Hands-On Microsoft Windows

Server 2008

Chapter 3
Configuring the Windows Server 2008
Environment
 Objectives
Use Server Manager and ServerManagerCmd.exe to
manage a server
Install and remove server roles
Configure server hardware
Configure the operating system

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 2

 Objectives (continued)
Understand and configure the Registry
Use the Security Configuration Wizard to harden a
server

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 3

 Using Server Manager
Server Manager
Consolidates administrative functions to make a
server easier to manage
Roles Summary feature
Displays log information to alert you to warnings or
problems

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 4

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 5
 Using Server Manager (continued)
Activity 3-1: Getting to Know Server Manager
Time Required: Approximately 15 minutes
Objective: Learn how to start and use Server Manager

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 6

 Installing and Removing Server Roles

Two common roles for a Windows Server 2008

server
File Services role
Focuses on sharing files from the server or using the
server to coordinate and simplify file sharing through
Distributed File System (DFS)
Print Services role
Used to manage network printing services and it can
offer one or more network printers connected to the
network through the server itself

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 7

 Installing and Removing Server Roles
(continued)
Activity 3-2: Installing and Removing Two Server
Roles
Time Required: Approximately 20 minutes
Objective: Install and then remove the File Services
and Print Services roles in Windows Server 2008

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 8

 Using ServerManagerCmd.exe

ServerManagerCmd.exe
Command-line tool for managing server roles
Can be used to manage features that are to be added
or removed
Management activities
Install a role or feature
Remove a role or feature
Query to determine what roles and features are
installed

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 9

 Using ServerManagerCmd.exe
(continued)
Management activities (continued)
Use the whatif option to determine which features and
services will be installed by a specific role, before
actually installing that role
Restart the computer after installing or removing a role
or feature
Specify particular features or services to install with a
role
Use an XML-based answer file to have
ServerManagerCmd.exe install or remove server roles

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 10

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 11
 Using ServerManagerCmd.exe
(continued)

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 12

 Using ServerManagerCmd.exe
(continued)

Activity 3-3: Running ServerManagerCmd.exe

Time Required: Approximately 10 minutes
Objective: Use the ServerManagerCmd.exe
command to install and query server roles

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 13

 Configuring Server Hardware Devices

Hardware devices can include the following:

Disk drives
Disk controllers
Network adapters
CD/DVD drives
Keyboard
Pointing devices
Monitor

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 14

 Plug and Play

Plug and Play (PnP)

The ability to automatically detect and configure
newly installed hardware devices
For this capability to work, PnP must be:
Built into the device
Enabled in the target computers BIOS
Built into the computer operating system kernel
PnP eliminates hours of time that server
administrators and computer users once spent
installing and configuring hardware
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 15
 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard
The Add Hardware Wizard is used for the following
tasks:
Invoke the operating system to use PnP to detect new
hardware
Install new non-PnP hardware and hardware drivers
Troubleshoot problems you might be having with
existing hardware
The Add Hardware Wizard is started from Control
Panel
Windows Server 2008 provides two Control Panel view
options: Control Panel Home and Classic View
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 16
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 17
 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard (continued)
Device Manager
Used to check for a resource conflict and to examine
other properties associated with a device
Provides a graphical view of all hardware currently
installed on your computer
Can also be used to:
Verify if hardware installed is working properly
Update device drivers
Disable a device
Uninstall a device
Configure the settings for a device
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 18
 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard (continued)
Activity 3-4: Resolving a Resource Conflict
Time Required: Approximately 10 minutes
Objective: Use Device Manager to resolve a resource
conflict

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 19

 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard (continued)
Driver signing
When a driver is verified, a unique digital signature is
incorporated into it
When Windows Server 2008 determines that a
device driver is not signed, it gives you a warning
Device drivers that are unsigned cannot be loaded in
x64 versions of Windows Server 2008
Use the System File Checker
To scan system files for integrity

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 20

 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard (continued)
You can run this utility to:
Scan all system files to verify integrity
Scan and replace files as needed
Scan only certain files
The System File Checker can be manually run from
the Command Prompt window

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 21

 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard (continued)
Activity 3-5: Manually Running the System File
Checker
Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes to learn
about the command options and 1030 minutes to run
the test
Objective: Use the System File Checker to verify
system files

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 22

 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard (continued)
Using Sigverif to verify system and critical files
Sigverif verifies system and critical files to determine
if they have a signature
Only scans files and does not overwrite inappropriate
files, enabling you to use the tool while users are logged
on
After the scan is complete, the results are written to a
log file, called sigverif.txt

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 23

 Using Control Panel and the Add
Hardware Wizard (continued)
Activity 3-6: Verifying Critical Files for a Signature
Time Required: Approximately 15 minutes
Objective: Use Sigverif to find unsigned files

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 24

 Configuring the Operating System

After the operating system has been installed

It can be configured to optimize performance and
meet very specific requirements

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 25

 Configuring Performance Options

Configuring processor scheduling and Data

Execution Prevention
Processor scheduling
Allows you to configure how processor resources are
allocated to programs
Data Execution Prevention (DEP)
Monitors how programs use memory to ensure they are
not causing memory problems

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 26

 Configuring Performance Options
(continued)
Activity 3-7: Configuring Processor Scheduling and
DEP
Time Required: Approximately 10 minutes
Objective: Learn where to set up processor scheduling
and system memory protection

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 27

 Configuring Performance Options
(continued)
Configuring virtual memory
Virtual memory
Disk storage used to expand the capacity of the physical
RAM installed in the computer
Virtual memory works through a technique called
paging
Whereby blocks of information, called pages, are moved
from RAM into virtual memory on disk
The area of disk that is allocated for this purpose is
called the paging file

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 28

 Configuring Performance Options
(continued)
Tips for placement of the paging file:
Server performance is better if the paging file is not
placed on the boot partition
If there are multiple disks, performance can be
improved by placing a paging file on each disk
In a mirrored set or volume, place the paging file on
the main disk
Do not place the paging file on a stripe set, striped
volume, stripe set with parity, or RAID-5 volume

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 29

 Configuring Performance Options
(continued)
Activity 3-8: Configuring the Paging File
Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes
Objective: Learn where to configure the initial and
maximum size of the paging file

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 30

 Configuring Performance Options
(continued)
Configuring direct memory access for hard disks
Hard drives transfer modes:
Program Input/Output (PIO)
Uses CPU memory registers and RAM during the
process of transferring data for disk reads and writes
Direct Memory Access (DMA)
Bypasses the use of CPU memory and writes to and
reads directly from RAM
Which makes it much faster than PIO
Windows Server 2008 configures IDE/ATA/SATA
drives to use the DMA transfer mode by default
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 31
 Configuring Performance Options
(continued)
Activity 3-9: Configuring the DMA Transfer Mode
Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes
Objective: Determine the transfer mode used by a
hard drive and set it to DMA, if necessary

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 32

 Configuring Environment Variables

Environment variables
Used to tell the operating system where to find certain
programs and how to allocate memory to programs,
and to control different programs
System environment variables
Defined by the operating system and apply to any user
logged onto the computer
User environment variables
Can be defined on a per-user basis, such as
specifying the path where application files are stored

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 33

 Configuring Environment Variables
(continued)
Activity 3-10: Configuring System and Environment
Variables
Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes
Objective: Learn where to configure system and user
environment variables

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 34

 Configuring Startup and Recovery

You can configure the following system startup

options:
Which operating system to boot by default, if more
than one operating system is installed
How long to display a list of operating systems from
which to boot
How long to display a list of recovery options, if the
computer needs to go into recovery mode after a
system failure

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 35

 Configuring Startup and Recovery
(continued)
Activity 3-11: Configuring Startup and Recovery
Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes
Objective: Configure startup and recovery options

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 36

 Configuring Power Options

The Power Options that you can set are as follows:

Select a power plan
Require a password on wakeup
Choose what the power button does
Create a power plan
Choose when to turn off the display
Three power plans are already created: balanced,
power saver, and high performance
The option to create a power plan enables you to
customize a power plan
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 37
 Configuring Power Options (continued)

Activity 3-12: Configuring Power Options

Time Required: Approximately 5 minutes
Objective: Configure the balanced power plan

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 38

 Understanding the Windows Server
2008 Registry
Windows Server 2008 Registry
A very complex database containing all information the
operating system needs about the entire server
The Registry is the coordinating center for a specific
server
Data contained in the Registry include:
Information about all hardware components
Information about Windows Server 2008 services that
are installed
Data about user profiles and Windows Server 2008
group policies
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 39
 Understanding the Windows Server
2008 Registry (continued)
Data contained in the Registry include: (continued)
Data on the last current and last known setup used to
boot the computer
Configuration information about all software in use
Software licensing information
Server Manager and Control Panel parameter
configurations
The Registry Editor is launched from the Start button
Run option as either regedt32 or regedit

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 40

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 41
 Registry Contents

The Registry is hierarchical in structure

Made up of keys, subkeys, and entries
Registry key
A category or division of information within the
Registry
Registry subkeys
A single key may contain one or more lower-level keys
Registry entry
A data parameter associated with a software or
hardware characteristic under a key (or subkey)
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 42
Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 43
 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

HKEY_LOCAL_ MACHINE root key

Contains information on every hardware component in
the server
Including information about what drivers are loaded
and their version levels, what IRQ lines are used,
setup configurations, the BIOS version, and more

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 44

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 45
 HKEY_CURRENT_USER

HKEY_CURRENT_USER key
Contains information about the desktop setup for the
account presently logged on to the server console
HKEY_USERS key
Contains profile settings for all users who have logged
onto the server

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 46

 HKEY_USERS

HKEY_USERS root key

Contains profile information for each user who has
logged onto the computer
Each profile is listed under this root key

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 47

 HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key
Holds data to associate file extensions with programs
Associations exist for executable files, text files,
graphics files, Clipboard files, audio files, and many
more
These associations are used as defaults for all users
who log on to Windows Server 2008

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 48

 HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG root key

Has information about the current hardware profile
Holds information about the monitor type, keyboard,
mouse, and other hardware characteristics for the
current profile

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 49

 HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
(continued)
Activity 3-14: Using the Registry Editor
Time Required: Approximately 10 minutes
Objective: Practice using the Registry Editor to view
the Registry contents

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 50

 Using the Security Configuration
Wizard
Security Configuration Wizard (SCW)
Steps you through analyzing and configuring security
settings on a server
SCW examines the roles a server plays
And then tries to adjust security to match these roles

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 51

 Using the Security Configuration
Wizard (continued)
Through the SCW, you can:
Disable unnecessary services and software
Close network communication ports and other
communication resources that arent in use
Examine shared files and folders to help manage
network access through access protocols
Configure firewall rules

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 52

 Using the Security Configuration
Wizard (continued)
SCW has three components:
GUI interactive wizard
Database
Command-line tool called scwcmd
The Security Configuration Database (SCD) is a
group of XML files that establish a security policy

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 53

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 54
 Using the Security Configuration
Wizard (continued)

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 55

 Using the Security Configuration
Wizard (continued)
Activity 3-15: Using SCW to Configure a Security
Policy
Time Required: Approximately 2030 minutes
Objective: Create a new security policy
Activity 3-16: Using scwcmd
Time Required: Approximately 30 minutes
Objective: View security policy settings using the
scwcmd command-line command

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 56

 Summary
Server Manager is a new tool offered in Windows
Server 2008
ServerManagerCmd.exe is a command-line version
of Server Manager and has the ability to manage
multiple servers
The Add Hardware Wizard enables the installation
of hardware devices not properly detected by PnP
Device Manager is a tool you can access from
Server Manager or Control Panel to manage
hardware

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 57

 Summary (continued)
The System File Checker and Sigverif are tools for
verifying system files
After Windows Server 2008 is installed, you can
tune performance by configuring processor
scheduling and memory use, virtual memory, and
memory for network performance
To help protect your system from power problems,
configure startup and recovery options as well as
power options
Use Control Panel to install or uninstall protocols

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 58

 Summary (continued)
The Registry is a database that is at the foundation
of Windows Server 2008
The Security Configuration Wizard helps you
protect Windows Server 2008 from problems
caused by attackers and malicious software

Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2008 59