Live Interview Questions & Answers ! Windows Server Active Directory ! Become System Admin

Summary

This script covers essential concepts related to system administration, particularly in managing Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, and DHCP. It explains the role of sysvol in storing and sharing group policies, the types of objects and containers in Active Directory, and the precedence of policies in Group Policy Management. It also delves into DNS query types (forward and reverse), as well as the DHCP process, including the role of the DHCP relay agent and the four-step process for clients to receive IP addresses. A practical guide for administrators seeking a deeper understanding of these critical networking components.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Sysvol folder in Active Directory is responsible for storing and managing Group Policy Objects (GPOs) and executing them across client machines.
• 😀 The Active Directory contains various objects and containers, such as User Groups, Computer Groups, Shared Folders, Printers, Sites, and Organizational Units (OUs).
• 😀 PDC (Primary Domain Controller) is the root domain controller, while ADC (Additional Domain Controller) serves as a backup, and CDC (Child Domain Controller) helps with backup for remote domain controllers.
• 😀 Group Policy Objects (GPOs) can have different precedence levels, with OUs having the highest priority. Local, site, domain, and OU policies override each other in sequence.
• 😀 The 'Block Inheritance' option in GPOs allows administrators to prevent specific groups from inheriting policies, while 'Enforce' ensures a policy is applied regardless of other settings.
• 😀 WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) filters can be used to apply policies based on the operating system or hardware architecture, such as segregating Windows 10 policies or applying policies for 32-bit versus 64-bit systems.
• 😀 DNS queries can be classified into forward and reverse queries. Forward queries resolve hostnames to IP addresses, while reverse queries resolve IP addresses to hostnames.
• 😀 DNS queries can be iterative or recursive. In an iterative query, the DNS server checks up to the root level and stops once it finds an answer, while in recursive queries, the server continues checking until it finds a definitive answer.
• 😀 MX (Mail Exchange) records in DNS help direct emails to the correct mail servers, especially when using custom domains or offline email exchanges.
• 😀 DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) Relay Agent allows communication between DHCP clients and servers when the server is outside the local network. It can also support different IP address classes between departments.
• 😀 The DHCP process involves four stages: Discover (client requests an IP), Offer (server offers an IP), Request (client requests specific IP), and Acknowledge (server confirms the IP allocation).

Q & A

What is the purpose of the sysvol folder in Active Directory?

The sysvol folder in Active Directory stores group policies, and it is used to distribute those policies to clients. It is shared automatically and contains important files related to the functionality of domain controllers, such as user, computer, and group policies.

What is the difference between PDC, ADC, and CDC in Active Directory?

PDC (Primary Domain Controller) is the root domain controller that manages the domain. ADC (Additional Domain Controller) acts as a backup for the PDC, ensuring redundancy. CDC (Child Domain Controller) is part of a child domain, providing backup and replication for that specific child domain.

How does Group Policy precedence work in Active Directory?

In Active Directory, Group Policy precedence refers to the order in which policies are applied. The order of priority is: Local Group Policy first, followed by Site-level, Domain-level, and Organizational Unit (OU)-level policies, with the OU-level policy having the highest priority and overriding the others.

What is the function of the 'Block Inheritance' and 'Enforce' options in Group Policy?

'Block Inheritance' prevents higher-level Group Policies from applying to a specific Organizational Unit (OU), while 'Enforce' ensures that a specific Group Policy is always applied, overriding any conflicting policies at lower levels.

What is a WMI filter in Group Policy, and when should it be used?

A WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation) filter in Group Policy allows administrators to apply policies based on system characteristics, such as OS version or architecture (e.g., 64-bit vs. 32-bit). It is useful when you need to apply specific policies only to certain types of machines, such as those running Windows 10 or 64-bit versions.

How can a Group Policy Object (GPO) be backed up and restored?

Group Policy Objects (GPOs) can be backed up using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). To restore a GPO, the administrator can use the backup GPO files to import the settings into the system and apply them to the domain as required.

What are the two main types of DNS queries, and how do they differ?

The two main types of DNS queries are forward queries and reverse queries. A forward query translates a hostname into an IP address, while a reverse query translates an IP address into a hostname.

What is the difference between iterative and recursive DNS queries?

In an iterative DNS query, the DNS server responds with the best answer it can provide, potentially referring the client to another server for further resolution. In a recursive query, the DNS server takes full responsibility for resolving the query and returns the final answer, even if it needs to query multiple servers.

What is an MX record in DNS, and how does it work?

An MX (Mail Exchange) record in DNS specifies the mail server responsible for receiving email on behalf of a domain. It is used to route email to the appropriate mail server when users send emails to an address associated with the domain.

What is the role of a DHCP relay agent in a network?

A DHCP relay agent forwards DHCP requests from clients to a DHCP server that is located outside the local network. This is useful when the DHCP server is not directly accessible by the client or when there are multiple subnets within a network.