Directory Installation Wizard.
When should you create a forest? Organizations that operate on
radically different bases may require separate trees with distinct
namespaces. Unique trade or brand names often give rise to
separate DNS identities. Organizations merge or are acquired and
naming continuity is desired. Organizations form partnerships and
joint ventures. While access to common resources is desired, a
separately defined tree can enforce more direct administrative and
security restrictions.
How can you authenticate between forests? Four types of
authentication are used across forests: (1) Kerberos and NTLM
network logon for remote access to a server in another forest; (2)
Kerberos and NTLM interactive logon for physical logon outside the
user’s home forest; (3) Kerberos delegation to N-tier application in
another forest; and (4) user principal name (UPN) credentials.
What snap-in administrative tools are available for Active Directory?
Active Directory Domains and Trusts Manager, Active Directory Sites
and Services Manager, Active Directory Users and Group Manager,
Active Directory Replication (optional, available from the Resource
Kit), Active Directory Schema Manager (optional, available from
adminpak)
What types of classes exist in Windows Server 2003 Active
Directory?
Structural class. The structural class is important to the system
administrator in that it is the only type from which new Active
Directory objects are created. Structural classes are developed from
either the modification of an existing structural type or the use of one
or more abstract classes.
Abstract class. Abstract classes are so named because they take the
form of templates that actually create other templates (abstracts)
and structural and auxiliary classes. Think of abstract classes as
frameworks for the defining objects.
Auxiliary class. The auxiliary class is a list of attributes. Rather than
apply numerous attributes when creating a structural class, it
provides a streamlined alternative by applying a combination of
attributes with a single include action.
88 class. The 88 class includes object classes defined prior to 1993,
when the 1988 X.500 specification was adopted. This type does not
use the structural, abstract, and auxiliary definitions, nor is it in
common use for the development of objects in Windows Server
2003 environments.
How do you delete a lingering object? Windows Server 2003
provides a command called Repadmin that provides the ability to
delete lingering objects in the Active Directory.
What is Global Catalog? The Global Catalog authenticates network
user logons and fields inquiries about objects across a forest or tree.
Every domain has at least one GC that is hosted on a domain
controller. In Windows 2000, there was typically one GC on every
site in order to prevent user logon failures across the network.
How is user account security established in Windows Server 2003?
When an account is created, it is given a unique access number
known as a security identifier (SID). Every group to which the user
belongs has an associated SID. The user and related group SIDs
together form the user account’s security token, which determines
access levels to objects throughout the system and network. SIDs
from the security token are mapped to the access control list (ACL)
of any object the user attempts to access.
If I delete a user and then create a new account with the same
username and password, would the SID and permissions stay the
same? No. If you delete a user account and attempt to recreate it
with the same user name and password, the SID will be different.
What do you do with secure sign-ons in an organization with many
roaming users? Credential Management feature of Windows Server
2003 provides a consistent single sign-on experience for users. This
can be useful for roaming users who move between computer
systems. The Credential Management feature provides a secure
store of user credentials that includes passwords and X.509
certificates.
Anything special you should do when adding a user that has a Mac?
"Save password as encrypted clear text" must be selected on User
Properties Account Tab Options, since the Macs only store their
passwords that way.
What remote access options does Windows Server 2003 support?
Dial-in, VPN, dial-in with callback.
Where are the documents and settings for the roaming profile
stored? All the documents and
environmental settings for the roaming user are stored locally on the
system, and, when the user logs off, all changes to the locally stored
profile are copied to the shared server folder. Therefore, the first time
a roaming user logs on to a new system the logon process may take
some time, depending on how large his profile folder is.
Where are the settings for all the users stored on a given
machine? \Document and Settings\All Users
What languages can you use for log-on scripts? JavaScipt, VBScript,
DOS batch files (.com, .bat, or even .exe)
Q. What Is the diff b/w Win NT & win 2000 ?

Windows NT (Windows New Technology) is a 32-bit operating

system pioneered by Microsoft for Intel x86 CPUs. NT has
become the base of technology for Windows 2000 and
Windows XP. The Windows NT introduced features like
advanced security, administrative features, pre-emptive
multitasking, and built-in networking.

The Windows NT server version as well as the client version

did not support Plug and Play, a feature which was fulfilled in
Windows 2000 and also in XP. The Windows NT Server,
Enterprise Edition aids in clustering and can recover itself well
in case of system failure.

Launched in early 2000, Win2k or Windows 2000 was a major

upgrade to Windows NT. It is available in 3 server versions
and one client version. Of course, it supports Plug and Play.
With an interface resembling Win95/98, the Win 2000 had
added features, options and dialogs. Windows 2000 has
Active Directory which replaces NT's domain system and
simplifies network administration. Windows 2000 is found to
be more stable than its predecessor Window NT and is
specialized to remove incorrect copies of DLL files when
applications are installed. The Windows 2000 Advanced
Server is quite like the Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition,
designed to support clustering and mechanical failover in case
of a system failure. However the Windows 2000 DataCenter
Server is a top server offering with enhanced clustering
features.

Windows Server 2003, a server operating system introduced

by Microsoft on March 28th, 2003 as the successor to
Windows 2000 Server, is acknowledged by the company to be
the hallmark of their Windows Server System line of business
server products. It incorporates the compatible features of
Windows XP. Though it is regarded as a follow-up of Windows
2000 Server, Windows Server 2003's default installation has
none of the server components enabled, to minimize the
attack surface of new machines. Further the Windows Server
2003 has compatibility features to permit even obsolete
application to run with stability. Upgrading a Window NT 4.0
domain to Windows 2000 was a time consuming task,
especially when it came to dealing with the Active
Directory. Thankfully, Windows Server 2003 brought in
enhanced Active Directory compatibility, and enhanced
operational support for easy transition.
Q. What are the seven Layers of OSI model?

The OSI, or Open System Interconnection, model defines a

networking framework for implementing protocols in seven layers.
Control is passed from one layer to the next, starting at the
application layer in one station, proceeding to the bottom layer, over
the channel to the next station and back up the hierarchy.

This layer supports application and end-user

processes. Communication partners are
identified, quality of service is identified, user
authentication and privacy are considered, and
any constraints on data syntax are identified.
Application Everything at this layer is application-specific.
(Layer 7) This layer provides application services for file
transfers, e-mail, and other network software
services. Telnet and FTP are applications that
exist entirely in the application level. Tiered
application architectures are part of this layer.

This layer provides independence from

differences in data representation (e.g.,
encryption) by translating from application to
network format, and vice versa. The
presentation layer works to transform data into
Presentation the form that the application layer can accept.
(Layer 6) This layer formats and encrypts data to be sent
across a network, providing freedom from
compatibility problems. It is sometimes called
the syntax layer.

This layer establishes, manages and terminates

connections between applications. The session
layer sets up, coordinates, and terminates
Session conversations, exchanges, and dialogues
(Layer 5) between the applications at each end. It deals
with session and connection coordination.

This layer provides transparent transfer of data

between end systems, or hosts, and is
Transport responsible for end-to-end error recovery and
(Layer 4) flow control. It ensures complete data transfer.

This layer provides switching and routing

technologies, creating logical paths, known as
virtual circuits, for transmitting data from node
Network to node. Routing and forwarding are functions
(Layer 3) of this layer, as well as addressing,
internetworking, error handling, congestion
control and packet sequencing.
 At this layer, data packets are encoded and
decoded into bits. It furnishes transmission
protocol knowledge and management and
handles errors in the physical layer, flow control
and frame synchronization. The data link layer
is divided into two sub layers: The Media
Data Link Access Control (MAC) layer and the Logical
(Layer 2) Link Control (LLC) layer. The MAC sub layer
controls how a computer on the network gains
access to the data and permission to transmit it.
The LLC layer controls frame synchronization,
flow control and error checking.

This layer conveys the bit stream - electrical

impulse, light or radio signal -- through the
network at the electrical and mechanical level. It
Physical provides the hardware means of sending and
(Layer 1) receiving data on a carrier, including defining
cables, cards and physical aspects. Fast
Ethernet, RS232, and ATM are protocols with
physical layer components.

Q. what Is TCP /IP /?

TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is

the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet.
It can also be used as a communications protocol in a private
network (either an intranet or an extranet). When you are set
up with direct access to the Internet, your computer is provided
with a copy of the TCP/IP program just as every other
computer that you may send messages to or get information
from also has a copy of TCP/IP.

TCP/IP is a two-layer program. The higher layer, Transmission

Control Protocol, manages the assembling of a message or file
into smaller packets that are transmitted over the Internet and
received by a TCP layer that reassembles the packets into the
original message. The lower layer, Internet Protocol, handles
the address part of each packet so that it gets to the right
destination. Each gateway computer on the network checks
this address to see where to forward the message. Even though
some packets from the same message are routed differently
than others, they'll be reassembled at the destination.

TCP/IP uses the client/server model of communication in

which a computer user (a client) requests and is provided a
service (such as sending a Web page) by another computer (a
server) in the network. TCP/IP communication is primarily
point-to-point, meaning each communication is from one point
(or host computer) in the network to another point or host
computer. TCP/IP and the higher-level applications that use it
are collectively said to be "stateless" because each client
request is considered a new request unrelated to any previous
one (unlike ordinary phone conversations that require a
dedicated connection for the call duration). Being stateless
frees network paths so that everyone can use them
continuously. (Note that the TCP layer itself is not stateless as
far as any one message is concerned. Its connection remains in
place until all packets in a message have been received.)

Q.What are the Features of AD ?What are the diff roles of

AD ?(FsmO)?

Flexible Single-Master Operation (FSMO)

roles,manage an
aspect of the domain or forest, to prevent conflicts

1.Domain Naming Master, If you want to add a domain to a

forest, the domain?s name must be verifiably unique. The
forest?s Domain Naming Master FSMOs authorize the domain
name operation.

2.Infrastructure Master, When a user and group are in

different domains, a lag can exist between changes to the
user (e.g., a name change) and the user?s display in the
group. The Infrastructure Master of the group?s domain fixes
the group-to-user reference to reflect the change. The
Infrastructure Master performs its fixes locally and relies
on replication to bring all other replicas of the domain up
to date.

3.PDC Emulator,For backward compatibility, one DC in each

Win2K domain must emulate a PDC for the benefit of Windows
NT 4.0 and NT 3.5 DCs and clients.

4.RID Master,The RID Master must be available for you to use

the Microsoft Windows 2000 Resource Kit?s Movetree utility
to move objects between domains.

5.Schema Master,At the heart of Active Directory (AD) is the

schema, which is like a blueprint of all objects and
containers. Because the schema must be the same throughout
the forest, only one machine can authorize schema modifications.
Q.What is the system state data in Win 2k ?

System State data

You can back up and restore the following system components
using Backup:

 Registry
 COM+ Class Registration database
 Boot files , including the system files
 Certificate Services database
 Active Directory directory service
 SYSVOL directory
 Cluster service information

Q. How do you repair a Blue Screen error ?

Introduction
Whenever your system happens to be using different brand names
of peripheral devices attached to it, or during the installation of the
operating System, not all the drivers were installed, you have a very
high chance of getting the Blue Screen of Death, on your computer.

[edit]

Steps
There are several ways in which you can try to correct this problem
which is mostly caused by Wrong Drivers on An update of a Driver
that isn't compatible with your hadware. Try to search the web with
the Error code generated by your system i.e type the error code and
click search. once you know which device is causing the error,check
to see if it had any Driver updates and try to Roll back the Driver
installation. You can also try to do a system restore and choose a
time earlier that the the day of System update dates.

Rolling Back a Questionable Device Driver

Getting back to the previous driver for any device is really easy.
While there are a lot of ways to get to the properties for a particular
device, here's one way. (This assumes you have your Control Panel
set to the new Category View in Windows XP.)

1. Click on Start and select Control Panel.

2. Click on Performance and Maintenance.

3. Click on See basic information about your computer to bring up

the System Properties dialog.

4. Click on the Hardware tab.

5. Click on the Device Manager button to bring up the Device

Manager.

6. Right-click on the problem device and select Properties. If the

device is not working, it will likely appear with a red X in the middle
of the icon, as shown below.

7. Click on the Driver tab and then click Roll Back Driver. Accept as
appropriate and required. If a system reboot is required, your
computer will prompt you.

[edit]

Examples
Restart your computer in safe mode then Click Start,-All Programs,-
Accessories,- System Tools,- system Restore. choose a restore
point earlier that than your last two or three updates and start
restore.

[edit]

Conclusion
there are some challenges that you might experience during this
process, but try e.g 1. getting the correct driver for your Hardware. 2.
Removing the problem device and or replacing it completely.

Q. What are the different levels of RAID that can be

setup ?

RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) is a system

developed whereby two or more disks are physically linked
together to form a single logical, large capacity storage device
that offers a number of advantages over conventional hard disk
storage devices:

 superior performance
 improved resiliency
 lower costs

RAID is a hard disk technology which can be used to speed

up data transfer and/or provide disk redundancy.

RAID provides these features by utilising more than one hard

disk at a time, there are several variations of a RAID
configuration referred to as levels.

 RAID 0 (striped disks) distributes data across multiple

disks in a way that gives improved speed at any given
instant. If one disk fails, however, all of the data on the
array will be lost, as there is neither parity nor
mirroring. In this regard, RAID 0 is somewhat of a
misnomer, in that RAID 0 is non-redundant. A RAID 0
array requires a minimum of two drives. A RAID 0
configuration can be applied to a single drive provided
that the RAID controller is hardware and not software
(i.e. OS-based arrays) and allows for such
configuration. This allows a single drive to be added to
a controller already containing another RAID
configuration when the user does not wish to add the
additional drive to the existing array. In this case, the
controller would be set up as RAID only (as opposed to
SCSI only (no RAID)), which requires that each
individual drive be a part of some sort of RAID array.
 RAID 1 mirrors the contents of the disks, making a
form of 1:1 ratio realtime backup. The contents of each
disk in the array are identical to that of every other disk
in the array. A RAID 1 array requires a minimum of
two drives. RAID 1 mirrors, though during the writing
process copy the data identically to both drives, would
not be suitable as a permanent backup solution, as
RAID technology by design allows for certain failures
to take place.
 RAID 3 or 4 (striped disks with dedicated parity)
combines three or more disks in a way that protects
data against loss of any one disk.Fault tolerance is
achieved by adding an extra disk to the array and
dedicating it to storing parity information. The storage
capacity of the array is reduced by one disk. A RAID 3
 or 4 array requires a minimum of three drives: two to
hold striped data, and a third drive to hold parity data.
 RAID 5 (striped disks with distributed parity) combines
three or more disks in a way that protects data against
the loss of any one disk. It is similar to RAID 3 but the
parity is not stored on one dedicated drive, instead
parity information is interspersed across the drive array.
The storage capacity of the array is a function of the
number of drives minus the space needed to store
parity. The maximum number of drives that can fail in
any RAID 5 configuration without losing data is only
one. Losing two drives in a RAID 5 array is referred to
as a "double fault" and results in data loss.
 RAID 6 (striped disks with dual parity) combines four
or more disks in a way that protects data against loss of
any two disks.
 RAID 1+0 (or 10) is a mirrored data set (RAID 1)
which is then striped (RAID 0), hence the "1+0" name.
A RAID 10 array requires a minimum of two drives,
but is more commonly implemented with 4 drives to
take advantage of speed benefits.
 RAID 0+1 (or 01) is a striped data set (RAID 0) which
is then mirrored (RAID 1). A RAID 0+1 array requires
a minimum of four drives: two to hold the striped data,
plus another two to mirror the first pair.

Q. How do you troubleshoot a NTLDR,NTDETECT missing

issues in Win NT /2000 ?

“When your computer starts, the BIOS attempts to find the

primary hard drive’s active partition to read the first sector for
the MBR (Master Boot Record), it uses that info to load the
rest of the OS. For Windows NT4/2k/XP the NTLDR (New
Technology Loader) takes it from there. If you get the
“NTLDR is missing, press any key to restart” what’s most
likely going on is the BIOS either didn’t look for the right
drive, didn’t find the right partition, it wasn’t active, didn’t find
the MBR, or the MBR didn’t list NTLDR in the right place, or
the location of NTLDR changed.”