Chapter 1: Introduction to Windows Server Operating Systems PDF

ET0015 Server Management Chapter 1 Introduction to Windows Server Operating Systems Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to a) Explain the functions of operating systems. b) Explain the functions of a server operating system in a network. c) Co...

ET0015 Server Management Chapter 1 Introduction to Windows Server Operating Systems Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to a) Explain the functions of operating systems. b) Explain the functions of a server operating system in a network. c) Compare the editions of Windows Server Operating Systems. d) List Windows Server roles and features. Page 1 ET0015 Server Management 1. What is an Operating System? An operating system (OS) is software that manages the computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs. The operating system is an essential component of the system software in a computer system. Application programs usually require an operating system to function. Operating systems have three main functions: a) Manage the computer's resources, such as the central processing unit, memory, disk drives, and printers, b) Establish a user interface, and c) Execute and provide services for applications software. User 1 User 2 User n System Application Software Software Software Operating System Hardware CPU RAM I/O Overview of an Operating System Earlier operating systems were mostly single-tasking, i.e. the operating system can only run one program at a time. Most modern operating systems are multi-tasking. The operating system allows more than one program to run simultaneously. There are two types of multi- tasking: a) Co-operative: achieved by relying on each process to give time to the other processes in a defined manner. Examples: 16-bit Microsoft Windows, Mac OS before OS X. b) Pre-emptive: the operating system slices the CPU time and dedicates one slot to each program. Examples: 32-bit Windows NT and Win9x, Solaris, Linux, OS X onwards. In the last decade, there have been many changes to “computer” hardware. Small devices such as smart phones, IoT, and smart appliances are also “computers” running many applications. With these, new operating systems are continually being developed and implemented. Examples of popular modern operating systems are Android, BSD, iOS, Linux, OS X, QNX, Microsoft Windows, Windows Phone and IBM z/OS. Page 2 ET0015 Server Management 2. What is a Server Operating System? A server operating system is an operating system specifically designed to run on servers, that is, specialized computers that operate within a client/server architecture to serve the requests of client computers on the network. The server operating system is the software layer, on top of which other software programs can run on the server hardware. Popular server operating systems include Windows Server, Mac OS X Server, and variants of Linux such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server. A server operating system still manages the computer’s resources, executes and provides services for application software. However, the emphasis is on network access performance and background processes rather than desktop applications. Typically, a server is used to provide services that aid the operations of an organization. Examples of network services: Web server Database server Mail server Application server File server Print server Does the term “server” refer to hardware or software? A server consists of both hardware and software components. A computer, i.e. hardware, becomes a server when software that provides a network service to client computers is installed on it. Operating systems such as Windows 10 and its predecessors are designed to run on desktop computers, hence, they are referred to as client operating systems. They can, however, be set- up to perform server functions such as file and printer sharing. However, there are limitations to the number of connections and bandwidth the client operating system can handle. In a network, it is important for the services to be available round-the-clock. To achieve this, Windows Server Operating Systems include fault-tolerance features such as Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) volumes, Load Balancing, and Clustering. The following table compares the differences in functions and features of a Server operating system compared to a Client operating system: Server Operating System Client Operating System 1. An Operating System that is designed to 1. An Operating System that operates within be installed and used on a server desktops and other portable devices 2. Can provide services to multiple clients or 2. Can obtain services from a server end-user devices 3. Runs on a server 3. Runs on a client device such as desktops, mobile phones, tablets and laptops 4. Can serve multiple client devices at a time 4. Serves a single user at a time 5. Client-server applications with that run 5. Desktop applications with emphasis on background processes with emphasis on user-friendly features, multimedia network access performance capabilities. Page 3 ET0015 Server Management 3. Windows Server Operating System Editions Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 are available in four editions. Businesses can choose the best solution depending on their business size and services they require. Edition Ideal for... Feature comparison Licensing model Foundation Economical general General purpose server OEM only; purpose server with a functionality with no Licensed per server; single processor. virtual license. Maximum 15 users. Essentials Small business Simpler interface, pre- Retail, volume licensing and environments for servers configured connectivity to OEM; with up to two cloud-based services; Licensed per server; processors. One virtual or one physical Maximum 25 users and 50 instance. devices. Standard Low density or non- Full Windows Server Retail, volume licensing and virtualized environments. functionality with two OEM; virtual instances. Licensed per processor + Client Access License (CAL). Datacenter Highly virtualized private Full Windows Server Volume licensing and OEM; and hybrid cloud functionality with Licensed per processor + environments. unlimited virtual instances. Client Access License (CAL). Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 have streamlined the editions to only three, i.e. Essentials, Standard and Datacenter. 4. Windows Server Core Windows Server Core is a Windows server version that provides a minimal user interface environment without any graphical user interface (GUI or “Desktop Experience”). Hence, it must be managed from a command line, or remotely by using Server Manager, an MMC, PowerShell, or a Windows Remote Shell. Microsoft has made Server Core the recommended installation option because it is a more secure, less resource-intensive installation option. A Windows Server Core installation uses a little more than 5 GB of disk space. In the past, for Windows Server 2012 R2, you would be able to switch between Server Core mode and GUI mode (or vice versa) using a powershell command. This option has been deprecated and is no longer available since Windows Server 2016. Since there is no GUI, you need to use commands to configure a server installed with Server Core. For example, to configure the server, such as changing the computer name, the membership to the domain/workgroup, and to set the IP address and default subnet masks, you can use sconfig.cmd. Page 4 ET0015 Server Management Time-out Q1. You are a consultant charged with the responsibility of deploying a computer network to a new insurance company. The owner would like you to install a Windows Server 2019 computer to store data for the office network, which is not expected to grow beyond a maximum of 45 computers including the server. The owner wants to keep deployment costs as low as possible. Which edition of Windows Server 2019 should you recommend? A. Datacenter B. Essentials C. Foundation D. Standard Q2. Which one of the following operating systems does not support multi-tasking? A. Red Hat Linux B. DOS 3.1 C. Windows NT 4.0 D. Windows 95 Q3. Which one of the following is NOT a function of a typical operating system? A. Establish user interface. B. Manage computer resources. C. Compile computer source code. D. Execute computer programs. Q4. Why is the Windows Server Core more secure? ___________________________________________________________________ 5. Windows Server Technologies You need to know the following core concepts and technologies when you use Windows Server Operating Systems. The technologies will be covered in detail in the subsequent chapters. a) Server Manager b) New Technology File System (NTFS) c) File and Printer sharing d) Active Directory e) Microsoft Management Console f) Disk Management g) Windows Networking Page 5 ET0015 Server Management 5.1. Server Manager By default, the Server Manager starts up each time the Windows Server is turned on. The Server Manager provides a single interface for installing, configuring, and removing a variety of server roles and features. It summarizes the status and configuration of the local server and also includes tools to diagnose problems, manage storage, and perform general configuration tasks. The Server Manager can also be used to manage all other servers in the network, provided you enable Remote Management on the other servers. 5.2. New Technology File System (NTFS) New Technology File System (NTFS) is a proprietary file system developed by Microsoft in the 1990s. Starting with Windows NT 3.1, it is the default file system of Windows NT family. One of the most significant improvements of NTFS over its predecessor, FAT, is the capability to set user and group access permissions on files and folders, thus, increasing security within the network. 5.3. File and Printer Sharing One of the most common reason for building and installing a server is to share network resources. Windows Servers provide advanced features to facilitate sharing files and network printers. Examples of such features are Distributed File System, shadow copies, and disk quotas. Page 6 ET0015 Server Management 5.4. Active Directory Active Directory provides a single point of administration of network resources (Users, Groups, Shared Printers, etc.) through centralized authentication and authorization. Active Directory Domain Services also enable administrators to assign system policies, deploy software to client computers, and assign permissions and rights to users of network resources. 5.5. Microsoft Management Console Microsoft Management Console (MMC) creates a centralized management interface for administrators. It uses snap-ins that are designed to perform specific administrative tasks, such as disk management. 5.6. Disk Management On a Microsoft Windows, you can use the Disk Management snap-in or the File and Storage Services role to manage disks and volumes. Page 7 ET0015 Server Management 5.7. Windows Networking Concepts In Microsoft Windows, computers can be members of a Workgroup or a Domain. Terminology Description The Workgroup A small collection of computers that share common roles, such as Model sharing files or printers. Also called a peer-to-peer network. Decentralized logons, security, and resource sharing. Easy to configure and works well for small groups of users (fewer than 10). A Windows server that participates in a workgroup is referred to as a stand-alone server. The Domain Model Preferred for a network that has more than 10 computers or requires centralized security and resource management. Requires at least one computer to be a domain controller. A domain controller is a Windows server that has Active Directory installed and is responsible for allowing client computers access to domain resources. A member server is a Windows server that is in the management scope of a domain but does not have Active Directory installed. Network connection A collection of networking components working together. Network Interface Composed of two parts: the network interface card (NIC) and the device driver software. Network Protocol Specifies the rules and format of communication between network devices. Page 8 ET0015 Server Management The following sub-sections summarise the topics that you can search on Internet for further reading. Some of the roles and features will be covered in subsequent chapters. Windows Server Roles A server role is a major function or service that a server performs. In Windows Server operating system, when you add a server role, you add functions that the server can perform. a) Active Directory Certificate Services b) Active Directory Domain Services c) Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) d) Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS) e) Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) f) DHCP Server g) DNS Server h) File and Storage Services i) Hyper-V j) Network Policy and Access Services k) Print and Document Services l) Remote Access Windows Server Features A server feature provides functions that enhance or support an installed role, or add a stand-alone function. a) Server Core b) Minimal Server Interface c) Hyper-V d) PowerShell e) Storage Spaces f) Resilient File System (ReFS) g) IP Address Management (IPAM) h) Dynamic Access Control Page 9 ET0015 Server Management Review Questions Q1. Which of the following best describes a Windows client OS? A. Supports up to 64 processors. B. Includes fault tolerant features such as RAID-5 and clustering. C. Supports network connections based on the number of purchased licenses. D. Supports a very limited number of logged-on network users. Q2. Your network contains an Active Directory domain named mydomain.com. You installed a new Windows Server 2019 server named DC4 and need to configure it as a domain controller. Which tool should you use? A. Active Directory Users and Computers B. dcpromo.exe C. Hyper-V D. Server Manager Q3. Your network contains an Active Directory domain named mydomain.com. You installed a new Windows Server 2008 R2 server named DC4 and need to configure it as a domain controller. Which tool should you use? A. Active Directory Users and Computers B. dcpromo.exe C. Hyper-V D. Server Manager Q4. Which one of the following roles provides the ability to deliver virtual machines to your organization? A. Remote Desktop Services B. Hyper-V C. Virtual Private Network D. Virtual Server Manager Review Questions (True or False) Q1. A Windows client operating system cannot provide server functions. Q2. In a pre-emptive multitasking operating system, the operating system slices the CPU time and dedicates one slot to each of the programs. Q3. A Windows server that participates in a workgroup is referred to as a member server. Q4. A domain controller is a Windows server that has Active Directory installed. Q5. A stand-alone server is a Windows server that is in the management scope of a domain but does not have Active Directory installed. Q6. Windows Server Core has a GUI that is more secure. Page 10