Interview Questions

Group Policy Management Interview Questions and Answers

What is Group Policy (GP)?
Group Policy is an infrastructure that allows you to implement specific configur
ations for users and computers. Group Policy settings are contained in Group Pol
icy objects (GPOs), which are linked to the following Active Directory service c
ontainers: sites, domains, or organizational units (OUs). The settings within GP
Os are then evaluated by the affected targets, using the hierarchical nature of
Active Directory. Consequently, Group Policy is one of the top reasons to deploy
Active Directory because it allows you to manage user and computer objects.
Group Policy provides the centralized management and configuration of operating
systems, applications, and users' settings in an Active Directory Environment

What is Group Policy Objects (GPO)?
Group Policy Settings are stored in Group Policy Objects. Group Policy Objects a
re collection of settings that are defined for Users and Computers Configuration
. Group Policy object applies to not only users and Client machine, but also me
mbers Servers, Domain Controllers and any windows computers within the scope of
the management.

What can you do with Group Policy?
Manage- Registry based Polices using Administrative Templates
Assign Scripts
Redirect folders
Manage Applications
Specify Security Options
What are the kinds of Group Policy?
There are two kinds of Group Policy Objects: Local and Non Local Policy Objects
Local Policy: these are Stored in Individual Computers. only one object is exist
and has subset of settings that are available in Non-Local Policy
Non Local Policy Objects: Which are stored on a Domain Controller and be applied
from Active Directory Environment. They apply to users and computers on a site o
r domain or Organizational unit with which GPO is applied.
Where do Group Policy Objects that exist by default?
By Default, Active Directory is set up, 2 Non Local Policy Objects are created

Default Domain Policy is linked to the domain, and it affects all users and compu
ters in the domain (including computers that are domain controllers) through pol
icy inheritance. For more information
Default Domain Controllers Policy is linked to the Domain Controllers organizatio
nal unit, and it generally only affects domain controllers, because computer acc
ounts for domain controllers are kept exclusively in the Domain Controllers orga
nizational unit.

What are User and Computer Policy?
User Policy Settings are stored under User Configuration in Group Policy and the
y are obtained when a user logs on.

Computer Policy Settings are stored under Computer Configuration in Group Policy
and they obtained when a computer starts
What is the Order of GP Processing?
1.Local Policy-The unique local Group Policy object on a computer
2.Site Policy
3. Domain Policy
4.Organizational Unit(OU)
Site, Domain and OU are applied as per administratively specified order. This me
ans Group Policy objects that are linked to the organizational unit that is high
est in the Active Directory hierarchy are processed first, then Group Policy obj
ects that are linked to its child organizational unit, and so on. Finally, the G
roup Policy objects that are linked to the organizational unit that contains the
user or computer are processed.
At the level of each organizational unit in the Active Directory hierarchy, one
, many, or no Group Policy objects can be linked. If several Group Policy object
s are linked to an organizational unit, their processing is synchronous and in a
n order that is specified by the administrator.
In this processing order sites are applied first but have the least precedence.
OUs are processed last and have the highest precedence.

What is Group Policy inheritance?
There are several Group Policy options that can alter this default inheritance b
ehavior. These options include:
Link Order
the precedence order for GPOs linked to a given container. The GPO lin
k with Link Order of 1 has highest precedence on that container.
Block Inheritance
the ability to prevent an OU or domain from inheriting GPOs fro
m any of its parent container. Note that Enforced GPO links will always be inher
ited.
Enforcement
(previously known as No Override ) the ability to specify that a GPO sho
uld take precedence over any GPOs that are linked to child containers. Enforcing
a GPO link works by moving that GPO to the end of the processing order.
Link Status
determines if a given GPO link is processed or not for the container
to which it is linked.
Below is the list of Windows Server Group Policy Interview Questions Asked in Wi
ndows System Administrator / L1/l2/l3 Support Engineer Interviews.
What is group policy in active directory ? What are Group Policy objects (GPOs)?
Group Policy objects, other than the local Group Policy object, are virtual obj
ects. The policy setting information of a GPO is actually stored in two location
s: the Group Policy container and the Group Policy template.

The Group Policy container is an Active Directory container that stores GPO prop
erties, including information on version, GPO status, and a list of components t
hat have settings in the GPO.
The Group Policy template is a folder structure within the file system that stor
es Administrative Template-based policies, security settings, script files, and
information regarding applications that are available for Group Policy Software
Installation.
The Group Policy template is located in the system volume folder (Sysvol) in th
e Policies subfolder for its domain.
What is the order in which GPOs are applied ?
Group Policy settings are processed in the following order:
1.Local Group Policy object : Each computer has exactly one Group Policy object t
hat is stored locally. This processes for both computer and user Group Policy pr
ocessing.
2.Site : Any
are processed
rator, on the
ement Console
therefore has

GPOs that have been linked to the site that the computer belongs to
next. Processing is in the order that is specified by the administ
Linked Group Policy Objects tab for the site in Group Policy Manag
(GPMC). The GPO with the lowest link order is processed last, and
the highest precedence.

3.Domain: Processing of multiple domain-linked GPOs is in the order specified by
the administrator, on the Linked Group Policy Objects tab for the domain in GPMC
. The GPO with the lowest link order is processed last, and therefore has the hi
ghest precedence.
4.Organizational units : GPOs that are linked to the organizational unit that is
highest in the Active Directory hierarchy are processed first, then POs that are
linked to its child organizational unit, and so on. Finally, the GPOs that are
linked to the organizational unit that contains the user or computer are process
ed.
At the
many,
unit,
on the

level of each organizational unit in the Active Directory hierarchy, one,
or no GPOs can be linked. If several GPOs are linked to an organizational
their processing is in the order that is specified by the administrator,
Linked Group Policy Objects tab for the organizational unit in GPMC.

The GPO with the lowest link order is processed last, and therefore has the high
est precedence.
This order means that the local GPO is processed first, and GPOs that are linke
d to the organizational unit of which the computer or user is a direct member ar
e processed last, which overwrites settings in the earlier GPOs if there are con
flicts. (If there are no conflicts, then the earlier and later settings are mere
ly aggregated.)
How to backup/restore Group Policy objects ?
Begin the process by logging on to a Windows Server 2008 domain controller, and
opening the Group Policy Management console. Now, navigate through the console
tree to Group Policy Management | Forest: | Domains | | Group Policy Objects.
When you do, the details pane should display all of the group policy objects tha
t are associated with the domain. In Figure A there are only two group policy ob
jects, but in a production environment you may have many more. The Group Policy
Objects container stores all of the group policy objects for the domain.
Now, right-click on the Group Policy Objects container, and choose the Back Up A
ll command from the shortcut menu. When you do, Windows will open the Back Up Gr
oup Policy Object dialog box.

As you can see in Figure B, this dialog box requires you to provide the path to
which you want to store the backup files. You can either store the backups in a
dedicated folder on a local drive, or you can place them in a folder on a mapped
network drive. The dialog box also contains a Description field that you can us
e to provide a description of the backup that you are creating.
You must provide the path to which you want to store your backup of the group po
licy objects.
To initiate the backup process, just click the Back Up button. When the backup
process completes, you should see a dialog box that tells you how many group pol
icy objects were successfully backed up. Click OK to close the dialog box, and y
ou re all done.
When it comes to restoring a backup of any Group Policy Object, you have two opt
ions. The first option is to right-click on the Group Policy Object, and choose
the Restore From Backup command from the shortcut menu. When you do this, Window
s will remove all of the individual settings from the Group Policy Object, and t
hen implement the settings found in the backup.
Your other option is to right-click on the Group Policy Object you want to resto
re, and choose the Import Settings option. This option works more like a merge t
han a restore.
Any settings that presently reside within the Group Policy Object are retained
unless there is a contradictory settings within the file that is being imported.
You want to standardize the desktop environments (wallpaper, My Documents, Start
menu, printers etc.) on the computers in one department. How would you do that?
go to Start->programs->Administrative tools->Active Directory Users and Compute
rs
Right Click on Domain->click on preoperties
On New windows Click on Group Policy
Select Default Policy->click on Edit
on group Policy console
go to User Configuration->Administrative Template->Start menu and Taskbar
Select each property you want to modify and do the same
What?s the difference between software publishing and assigning?
Assign Users :The software application is advertised when the user logs on. It
is installed when the user clicks on the software application icon via the start
menu, or accesses a file that has been associated with the software application
.
Assign Computers :The software application is advertised and installed when it i
s safe to do so, such as when the computer is next restarted.
Publish to users : The software application does not appear on the start menu or
desktop. This means the user may not know that the software is available. The s
oftware application is made available via the Add/Remove Programs option in cont
rol panel, or by clicking on a file that has been associated with the applicatio
n. Published applications do not reinstall themselves in the event of accidental
deletion, and it is not possible to publish to computers.
What are administrative templates?
Administrative Templates are a feature of Group Policy, a Microsoft technology
for centralised management of machines and users in an Active Directory environm
ent. Administrative Templates facilitate the management of registry-based policy
. An ADM file is used to describe both theuser interface presented to the Group
Policy administrator and the registry keys that should be updated on the target

machines.
An ADM file is a text file with a specific syntax which describes both the inter
face and the registry values which will be changed if the policy is enabled or d
isabled.
ADM files are consumed by the Group Policy Object Editor (GPEdit). Windows XP Se
rvice Pack 2 shipped with five ADM files (system.adm, inetres.adm, wmplayer.adm,
conf.adm and wuau.adm). These are merged into a unified namespace in GPEdit and p
resented to the administrator under the Administrative Templates node (for both
machine and user policy).
Can I deploy non-MSI software with GPO?
create the fiile in .zap extension.
Name some GPO settings in the computer and user parts ?
Group Policy Object (GPO) computer=Computer Configuration, User=User Configurat
ionName some GPO settings in the computer and user parts.
A user claims he did not receive a GPO, yet his user and computer accounts are i
n the right OU, and everyone else there gets the GPO. What will you look for?
make sure user not be member of loopback policy as in loopback policy it doesn t
effect user settings only computer policy will applicable. if he is member of gp
o filter grp or not?
You may also want to check the computers event logs. If you find event ID 1085
then you may want to download the patch to fix this and reboot the computer.
How can I override blocking of inheritance ?
What can I do to prevent inheritance from above?
Name a few benefits of using GPMC.
How frequently is the client policy refreshed ?
90 minutes give or take.
Where is secedit ?
It s now gpupdate.
What can be restricted on Windows Server 2003 that wasn t there in previous produc
ts ?
Group Policy in Windows Server 2003 determines a users right to modify network
and dial-up TCP/IP properties. Users may be selectively restricted from modifyin
g their IP address and other network configuration parameters.
You want to create a new group policy but do not wish to inherit.
Make sure you check Block inheritance among the options when creating the polic
y.
How does the Group Policy

No Override

and

Block Inheritance

work ?

Group Policies can be applied at multiple levels (Sites, domains, organizational
Units) and multiple GP s for each level. Obviously it may be that some policy set
tings conflict hence the application order of Site
Domain
Organization Unit and
within each layer you set order for all defined policies but you may want to for
ce some polices to never be overridden (No Override) and you may want some conta
iners to not inherit settings from a parent container (Block Inheritance).
A good definition of each is as follows:

No Override
r levels

This prevents child containers from overriding policies set at highe

Block Inheritance

Stops containers inheriting policies from parent containers

No Override takes precedence over Block Inheritance so if a child container has
Block Inheritance set but on the parent a group policy has No Override set then
it will get applied.
Also the highest No Override takes precedence over lower No Override s set.
To block inheritance perform the following:
1.Start the Active Directory Users and Computer snap-in (Start Programs
Administ
rative Tools Active Directory Users and Computers)
2.Right click on the container you wish to stop inheriting settings from its par
ent and select
3.Select the Group Policy tab
4.Check the Block Policy inheritance option
5.Click Apply then OK
To set a policy to never be overridden perform the following:
1.Start the Active Directory Users and Computer snap-in (Start
Administrative To
ols Active Directory Users and Computers)
2.Right click on the container you wish to set a Group Policy to not be overridd
en and select Properties
3.Select the Group Policy tab
4.Click Options
5.Check the No Override option
6.Click OK
7.Click Apply then OK

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What is sites ? What are they used for ?
One or more well-connected (highly reliable and fast) TCP/IP subnets.
A site allows administrators to configure Active Directory access and replicati
on topology to take advantage of the physical network.
A Site object in Active Directory represents a physical geographic location that
hosts networks. Sites contain objects called Subnets.
Sites can be used to Assign Group Policy Objects, facilitate the discovery of re
sources, manage active directory replication, and manage network link traffic.
Sites can be linked to other Sites. Site-linked objects may be assigned a cost
value that represents the speed, reliability, availability, or other real proper
ty of a physical resource. Site Links may also be assigned a schedule.
>Trying to look at the Schema, how can I do that ?
register schmmgmt.dll using this command
c:\windows\system32>regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll
Open mmc --> add snapin --> add Active directory schema
name it as schema.msc
Open administrative tool --> schema.msc

>What is the port no of Kerbrose ?

88

>What is the port no of Global catalog ?
3268

>What is the port no of LDAP ?
389

>Explain Active Directory Schema ?
Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 Active Directory uses a database set of ru
les called "Schema". The Schema is defines as the formal definition of all objec
t classes, and the attributes that make up those object classes, that can be sto
red in the directory. As mentioned earlier, the Active Directory database includ
es a default Schema, which defines many object classes, such as users, groups, c
omputers, domains, organizational units, and so on.

These objects are also known as "Classes". The Active Directory Schema can be dy
namically extensible, meaning that you can modify the schema by defining new obj
ect types and their attributes and by defining new attributes for existing objec
ts. You can do this either with the Schema Manager snap-in tool included with Wi
ndows 2000/2003 Server, or programmatically.
>How can you forcibly remove AD from a server, and what do you do later? ? Can I
get user passwords from the AD database?
Dcpromo /forceremoval , an administrator can forcibly remove Active Directory a
nd roll back the system without having to contact or replicate any locally held
changes to another DC in the forest. Reboot the server then After you use the dc
promo /forceremoval command, all the remaining metadata for the demoted DC is no
t deleted on the surviving domain controllers, and therefore you must manually r
emove it by using the NTDSUTIL command.

In the event that the NTDS Settings object is not removed correctly you can use
the Ntdsutil.exe utility to manually remove the NTDS Settings object. You will n
eed the following tool: Ntdsutil.exe, Active Directory Sites and Services, Activ
e Directory Users and Computers

>What are the FSMO roles? Who has them by default? What happens when each one fa
ils?
Flexible Single Master Operation (FSMO) role. Currently there are five FSMO rol
es:
Schema master
Domain naming master
RID master
PDC emulator
Infrastructure master
>What is domain tree ?
Domain Trees: A domain tree comprises several domains that share a common schem

a and configuration, forming a contiguous namespace. Domains in a tree are also
linked together by trust relationships. Active Directory is a set of one or more
trees.
Trees can be viewed two ways. One view is the trust relationships between domai
ns. The other view is the namespace of the domain tree.

>What is forests ?
A collection of one or more domain trees with a common schema and implicit trus
t relationships between them. This arrangement would be used if you have multipl
e root DNS addresses.
>How to Select the Appropriate Restore Method ?
You select the appropriate restore method by considering:
Circumstances and characteristics of the failure. The two major categories of f
ailure, From an Active Directory perspective, are Active Directory data corrupti
on and hardware failure.
Active Directory data corruption occurs when the directory contains corrupt data
that has been replicated to all domain controllers or when a large portion of t
he Active Directory hierarchy has been changed accidentally (such as deletion of
an OU) and this change has replicated to other domain controllers.
>Where are the Windows NT Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and its Backup Domain
Controller (BDC) in Server 2003?
The Active Directory replaces them. Now all domain controllers share a multimas
ter peer-to-peer read and write relationship that hosts copies of the Active Dir
ectory.
>What is Global Catalog?
The Global Catalog authenticates network user logons and fields inquiries about
objects across a forest or tree. Every domain has at least one GC that is hoste
d on a domain controller. In Windows 2000, there was typically one GC on every s
ite in order to prevent user logon failures across the network.
>How long does it take for security changes to be replicated among the domain co
ntrollers?
Security-related modifications are replicated within a site immediately. These
changes include account and individual user lockout policies, changes to passwor
d policies, changes to computer account passwords, and modifications to the Loca
l Security Authority (LSA).
>When should you create a forest?
Organizations that operate on radically different bases may require separate tr
ees with distinct namespaces. Unique trade or brand names often give rise to sep
arate DNS identities. Organizations merge or are acquired and naming continuity
is desired. Organizations form partnerships and joint ventures. While access to
common resources is desired, a separately defined tree can enforce more direct a
dministrative and security restrictions.

>Describe the process of working with an external domain name ?
If it is not possible for you to configure your internal domain as a subdomain
of your external domain, use a stand-alone internal domain. This way, your inter
nal and external domain names are unrelated. For example, an organization that u
ses the domain name contoso.com for their external namespace uses the name corp.
internal for their internal namespace.

The advantage to this approach is that it provides you with a unique internal do
main name. The disadvantage is that this configuration requires you to manage tw
o separate namespaces. Also, using a stand-alone internal domain that is unrelat
ed to your external domain might create confusion for users because the namespac
es do not reflect a relationship between resources within and outside of your ne
twork.
In addition, you might have to register two DNS names with an Internet name auth
ority if you want to make the internal domain publicly accessible.
>How do you view all the GCs in the forest?
C:\>repadmin /showreps
domain_controller

OR
You can use Replmon.exe for the same purpose.
OR
AD Sites and Services and nslookup gc._msdcs.

To find the in GC from the command line you can try using DSQUERY command.
dsquery server -isgc to find all the GC s in the forest
you can try dsquery server -forest -isgc.

> What are the physical components of Active Directory ?
Domain controllers and Sites. Domain controllers are physical computers which is
running Windows Server operating system and Active Directory data base. Sites a
re a network segment based on geographical location and which contains multiple
domain controllers in each site.
> What are the logical components of Active Directory ?
Domains, Organizational Units, trees and forests are logical components of Activ
e Directory.
> What are the Active Directory Partitions ?
Active Directory database is divided into different partitions such as Schema pa
rtition, Domain partition, and Configuration partition. Apart from these partiti
ons, we can create Application partition based on the requirement.
> What is group nesting ?
Adding one group as a member of another group is called 'group nesting'. This wi
ll help for easy administration and reduced replication traffic.
> What is the feature of Domain Local Group ?
Domain local groups are mainly used for granting access to network resources.A D
omain local group can contain accounts from any domain, global groups from any d

omain and universal groups from any domain. For example, if you want to grant pe
rmission to a printer located at Domain A, to 10 users from Domain B, then creat
e a Global group in Domain B and add all 10 users into that Global group. Then,
create a Domain local group at Domain A, and add Global group of Domain B to Dom
ain local group of Domain A, then, add Domain local group of Domain A to the pri
nter(of Domain A) security ACL.
>How will you take Active Directory backup ?
Active Directory is backed up along with System State data. System state data in
cludes Local registry, COM+, Boot files, NTDS.DIT and SYSVOL folder. System stat
e can be backed up either using Microsoft's default NTBACKUP tool or third party
tools such as Symantech NetBackup, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager etc.
> What is Lost and Found Container ?
In multimaster replication method, replication conflicts can happen. Objects wit
h replication conflicts will be stored in a container called 'Lost and Found' co
ntainer. This container also used to store orphaned user accounts and other obje
cts.
> Do we use clustering in Active Directory ? Why ?
No one installs Active Directory in a cluster. There is no need of clustering a
domain controller. Because Active Directory provides total redundancy with two o
r more servers.
> What is Active Directory Recycle Bin ?
Active Directory Recycle bin is a feature of Windows Server 2008 AD. It helps to
restore accidentally deleted Active Directory objects without using a backed up
AD database, rebooting domain controller or restarting any services.
> What is RODC ? Why do we configure RODC ?
Read only domain controller (RODC) is a feature of Windows Server 2008 Operating
System. RODC is a read only copy of Active Directory database and it can be dep
loyed in a remote branch office where physical security cannot be guaranteed. RO
DC provides more improved security and faster log on time for the branch office.
> How do you check currently forest and domain functional levels? Say both GUI a
nd Command line.
To find out forest and domain functional levels in GUI mode, open ADUC, right cl
ick on the domain name and take properties. Both domain and forest functional le
vels will be listed there. TO find out forest and domain functional levels, you
can use DSQUERY command.
> Which version of Kerberos is used for Windows 2000/2003 and 2008 Active Direct
ory ?
All versions of Windows Server Active Directory use Kerberos 5.
> Name few port numbers related to Active Directory ?
Kerberos 88, LDAP 389, DNS 53, SMB 445
> What is an FQDN ?

FQDN can be expanded as Fully Qualified Domain Name.It is a hierarchy of a domai
n name system which points to a device in the domain at its left most end. For e
xample in system.
> Have you heard of ADAC ?
ADAC- Active
Server 2008
. ADAC helps
task across

Directory Administrative Center is a new GUI tool came with Windows
R2, which provides enhanced data management experience to the admin
administrators to perform common Active Directory object management
multiple domains with the same ADAC instance.

> How many objects can be created in Active Directory? (both 2003 and 2008)
As per Microsoft, a single AD domain controller can create around 2.15 billion o
bjects during its lifetime.
> explain the process between a user providing his Domain credential to his work
station and the desktop being loaded? Or how the AD authentication works ?
When a user enters a user name and password, the computer sends the user name to
the KDC. The KDC contains a master database of unique long term keys for every
principal in its realm. The KDC looks up the user's master key (KA), which is ba
sed on the user's password. The KDC then creates two items: a session key (SA) t
o share with the user and a Ticket-Granting Ticket (TGT). The TGT includes a sec
ond copy of the SA, the user name, and an expiration time. The KDC encrypts this
ticket by using its own master key (KKDC), which only the KDC knows. The client
computer receives the information from the KDC and runs the user's password thr
ough a one-way hashing function, which converts the password into the user's KA.
The client computer now has a session key and a TGT so that it can securely com
municate with the KDC. The client is now authenticated to the domain and is read
y to access other resources in the domain by using the Kerberos protocol.
> What Is Urgent Replication And When Is It Used ?
You probably know how Active Directory core replication works. When there s an obj
ect changed, the source DC, the one that serviced the change request, notifies i
t s direct replication neighbours that there was a change to some object. The neig
hbors then start the replication process by requesting the changes made since th
e last replication.
Important to know is, that there is a notification delay between the actual change
to the objects in the directory and the notification sent to the replication pa
rtners. Server 2003 DCs wait 15 seconds before they fire out the change notificat
ion. This delay is there to only send one change notification once the change tra
nsaction to the object is done. If there are multiple changes made to an object,
let s say the phone number, the home town and the employeeID of a user and the ch
anges were made in 1 second delay each, we only send one change notification for
those three changes. If there was no notification delay and we waited a second be
tween the changes to a user s attributes, the source DC were sending three change
notifications to its partners. Too much traffic there! Note that the default cha
nge notificaction delay in Windows 2000 was 5 minutes (the numbers may differ dep
ending on installation type (upgrade from 2000 to 2003, forest functional level,
).
Given that fact, one can think of several scenarios which may lead to problem sinc
e the change to the directory is not replicated right away: user Password change
s, user lockout, Password Policy changed,
For this reason, there s urgent replication. Urgent replication works in the same
way normal replication does, but has no notification delay of a few seconds/minute

s. That makes urgent changes that need to be distributed thrughout the sites and D
Cs to get more quickly to all edges. Urgent replication takes place in the follo
wing cases:
The Password Policy or account lockout policy of a domain has changed
The LSA secret has changed (that s used for the secure channels between machines and
DCs and trusts)
a user or computer is locked out due to a failed logon attempt (in this case, the
urgent replication is used to notify the DC with the PDC emulator role first an
d then to all others)
the RID master has changed
So if one of the mentioned events take place, urgent replication takes place and
there s no notification delay prior to change notification of neighbour DCs.

> Which FSMO role directly impacting the consistency of Group Policy ?
PDC Emulator.
> I want to promote a new additional Domain Controller in an existing domain. Wh
ich are the groups I should be a member of ?
You should be a member of Enterprise Admins group or the Domain Admins group. Al
so you should be member of local Administrators group of the member server which
you are going to promote as additional Domain Controller.

> Tell me one easiest way to check all the 5 FSMO roles ?
Use netdom query /domain:YourDomain FSMO command. It will list all the FSMO role
handling domain controllers.
>What is Realm trust ?
Use realm trusts to form a trust relationship between a non-Windows Kerberos re
alm and an Active Directory domain.

> Name few Active Directory Built in groups

SID: S-1-5-32-544 - Name: Administrators - Description: A built-in group. After t
he initial installation of the operating system, the only member of the group is
the Administrator account. When a computer joins a domain, the Domain Admins gr
oup is added to the Administrators group. When a server becomes a domain control
ler, the Enterprise Admins group also is added to the Administrators group.
SID: S-1-5-32-548 - Name: Account Operators - Description: A built-in group that
exists only on domain controllers. By default, the group has no members. By defa
ult, Account Operators have permission to create, modify, and delete accounts fo
r users, groups, and computers in all containers and organizational units of Act
ive Directory except the Builtin container and the Domain Controllers OU. Accoun
t Operators do not have permission to modify the Administrators and Domain Admin
s groups, nor do they have permission to modify the accounts for members of thos
e groups.
SID: S-1-5-32-549 - Name: Server Operators - Description: A built-in group that e
xists only on domain controllers. By default, the group has no members. Server O
perators can log on to a server interactively; create and delete network shares;

start and stop services; back up and restore files; format the hard disk of the
computer; and shut down the computer.
SID: S-1-5-32-550 - Name: Print Operators - Description: A built-in group that ex
ists only on domain controllers. By default, the only member is the Domain Users
group. Print Operators can manage printers and document queues.
SID: S-1-5-32-551 - Name: Backup Operators - Description: A built-in group. By de
fault, the group has no members. Backup Operators can back up and restore all fi
les on a computer, regardless of the permissions that protect those files. Backu
p Operators also can log on to the computer and shut it down.

In a domain environment these groups are present, and are used for administrativ
e purposes.
SID: S-1-5-21domain-512 - Name: Domain Admins - Description: A global group whose
members are authorized to administer the domain. By default, the Domain Admins
group is a member of the Administrators group on all computers that have joined
a domain, including the domain controllers. Domain Admins is the default owner o
f any object that is created by any member of the group.
SID: S-1-5-21root domain-518 - Name: Schema Admins - Description: A universal gro
up in a native-mode domain; a global group in a mixed-mode domain. The group is
authorized to make schema changes in Active Directory. By default, the only memb
er of the group is the Administrator account for the forest root domain. ?SID: S
-1-5-21root domain-519 - Name: Enterprise Admins - Description: A universal grou
p in a native-mode domain; a global group in a mixed-mode domain. The group is a
uthorized to make forest-wide changes in Active Directory, such as adding child
domains. By default, the only member of the group is the Administrator account f
or the forest root domain.
?SID: S-1-5-21domain-520 - Name: Group Policy Creator Owners - Description: A gl
obal group that is authorized to create new Group Policy objects in Active Direc
tory. By default, the only member of the group is Administrator.
-----------------------------------------------------1. Top 20 active directory interview questions and answers If you need top 7 fre
e ebooks below for your job interview, please visit: 4career.net
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interview questions and answers
Top 12 secrets to win every job interviews 13 ty
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ew jobs Interview questions and answers
free pdf download Page 1 of 30
2. Tell me about yourself? This is probably the most asked question in active
directory interview. It breaks the ice and gets you to talk about something you
should be fairly comfortable with. Have something prepared that doesn't sound re
hearsed. It's not about you telling your life story and quite frankly, the inter
viewer just isn't interested. Unless asked to do so, stick to your education, ca
reer and current situation. Work through it chronologically from the furthest ba
ck to the present. Interview questions and answers free pdf download Page 2 of 3
0
3. What is Active Directory? Active Directory is a Meta Data. Active Directory
is a data base which stores a data base like your user information, computer in
formation and also other network object info. It has capabilities to manage and
administer the complete Network which connect with AD. Interview questions and a
nswers free pdf download Page 3 of 30
4. What Can You Do for Us That Other Candidates Can't? What makes you unique?
This will take an assessment of your experiences, skills and traits. Summarize c
oncisely: "I have a unique combination of strong technical skills, and the abili
ty to build strong customer relationships. This allows me to use my knowledge an
d break down information to be more user-friendly." Interview questions and answ
ers free pdf download Page 4 of 30

5. What is LDAP? Lightweight Directory Access Protocol LDAP is the industry st
andard directory access protocol, making Active Directory widely accessible to m
anagement and query applications. Active Directory supports LDAPv3 and LDAPv2. I
nterview questions and answers
free pdf download Page 5 of 30
6. How do I determine if user accounts have local administrative access? You c
an use the net local group administrators command on each workstation (probably
in a login script so that it records its information to a central file for later
review). This command will enumerate the members of the Administrators group on
each machine you run it on. Alternately, you can use the Restricted Groups feat
ure of Group Policy to restrict the membership of Administrators to only those u
sers you want to belong. Interview questions and answers
free pdf download Page
6 of 30
7. Why am I having trouble printing with XP domain users? In most cases, the i
nability to print or access resources in situations like this one will boil down
to an issue with name resolution, either DNS or WINS/NetBIOS. Be sure that your
Windows XP clients wireless connections are configured with the correct DNS and
WINS name servers, as well as with the appropriate NetBIOS over TCP/IP settings.
Compare your wireless settings to your wired LAN settings and look for any disc
repancies that may indicate where the functional difference may lie. Interview q
uestions and answers free pdf download Page 7 of 30
8. What is the ISTG? Who has that role by default? Windows 2000 Domain control
lers each create Active Directory Replication connection objects representing in
bound replication from intra-site replication partners. For inter-site replicati
on, one domain controller per site has the responsibility of evaluating the inte
r-site replication topology and creating Active Directory Replication Connection
objects for appropriate bridgehead servers within its site. The domain controll
er in each site that owns this role is referred to as the Inter-Site Topology Ge
nerator (ISTG). Interview questions and answers
free pdf download Page 8 of 30
9. What is LSDOU, LDP? Its group policy inheritance model, where the policies
are applied to Local machines, Sites, Domains and Organizational Units. LDP: Lab
el Distribution Protocol (LDP) is often used to establish MPLS LSPs when traffic
engineering is not required. It establishes LSPs that follow the existing IP ro
uting, and is particularly well suited for establishing a full mesh of LSPs betw
een all of the routers on the network. Interview questions and answers free pdf
download Page 9 of 30
10. What are the Groups types available in active directory ? Security groups:
Use Security groups for granting permissions to gain access to resources. Sendi
ng an e-mail message to a group sends the message to all members of the group. T
herefore security groups share the capabilities of distribution groups. Distribu
tion groups: Distribution groups are used for sending e-main messages to groups
of users. You cannot grant permissions to security groups. Even though security
groups have all the capabilities of distribution groups, distribution groups sti
ll requires, because some applications can only read distribution groups. Interv
iew questions and answers
free pdf download Page 10 of 30
11. What is REPLMON? The Microsoft definition of the Replmon tool is as follow
s; This GUI tool enables administrators to view the low-level status of Active D
irectory replication, force synchronization between domain controllers, view the
topology in a graphical format, and monitor the status and performance of domai
n controller replication. Interview questions and answers
free pdf download Page
11 of 30
12. What is ADSIEDIT ? ADSIEDIT :ADSIEdit is a Microsoft Management Console (M
MC) snap-in that acts as a low-level editor for Active Directory. It is a Graphi
cal User Interface (GUI) tool. Network administrators can use it for common admi
nistrative tasks such as adding, deleting, and moving objects with a directory s
ervice. The attributes for each object can be edited or deleted by using this to
ol. ADSIEdit uses the ADSI application programming interfaces (APIs) to access A
ctive Directory. The following are the required files for using this tool: ADSIE
DIT.DLL ADSIEDIT. Interview questions and answers free pdf download Page 12 of 3
0
13. What is REPADMIN? This command-line tool assists administrators in diagnos

ing replication problems between Windows domain controllers.Administrators can u
se Repadmin to view the replication topology (sometimes referred to as RepsFrom
and RepsTo) as seen from the perspective of each domain controller. In addition,
Repadmin can be used to manually create the replication topology (although in n
ormal practice this should not be necessary), to force replication events betwee
n domain controllers, and to view both the replication metadata and up-to-datene
ss vectors. Interview questions and answers
free pdf download Page 13 of 30
14. What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server? An NTFS parti
tion with enough free space. An Administrator s username and password. The correct
operating system version. A NIC Properly configured TCP/IP (IP address, subnet
mask and optional
default gateway). A network connection (to a hub or to another
computer via a crossover cable) . An operational DNS server (which can be insta
lled on the DC itself) . A Domain name that you want to use . The Windows 2000 o
r Windows Server 2003 CD media (or at least the i386 folder) . Interview questio
ns and answers free pdf download Page 14 of 30
15. How to take backup of AD ? For taking backup of active directory you have
to do this : first go START -> PROGRAM ->ACCESORIES -> SYSTEM TOOLS -> BACKUP OR
Open run window and ntbackup and take systemstate backup when the backup screen
is flash then take the backup of SYSTEM STATE it will take the backup of all th
e necessary information about the syatem including AD backup , DNS ETC. Intervie
w questions and answers
free pdf download Page 15 of 30
16. What are application partitions? When do I use them ? AN application diret
cory partition is a directory partition that is replicated only to specific doma
in controller.Only domain controller running windows Server 2003 can host a repl
ica of application directory partition. Using an application directory partition
provides redundany,availability or fault tolerance by replicating data to speci
fic domain controller pr any set of domain controllers anywhere in the forest. I
nterview questions and answers free pdf download Page 16 of 30
17. How do I use Registry keys to remove a user from a group? In Windows Serve
r 2003, you can use the dsmod command-line utility with the -delmbr switch to re
move a group member from the command line. You should also look into the freewar
e utilities available from www.joeware.net . ADFind and ADMod are indispensable
tools in my arsenal when it comes to searching and modifying Active Directory. I
nterview questions and answers free pdf download Page 17 of 30
18. Different modes of AD restore ? A nonauthoritative restore is the default
method for restoring Active Directory. To perform a nonauthoritative restore, yo
u must be able to start the domain controller in Directory Services Restore Mode
. After you restore the domain controller from backup, replication partners use
the standard replication protocols to update Active Directory and associated inf
ormation on the restored domain controller. An authoritative restore brings a do
main or a container back to the state it was in at the time of backup and overwr
ites all changes made since the backup. If you do not want to replicate the chan
ges that have been made subsequent to the last backup operation, you must perfor
m an authoritative restore. In this one needs to stop the inbound replication fi
rst before performing the An authoritative restore. Interview questions and answ
ers free pdf download Page 18 of 30
19. What s the difference between transferring a FSMO role and seizing ? Seizing
an FSMO can be a destructive process and should only be attempted if the existi
ng server with the FSMO is no longer available. If you perform a seizure of the
FSMO roles from a DC, you need to ensure two things: the current holder is actua
lly dead and offline, and that the old DC will NEVER return to the network. If y
ou do an FSMO role Seize and then bring the previous holder back online, you ll ha
ve a problem. An FSMO role TRANSFER is the graceful movement of the roles from a
live, working DC to another live DC During the process, the current DC holding
the role(s) is updated, so it becomes aware it is no longer the role holder Inte
rview questions and answers free pdf download Page 19 of 30
20. What is sites ? What are they used for ? One or more well-connected (highl
y reliable and fast) TCP/IP subnets. A site allows administrators to configure A
ctive Directory access and replication topology to take advantage of the physica
l network. A Site object in Active Directory represents a physical geographic lo

cation that hosts networks. Sites contain objects called Subnets. Sites can be u
sed to Assign Group Policy Objects, facilitate the discovery of resources, manag
e active directory replication, and manage network link traffic. Sites can be li
nked to other Sites. Site-linked objects may be assigned a cost value that repre
sents the speed, reliability, availability, or other real property of a physical
resource. Site Links may also be assigned a schedule. Interview questions and a
nswers
free pdf download Page 20 of 30
21. Explain Active Directory Schema ? Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 Act
ive Directory uses a database set of rules called Schema . The Schema is defines as
the formal definition of all object classes, and the attributes that make up th
ose object classes, that can be stored in the directory. As mentioned earlier, t
he Active Directory database includes a default Schema, which defines many objec
t classes, such as users, groups, computers, domains, organizational units, and
so on. These objects are also known as Classes . The Active Directory Schema can be
dynamically extensible, meaning that you can modify the schema by defining new
object types and their attributes and by defining new attributes for existing ob
jects. You can do this either with the Schema Manager snap-in tool included with
Windows 2000/2003 Server, or Interview questions and answers
free pdf download
Page 21 of 30
22. programmatically. Useful job interview materials: If you need top free ebo
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arch new jobs Interview questions and answers
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23. Top 6 tips for job interview Interview questions and answers free pdf down
load Page 23 of 30
24. Tip 1: Do your homework You'll likely be asked difficult questions during
the interview. Preparing the list of likely questions in advance will help you e
asily transition from question to question. Spend time researching the company.
Look at its site to understand its mission statement, product offerings, and man
agement team. A few hours spent researching before your interview can impress th
e hiring manager greatly. Read the company's annual report (often posted on the
site), review the employee's LinkedIn profiles, and search the company on Google
News, to see if they've been mentioned in the media lately. The more you know a
bout a company, the more you'll know how you'll fit in to it. Ref material: 4car
eer.net/job-interview-checklist- 40-points Interview questions and answers
free
pdf download Page 24 of 30
25. Tip 2: First impressions When meeting someone for the first time, we insta
ntaneously make our minds about various aspects of their personality. Prepare an
d plan that first impression long before you walk in the door. Continue that exc
ellent impression in the days following, and that job could be yours. Therefore:
· Never arrive late. · Use positive body language and turn on your charm right from
the start. · Switch off your mobile before you step into the room. · Look fabulous;
dress sharp and make sure you look your best. · Start the interview with a handsh
ake; give a nice firm press and then some up and down movement. · Determine to est
ablish a rapport with the interviewer right from the start. · Always let the inter
viewer finish speaking before giving your response. · Express yourself fluently wi
th clarity and precision. Interview questions and answers
free pdf download Page
25 of 30
26. Useful material: 4career.net/top-10-elements-to-make-a-good- first-impress
ion-at-a-job-interview Tip 3: The Hidden Job Market Many of us don t recognize that
hidden job market is a huge one and accounts for 2/3 of total job demand from en
terprises. This means that if you know how to exploit a hidden job market, you c
an increase your chance of getting the job up to 300%. In this section, the auth
or shares his experience and useful tips to exploit hidden job market. Here are
some sources to get penetrating into a hidden job market: Friends; Family; Ex-co
workers; Referral; HR communities; Field communities; Social networks such as Fa

cebook, Twitter ; Last recruitment ads from recruiters; HR emails of potential rec
ruiters Interview questions and answers
free pdf download Page 26 of 30
27. Tip 4: Do-It-Yourself Interviewing Practice There are a number of ways to
prepare for an interview at home without the help of a professional career couns
elor or coach or a fee-based service. You can practice interviews all by yoursel
f or recruit friends and family to assist you. Useful material: 4career.net/free
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28. Tip 5: Ask questions Do not leave the interview without ensuring that you
know all that you want to know about the position. Once the interview is over, y
our chance to have important questions answered has ended. Asking questions also
can show that you are interested in the job. Be specific with your questions. A
sk about the company and the industry. Avoid asking personal questions of the in
terviewer and avoid asking questions pertaining to politics, religion and the li
ke. Ref material: 4career.net/25-questions-to- ask-employers-during-your-job-int
erview Interview questions and answers free pdf download Page 28 of 30
29. Tip 6: Follow up and send a thank-you note Following up after an interview
can help you make a lasting impression and set you apart from the crowd. Philip
Farina, CPP, a security career expert at Manta Security Management Recruiters,
says: "Send both an email as well as a hard-copy thank-you note, expressing exci
tement, qualifications and further interest in the position. Invite the hiring m
anager to contact you for additional information. This is also an excellent time
to send a strategic follow-up letter of interest." Ref material: 4career.net/to
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30. Interview questions and answers free pdf download Page 30 of 30
===================================
Active Directory Interview Question and Answers
>What is Active Directory?
Active Directory is a Meta Data. Active Directory is a data base which stores a
data base like your user information, computer information and also other netwo
rk object info. It has capabilities to manage and administer the complete Networ
k which connect with AD.
>What is domain?
Windows NT and Windows 2000, a domain is a set of network resources (applicatio
ns, printers, and so forth) for a group of users. The user needs only to log in
to the domain to gain access to the resources, which may be located on a number
of different servers in the network. The domain is simply your computer address no
t to confuse with an URL. A domain address might look something like 211.170.469
.
>What is domain controller?
A Domain controller (DC) is a server that responds to security authentication r
equests (logging in, checking permissions, etc.) within the Windows Server domai
n. A domain is a concept introduced in Windows NT whereby a user may be granted
access to a number of computer resources with the use of a single username and p
assword combination.
>What is LDAP?
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol LDAP is the industry standard directory a
ccess protocol, making Active Directory widely accessible to management and quer
y applications. Active Directory supports LDAPv3 and LDAPv2.
>What is KCC?

KCC (knowledge consistency checker) is used to generate replication topology fo
r inter site replication and for intra-site replication. Within a site replicati
on traffic is done via remote procedure calls over ip, while between sites it is
done through either RPC or SMTP.
>Where is the AD database held? What other folders are related to AD?
The AD data base is store in c:\windows\ntds\NTDS.DIT.
>What is the SYSVOL folder?
The sysVOL folder stores the server s copy of the domain s public files. The conten
ts such as group policy, users etc of the sysvol folder are replicated to all do
main controllers in the domain.
>Where are the Windows NT Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and its Backup Domain
Controller (BDC) in Server 2003?
The Active Directory replaces them. Now all domain controllers share a multi ma
ster peer-to-peer read and write relationship that hosts copies of the Active Di
rectory.
>Cannot create a new universal user group. Why?
Universal groups are allowed only in native-mode Windows Server 2003 environmen
ts. Native mode requires that all domain controllers be promoted to Windows Serv
er 2003 Active Directory.
>What is LSDOU?
Its group policy inheritance model, where the policies are applied to Local mac
hines, Sites, Domains and Organizational Units.
>Why doesn t LSDOU work under Windows NT?
If the NTConfig.pol file exists, it has the highest priority among the numerous
policies.
>How many number of permitted unsuccessful logons on Administrator account? Unli
mited. Remember, though, that it s the Administrator account, not any account that s
part of the Administrators group.
> What s the difference between guest accounts in Server 2003 and other editions?
More restrictive in Windows Server 2003.
> How many passwords by default are remembered when you check
story Remembered ?
User s last 6 passwords.

Enforce Password Hi

> Can GC Server and Infrastructure place in single server?
No, As Infrastructure master does the same job as the GC. It does not work toge
ther.
> Which is service in your windows is responsible for replication of Domain cont
roller to another domain controller.
KCC generates the replication topology.
Use SMTP / RPC to replicate changes.
What Intrasite and Intersite Replication?
Intrasite is the replication within the same site & intersite the replication b
etween sites.
> What is lost & found folder in ADS?
It s the folder where you can find the objects missed due to conflict.
Ex: you created a user in OU which is deleted in other DC & when replication ha
pped ADS didn t find the OU then it will put that in Lost & Found Folder.

> What is Garbage collection?
Garbage collection is the process of the online defragmentation of active direc
tory. It happens every 12 Hours.
> What System State data contains?
Contains Startup files,
Registry
Com + Registration Database
Memory Page file
System files
AD information
Cluster Service information
SYSVOL Folder
>What is the difference between Windows 2000 Active Directory and Windows 2003 A
ctive Directory? Is there any difference in 2000 Group Polices and 2003 Group Po
lices? What is meant by ADS and ADS services in Windows 2003?
Windows 2003 Active Directory introduced a number of new security features, as w
ell as convenience features such as the ability to rename a domain controller an
d even an entire domain
Windows Server 2003 also introduced numerous changes to the default settings th
at can be affected by Group Policy
you can see a detailed list of each available
setting and which OS is required to support it by downloading the Group Policy
Settings Reference.
ADS stands for Automated Deployment Services, and is used to quickly roll out id
entically-configured servers in large-scale enterprise environments. You can get
more information from the ADS homepage.
>I want to setup a DNS server and Active Directory domain. What do I do first? I
f I install the DNS service first and name the zone name.org can I name the AD dom
ain name.org too?
Not only can you have a DNS zone and an Active Directory domain with the same n
ame, it s actually the preferred way to go if at all possible. You can install and
configure DNS before installing Active Directory, or you can allow the Active D
irectory Installation Wizard (dcpromo) itself install DNS on your server in the
background.
>How do I determine if user accounts have local administrative access?
You can use the net local group administrators command on each workstation (pro
bably in a login script so that it records its information to a central file for
later review). This command will enumerate the members of the Administrators gr
oup on each machine you run it on. Alternately, you can use the Restricted Group
s feature of Group Policy to restrict the membership of Administrators to only t
hose users you want to belong.
>Why am I having trouble printing with XP domain users?
In most cases, the inability to print or access resources in situations like th
is one will boil down to an issue with name resolution, either DNS or WINS/NetBI
OS. Be sure that your Windows XP clients wireless connections are configured with
the correct DNS and WINS name servers, as well as with the appropriate NetBIOS
over TCP/IP settings. Compare your wireless settings to your wired LAN settings
and look for any discrepancies that may indicate where the functional difference
may lie.
>What is the ISTG? Who has that role by default?
Windows 2000 Domain controllers each create Active Directory Replication connec
tion objects representing inbound replication from intra-site replication partne
rs. For inter-site replication, one domain controller per site has the responsib

ility of evaluating the inter-site replication topology and creating Active Dire
ctory Replication Connection objects for appropriate bridgehead servers within i
ts site. The domain controller in each site that owns this role is referred to a
s the Inter-Site Topology Generator (ISTG).
Virtualization. (Windows Server 2008 introduces Hyper-V (V for Virtualization) b
ut only on 64bit versions. More and more companies are seeing this as a way of r
educing hardware costs by running several virtual servers on one physical machine.
)
2. Server Core (provides the minimum installation required to carry out a speci
fic server role, such as for a DHCP, DNS or print server)
3. Better security.
4. Role-based installation.
5. Read Only Domain Controllers (RODC).
6. Enhanced terminal services.
7. Network Access Protection Microsoft s system for ensuring that clients connect
ing to Server 2008 are patched, running a firewall and in compliance with corpor
ate security policies.
8. Power Shell
Microsoft s command line shell and scripting language has proved p
opular with some server administrators.
9. IIS 7.
10. Bit locker
System drive encryption can be a sensible security measure for s
ervers located in remote branch offices. The main difference between 2003 and 20
08 is Virtualization, management. 2008 has more in-build components and updated
third party drivers.
11. Windows Aero.
>What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server?
1 The Domain structure.
2 The Domain Name.
3 storage location of the database and log file.
4 Location of the shared system volume folder.
5 DNS config Method.
6 DNS configuration.
>What is LDP?
LDP: Label Distribution Protocol (LDP) is often used to establish MPLS LSPs when
traffic engineering is not required. It establishes LSPs that follow the existi
ng IP routing, and is particularly well suited for establishing a full mesh of L
SPs between all of the routers on the network.
>What are the Groups types available in active directory ?
Security groups: Use Security groups for granting permissions to gain access to
resources. Sending an e-mail message to a group sends the message to all members
of the group. Therefore security groups share the capabilities of distribution
groups.
Distribution groups: Distribution groups are used for sending e-main messages to
groups of users. You cannot grant permissions to security groups. Even though s
ecurity groups have all the capabilities of distribution groups, distribution gr
oups still requires, because some applications can only read distribution groups
.
>Explain about the groups scope in AD?
Domain Local Group: Use this scope to grant permissions to domain resources that
are located in the same domain in which you created the domain local group. Dom
ain local groups can exist in all mixed, native and interim functional level of

domains and forests. Domain local group memberships are not limited as you can a
dd members as user accounts, universal and global groups from any domain. Just t
o remember, nesting cannot be done in domain local group. A domain local group w
ill not be a member of another Domain Local or any other groups in the same doma
in.
Global Group: Users with similar function can be grouped under global scope and
can be given permission to access a resource (like a printer or shared folder an
d files) available in local or another domain in same forest. To say in simple w
ords, Global groups can be use to grant permissions to gain access to resources
which are located in any domain but in a single forest as their memberships are
limited. User accounts and global groups can be added only from the domain in wh
ich global group is created. Nesting is possible in Global groups within other g
roups as you can add a global group into another global group from any domain. F
inally to provide permission to domain specific resources (like printers and pub
lished folder), they can be members of a Domain Local group. Global groups exist
in all mixed, native and interim functional level of domains and forests.
Universal Group Scope: These groups are precisely used for email distribution an
d can be granted access to resources in all trusted domain as these groups can o
nly be used as a security principal (security group type) in a windows 2000 nati
ve or windows server 2003 domain functional level domain. Universal group member
ships are not limited like global groups. All domain user accounts and groups ca
n be a member of universal group. Universal groups can be nested under a global
or Domain Local group in any domain.
What is REPLMON?
The Microsoft definition of the Replmon tool is as follows; This GUI tool enabl
es administrators to view the low-level status of Active Directory replication,
force synchronization between domain controllers, view the topology in a graphic
al format, and monitor the status and performance of domain controller replicati
on.
>What is ADSIEDIT ?
ADSIEDIT :ADSIEdit is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that acts as
a low-level editor for Active Directory. It is a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
tool. Network administrators can use it for common administrative tasks such as
adding, deleting, and moving objects with a directory service. The attributes fo
r each object can be edited or deleted by using this tool. ADSIEdit uses the ADS
I application programming interfaces (APIs) to access Active Directory. The foll
owing are the required files for using this tool: ADSIEDIT.DLL ADSIEDIT.
>What is NETDOM ?
NETDOM is a command-line tool that allows management of Windows domains and trus
t relationships. It is used for batch management of trusts, joining computers to
domains, verifying trusts, and secure channels.
>What is REPADMIN?
This command-line tool assists administrators in diagnosing replication problem
s between Windows domain controllers.Administrators can use Repadmin to view the
replication topology (sometimes referred to as RepsFrom and RepsTo) as seen fro
m the perspective of each domain controller. In addition, Repadmin can be used t
o manually create the replication topology (although in normal practice this sho
uld not be necessary), to force replication events between domain controllers, a
nd to view both the replication metadata and up-to-dateness vectors.
>How to take backup of AD ?
For taking backup of active directory you have to do this : first go START -> P
ROGRAM ->ACCESORIES -> SYSTEM TOOLS -> BACKUP OR Open run window and ntbackup an
d take systemstate backup when the backup screen is flash then take the backup o

f SYSTEM STATE it will take the backup of all the necessary information about th
e syatem including AD backup , DNS ETC.
>What are the DS* commands ?
The following DS commands: the DS family built in utility .
DSmod
modify Active Directory attributes.
DSrm - to delete Active Directory objects.
DSmove to relocate objects
DSadd
create new accounts
DSquery to find objects that match your query attributes.
DSget list the properties of an object
>What are the requirements for installing AD on a new server?
An NTFS partition with enough free space.
An Administrator s username and password.
The correct operating system version.
A NIC Properly configured TCP/IP (IP address, subnet mask and
optional
default
gateway).
A network connection (to a hub or to another computer via a crossover cable) .
An operational DNS server (which can be installed on the DC itself) .
A Domain name that you want to use .
The Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 CD media (or at least the i386 folder)
.
Explain about Trust in AD ?
To allow users in one domain to access resources in another, Active Directory u
ses trusts. Trusts inside a forest are automatically created when domains are cr
eated.
The forest sets the default boundaries of trust, not the domain, and implicit, t
ransitive trust is automatic for all domains within a forest. As well as two-way
transitive trust, AD trusts can be a shortcut (joins two domains in different t
rees, transitive, one- or two-way), forest (transitive, one- or two-way), realm
(transitive or nontransitive, one- or two-way), or external (nontransitive, oneor two-way) in order to connect to other forests or non-AD domains.
Trusts in Windows 2000 (native mode)
One-way trust One domain allows access to users on another domain, but the other
domain does not allow access to users on the first domain.
Two-way trust Two domains allow access to users on both domains.
Trusting domain The domain that allows access to users from a trusted domain.
Trusted domain The domain that is trusted; whose users have access to the trusti
ng domain.
Transitive trust A trust that can extend beyond two domains to other trusted dom
ains in the forest.
Intransitive trust A one way trust that does not extend beyond two domains.
Explicit trust A trust that an admin creates. It is not transitive and is one wa
y only.
Cross-link trust An explicit trust between domains in different trees or in the
same tree when a descendant/ancestor (child/parent) relationship does not exist
between the two domains.
Windows 2000 Server
supports the following types of trusts:
Two-way transitive trusts.
One-way intransitive trusts.
Additional trusts can be created by administrators. These trusts can be:
>What is tombstone lifetime attribute ?
The number of days before a deleted object is removed from the directory servic
es. This assists in removing objects from replicated servers and preventing rest
ores from reintroducing a deleted object. This value is in the Directory Service
object in the configuration NIC.

>What are application partitions? When do I use them ?
AN application diretcory partition is a directory partition that is replicated
only to specific domain controller.Only domain controller running windows Server
2003 can host a replica of application directory partition.
Using an application directory partition provides redundany,availability or fau
lt tolerance by replicating data to specific domain controller pr any set of dom
ain controllers anywhere in the forest.
>How do you create a new application partition ?
Use the DnsCmd command to create an application directory partition.
To do this, use the following syntax:
DnsCmd ServerName /CreateDirectoryPartition FQDN of partition
>How do you view all the GCs in the forest?
C:\>repadmin /showreps domain_controller where domain_controller is the DC you
want to query to determine whether it?s a GC.
The output will include the text DSA Options: IS_GC if the DC is a GC.
>Can you connect Active Directory to other 3rd-party Directory Services? Name a
few options.
Yes, you can use dirXML or LDAP to connect to other directories.
In Novel you can use E-directory.
What is IPSec Policy
IPSec provides secure gateway-to-gateway connections across outsourced private
wide area network (WAN) or Internet-based connections using L2TP/IPSec tunnels o
r pure IPSec tunnel mode. IPSec Policy can be deployed via Group policy to the W
indows Domain controllers 7 Servers.
>What are the different types of Terminal Services ?
User Mode & Application Mode.
>What is the System Startup process ?
Windows 2K boot process on a Intel architecture.
1. Power-On Self Tests (POST) are run.
2. The boot device is found, the Master Boot Record (MBR) is loaded into memory,
and its program is run.
3. The active partition is located, and the boot sector is loaded.
4. The Windows 2000 loader (NTLDR) is then loaded.
The boot sequence executes the following steps:
1. The Windows 2000 loader switches the processor to the 32-bit flat memory mode
l.
2. The Windows 2000 loader starts a mini-file system.
3. The Windows 2000 loader reads the BOOT.INI file and displays the operating sy
stem selections (boot loader menu).
4. The Windows 2000 loader loads the operating system selected by the user. If W
indows 2000 is selected, NTLDR runs NTDETECT.COM. For other operating systems, N
TLDR loads BOOTSECT.DOS and gives it control.
5. NTDETECT.COM scans the hardware installed in the computer, and reports the li

st to NTLDR for inclusion in the Registry under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE_HARDWARE
hive.
6. NTLDR then loads the NTOSKRNL.EXE, and gives it the hardware information coll
ected by NTDETECT.COM. Windows NT enters the Windows load phases.
>How do you change the DS Restore admin password ?
In Windows 2000 Server, you used to have to boot the computer whose password you
wanted to change in Directory Restore mode, then use either the Microsoft Manag
ement Console (MMC) Local User and Groups snap-in or the command net user admini
strator * to change the Administrator password.
Win2K Server Service Pack 2 (SP2) introduced the Setpwd utility, which lets you
reset the Directory Service Restore Mode password without having to reboot the
computer. (Microsoft refreshed Setpwd in SP4 to improve the utility?s scripting
options.)
In Windows Server 2003, you use the Ntdsutil utility to modify the Directory Ser
vice Restore Mode Administrator password.
To do so, follow these steps:
1. Start Ntdsutil (click Start, Run; enter cmd.exe; then enter ntdsutil.exe).
2. Start the Directory Service Restore Mode Administrator password-reset utilit
y by entering the argument ?set dsrm password? at the ntdsutil prompt: ntdsutil:
set dsrm password.
3. Run the Reset Password command, passing the name of the server on which to c
hange the password, or use the null argument to specify the local machine.
For example, to reset the password on server testing, enter the following argum
ent at the Reset DSRM Administrator Password prompt: Reset DSRM Administrator Pa
ssword: reset password on server testing
To reset the password on the local machine, specify null as the server name:
Reset DSRM Administrator Password: reset password on server null
4. You?ll be prompted twice to enter the new password. You?ll see the following
messages:
5. Please type password for DS Restore Mode Administrator Account:
6. Please confirm new password:
Password has been set successfully.
7. Exit the password-reset utility by typing ?quit? at the following prompts:
8. Reset DSRM Administrator Password: quit
ntdsutil: quit
How
By
go
go

do you view replication properties for AD partitions and DCs?
using replication monitor
to start > run > type repadmin
to start > run > type replmon

>Why can t you restore a DC that was backed up 4 months ago?
Because of the tombstone life which is set to only 60 days.
>Different modes of AD restore ?
A nonauthoritative restore is the default method for restoring Active Directory
. To perform a nonauthoritative restore, you must be able to start the domain co
ntroller in Directory Services Restore Mode. After you restore the domain contro
ller from backup, replication partners use the standard replication protocols to
update Active Directory and associated information on the restored domain contr
oller.
An authoritative restore brings a domain or a container back to the state it was

in at the time of backup and overwrites all changes made since the backup. If y
ou do not want to replicate the changes that have been made subsequent to the la
st backup operation, you must perform an authoritative restore. In this one need
s to stop the inbound replication first before performing the An authoritative r
estore.
>How do you configure a stand-by operation master for any of the roles?
# Open Active Directory Sites and Services.
# Expand the site name in which the standby operations master is located to dis
play the Servers folder.
# Expand the Servers folder to see a list of the servers in that site.
# Expand the name of the server that you want to be the standby operations mast
er to display its NTDS Settings.
# Right-click NTDS Settings, click New, and then click Connection.
# In the Find Domain Controllers dialog box, select the name of the current rol
e holder, and then click OK.
# In the New Object-Connection dialog box, enter an appropriate name for the Co
nnection object or accept the default name, and click OK.