MCSA 70-740 Flashcards
Potential indicators of a processor bottleneck
A sustained queue of greater than 1.
A sustained time of 85% or greater.
Normal disk queue length and % time
Queue of 2 plus the number of disk spindles.
Under 90%.
Potential indicator of a memory bottleneck
Over 20 pages per second
VHD is supported by what Generation(s) of VMs?
Virtual Disk supported by both Gen 1 and 2
VHDX is supported by what Generation(s) of VMs?
Virtual Disk supported by Gen 2 VMs only
Disk(s) and file system(s) compatible with Data Deduplication
Compatible with either MBR or GPT disks.
Compatible with NTFS only.
For a Windows Server Backup, what is contained in the “System State”?
- boot files
- Active Directory files
- sysvol, when run on a domain controller
- the registry
- other info, depending on the computer configuration and installed roles
Recommended block size for a disk containing SQL Server database and log files
64KB
Maximum size of a VHD?
2 TB
The default number of max failures before a role will transfer to a new node
1
What role do we add in Failover Cluster Manager to replicate virtual machines?
Replica Broker
Requirements for expanding or shrinking a virtual hard disk
- VHDX format (VHDs cannot be resized)
- SCSI controller (IDE is not supported)
- Dynamic type (Fixed disks cannot be resized)
What must be done in Active Directory for a Kerberos constrained delegation of a shared-nothing live migration?
The following services must be added to the Delegation tab for each server participating:
- cifs (used for the storage migration)
- Microsoft Virtual System Migration Service (used for the live migration)
True or False: In order for Microsoft to support a Failover Cluster, you must run all tests in the “Validate a Configuration Wizard” and have all run as successful.
True
When configuring a new failover cluster with a disk witness, if using the GUI wizard, what disk is used as the witness?
It will automatically choose the LUN shared by all nodes which is of the smallest size.
What are the types of quorum for a failover cluster?
- Disk Witness
- File Share Witness
- Cloud Witness
Define Guest Clustering and list some example usage scenarios
A Guest Cluster is a failover cluster consisting of VM nodes which themselves exist on a host cluster. Good usage scenarios:
- DHCP Server
- DFS Namespace Server
- WINS Server
- File Server (not SoFS)
- iSNS server
- Generic App/Script/Service
Determine scenarios for a SoFS versus a clustered file server
- SoFS is recommended for use by applications such as Hyper-V or SQL Server; applications that leave files open for extended periods of time.
- Clustered file server is recommended for traditional file services: user shares (aka Folder Redirection), and server applications that open and close files frequently.
- Either are equally recommended for “standard” SMB shared applications such as SMB encryption, SMB Continuous Availability, SMB Direct, or SMB Multichannel.
True or False: When adding a role to a cluster, the wizard will automatically install any necessary Windows roles or features on nodes selected to have the role.
FALSE
Necessary roles and features must be installed on the nodes prior to adding the role to the cluster.
How many cluster roles can a LUN be assigned to serve as storage for?
One, and only one.
Protocols and features supported by a clustered file server vs. a SoFS
File server:
- SMB protocol
- NFS protocol
- Distributed File Services (DFS) Replication
- Data Deduplication
- File Server Resource Manager
SoFS:
- SMB protocol
- none of the others above
- Allows an active-active file share, where all nodes can access the share simultaneously.
Prerequisites for Server to Server Storage Replica
Both the source and destination server must:
- run Datacenter Edition of Server 2016
- be domain-joined
- have the File Server and Storage Replica roles installed
- each have a volume for the data to be replicated, with the same size partition for the source and destination. It cannot be the volume the OS is installed on.
- each also have a volume for logs, each with at least 8 GB free
Additional notes:
- High performance storage, such as SSD, is recommended for log disks
- all disks must be GUID Partition Table (GPT)
When should you use Synchronous Replication for Storage Replica?
Enable synchronous replication to guarantee a zero data loss, zero recovery point objective for all replicated volumes.
Synchronous replication may lead to reduced application performance and requires 5 ms or less average round trip network latency between cluster nodes.
When should you use Asynchronous Replication for Storage Replica?
Enabling asynchronous replication is less likely to reduce application performance and allows use of higher latency, lower bandwidth, and longer range networks.
It does not guarantee zero data loss or zero recovery point objectives.
Difference between hyper-converged and dissaggregated Storage Spaces Direct
Hyper-converged: The Hyper-V role and Storage role are on the same cluster. VMs and their storage are hosted together.
Disaggregated: The computing and storage are separated, so the file server role, or SoFS, is run on a separate cluster from the Hyper-V role. VMs and their storage are hosted separately.
Describe different types of SMB Shares
- Quick: the basic profile, typically used to share files with Windows-based computers. Suitable for general file sharing; advanced options can be configured later.
- Advanced: offers additional options.
- Applications: has settings appropriate for Hyper-V, certain databases, and other server applications
Define CSV
Cluster Shared Volume
Define “VM Network Health Protection”
When enabled on a VM, if the VM detects that there is a network problem, it will, of its own accord, move itself to another cluster node. It’s detected from the VM itself, not from the Failover Cluster Manager.
Configuration:
In Hyper-V Manager, go to VM Settings > Hardware > Network Adapter > Advanced Features > Protected Network (check box)
What is VM Monitoring, and what are the steps to configure it?
A capability of the Failover Cluster server role, VM Monitoring allows you to monitor guest VM service heath, and receive health alerts at the cluster host level.
To configure:
- Have admin privileges on each guest VM.
- Enable the Virtual Machine Monitoring Windows Firewall rule exception from within each VM to be monitored.
- Configure service monitoring from the Properties sheet of each VM from within Failover Cluster Manager, or via PowerShell.
What are the network protocols (operation modes) you have the option of choosing when setting up an NLB?
Unicast, multicast, and IGMP multicast
What are the pros and cons of using Unicast for NLB?
Pros:
- Always works
- Requires no special network configurations
Cons:
- Requires second NIC on NLB hosts
- Causes subnet flooding
What are the pros and cons of using Multicast for NLB?
Pros: Does not require second NIC on NLB hosts
Cons:
- Causes subnet flooding
- Requires special network configuration
(network has to support multicast; other routing entries are required)
What are the pros and cons of using IGMP Multicast for NLB?
This is the only best practice use for a NLB cluster in any production environment.
Pros: Does not cause subnet flooding; does not require second NIC on NLB hosts
Cons: Requires network support; requires special network configuration (needs networking equipment that supports IGMP Multicast)
Optimize-StoragePool
This rebalances the use of the storage pool between performance tier and capacity tier, based on current configuration and usage
What is NLB useful for? What are good use cases?
Websites; Webservers; static content or services
Affinity options when configuring NLB?
None: Clients will go to any NLB node (based on balance needs). Only useful if the service is stateless (no information needs to be cached on the NLB node). Very easy to balance traffic evenly and efficiently.
Single: A single client gets directed to the same NLB node for its entire session, based on its IP address. Good for stateful connections, like shopping carts on websites, etc.
Network: An entire subnet gets directed to the same NLB node; but it becomes more difficult to evenly balance traffic, if subnets vary significantly in size.
In the context of NLB, what is “drainstop”?
It stops the NLB service on an NLB node, but before stopping it, it waits for all inbound connections it’s currently processing to be “drained” (concluded or migrated) to another NLB node. This way, no stateful connections are interrupted.
Steps for upgrading an NLB cluster
For each node:
- Drainstop
- Power off
- Upgrade
- Power on
- Rejoin cluster
In the context of a failover cluster, what is Maintenance Mode?
A node is said to be in “Maintenance mode” if it has had all its roles “drained” and is paused from activity as a node.
In the context of Failover Clustering:
What is an Availability Set?
When multiple VMs are placed in an availability set, the cluster will attempt to place the VMs on different hosts and prevent them from running on the same host whenever possible.
In the context of Failover Clustering:
What are Group Dependencies?
Group Dependencies are configured to control the order in which VMs start up, by identifying roles that are dependent on other roles already running.
In the context of Failover Clustering:
What is Priority?
This sets the relative priority for start up and which roles are given start-up priority.
If an Availability Set configuration is in conflict with Preferred Owner settings, what takes priority?
The Availability Set takes priority over the Preferred Owner setting.
What failover options does Hyper-V Replica have?
- Test failover
- planned failover
- unplanned failover (in response to an outage)
- Hyper-V Replica does NOT have any automatic failover option
What is AVMA?
Automatic Virtual Machine Activation.
If a Hyper-V Host running Datacenter edition is licensed with a volume license key, all of its VMs can be automatically activated and tracked by the host.
slmgr.vgs
(Software Licensing Management script)
What operating systems may be activated using AVMA?
Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2016, for Datacenter, Standard, and Essentials editions.
Note: If the host runs Server 2012 R2, then only Server 2012 R2 VMs can be activated with AVMA.
How do clients connect to a WSUS Server to obtain updates?
Over TCP Port 8530 for HTTP, or over TCP Port 8531 for HTTPS connections if an SSL cert has been configured.
What are the options for WSUS Database types, and what are their best-use scenarios?
Windows Internal Database:
- this is the default type. Recommended for:
- single WSUS server environments (up to 100,000 clients)
- multiple WSUS servers in different locations
SQL Database:
- environments that require a WSUS NLB Cluster (to server more than 100,000 clients in the same location)
- environments that require DBA’s to manage all databases in the organization
What are the mode options for a downstream WSUS server?
Autonomous Mode: it downloads its updates from the upstream WSUS server, but its own settings are managed on its own.
Replica Mode: it inherits all settings from its upstream WSUS server. (Update approvals, settings, computers, and groups.) Note, groups are inherited, but groups membership is managed locally.
How do you configure a computer to get its Windows Updates from a WSUS server, instead of directly from Microsoft over the internet?
Through Group Policy
How do you integrate Windows Defender with WSUS?
In Update Services on the WSUS Server, go to Options > Products and Classifications, and ensure that “Windows Defender” is enabled as a Product, and “Definition Updates” is enabled as a Classification.
You can then further create a rule in “Automatic Approvals” to approve any updates classified as “Definition Updates.”
After configuring a new backup in Windows Server Backup to back up to a local hard disk, you later find that the disk no longer appears in My Computer. What should you do first to troubleshoot this?
Nothing, this is normal. When a hard disk is selected to be dedicated for backups, it is formatted and becomes hidden from File Explorer.
In Windows Server Backup, when should you configure a VSS copy Backup instead of a VSS full backup?
Use a VSS copy backup if you are using another product or backup job to back up applications that are on the volumes included in the backup. This option retains the application log files.
(A VSS full Backup will update the backup history of each file and clear the application log files.)
In other words, a VSS copy backup will create its own backup without interfering with the work a separate, primary backup is supposed to do.
How do you back up Active Directory using Windows Server Backup?
Include “System State” as part of the backup of the AD server. System State includes, among other things, all files necessary for restoring Active Directory.
How do you backup a Web Server using Windows Server Backup?
In addition to backing up the files that make up the web application / website, you need to backup the IIS Configuration.
Create a local backup of the IIS metabase and other settings using this PowerShell command:
Backup-WebConfiguration
This backs it up to the file system, in C:
Windows\System32\inetsrv\backup , so it can subsequently be included in a file backup using WIndows Server Backup.
The PowerShell command can be scripted and scheduled, so it runs regularly to precede a scheduled Windows Server Backups.
What is the difference between a Standard Checkpoint and a Production Checkpoint?
Production checkpoints are “point in time” images of a virtual machine, which can be restored later on in a way that is completely supported for all production workloads. This is achieved by using backup technology (VSS) inside the guest to create the checkpoint, instead of using saved state technology.
Standard checkpoints (formerly called “Snapshots”) capture the state, data, and hardware configuration of a running virtual machine and are intended for use in development and test scenarios. Standard checkpoints can be useful if you need to recreate a specific state or condition of a running virtual machine so that you can troubleshoot a problem.
When should you use a Standard Checkpoint, and why?
Microsoft strongly advises limiting use of Standard Checkpoints to development/testing environments.
Since the running memory state of the VM is saved in the Standard Checkpoint, server workloads that were active at the time of the snapshot may no longer be present when the snapshot is brought back. This can produce system stability and data integrity problems.
What features are available in Sever 2016 Datacenter Edition, but not available in Standard Edition?
- Unlimited VMs and Hyper-V Containers (instead of only 2 each in Standard edition)
- Storage Spaces Direct
- Storage Replica
- Shielded Virtual Machines
- Advanced Networking (Network controller, host guardian support for Hyper-V, and software defined networking)
What are the limitations of the Windows Server 2016 Essentials edition?
This edition only supports environments with up to 25 users and 50 devices.
What types of Containers are there, and what are the differences?
Windows Containers - Containers share the OS kernel with the container host. This is the more typical type of container.
Hyper-V Containers - The container host has the Hyper-V role installed. Containers run inside Hyper-V virtual machines. This gives containers additional isolation and security.