1. Install Windows Server in Host and Compute Environments Flashcards
Server 2016 Minimum Requirements
- Processor: 1.4GHz
- Memory:
- Server Core: 512 MB RAM
- Desktop Experience: 2GB
- Disk: 32GB minimum
Server 2016 Maximum Hardware Limits
- Processor:
- 512 logical processors
- VM Processors: 240 per VM
- Virtual Machines:
- 1024 per host
- Memory:
- 24TB per host
- 12TB per VM
- Disk
- VHDX Size: 64TB
OSE
Operating System Environment (physical or virtual)
Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Features
- Storage Spaces Direct
- Storage Replica
- Shielded virtual machines
- Unlimited OSEs
Windows Server 2016 Standard
Allows two OSEs. Lacks advanced features in Datacenter edition.
Windows Server 2016 Essentials
For small businesses with up to 25 users and 50 devices.
Windows Server 2016 MultiPoint Premium Server
Enables multiple users to access a single server installation. Available only through academic licensing.
Windows Storage Server 2016 Server
Available only through OEM as part of a dedicated storage hardware solution
Windows Hyper-V Server 2016
Hypervisor-only download, no GUI, only hosts VMs
Storage Spaces Direct
Makes shared clustered storage directly available to clusters using Storage Space-type technology, enabling use of JBOD arrays for highly available storage.
Storage Replica
Storage-agnostic data replication between servers or clusters; allows you to synchronously or asynchronously replicate volumes at the block level using SMBv3
SMB
Server Message Block
Shielded virtual machines
Provides VMs with protection from compromised administrators that have access to the Hyper-V host by encrypting the VM state and its virtual disks
Network controller
Provides a central automation point for network infrastructure configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting
WDS
Windows Deployment Services
A server-based system for deploying desktop operating systems automatically over the network. PXE is used to connect the computers to WDS.
PXE
Preboot Execution Environment
Allows computer to load OS from a server.
Windows Server Core
Server installation that does not include a GUI, can only be managed through PowerShell or from another server that does have the full Desktop Experience.
YOU CAN NO LONGER INSTALL/UNINSTALL THE GUI FEATURES POST-INSTALLATION
Reasons to use Server Core
- Reduced resource footprint
- Fewer updates
- Reduced attack surface
Get-NetAdapter
Cmdlet that gets the basic network adapter properties.
New-NetIPAddress
Cmdlet used to configure IP addresses and their properties. This includes creating an IP address, subnet mask and default gateway on the interface.
Example:
New-NetIPAddress -InterfaceIndex 6 -IPAddress 192.168.5.80 -PrefixLength 24 -DefaultGateway 192.168.5.254
Set-DnsClientServerAddress
Cmdlet used to configure an interface with a DNS server address. This allows a computer on a network to access resources and other computers based on their DNS name.
Example: Set-DNSClientServerAddress -InterfaceIndex 6 -ServerAddresses ("192.168.5.1","192.168.5.2")
Add-Computer
Cmdlet which adds the local computer to a domain or workgroup.
Example: Add-Computer -DomainName example.local -NewName "ServerB" -Credential (Get-Credential) (Joins machine to domain, renames machine, prompts for credentials)
Rename computer with netdom.exe
netdom renamecomputer SERVER2 /newname:SERVERB
Join domain with netdom.exe
netdom join COMPUTER1 /domain:EXAMPLE.local /userd:USERNAME /passwordd:*
(Joins domain and prompts for password
New-PSSession
Cmdlet which creates a remote PowerShell session to another machine
Example: New-PSSession -Computername "SERVERB"
Enter-PSSession
Open a remote PowerShell session you previously created with New-PSSession
Can you manage remote servers with MMC snap-ins?
Not in default configuration. By default, MMC uses DCOM and the communication settings for DCOM are not enabled by default.
PowerShell DSC
Desired State Configuration.
Uses script files to apply, monitor, and maintain a specific system configuration by either pulling scripts from central server or by central server pushing scripts to the client machines.
DSC Components
- Configurations: PowerShell scripts with node blocks to indicate names of servers to configure and resource blocks specifying properties to change/apply.
- Resources: Specify settings or components and the values the configuration script should assign.
- LCM: Engine running on client system that receives configurations from DSC server and applies them to the client
LCM
Local Configuration Manager
Engine running on client system that receives configurations from DSC server and applies them to the client
MOF file
Management Object Format file
Created by PowerShell DSC for each computer specified in a DSC script’s node block. These are the actual scripts distributed to DSC clients.
DSC Pull
In a pull architecture, MOF files are stored on an SMB share or IIS web server with an OData interface. LCM on the clients has configuration script that specifies the URL of the Pull Server and creates a scheduled task. LCM polls Pull Server for configurations and checks the local machine for compliance, applying changes as needed.
DSC Push
Run Start-DscConfiguration
on the Push Server, specifying path of MOF files. Automatically pushes the MOFs to all clients specified in an MOF’s node configuration
Supported Server 2016 Upgrade Paths
- Server 2012 R2 to Server 2016
- Server 2008 to 2012 to 2016 (two-step)
- Standard to Standard OR Standard to Datacenter
- Datacenter to Datacenter
Unsupported Server 2016 Upgrade Paths
- Server 2008 to 2016
- 32-bit to 64-bit
- Datacenter to Standard
- Server Core to GUI or vice-versa
- One language to another
- Workstation to Server
Preparation for Server 2016 Upgrade
- Check hardware compatibility
- Remove NIC teaming
- Check disk space
- Check app compatibility
- Verify all drivers/software is signed
- Install all windows updates
- Perform full backup