Configuring and Troubleshooting Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastracture

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills to configure and troubleshoot Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Sp1 Network Infrastructures. It will cover networking technologies most commonly used with Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Sp1 such as DNS, DHCP, IPv4 and IPv6 network addressing, Network Policy server and Network Access Protection and configuring secure network access. It also covers fault tolerant storage technologies, Network Storage and routing and remote access, monitoring and compliance updates as well as other relevant technologies

Course Objectives

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Plan and configure an IPv4 network infrastructure.
• Implement DHCP within their organization.
• Configure and troubleshoot DNS.
• Configure, transition to, and troubleshoot IPv6.
• Configure and troubleshoot Routing and Remote Access.
• Install, configure, and troubleshoot the Network Policy Server Role service.
• Implement Network Access Protection.
• Implement security features within Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
• Implement security features within Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 that help to secure network communications.
• Configure and troubleshot file and print services.
• Enable and configure services to optimize branch office data access.
• Control and monitor network storage.
• Recover data on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 servers.
• Monitor Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server R2 network infrastructure services.

Course Outline

Planning and Configuring IPv4

This module explains how to deploy and configure networking services in your organization. This module explains how to implement an IPv4 addressing scheme, determine which name services to deploy, and troubleshoot network-related problems.

• Implementing an IPv4 Network Infrastructure
• Overview of Name Resolution Services in an IPv4 Network Infrastructure
• Configuring and Troubleshooting IPv4

Configuring and Troubleshooting DHCP

This module introduces you to Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), which plays an important role in the Windows Server 2008 R2 infrastructure. It is the primary means of distributing important network configuration information to network clients, and it provides configuration information to other network-enabled services, including Windows Deployment Services (WDS) and Network Access Protection (NAP). To support and troubleshoot a Windows Server-based network infrastructure, it is important that you understand how to deploy, configure, and troubleshoot the DHCP Server Role.

• Overview of the DHCP Server Role
• Configuring DHCP Scopes
• Configuring DHCP Options
• Managing a DHCP Database
• Monitoring and Troubleshooting DHCP
• Configuring DHCP Security

Configuring and Troubleshooting DNS.

This module introduces you to Domain Name System (DNS), which is the foundation name service in Windows Server 2008 R2. It is vital that you understand how to deploy, configure, manage, and troubleshoot this critical service.

• Installing the DNS Server Role
• Configuring the DNS Server Role
• Configuring DNS Zones
• Configuring DNS Zone Transfers
• Managing and Troubleshooting DNS

Configuring and Troubleshooting IPv6 TCP/IP.

This module introduces you to IPv6, a technology that will help ensure that the Internet can support a growing user base and the increasingly large number of IP-enabled devices. The current Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4) has served as the underlying Internet protocol for almost thirty years. Its robustness, scalability, and limited feature set is now challenged by the growing need for new IP addresses, due in large part to the rapid growth of new network-aware devices.

• Overview of IPv6
• IPv6 Addressing
• Coexistence with IPv6
• IPv6 Transition Technologies
• Transitioning from IPv4 to IPv6

Configuring and Troubleshooting Routing and Remote Access To support your organization’s distributed workforce, you must become familiar with technologies that enable remote users to connect to your organization’s network infrastructure. These technologies include virtual private networks (VPNs) and Direct Access. It is important that you understand how to configure and secure your remote access clients by using network policies. This module explores these remote access technologies.

• Configuring Network Access
• Configuring VPN Access
• Overview of Network Policies
• Overview of the Connection Manager Administration Kit
• Troubleshooting Routing and Remote Access
• Configuring Direct Access

Installing, Configuring, and Troubleshooting the Network Policy Server Role Service NPS provides support for the Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) protocol, and can be configured as a RADIUS server or proxy. Additionally, NPS provides functionality that is essential for the implementation of Network Access Protection (NAP). This module explains how to install, configure, and troubleshoot NPS.

• Installing and Configuring a Network Policy Server
• Configuring RADIUS Clients and Servers
• NPS Authentication Methods
• Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Network Policy Server

Implementing Network Access Protection

In this module, you will learn about Network Access Protection (NAP). NAP enables you to create customized health-requirement policies to validate computer health before allowing access or communication. NAP also automatically updates compliant computers to ensure on-going compliance and can limit the access of noncompliant computers to a restricted network until they become compliant.

• Overview of Network Access Protection
• How NAP Works
• Configuring NAP
• Monitoring and Troubleshooting NAP

Increasing Security for Windows Servers Security is an essential consideration for networking with Windows Server 2008. In this module, you will learn how to implement various methods to increase security. Windows Firewall with Advanced Security is one of the features in Windows Server 2008 that is used to increase security. You can also use Windows Server Update Services to ensure that approved security updates are applied to servers in a timely way.

• Windows Security Overview
• Configuring Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
• Deploying Updates with Windows Server Update Services

Increasing Security for Network Communication Internet Protocol security (IPsec) is a framework of open standards for protecting communications over IP networks through cryptographic security services. IPsec supports network-level peer authentication, data-origin authentication, data integrity, and data confidentiality (encryption), and replay protection. The Microsoft IPsec implementation is based on standards that the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) IPsec working group developed. In this module, you will learn how to implement, configure, and troubleshoot IPsec.

• Overview of IPsec
• Configuring Connection Security Rules
• Configuring NAP with IPsec Enforcement
• Monitoring and Troubleshooting IPsec

Configuring and Troubleshooting Network File and Print Services File and print services are some of the most commonly implemented network services for end users. Unlike infrastructure services like DNS, file and print services are highly visible to the end users. In this module, you will learn how to configure and troubleshoot file and print services to provide high quality service to end users. In addition, you will see how both EFS and Bit Locker can be used to increase the security of files that are located in file shares.

• Configuring and Troubleshooting File Shares
• Encrypting Network Files with EFS
• Encrypting Partitions with Bit Locker
• Configuring and Troubleshooting Network Printing

Optimizing Data Access for Branch Offices

Many organizations maintain a large number of file resources that need to be organized and made highly available to users. These file resources are often stored on servers and provided to users who are distributed geographically in widespread locations. In this module, you will learn how to provide efficient access to network resources with minimal traffic over a WAN link.

• Branch Office Data Access
• DFS Overview
• Overview of DFS Namespaces
• Configuring DFS Replication
• Configuring Branch Cache

Controlling and Monitoring Network Storage Network storage for users is a finite resource that must be managed appropriately to ensure that it remains available for all users. If network storage is not monitored and managed, it can become filled with irrelevant data, such as personal music or movies. Irrelevant data increases network storage costs and in some cases can prevent useful data from placement on the network storage. In this module, you will learn how to monitor and manage network storage.

• Monitoring Network Storage
• Controlling Network Storage Utilization
• Managing File Types on Network Storage

Recovering Network Data and Servers.

This module explains how to recover network data and servers. There are a variety of scenarios where a network data or a server that provides networks services can be lost. Volume shadow copies can be used to restore previous versions of files when a file is accidentally deleted or modified on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008. Windows Server Backup can be used to back up and restore data files or an entire server.

• Recovering Network Data with Volume Shadow Copies
• Recovering Network Data and Servers with Windows Server Backup

Monitoring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Servers

When a system failure or an event that affects system performance occurs, you need to be able to repair the problem or resolve the issue quickly and efficiently. With so many variables and possibilities in the modern network environment, the ability to determine the root cause quickly often depends on having an effective performance monitoring methodology and toolset. In this module, you will learn to use performance-monitoring tools to identify components that require additional tuning and troubleshooting. By identifying components that require additional tuning, you can improve the efficiency of your servers.

• Monitoring Tools
• Using Performance Monitor
• Monitoring Event Logs

Course Methodology

A variety of methodologies will be used during the course that includes:

• (30%) Based on Case Studies
• (30%) Techniques
• (30%) Role Play
• (10%) Concepts
• Pre-test and Post-test
• Variety of Learning Methods
• Lectures
• Case Studies and Self Questionaires
• Group Work
• Discussion
• Presentation