MCSE: Windows Server 2003 Active
Directory Planning, Implementation,
and Maintenance Study Guide,
Second Edition (70-294)
Chapter 2: Planning and Installing the
Active Directory
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Planning and Installing DNS
• Active Directory relies on DNS to
find clients, servers, and network
services
• Clients rely on DNS to find the file,
print, and other resources
• DNS is a TCP/IP standard for name
resolution
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DNS Namespace
• DNS names take form of a series of
alphanumeric strings separated by
decimal points
• Leftmost portion of name is the most
specific portion, referring to machine or
service
• Remaining portions are part of domain
name and uniquely specify network on
which host resides
• Full name is known as FQDN
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Features/Limitations of DNS
Name
• The name is hierarchical.
• The name is case-insensitive.
• Each FQDN on a given network
must be unique.
• Only certain characters are allowed.
• There are maximum lengths for
addresses.
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Some Top-Level Domains
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
.com = Commercial organizations
.edu = Educational institutions
.gov = U.S. governmental organizations
.int = International organizations
.mil = U.S. military organizations
.net = Large network providers
.org = Nonprofit organizations
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Guidelines for Choosing a Suitable
Name
• Choose a name that is similar to
the name of your company
• Use a name that is not likely to
change
• Ensure that you have the approval
of company management and
marketing staff
• Consult with legal department
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Internal and External Names
• External name is designed to make
computers accessible publicly on
the Internet.
• Internal and external domains may
be the same or different.
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Recursive Queries
•
•
•
•
Client requests information from its preferred
DNS server about a particular host on Internet
Preferred DNS server is unable to find a
resource record and queries another server –
first root server, then top-level domain server
Preferred server obtains information and
queries the company DNS server for
information on that host
Preferred server returns IP address of host
name given to client and communication
between the two is possible
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Iterative Queries
• Normally used when a client queries
DNS servers but instructs them not
to use recursion
• Involves a client configured to query
multiple DNS servers for names
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DNS Forwarding
• Reduces network traffic
• Allows you to specify exactly
which DNS servers will be used
for resolving names
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DNS Caching
• DNS servers save information in their
local database about mapped domain
names.
• Can access database information when
next faced with same query.
• Time to Live (TTL) value specifies how
long information can be cached.
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Load Balancing
• Round Robin and netmask ordering
are both used
• Distributes the network load
between multiple network cards if
they are available
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Reverse Lookups
• Resolve IP addresses to host
names
• Require presence of a reverse
lookup zone in the DNS server
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DNS Server Roles
• Primary Server – must exist within
each DNS zone
• Secondary Server – provides fault
tolerance
• Master Server – used when DNS
data is replicated between primary
and secondary servers
• Caching-only Server – does not
contain zone file copies
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Zone Transfers
• All Zone Transfer (AXFR)
• Incremental Zone Transfer (IXFR)
• Can occur in response to:
– Zone refresh interval exceeded
– Master server notifying secondary
server of zone change
– Start-up of secondary server service
– Zone transfer manually initiated
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DNS Resource Record Types
• A = Address
• RP = Responsible
Person
• CNAME = Canonical
Name
• SOA = Start of
Authority
• MX = Mail
Exchanger
• SRV = Service
• NS = Name Server
• PTR = Pointer
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Advantages to NTFS 5
•
•
•
•
•
Disk quotas
File system encryption
Dynamic volumes
Mounted drives
Remote storage
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To Verify Network Connectivity
• At least one network adapter should
be installed and properly configured
• Make sure TCP/IP is installed,
configured, and enabled
• Verify Internet access
• Verify LAN access
• Verify client access
• Verify WAN access
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Network Verification Tools
• The ipconfig utility
• The ping utility
• Network browsing = Network
Neighborhood
• Internet browsing
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Windows Server 2003 Functional
Levels
• Domain and forest functionality new
to Windows Server 2003 Active
Directory
• Similar to mixed and native modes in
Windows 2000
• Three domain functional levels:
– Windows 2000 Mixed
– Windows 2000 Native
– Windows Server 2003
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Windows Server 2003 AD New
Features
• Global Catalog replication
enhancements
• Defunct schema classes and
attributes
• Forest trusts
• Linked value replication
• Renaming domains
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Installing Active Directory
• Done using Active Directory
Installation Wizard (DCPROMO)
• Requires first promoting a Windows
Server 2003 computer to a domain
controller
• First domain controller in an
environment serves as starting point
for the forest, trees, domains and
Operations Master roles
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To Verify Active Directory
Installation
• Event Viewer can be used to look at
the event log
• Active Directory Administration
Tools
– Active Directory Domains and Trusts
– Active Directory Sites and Services
– Active Directory Users and Computers
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Application Data Partitions
• Allow system administrators and
application developers to store custom
information within AD
• Can replicate information and keep track
of it
• Can be created with
–
–
–
–
Third-party or application-specific tools
Active Directory Services Interface (ADSI)
LDP.exe
ntdsutil
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NTDSUTIL Commands
•
•
•
•
•
Help / ?
Connection(s)
Create NC
Delete NC
List NC
Information
• Precreate
• Remove NC Replica
• Select Operation
Target
• Set NC Reference
Domain
• Set NC Replicate
Notification
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Key Terms
• Active Directory
Installation Wizard
(DCPROMO)
• Application data
partitions
• Caching-only DNS
servers
• Child domains
• Delegation
• DNS namespace
• File Allocation Table
(FAT)
• Forwarding
• Functional levels
• Iteration
• Master DNS servers
• Parent domain
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Key Terms (cont)
• Primary DNS
server
• Promotion
• Recursion
• Resource record
(RR)
• Reverse lookup
zone
• Root domain
• Secondary DNS
server
• TCP/IP
• NTFS
• Windows Server
2003 functional level
• Zone
• Zone transfer
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