Chapter 15

MCITP Guide to Microsoft

Windows Server 2008 Server

Administration (Exam #70-646)

Chapter 15

Managing System Reliability and

Availability

Learning Objectives

• Understand general problem-solving strategies

• Resolve boot problems

• Understand Emergency Management Services

• Restore Server Roles, Active Directory, and GPOs

• Configure shadow copies

MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,

Server Administration (Exam #70-646)

2

Learning Objectives (cont’d.)

• Understand failover clustering

• Use and configure Event Viewer

• Troubleshoot network connectivity

• Remotely administer a server using Remote

Desktop

• Remotely administer multiple servers using Remote

Server Administration Tools



3

General Problem-Solving Strategies

• Develop effective troubleshooting strategies

• General strategies

– Understand how a server and the network interact

– Train your users to help you solve problems

– Solve problems step by step

– Track problems and solutions



4

Understanding How Servers and the

Network Interact

• Network diagram elements

– Servers and any mainframes

– Workstations and network printers

– Wireless network devices

– Cabled network devices

– Telecommunications links

– Wireless links

– Remote links

– Building locations



5

Understanding How Servers and the

Network Interact (cont’d.)

Figure 15-1 Sample network diagram

Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning



6

Training Users to Help

• Train users to be your partners in reporting problems:

– Save work at the first sign of a problem

– Record information about a problem as problem is occurring

– Report any protocol information

– Quickly report a problem by telephone, or by voice mail if you cannot be reached immediately

– Avoid sending e-mail about urgent problems



7

Solving Problems Step by Step

• Get as much information as possible

• Record error message

• Determine if anyone else is experiencing problem

• Check Windows Server 2008 event logs

• Use Performance Monitor, Reliability Monitor, Data

Collector Sets, Task Manager, Server Manager, and the Computer Management tool

• Check for power interruptions



8

Solving Problems Step by Step

(cont’d.)

• Define the problem

• Determine possible solutions

• Consider best or most likely solutions

– May be the simplest ones

• Determine how solution will affect users

• Implement solution

• Continue monitoring server

– Ensure there are no further problems



9

Tracking Problems and Solutions

• Keep log of all network problems and their solutions

• Help desk system

– Application software

– Maintain information on computer systems, user questions, problem solutions, and other information

– Members of organization can reference

• Accumulate information on solutions

• Keep a change log



10

Resolving Boot Problems

• Common causes of boot failures include:

– Disk failure on drive or drives containing system and boot files

– Corrupted partition table

– Corrupted boot file

– Corrupted master boot record

– Disk read error

• First step

– Power off the computer and try rebooting

– Rebooting resets CPU registers



11

Troubleshooting by Using Safe Mode

• Safe Mode

– Boots the server using the most generic default settings

– Only services needed to boot a basic configuration

– Further troubleshoot problem

• To access Advanced Boot Options menu:

– Reboot the computer

– Press F8

– Select the option you want to use (Safe Mode)

– Press Enter



12

Table 15-1 Advanced Boot Options menu options



13

Troubleshooting by Using Safe Mode

(cont’d.)

• Enable Boot Logging option

– Create a log that you can later check for problems

• Safe Mode with Command Prompt option

– Useful when you can solve a problem by executing a command

• Directory Services Restore Mode for Active

Directory

– Restore damaged files and folders

• Activity 15-1: Booting into Safe Mode

– Objective: Learn how to boot into Safe Mode



14

Troubleshooting by Using the

Installation DVD

• Windows Server 2008 installation DVD provides:

– Windows Complete PC Restore

– Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

– Command Prompt

• Windows Complete PC Restore

– Create a VSS full backup using Windows Server

Backup tool

– System state data includes operating system:

• Plus extra components and information that reflect currently configured state of server



15


Installation DVD (cont’d.)

• Windows Complete PC Restore (cont’d.)

– All system state data is backed up as a group

– Can use wbadmin to create a system state backup

– To restore from system state backup:

• Use wbadmin start systemstaterecovery command

– Perform full restore when you cannot get the server to boot

• Windows Backup tool is unavailable



16



• Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool

– Available from Repair your computer option on the

Windows Server 2008 installation DVD

– Test RAM in your computer

• Activity 15-2: Performing Memory Diagnostics

– Objective: Learn how to test RAM



17



• Using the Command Prompt

– Repair disk problem or copy a critical file back to server

– Start in \Sources folder on Windows Server 2008 installation DVD

– Activity 15-3: Using the Command Prompt

• Objective: Learn how to access the command prompt from the Windows Server 2008 installation DVD



18



Table 15-2 Sample command prompt commands



19

General Tips for Fixing Boot Problems

Table 15-3 Troubleshooting boot problems



20

Table 15-3 Troubleshooting boot problems (cont’d.)



21

Table 15-4 Troubleshooting boot problems associated with Stop messages



22

General Tips for Fixing Boot Problems

(cont’d.)

Table 15-4 Troubleshooting boot problems associated with Stop messages (cont’d.)



23

Emergency Management Services

• Emergency Management Services (EMS)

– Connect a terminal to a serial port

– “Out-of-band” connection

• Don’t need network or display drivers

• Must be enabled in the boot settings of computer:

– Before problem occurs



24

Restoring Server Roles, Active

Directory, and GPOs

• Sometimes necessary to restore:

– Server roles

– Active Directory

– GPOs



25

Restoring Server Roles

• If server role corrupted:

– Try booting server into Advanced Boot Options menu

– Use Last Known Good Configuration (advanced) option on Advanced Boot Options menu

• Go back to previous configuration



26

Restoring Active Directory

• Active Directory can become corrupted

• Completely restore Active Directory

– Advanced Boot Options menu

• Offers Directory Services Restore Mode option

– Use wbadmin command

• Restore system state data

• Nonauthoritative restore

– Restore system state data



27

Restoring Active Directory (cont’d.)

• Tombstones

– Active Directory objects that have been intentionally deleted

– Only flagged as deleted

– Retained for a specific period

• Tombstone lifetime

– Not restored by nonauthoritative restore

• Retained as Active Directory objects flagged as deleted

– Must use authoratative restore to restore tombstones



28

Restoring a Group Policy Object

• GPO can be restored after it has been deleted

• Use Group Policy Management MMC snap-in

• General steps for restoring a GPO

– Open Group Policy Management MMC snap-in

– Right click Group Policy Objects container

– Click Manage Backups

– Browse to GPO storage location

– Select GPO to restore and click Restore

– Close Manage Backups window and Group Policy

Management tool



29

Configuring Shadow Copies

• Shadow copy

– Quick copy made of a shared folder at regular intervals

• Default intervals

– 7:00 AM and noon Monday through Friday

– Can be reconfigured for different times

• Configure shadow copies with Computer

Management tool

– On Administrative Tools menu

• Use revert capability

– Restore an entire volume to an earlier point in time



30

Redundancy through Clustering

• Failover clustering

– Configuring multiple computers to appear to work as one computer

– Other computers in cluster take over:

• When one or more computers in the cluster fails or cannot be reached

• Offered in:

– Windows Server 2008 Enterprise and Datacenter

Editions



31

Redundancy through Clustering

(cont’d.)

• Involves using one of four quorum models

– Node Majority

– Node and Disk Majority

– Node and File Share Majority

– No Majority: Disk Only



32

Using and Configuring Event Viewer

• Event Viewer

– Houses the event logs

• Record information about all types of server events

• Divided into three general categories:

– Windows logs

– Applications and services logs

– Microsoft logs



33

Figure 15-10 Event Viewer




34


(cont’d.)

• Logs for reporting general operating system and software application events

– System log

– Security log

– Application log

– Setup log

• Admin logs

– Give the system administrator information about a specific problem and its causes

– May suggest how to solve problem



35


(cont’d.)

• Operational log

– Tracks occurrences of specific operations

• Analytic logs

– Relate to how programs are operating

– Typically used by application or system programmers

• Debug logs

– Used by application developers to help trace program problems



36

Viewing Log Events

• Log events displayed in Event Viewer

– Icon indicates the seriousness of event

• Each log displays descriptive information about individual events

• Open Event Viewer from:

– Administrative Tools menu

– MMC snap-in

– Computer Management tool

– Server Manager



37

Using the Event Viewer Filter Option

• Filter option

– Locate a problem quickly

• Filter events on the basis of:

– When the event was logged

– Event level

– Log

– Source of the event

– Task category of the event



38

Using the Event Viewer Filter Option

(cont’d.)

• Filter events on the basis of (cont’d.):

– Keywords

– User

– Computer

– Date range

– Time of day range



39

Maintaining Event Logs

• Establish how you want logs maintained

• Methods for limiting logs

– Size each log to prevent it from filling too quickly

– Overwrite oldest events when log is full

– Archive log when it is full

– Clear log manually

• Options to save and clear individual logs also available

• Activity 15-4: Using Event Viewer

– Objective: Use Event Viewer to view system log events



40

Using Log Subscriptions

• Collect event log information from many computers onto one computer

– New feature

• Collect and filter information from all servers

– Display it in Event Viewer on one “collector computer”



41

Troubleshooting Connectivity

• Use of duplicate IP addresses

– Common problem

• Use command-line tools and graphical tools for troubleshooting Windows Server 2008 connectivity



42

Command-Line Tools

• Some TCP/IP utilities have IP troubleshooting tools built in

• ipconfig command

– Test IP address of a Windows computer

• ping utility

– Poll for presence of another TCP/IP computer

• netstat utility

– Provides information about TCP and UDP connectivity



43

CommandLine Tools (cont’d.)

Table 15-5 Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Vista, and XP diagnostic commands for TCP/IP connectivity



44

CommandLine Tools (cont’d.)

• netstat -e command

– Quick indication of the number of transmission errors and discarded packets detected at computer’s NIC

• Activity 15-5: Using TCP/IP Connectivity

Troubleshooting Tools

– Objective: Learn how to use nbtstat and netstat



45

Graphical Tools

• Network and Sharing Center

– Disable and then enable connection

• Disabling the connection (or rebooting)

– Resets NIC and the TCP/IP connectivity

• View GUI representation of network

– Show if network connectivity problems exist between your server and network or Internet

• Use Network and Sharing Center to diagnose a specific connection



46

Remotely Administering a Server

• Remote Desktop client

– Remotely access and manage server through dial-up line and via a RAS or VPN server

• Configure Remote Desktop using System Properties dialog box from:

– Server Manager

– System applet in Control Panel

• Make sure you have configured a strong password



47

Remotely Administering a Server

(cont’d.)

• Activity 15-6: Configuring to Enable Remote Access through Remote Desktop

– Objective: Enable Access to Windows Server 2008 through Remote Desktop



Figure 15-20 System Properties dialog box


48

Remote Server Administration Tools

• Manage multiple servers from one Windows Server

2008 server

• Offered through Server Manager Remote

Administration Tools

• Tools subset automatically installed with the Web

Service (IIS) role

– Or install Remote Server Administration Tools through Server Manager

• Can remotely manage both Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003 servers



49

Remote Server Administration Tools

(cont’d.)

• Use Event Viewer

– View logs on a remote server

• Use the Reliability and Performance Monitor

– Monitor a remote server

• Activity 15-7: Using the Remote Server

Administration Tools

– Objective: Learn how to use the Remote Server

Administration Tools capability



50

Summary

• Develop a problem-solving strategy

– Understand and document server and network

– Train users

• Use Advanced Boot Options menu to solve boot problems

• Use installation DVD to recover system

• Restore Active Directory with Directory Services

Restore Mode or webadmin command

• Failover clustering provides high availability



51

Summary (cont’d.)

• View logs using Event Viewer

• Use command-line and graphical troubleshooting tools

• Use Remote Desktop to manage Windows Server

2008 server remotely

• Use Remote Server Administration Tools to manage multiple servers from single computer



52

Chapter 15

MCITP Guide to Microsoft

Windows Server 2008 Server

Administration (Exam #70-646)

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Chapter 15

MCITP Guide to Microsoft

Windows Server 2008 Server

Administration (Exam #70-646)

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