• Networks. Networks typically correspond to a physical network. A network always has a network adapter associated with it, and represents one or more IP address range or ranges that can be reached from the associated network adapter.
• Enterprise Networks. In ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition, an enterprise-level network is a network defined for the enterprise, rather than for a specific array. Such a network can be used when defining enterprise-level access rules, or included in the definition of an array-level network.
• Network Sets. A network set includes one or more networks.
• Computers. A computer object represents a single IP address.
• Address Ranges. An address range is a collection of contiguous IP addresses to which you want to apply rules.
• Subnets. A subnet represents a group of computers located on the same subnet.
• Computer Sets. A computer set is a collection of computers, IP address ranges, or subnets.
• URL Sets. A URL set defines one or more URLs.
• Domain Name Sets. A domain name set defines one or more domains.
• Networks objects are located in the Toolbox. To locate the Toolbox, click the Firewall Policy node in ISA Server Management, and then click the Toolbox tab. The Toolbox also contains two other network objects that are used only in Web publishing rules, Web listener and Server farms objects. Web listener objects are used to enable an ISA Server network to listen for Web requests on a specific IP address and port. Web listeners can also be enabled to require client authentication for Web requests. The server farms object allow you to publish a farm of Web servers, rather than a single Web server. For more information, see Web Publishing Concepts in ISA Server 2006, at the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
Network Objects in Enterprise Edition
ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition uses the enterprise to represent all the IP addresses in your organization's topology. Predefined network objects are available at both the enterprise and array level. Some are available only at one level or the other. You can also create network objects at the enterprise and array level. At the array level, network objects are used when creating different types of rules that make up your firewall policy. At the enterprise level, network objects are used as follows:
• Use enterprise-level network objects when creating enterprise-level access rules. Enterprise-level access rules are defined as part of an enterprise policy. An enterprise policy can be applied to one or more ISA Server arrays. The firewall policy of each array is a combination of the enterprise-level rules included in the applied enterprise policy, and the policy rules created for the specific array at the array level.
• Create enterprise-level networks that can be used in enterprise-level access rules, or referenced by the arrays in the enterprise.
Enterprise Networks
Enterprise networks include IP address ranges in your network topology. An IP address can be included in only one enterprise network. All of the IP addresses that are defined at the enterprise level—that are included in some enterprise network—are considered to be the address range for the enterprise. Enterprise networks provide the following:
• Create enterprise-level access rules. Enterprise administrators can create access rules at the enterprise level. Creating access rules at the enterprise level eases policy maintenance because a single change at the enterprise level can be propagated to multiple arrays using the enterprise policy in which the rule exists. Enterprise networks also provide a mechanism for arrays to reference each other across the enterprise.
• Include enterprise networks in array-level networks. Array administrators can include one or more enterprise networks when defining address ranges of array-level networks. Array-level networks can include IP address ranges, and in addition, one or more enterprise networks, thereby including IP addresses that are not necessarily physically connected to the array. The enterprise network only includes address ranges that correspond with the routing table of the specific ISA Server computer.
• Predefined enterprise networks implicitly define the same IP address sets as their array-level counterparts. In particular, the enterprise-level Local Host network implicitly defines a set of IP addresses that will include all the IP addresses bound to network adapters on the local ISA Server computer and 127.0.0.1. The IP addresses actually included in this network vary from server to server within an array.
• Any rule applied by the enterprise administrator to the predefined enterprise network is applied to the array-level network of the same name. For example, a rule that applies to the enterprise network named Local Host applies to the IP addresses in the Local Host network for that array. Consider another scenario, in which an enterprise-level rule applies to the enterprise-level VPN Clients network. At the array level, this rule is applied only to virtual private network (VPN) clients for that array. For example, suppose that this enterprise policy is applied to two arrays in the enterprise. In this scenario, one array is at the front end of a perimeter and is configured to allow roaming client access (VPN). The second array is at the back end, and does not have VPN client access enabled. If a VPN client connects to the front-end array, the enterprise rule applies to the VPN client. However, if a request from this client is passed to the back-end array, the enterprise rule is not applied on this array, because the client is not considered a VPN client of the back-end array.
Predefined enterprise networks are typically used in enterprise policy. They cannot be explicitly used when creating array-level firewall policy rules.
Array-Level Networks
Enterprise-level networks can be included in the definition of an array-level network. When defining address ranges of array-level networks, the array administrator might want to do any of the following:
• Create an array-level network that does not include an enterprise network. This effectively creates a network visible and usable only for that array. The rest of the enterprise cannot use this network. This might be useful if an array-level network should not be impacted by changes made at the enterprise level, or an array-level network is unused and unneeded at the enterprise level.
• Create an array-level network that includes one or more enterprise networks. Consider for example, two arrays: a front-end array and a back-end array, both connected to a network with an IP address range of 10.0.0.0/8. Suppose also that the enterprise administrator has defined an enterprise network called ENT-Perimeter with the IP address range from 10.0.0.0 through 10.255.255.255. Each array administrator can then define an array-level network called Perimeter, and include the IP address range of the enterprise network ENT-Perimeter in it. They can then create array-level firewall policy rules based on the network Perimeter.
Residual Networks
The ability to add multiple enterprise networks into the addresses of an array-level network is useful to ensure that IP addresses are not considered as spoofed. IP addresses that belong to an enterprise, but do not belong to any array-level network, are considered to be part of a residual address range. Traffic to or from such an IP address is considered as spoofed, and dropped.
ISA Server creates a log entry every time such traffic is dropped. The source or destination network field for the log entry will be prefixed Residual, with the name of the enterprise network to which the IP address belongs. Consider, for example, a scenario where IP address 10.1.1.1 belongs to an enterprise network named Ent1, but does not belong to an array-level network. Traffic from 10.1.1.1 will be dropped and a log entry with Source set to [Residual] Ent1 will be generated.
Predefined Network Objects
ISA Server provides a number of predefined network objects. Some of these objects can be used in policy rules, and some may be modified. The objects are summarized in the following table.
Network entity type Predefined object Properties Enterprise Edition
Networks Local Host A predefined network that represents the ISA Server 2006 firewall. It includes all IP addresses on all network adapters. You do not explicitly define IP addresses on this network. Addresses are added automatically as they are defined on network adapters, including any wide area network (WAN) adapters that are created for VPN connections. All traffic that comes to and from ISA Server is considered to have passed by way of the Local Host network. You cannot modify it manually, or delete it.
During installation, a network rule is created to route traffic between the Local Host network and all other networks. Defined at the array level and the enterprise level.
When you define an enterprise-level access rule, and include it in an enterprise policy that is applied to an array, enterprise-networks referenced in the access rules are interpreted as the array-level network of the same name. In particular, the enterprise-level Local Host network implicitly defines a set of IP addresses that will include all the IP addresses bound to network adapters on the local ISA Server computer and 127.0.0.1. The IP addresses actually included in this network vary from server to server within an array.
An enterprise policy rule that references an enterprise-level Local Host network is applied to the IP address range of the array-level Local Host network.
Enterprise networks have no predefined network rules, and cannot be included directly as the source or destination in array-level access rules.
Networks Internal A predefined network that represents the primary default protected network. It is generally considered to contain protected IP address ranges, and by default, ISA Server protects resources on the Internal network from all other networks except the Local Host network (the ISA Server computer). It is typically configured during Setup, when ISA Server can construct the Internal network based on the Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 routing table. The default Internal network can be modified, but cannot be deleted. If you have additional network adapters connected to other internal networks, you can create additional user-defined internal networks. Note that you cannot name such custom-defined networks "Internal." Defined at the array level only. There is no enterprise-level Internal network. Instead, enterprise networks may be included in the definition of an array-level Internal network. For example, if you have ArrayA with an Internal network range of 10.x, ArrayB with an Internal network range of 20.x, and ArrayC with an Internal network range of 30.x, you can create three custom enterprise networks, one for each internal range. Then include the three enterprise networks in the definition of each array-level default Internal network. Each array references the Internal networks of the other arrays.
Networks External A predefined network that includes all IP addresses not explicitly included in any other network. Following installation, the External network includes all addresses not defined in the Internal network, the IP address of the Local Host network (127.0.0.1), and the IP address of all other network adapters on the ISA Server computer. The External network is generally considered to not be trusted, and by default is configured to have a NAT relationship with all other networks. The network definition changes dynamically when other networks are defined and modified. It cannot be directly modified or deleted. Defined at the array level and the enterprise level.
When you define an enterprise-level access rule, and include it in an enterprise policy that is applied to an array, enterprise networks referenced in the access rules are interpreted as the array-level network of the same name.
An enterprise policy rule that references the enterprise-level External network is applied to the IP address range of the array-level External network.
Enterprise networks have no predefined network rules, and cannot be included directly as the source or destination in array-level access rules.
Networks VPN Clients A predefined network that includes IP addresses of currently connected remote VPN clients. The VPN Clients network and the Quarantined VPN Clients network are dynamically assigned in accordance with the IP addresses allocated to remote VPN clients at a specific time. By default, this network has a route relationship with all networks except the External network. Defined at the array level and the enterprise level.
When you define an enterprise-level access rule, and include it in an enterprise policy that is applied to an array, enterprise-networks referenced in the access rules are interpreted as the array-level network of the same name.
An enterprise policy rule that references the enterprise-level VPN Clients network is applied to the IP address range of the array-level VPN Clients network.
Enterprise networks have no predefined network rules, and cannot be included directly as the source or destination in array-level access rules.
Networks Quarantined VPN Clients A predefined network that includes IP addresses of remote VPN clients that have not yet cleared quarantine. By default, this network has a route relationship with all networks except the External network. Defined at the array level and the enterprise level.
When you define an enterprise-level access rule, and include it in an enterprise policy that is applied to an array, enterprise-networks referenced in the access rules are interpreted as the array-level network of the same name.
An enterprise policy rule that references the enterprise-level VPN Clients network is applied to the IP address range of the array-level Quarantined VPN Clients network.
Enterprise networks have no predefined network rules, and cannot be included directly as the source or destination in array-level access rules.
Network Sets All Networks (and Local Host) A predefined network set that includes all defined networks. When you create a new network, it is automatically added to this network set. This network set is the equivalent of the Anywhere predefined computer set. Defined at the array level and at the enterprise level.
Network Sets All Protected Networks A predefined network set that includes all networks except the predefined External network. When you create a new network, it is automatically added to this network set. Defined at the array level and at the enterprise level.
Computer Sets Anywhere A predefined computer set that includes all IP address ranges. Defined at the array level and at the enterprise level.
Computer Sets Remote Management Computers A predefined computer set that includes computers to manage ISA Server remotely. It should be modified to include IP addresses of all computers that can manage ISA Server remotely. If ISA Server is installed remotely within an active Remote Desktop session, the IP address of the remote computer is added automatically to this computer set.
The Enterprise Remote Management Computers set can also be used when creating array-level rules. Defined at the array level only. When creating enterprise-level access rules, use the Enterprise Remote Management Computers computer set.
Computer Sets
(Enterprise Edition) Enterprise Remote Management Computers A predefined computer set that contains computers allowed to remotely manage all ISA Server computers in the enterprise. It should be modified to include IP addresses of all computers that can manage the enterprise remotely. If ISA Server is installed remotely within an active Remote Desktop session, the IP address of the remote computer is added automatically to this computer set.
The Enterprise Remote Management Computers computer set can also be used when creating array-level rules. Defined at the array level and at the enterprise level
Computer Sets Replicate Configuration Storage servers A predefined computer set that includes all Configuration Storage server computers that are replicated with the local Configuration Storage server. Defined at the array level and at the enterprise level.
Computer Sets IPsec Remote Gateways A predefined computer set that includes the IP addresses of Internet Protocol security (IPsec) remote VPN gateways that are configured using the Site-to-Site VPN Wizard. Defined at the array level only.
Computer Sets Array Servers A predefined computer set used in a system policy rule that allows traffic between array members. For each array, this computer set includes the IP addresses of array members. Computers are added during installation. If you subsequently change the address of an array member, be sure to update this computer set accordingly. Defined at the array level only.
Computer Sets Managed ISA Servers A predefined computer set used in a system policy rule that allows traffic from trusted computer sets to the local Configuration Storage server. For each array, this computer set includes IP addresses of array members allowed to access the Configuration Storage server. Defined at the array level only.
Domain Name Sets Microsoft Error Reporting Sites A predefined domain name set used in a system policy rule that allows HTTP or HTTPS access from the Local Host network to trusted domains for error reporting purposes. (For example, *.watson.microsoft.com or watson.microsoft.com.) Defined at the array level and at the enterprise level.
Domain Name Sets System Policy Allowed Sites A predefined domain name set used in a system policy rule that allows HTTP or HTTPS access from the Local Host network to trusted domains. (For example, *.microsoft.com, *.windows.com, or *.windowsupdate.com.) Defined at the array level and at the enterprise level.
Domain Name Sets Enterprise Configuration Storage A predefined domain name set for the Configuration Storage server used by the ISA Server firewall. Used in a system policy rule that allows traffic from ISA Server to the Configuration Storage server. Defined at the array level only.
Domain Name Sets Microsoft Update Domain Name Sets A predefined domain name set with a list of all Microsoft update servers. Defined at the array level only.
Configuring Network Objects
ISA Server access rules require you to specify network entities as the source and destination of the rule. You can specify a network, network set, computer, address range, subnet, or computer set. You create and modify network objects to mirror your physical networks, and to use when specifying source and destination in policy rules. Create network objects in accordance with the level of granularity required in the rule. For example, you can use a computer object to specify that a rule applies to a single computer, or use a network set object to specify that a rule applies to one or more networks.
Configuring a Computer or Computer Set Object
Use a computer object as the source or destination when you want to control traffic to or from a specific computer. Configure a computer set to allow you to gather a group of individual IP addresses as a source or destination. For example, you might use a computer set to group client computers with a specific configuration. ISA Server does not define any default computer entities. Default computer sets are outlined in the preceding table.
Configuring an Address Range Object
Specify an address range to use a set of contiguous IP addresses as a rule source or destination. For example, you may want to give a set of client computers in a specific address range access to resources in another network. ISA Server does not define any default address ranges. Use an IP address range entity to define a single object that encompasses IP addresses within a specified range.
Configuring a Subnet Object
Use a subnet to define a group of client computers located in the same subnet when applying a rule. ISA Server does not create any default subnets. The subnet object only includes IP addresses that fall within a range that can be defined by a standard address mask, unlike an address set entity, which can include addresses within any range.
Configuring a Domain Name Set Object
Use a domain name set to control access to an entire site. For example, to allow access to all sites at Microsoft.com, you create a domain name set *.microsoft.com, and specify it as the destination in an access rule. Likewise, you can create a rule to block access to a specific site. You can also create more granular domain name sets to control access to specific servers in a domain.
Configuring a URL Set Object
Configure a URL set to group URLs together. URL sets are only processed for Web traffic protocols HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP Web proxy. If a client request uses another protocol, any URL set specified in a rule is ignored.
Configuring a Network Entity
You can modify the default ISA Server Internal network, or create custom networks of these types:
• Array-level Internal, External, and perimeter networks.
• Array-level site-to-site VPN network over IPsec, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), or Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). When you create site-to-site VPN networks in ISA Server, you are establishing a new network entity to represent the remote VPN site. The network definition includes the remote VPN gateway, the IP address range available for VPN access on the remote site, and the connection protocol and authentication method. In ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition, these networks can only be created at the array level. Creating a VPN site-to-site network is the first step in establishing a VPN connection. After creating such a network, you define network rules to specify how networks communicate, and access rules to allow and filter traffic between networks. You should only create such networks using the Site-to-Site VPN Wizard. For more information, see "Virtual Private Networking in ISA Server 2006" at the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
• Enterprise-level networks. You can create custom enterprise-level networks. However, you can only specify an IP address range. No other properties can be configured on enterprise-level networks.
Configuring Network Properties
The Internal network has a number of properties associated with it. You can also specify these properties for custom array-level networks you create. The properties are as follows:
• Addresses. Define the IP address ranges to include in the network.
• Web Proxy. Specify whether the network listens for HTTP requests from the Web Proxy clients, and the type of authentication such clients will use for requests. Note that the Enable SSL setting is only for use in a Web proxy chaining scenario. You cannot configure Web Proxy clients to connect to ISA Sever using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). On the Local Host network, set Web proxy properties to configure the Web proxy listener for use by applications running on the ISA Server network. The options you specify on this property page are reflected in the configuration script that set Web browser settings when Web Proxy clients are configured to use an automatic script.
• Firewall Client. Specify whether the network listens for requests from Firewall clients on port 1745, and configure settings to determine how the Web browser on Firewall client computers will detect browser settings. You can specify that clients be enabled to detect browser settings using a Web Proxy Automatic Discovery (WPAD) entry in Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) or Domain Name System (DNS), or use an automatic configuration script in a specific location. Settings specified will be applied when Firewall client computers are installed. If you later make changes to Firewall client configuration settings on the ISA Server computer, ISA Server automatically updates configuration settings each time that Firewall Client is restarted, each time that Detect Now or Test Server is clicked on the General tab in the Microsoft Firewall Client dialog box, and every six hours after the previous refresh. Settings are applied to all users on the Firewall client computer. For more information, see "Internal Client Concepts in ISA Server 2006" at the Microsoft TechNet Web site. Note that if IPsec is enabled for a network, Firewall client functionality may be impaired. If you experience this issue, disable IP routing on the network.
• Auto Discovery. Specify the port number on which the network adapter should listen for WPAD requests from Web Proxy clients, and Winsock Proxy Autodetect (WSPAD) requests from client computers with Firewall Client software installed and enabled. By default, ISA Server publishes automatic discovery information on port 80. On ISA Server computers with Internet Information Services (IIS) co-located, enabling automatic discovery may cause a resource conflict on port 80. The workaround is to point to an automatic configuration script instead of using WPAD. Changing the default port may cause issues, because most applications supporting WPAD will make a request to port 80. For more information, see "Automatic Discovery Concepts in ISA Server 2006" at the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
• Web Browser. Specify browser settings to be configured for Web Proxy clients in the network. Configuration settings include specifying a backup route, bypassing the proxy for computers in the local network, and using direct access that bypasses the Web proxy. Computers acting as Web Proxy clients that are enabled for automatic detection, or to use an automatic configuration script, will use the settings specified on this tab. For direct access, you can specify that the Web proxy should be bypassed for the domain list specified on the Domains tab, or specify a list of direct access sites. Note the following when you specify destinations for direct access in the Directly access these servers or domains list:
• You should specify both the IP address and the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the destination, or the FQDN only. If there is an IP range in the list, the automatic configuration script determines whether the resolved name of the IP address is included in the list. If it is, the script determines whether the destination is internal before submitting the request.
• If you add the IP address range of a network or domain to the list, you must include all the addresses of the network or domain that you want the client computer to access directly. For example, if you add a specific IP address range to specify that hosts in the Internal network should be accessed directly, you must then add the entire address range for the network. Otherwise, destinations in the Internal network that are not in the list will be routed through the ISA Server computer. In some circumstances, this may be required behavior. For example, this applies in a branch office scenario, where all requests outside the local network go through the ISA Server computer.
• If other IP addresses are added to the list, the address range of 127.0.0.0 through 127.255.255.255 (127/8) are automatically added to the list.
• If no IP addresses are on the list and you want to prevent requests from IP address 127.0.0.1 from being routed, add 127.0.0.1 as an FQDN to the list.
• Domains. When the setting Directly access computers specified in the Domain tab is enabled on the Web Browser tab, computers acting as Web Proxy clients will connect directly to domains specified on this tab, bypassing the Web proxy. Settings on the Web Browser tab and Domains tab only apply to Firewall clients and Web Proxy clients using automatic configuration. Clients with browsers manually configured with static proxy settings will require configuration settings to be specified in the browser.
• CARP. ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition only. Specifies whether Cache Array Routing Protocol (CARP) is enabled on the network. When you enable CARP, the cache drives on all array servers are treated as a single logical cache drive so that caching is efficiently distributed among the member servers. For more information about CARP, see "Caching Concepts with CARP in ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition" at the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
• NLB. ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition only. Specifies if Network Loading Balancing (NLB) is enabled on the network, and specifies a virtual IP address and mask to use. When a virtual IP address is configured for a network, ISA Server adds the specified IP address to a network adapter on each server, and updates the routing table for the network adapter accordingly. The combination of the virtual IP address and mask must yield the same subnet as the combination of the IP address and mask of the adapter associated with the network. The virtual IP address must belong to the network. You can only configure this property page if you have enabled Integrated NLB in ISA Server Management. For more information, see "Network Load Balancing Concepts in ISA Server 2006" at the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
Network Rules

Configure network rules to define and describe a network topology. Network rules determine whether there is a relationship between two network entities, and define the type of relationship. Network relationships can be configured as follows:
• Route. Route relationships between networks are bidirectional. For example, if a route relationship is defined from network A to network B, an implicit route relationship also exists from network B to network A. When you specify this type of connection between networks, client requests from the source or destination network are directly forwarded to the other network, with the source and destination IP addresses unchanged. Use a route relationship where IP addresses do not need to be hidden between networks. This is a common configuration between two networks with public IP addresses, or between two networks with private addresses. In either case, hosts in each network must define the ISA Server IP address in their local network as the route to the other network. In many cases, simply defining the ISA Server IP address as the default gateway is sufficient. Note the following:
• When using access rules with a route relationship, ISA Server forwards the traffic with the source and destination IP address intact. Access rules can be used either as the source or destination on the To tab or From tab of the rule, but do not specify the same network entity in both.
• When using server publishing rules, ISA Server forwards the traffic as it does for access rules, but it uses application filters directly. For example, the SMTP filter is not used for SMTP traffic handled by an access rule, but is used with traffic handled by a server publishing rule.
• Network Address Translation (NAT). NAT relationships between networks are unidirectional. The traffic is handled according to the source or destination of the traffic. ISA Server performs NAT as follows:
• In access rules, ISA Server replaces the IP address of the client on the source network with the ISA Server default IP address for the destination network. For example, if you create a NAT relationship between the Internal network and the External network, the source IP address of a request from the Internal network will be replaced with the default IP address of the ISA Server network adapter connected to the External network. Note that access rules that handle traffic between networks defined with a NAT relationship can only use the source network specified on the From tab, and the destination network specified on the To tab of the rule.
• In server publishing rules, the client in the destination network makes a connection to the ISA Server IP address on which the publishing rule is listening for requests. When ISA Server forwards the traffic to the published server, it replaces the ISA Server IP address with the IP address of the internal server that it is publishing, but does not modify the source IP address. Note that in a NAT relationship, server publishing rules can only access the network specified as the destination network. In addition, because server publishing across networks with NAT leaves the source IP address intact when the traffic is forwarded to the published server, the published server must use the ISA Server computer as the last hop in the routing structure to the destination network. If this is not possible, configure server publishing rules with the setting Requests appear to come from the ISA Server computer. This causes ISA Server to perform full NAT on the traffic handled by the rule.
• Upon installation, the following default rules are created:
• Local Host Access. This rule defines a route relationship between the Local Host network and all other networks. Connectivity is defined between the ISA Server computer and all networks connected to the ISA Server computer.
• VPN Clients to Internal Network. This rule defines a route relationship between the Internal network and the Quarantined VPN Clients and the VPN Clients networks.
• Internet Access. This rule defines a NAT relationship between all predefined networks and the External network.
Enterprise Network Rules
In ISA Server 2006 Enterprise Edition, network rules can be created at the enterprise level or at the array level. Array-level network rules can apply to array-level network entities, and to enterprise network entities. Enterprise-level network rules only apply to enterprise network entities. Enterprise-level network rules are useful when you want to create a rule that is applicable to all arrays. For example, suppose that for all arrays in the enterprise, you want to define a NAT relationship from the Internal network to the External network.
Network Rule Processing Order
Network rules are ordered. To determine the address relationship between two addresses, A and B, ISA Server processes network rules according to priority order, looking for a rule that matches the addresses. The first rule that matches defines the address relationship.
You could define a network rule with a route relationship between two networks, and then subsequently override this relationship for a particular address by creating a higher-order network rule.
ISA Server processes array-level network rules first, and then processes enterprise-level network rules. Array administrators can override enterprise-level network rules by creating array-level network rules.
Configuring Network Rules
Create network rules to specify if and how network entities connect. Use the following guidelines when creating network rules:
• A NAT relationship is unidirectional. For example, if you create a NAT relationship from the Internal network to the perimeter network, traffic returned from the perimeter network to the Internal network is not translated. You cannot use access rules to control traffic from the network that does not have NAT applied to the network that does have NAT applied. To use access rules, networks must have knowledge of IP addresses in the other network. In this example, the Internal network is aware of addresses in the perimeter network, but clients in the perimeter network are not aware of addresses in the Internal network because NAT is applied. Instead, you would use Web publishing rules or server publishing rules to allow traffic from the perimeter network to the Internal network.
• A route relationship is bidirectional. Defining a network rule with a route relationship between the Internal network and the perimeter network implicitly defines the same relationship from the perimeter network to the Internal network. You can use access rules, Web publishing rules, or server publishing rules to control traffic between networks linked with a route relationship.
• Network rules are evaluated according to the order in which they appear in the network rules list. ISA Server evaluates traffic against the ordered network rules. ISA Server takes the first rule that applies to the specific traffic, and no further network rules are evaluated.
• Route and NAT relationships are subject to stateful filtering and application-layer inspection.
• In some circumstances, protocol requirements may mean that traffic will need a route relationship instead of applying NAT, because there are protocols and applications that do not work through NAT.
After defining networks and network relationships, you can use them to specify source and destination in firewall policy rules. For more information, see "Firewall Policy Concepts in ISA Server 2006" at the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
Using Network Entities in Firewall Policy Rules

Note the following when using network entities to specify source or destination in access rules and publishing rules:
• Normally, only communication between different networks should traverse ISA Server. You should not specify a network entity of network when specifying source or destination in an access rule controlling communication between two hosts in the same network. Instead, you can use other network entities, such as computers, subnets, and address ranges to control traffic between these hosts. Where appropriate, you can also use direct access for such host-to-host communications to ensure that requests between internal clients are not looped back through the ISA Server computer.
• When you create access rules allowing Web access, Web requests from clients protected by ISA Server going through Web Proxy Filter are always subject to address translation, even if there is a route relationship between the source and destination network entities in the rule. The only option is to disable Web Proxy Filter for the client protocol being used.

Network Templates

ISA Server 2006 includes predefined network templates, which correspond to common network topologies. Although networks can be created manually, we recommend applying an ISA Server network template that most closely matches your physical network configuration. When you run the Network Template Wizard to apply one of these templates, you define network IP addresses, and then select a predefined firewall policy that corresponds to the template. After applying the template, you can configure additional network entities, network rules, and access rules.
Applying a network template deletes all existing rules, with the exception of the predefined system policy rules. Back up your current configuration before applying a template. When you run the Network Template Wizard, you have the opportunity to save your current configuration before applying a new template.
Edge Firewall Template
The Edge Firewall template assumes a network topology with ISA Server at the edge of your network. One network adapter is connected to the Internal network, and the other is connected to an External network (Internet). When you select this template, you can allow all outgoing traffic, or limit outgoing traffic to allow only Web access. You should have at least two network adapters available when applying this template, an internal adapter and an external adapter. The following table details firewall policies that are available for selection when you apply the Edge Firewall template, and the rules that are created when you select the policy.
Policy name Description Rules created
Block all This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server. This option does not create any access rules other than the default rule that blocks all access. Use this option when you want to define firewall policy on your own None
Block Internet access, allow access to ISP network services This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server, except for access to external network services, such as DNS. This option is useful when network services are provided by your ISP. Use this option when you want to define firewall policy on your own. Allow DNS from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow limited Web access This policy allows limited Web access using only HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP. This policy blocks all other network access. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network to External Network
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow limited Web access and access to ISP network services This policy allows limited Internet access and allows access to network services, such as DNS, provided by your Internet service provider (ISP). All other network access is blocked. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow DNS from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow unrestricted access This policy allows unrestricted access to the Internet through ISA Server. ISA Server will prevent access from the Internet to protected networks. You can modify the access rules later to block specific types of network access. Allow all protocols from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
3-Leg Perimeter Template
The 3-Leg Perimeter template assumes deployment of ISA Server with three network adapters: One network adapter is connected to the Internet (External network), one is connected to the Internal network, and the third is connected to a perimeter network. The following table details firewall policies that are available for selection when you apply the 3-Leg Perimeter template, and the rules that are created when you select the policy.
Policy name Description Rules created
Block all This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server. This option does not create any access rules other than the default rule that blocks all access. Use this option when you want to define firewall policy on your own. None
Block Internet access, allow access to network services on the Perimeter network This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server, except for access to network services, such as DNS, on the perimeter network. Use this option when you want to define the firewall policy on your own. Allow DNS traffic from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network
Block Internet access, allow access to ISP network services This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server, except for access to External network services, such as DNS. This option is useful when network services are provided by your ISP. Use this option when you want to define firewall policy on your own. Allow DNS from Internal Network, VPN Clients Network and Perimeter Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow limited Web access This policy allows limited Web access using only HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP. This policy blocks all other network access. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network and External Network (Internet)
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow limited Web access, allow access to network services on Perimeter network This policy allows limited Web access using HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP only, and allows access to network services such as DNS on the perimeter network. This option is useful when network infrastructure services are available on the perimeter network. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network and External Network (Internet)
Allow DNS traffic from Internal Network, and VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow limited Web access and access to ISP network services This policy allows limited Internet access and allows access to network services, such as DNS, provided by your ISP. All other network access is blocked. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to the External Network (Internet)
Allow DNS from Internal Network, VPN Clients Network, and Perimeter Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow unrestricted access This policy allows unrestricted access to the Internet through ISA Server. ISA Server will prevent access from the Internet to protected networks. You can modify the access rules later to block specific types of network access. Allow all protocols from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet) and Perimeter Network
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients to Internal Network
Front Firewall Network Template
The Front Firewall network template assumes deployment of ISA Server at the edge of the network, with another firewall configured at the back end, protecting the Internal network. In this scenario, ISA Server acts as the front line of defense in a back-to-back perimeter network configuration. The following table details firewall policies that are available for selection when you apply the Front Firewall network template, and the rules that are created when you select the policy.
Policy name Description Rules created
Block all This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server. This option does not create any access rules other than the default rule that blocks all access. Use this option when you want to define firewall policy. None
Block Internet access, allow access to ISP network services This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server, except for access to External network services, such as DNS. This option is useful when network services are provided by your ISP. Allow DNS from VPN Clients Network and Perimeter Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow limited Web access, allow access to network services on Perimeter network This policy allows limited Web access. All other network access is blocked. This option is useful when network services, such as DNS, are located on the perimeter network. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Perimeter Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network
Allow limited Web access and access to ISP network services This policy allows limited Web access, and allows access to network services, such as DNS, provided by your ISP. All other network access is blocked. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Perimeter Network, VPN Clients Network to the External Network
Allow DNS from Perimeter Network, VPN Clients Network to External Network
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network
Allow unrestricted access This policy allows unrestricted access to the Internet through ISA Server. ISA Server will prevent access from the Internet to protected networks. You can modify the access rules later to block specific types of network access. Allow all protocols from Perimeter Network and VPN Clients to External Network (Internet)
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network
Back Firewall Template
The Back Firewall network template assumes deployment of ISA Server at the back end of the network, with another firewall configured at the edge, protecting the Internal network. In this scenario, ISA Server acts as the back line of defense in a back-to-back perimeter network configuration. The following table details firewall policies that are available for selection when you apply the Back Firewall network template, and the rules that are created when you select the policy.
Policy name Description Rules created
Block all This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server. This option does not create any access rules other than the default rule which blocks all access. Use this option when you want to define firewall policy on your own. None
Block Internet access, allow access to network services on the Perimeter network This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server, except for access to network services, such as DNS, on the perimeter network. Use this option when you want to define firewall policy on your own. Allow DNS traffic from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network
Block Internet access, allow access to ISP network services This policy blocks all network access through ISA Server, except for access to External network services, such as DNS. This option is useful when network services are provided by your ISP. Use this option when you want to define the firewall policy access rules on your own. Allow DNS from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet), excluding Perimeter address range
Allow limited Web access This policy allows limited Web access. All other network access is blocked. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network to External Network
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow limited Web access, allow access to network services on Perimeter network This policy allows limited Web access, and allows access to network services on the perimeter network. All other network access is blocked. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network and External Network (Internet)
Allow DNS traffic from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to Perimeter Network
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow limited Web access and access to ISP network services This policy allows limited Web access, and allows access to network services, such as DNS, provided by your ISP. All other network access is blocked. Allow HTTP, HTTPS, FTP from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow DNS from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network, to External Network (Internet), except for Perimeter address range
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Allow unrestricted access This policy allows unrestricted access to the Internet through ISA Server. ISA Server will prevent access from the Internet to protected networks. You can modify the access rules later to block specific types of network access. Allow all protocols from Internal Network and VPN Clients Network to External Network (Internet)
Allow all protocols from VPN Clients Network to Internal Network
Single Network Adapter Network Template
You can install Server 2006 on computers with a single network adapter. When you apply the Single Network Adapter network template, the Internal network is configured to contain all IP addresses. You run the wizard and select Apply default Web proxying and caching configuration to apply the Allow Web proxy and caching policy. This policy configures ISA Server to act as a caching router, and allows Web Proxy clients to access Web content on the Internet, and accelerates Web performance through caching. After applying the Single Network Adapter network template, the following network and access rule is applied:
• Local Host network: 127.0.0.0–127.255.255.255.
• Internal network: Equals everything else, where everything else is:
• 0.0.0.1–126.255.255.255
• 128.0.0.0–255.255.255.254
• Default access rule: Denies access to all locations.
When you install ISA Server on a computer with a single network adapter, ISA Server is only aware of two networks: the Local Host network that represents the ISA Server computer itself, and the Internal network, which includes all IP addresses that are not part of the Local Host network. In this configuration, when an internal client browses the Internet, ISA Server sees the source and destination addresses of the Web request as belonging to the Internal network.
Typically, you will apply the Single Network Adapter network template when another firewall is located on the edge of the network, connecting your corporate resources to the Internet. In this single adapter scenario, ISA Server typically functions as a Web proxy, or cache server, proxying Internet requests from internal clients, and caching content from the Internet for use by clients on the corporate network. When installed on a computer with a single network adapter, ISA Server supports the following scenarios:
• Forward Web proxy requests using HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP for downloads
• Cache Web content for use by clients on the corporate network
• Web publishing to protect published Web or FTP servers
• Microsoft Office Outlook® Web Access 2003, ActiveSync®, and remote procedure call (RPC) over HTTP publishing
For more information about deploying ISA Server with a single network adapter, see "Configuring ISA Server on a Computer with a Single Network Adapter" at the Microsoft TechNet Web site.
Best Practices for Creating ISA Server Networks

Every time a network adapter receives a packet, ISA Server 2006 checks whether the packet's source IP address is a valid address for the specific network adapter that received it. If the address is not considered valid, ISA Server alerts that an IP spoofing attack has occurred. An IP address is considered valid for a specific network adapter if both of the following conditions are true:
• The IP address resides in the network of the adapter through which it was received.
• The routing table indicates that traffic destined to that address may be routed through the adapter belonging to that network.
A packet is considered spoofed (and therefore dropped) if one of the following is true:
• The packet contains a source IP address that (according to the routing table) is not reachable through any network adapter associated with the network.
• The packet contains a source IP address that does not belong to the address range of a network (array network for Enterprise Edition) associated with a network adapter.
• Note that any IP address that is not contained in ISA Server protected networks is considered part of the External network.
When ISA Server detects a spoofed packet, ISA Server triggers an alert indicating the reason that the packet is considered spoofed. You should carefully review the alert, and attempt to address the issue by doing one of the following:
• Fixing potential configuration errors. Verify that packets from the specific IP address should be considered spoofed. If not, determine why ISA Server considers these packets spoofed.
• Blocking traffic from the IP address. If traffic from the IP address should be considered spoofed, block all access from that IP address.
To avoid traffic from legitimate IP addresses being dropped as spoofed, it is essential that ISA Server networks are properly configured. To do this, use the following guidelines:
• The ISA Server computer must have at least one network adapter configured and enabled (for communication with the Internal network). An ISA Server computer with only one network adapter should be configured with the Single Network Adapter template, and is subject to some functional restrictions.
• Do not use dynamic addresses on ISA Server network adapters, except for the adapter associated with the External network.
• A network adapter can have zero or more addresses, and only be associated with one ISA Server network, so that each address only belongs to a single network. There should be no overlap of address ranges on a network.
• If you create a custom Internal or perimeter network, you must have an adapter installed to associate with the new network. For example, if you have an ISA Server computer with two network adapters, one connected to the Internet, and the other connected to the Internal network, you will need a third network adapter to define a perimeter network.
• All IP addresses that can be reached directly from a network adapter must be defined as part of the same ISA Server network. To ensure that remote subnets that are reachable by ISA Server through a router are correctly configured:
• Be sure that remote subnets are added correctly to the network definition for the adapter where that traffic will be received.
• Verify that the network's IP address range matches the routing table, and that routes are defined in the routing table for each remote subnet.


Cisco
Covering Cisco Systems internetworking hardware and the Cisco IOS. Includes: CCDA, CCENT, CCNA, CCNP, CCDP, CCIP, CCSI, CCIE, CCSP,and more...
Citrix Systems
Covering Citrix products and architecures. Includes: CCA, CCEA, CCIA, CCI
CompTIA
Popular foundation-level vendor-neutral certifications covering specific technology areas. Includes: A+, CDIA, i-Net+, Security+, Wireless+, e-Biz+, Project+, Linux+, Network+, Server+, CTT+, and more...
ISACA
Popular infotech information risk management and auditing. CISA, CISM
ISC2
Vendor-neutral security certifications. Includes: CISSP, SSCP, and more...
Microsoft
Certifications covering the Microsoft operating system (Windows 2000, .NET, XP) and software. Includes: MCP, MCAD, MCSA, MCDBA, MCDST, MCITP, MCPD, MCSD for Microsoft .NET, MCSD on Microsoft Windows 2000, MCSE, MCT, and more...
Novell
Certifications from the people who brought us the first real computer certification program. Includes: CNA, Novell Specialist, CNE, CNI, MCNI, and more...
Oracle
For Oracle database administrators and developers. Includes: OCA, DBA Certified Professional, Oracle Certified Internet Application Developer, Oracle Forms Developer, OCM, and more...
Red Hat
Hands-on Linux certification. RHCA, RHCE, RHCT, RHCSS
Sun Microsystems
Certifications on Java programming, the Sun Solaris operating system, and other Sun technologies. Sun Certified Engineer for Sun ONE Application Server, Sun Certified Java Programmer, Certified Solaris Administrator, Mobile Application Developer, and more...

"The course broadened my horizons with respect to hacking, and the breadth was quite amazing."
Guy Merin, Research and Development, Microsoft


Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
The Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) credential validates that an individual has the comprehensive set of skills necessary to perform a particular job role, such as database administrator or enterprise messaging administrator. MCITP certifications build on the technical proficiency measured in the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications, therefore you will earn one or more MCTS certifications on your way to earning an MCITP credential.
MCITP candidate profile

MCITP candidates are capable of deploying, building, designing, optimizing, and operating technologies for a particular job role. They make the design and technology decisions necessary to ensure successful technology implementation projects.

Why get certified?
Earning a Microsoft Certification validates your proven experience and knowledge in using Microsoft products and solutions. Designed to be relevant in today’s rapidly changing IT marketplace, Microsoft Certifications help you utilize evolving technologies, fine-tune your troubleshooting skills, and improve your job satisfaction.
Whether you are new to technology, changing jobs, or a seasoned IT professional, becoming certified demonstrates to customers, peers, and employers that you are committed to advancing your skills and taking on greater challenges. In addition, certification provides you with access to exclusive Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) resources and benefits, including opportunities to connect with a vast, global network of MCPs
By earning an MCITP credential, you distinguish yourself as an IT professional with the skills and proven job-role capabilities to effectively work with Microsoft technologies.

Certification
Required exam(s)*
Windows Client
MCITP: Consumer Support Technician
Exam 70-620
Exam 70-623
MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician
Exam 70-620
Exam 70-622
Windows Server
MCITP: Enterprise Administrator
Exam 70-640
Exam 70-642
Exam 70-643
plus either
Exam 70-620 or Exam 70-624
and
Exam 70-647
MCITP: Server Administrator
Exam 70-640
Exam 70-642
Exam 70-646
Microsoft SQL Server
MCITP: Database Administrator 2008
Exam 70-432
Exam 70-450
MCITP: Database Developer 2008
Exam 70-433
Exam 70-451
MCITP: Business Intelligence Developer 2008
Exam 70-448
Exam 70-452
MCITP: Database Administrator
Exam 70-431
Exam 70-443
Exam 70-444
MCITP: Database Developer
Exam 70-431
Exam 70-441
Exam 70-442
MCITP: Business Intelligence Developer
Exam 70-445
Exam 70-446
Microsoft Office Project Server
MCITP: Enterprise Project Management with Microsoft Office Project Server 2007
Exam 70-632
Exam 70-633
Exam 70-634
Microsoft Exchange Server
MCITP: Enterprise Messaging Administrator
Exam 70-236
Exam 70-237
Exam 70-238


Contents at a Glance
Chapter 1
Getting Started with Windows XP Professional 1
Chapter 2
Automating the Windows XP Installation 37
Chapter 3
Upgrading to Windows XP Professional 93
Chapter 4
Configuring the Windows XP Environment 117
Chapter 5
Managing the Windows XP Professional Desktop 169
Chapter 6
Managing Users and Groups 195
Chapter 7
Managing Security 237
Chapter 8
Managing Disks 279
Chapter 9
Accessing Files and Folders 335
Chapter 10
Managing Network Connections 389
Chapter 11
Managing Printing 439
Chapter 12
Dial-Up Networking and Internet Connectivity 481
Chapter 13
Optimizing Windows XP 551
Chapter 14
Performing System Recovery Functions 605
Glossary
679
Index 718
Contents
Introduction xxi
Assessment Test xxxiv
Chapter 1 Getting Started with Windows XP Professional 1
Preparing to Install Windows XP Professional 2
Hardware Requirements 3
The Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) 5
BIOS Compatibility 6
Driver Requirements 6
Clean Install or Upgrade? 6
Installation Options 7
Choosing Your Installation Method 10
Running the Windows XP Professional Installation Process 11
Collecting Information 12
Preparing Installation 12
Installing Windows XP Professional 12
Finalizing Installation 14
Using Automatic Updates 17
Using Product Activation 17
Using Windows Update 18
Accessing Windows Update 18
Other Windows Update Options 19
Windows Service Packs 23
Troubleshooting Installation Problems 23
Identifying Common Installation Problems 24
Troubleshooting Installation Errors with
the
Boot.ini
File 25
Installing Non-Supported Hard Drives 26
Troubleshooting with Installation Log Files 26
Supporting Multiple-Boot Options 27
Summary 28
Exam Essentials 28
Review Questions 29
Answers to Review Questions 34
Chapter 2 Automating the Windows XP Installation 37
Choosing Automated Deployment Options 38
An Overview of Unattended Installation 39
An Overview of Remote Installation 40
An Overview of the System Preparation Tool
and Disk Imaging 42
Contents
ix
Summary of Windows XP Professional
Deployment Options 44
Accessing the Windows XP Professional Deployment Tools 45
Deploying Unattended Installations 47
Using Remote Installation Services (RIS) 49
RIS Client Options 50
Preparing the RIS Server 51
Preparing the RIS Client 59
Installing Windows XP Professional through RIS 60
Using the System Preparation Tool to Create Disk Images 61
Preparing for Disk Duplication 61
Using the System Preparation Tool 62
Using Setup Manager to Create Answer Files 66
Options That Can Be Configured through Setup Manager 66
Creating Answer Files with Setup Manager 67
Manually Editing Unattended Answer Files 72
Installing Applications with Windows Installer Packages 78
Copying the MSI Application to a Share 79
Creating a Group Policy Object 79
Filtering the Group Policy Object 80
Adding the Package to the Group Policy Object 81
Installing a Published Application 83
Summary 85
Exam Essentials 85
Review Questions 86
Answers to Review Questions 90
Chapter 3 Upgrading to Windows XP Professional 93
Deciding Whether to Upgrade 94
Preparing to Upgrade to Windows XP Professional 95
Client Upgrade Paths and Requirements 95
Upgrade Considerations for Windows NT 4 Workstation
and Windows 2000 Professional 96
Upgrade Considerations for Windows 98 and Windows Me 96
An Upgrade Checklist 99
Performing the Windows XP Upgrade 100
Migrating Files and Settings 102
Migrating User Data 103
Overview of the User State Migration Tool 103
Requirements for the User State Migration Tool 104
Using the User State Migration Tool 105
Troubleshooting XP Professional Upgrades 106
Incompatible Hardware Drivers 106
Incompatible Software Applications 107
User Settings Lost after Upgrade 108
Reversing a Windows XP Professional Upgrade 108
x
Contents
Summary 108
Exam Essentials 109
Review Questions 110
Answers to Review Questions 115
Chapter 4 Configuring the Windows XP Environment 117
New Device and Hardware Support for Windows XP 118
Windows Image Acquisition Architecture 118
Support for Digital Audio and Video 121
Dualview Multi-Monitor Support 121
Windows XP Management Utilities 121
Microsoft Management Console 121
Registry Editor 124
Device Manager 125
Installing Hardware 127
Installing Plug and Play Devices 128
Installing Non–Plug and Play Devices 128
Managing Device Drivers 129
Updating Drivers 129
Managing Driver Signing 130
Managing Disk Devices 132
Managing DVD and CD-ROM Devices 133
Managing Removable Media 134
Managing Display Devices 134
Configuring Video Adapters 134
Using Multiple-Display Support 137
Managing Mobile Computer Hardware 138
Power Management 138
Managing Card Services 145
Managing I/O Devices 146
Configuring the Keyboard 146
Configuring the Mouse 147
Configuring Wireless Devices 148
Managing USB Devices 149
Managing Imaging Devices 150
Managing Processors 152
Configuring Fax Support 153
Setting Fax Properties 153
Starting the Fax Service 154
Troubleshooting Devices 155
Managing Windows XP Services 155
Managing Multiple Hardware Profiles 159
Summary 160
Exam Essentials 160
Review Questions 162
Answers to Review Questions 166
Contents
xi
Chapter 5 Managing the Windows XP Professional Desktop 169
Managing Desktop Settings 170
Customizing the Taskbar and Start Menu 172
Using Shortcuts 176
Setting Display Properties 176
Managing Multiple Languages and Regional Settings 179
Using Multilingual Technology 179
Choosing Windows XP Multiple-Language Support 180
Enabling and Configuring Multilingual Support 181
Configuring Accessibility Features 183
Setting Accessibility Options 183
Using Accessibility Utilities 185
Summary 187
Exam Essentials 188
Review Questions 189
Answers to Review Questions 193
Chapter 6 Managing Users and Groups 195
Overview of Windows XP User Accounts 196
Built-in Accounts 197
Local and Domain User Accounts 197
Logging On and Logging Off 198
Local User Logon Authentication 198
Logging Off Windows XP Professional 199
Working with User Accounts 200
Using the Local Users and Groups Utility 200
Creating New Users 201
Disabling User Accounts 205
Deleting User Accounts 206
Renaming User Accounts 208
Changing a User’s Password 208
Managing User Properties 209
Managing User Group Membership 209
Setting Up User Profiles, Logon Scripts, and Home Folders 211
Troubleshooting User Accounts Authentication 215
Troubleshooting Local User Account Authentication 216
Domain User Accounts Authentication 217
Caching Logon Credentials 218
Creating and Managing Groups 219
Using Built-in Groups 219
Default Local Groups 219
Special Groups 223
Working with Groups 224
Renaming Groups 228
Deleting Groups 228
Summary 229
xii
Contents
Exam Essentials 230
Review Questions 231
Answers to Review Questions 235
Chapter 7 Managing Security 237
Options for Managing Security Configurations 238
Group Policy Objects and Active Directory 239
Active Directory Overview 239
GPO Inheritance 240
Using the Group Policy Result Tool 241
Applying LGPOs 242
Using Account Policies 244
Using Local Policies 248
Analyzing System Security 264
Specifying a Security Database 264
Importing a Security Template 265
Performing a Security Analysis 267
Reviewing the Security Analysis and
Resolving Discrepancies 267
Using Windows Security Center 270
Summary 270
Exam Essentials 271
Review Questions 272
Answers to Review Questions 276
Chapter 8 Managing Disks 279
Configuring File Systems 280
File System Selection 281
File System Conversion 283
Configuring Disk Storage 285
Basic Storage 285
Dynamic Storage 285
Using the Disk Management Utility 288
Managing Basic Tasks 289
Managing Basic Storage 302
Managing Dynamic Storage 302
Troubleshooting Disk Management 303
Managing Data Compression 305
Using the Compact Command-Line Utility 307
Using Compressed (Zipped) Folders 308
Setting Disk Quotas 308
Configuring Disk Quotas 309
Monitoring Disk Quotas 313
Managing Data Encryption with EFS 314
New EFS Features in Windows XP and
Windows Server 2003 314
Contents
xiii
Encrypting and Decrypting Folders and Files 314
Managing EFS File Sharing 315
Using the DRA to Recover Encrypted Files 317
Using the
Cipher
Utility 319
Using the Disk Defragmenter Utility 321
Analyzing Disks 322
Defragmenting Disks 323
Using the Disk Cleanup Utility 323
Troubleshooting Disk Devices and Volumes 324
Summary 326
Exam Essentials 326
Review Questions 328
Answers to Review Questions 332
Chapter 9 Accessing Files and Folders 335
File and Folder Management Basics 336
Organizing Files and Folders 336
Managing Folder Options 340
Searching for Files and Folders 352
Managing Local Access 354
Design Goals for Access Control 354
Applying NTFS Permissions 354
Understanding Ownership and Security Descriptors 360
Determining Effective Permissions 361
Viewing Effective Permissions 364
Determining NTFS Permissions for Copied or Moved Files 365
Managing Network Access 365
Creating Shared Folders 365
Configuring Share Permissions 367
Using the Shared Documents Folder 369
Managing Shares with the Shared Folders Utility 369
Creating New Shares 371
Providing Access to Shared Resources 373
The Flow of Resource Access 376
Access Token Creation 377
DACLs and ACEs 377
Local and Network Resource Access 378
Summary 379
Exam Essentials 380
Review Questions 381
Answers to Review Questions 387
Chapter 10 Managing Network Connections 389
Installing and Configuring Network Adapters 390
Installing a Network Adapter 390
Configuring a Network Adapter 391
xiv
Contents
Managing Authentication 396
Managing Advanced Configuration Properties 396
Managing Network Bindings 398
Troubleshooting Network Adapters 398
Supporting Wireless Network Connections 400
Configuring Wireless Network Settings 400
Configuring Security for a Small Wireless Network 403
Overview of Network Protocols 405
Overview of TCP/IP 406
Options for Deploying TCP/IP Configurations 412
Additional TCP/IP Features and Options 421
Using NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS 427
Summary 429
Exam Essentials 429
Review Questions 430
Answers to Review Questions 437
Chapter 11 Managing Printing 439
Printing Basics 440
The Windows XP Printing Process 441
The Roles of Print Devices and Printers 443
Setting Up Printers 443
Managing Printer Properties 449
Configuring General Properties 449
Configuring Sharing Properties 453
Configuring Port Properties 454
Configuring Advanced Properties 456
Separator Pages 461
Security Properties 462
Print Permission Assignment 464
Advanced Settings 465
Device Settings Properties 466
Managing Printers and Print Documents 467
Managing Printers 467
Managing Print Documents 468
Connecting to Printers 470
Troubleshooting Printing 471
Summary 472
Exam Essentials 472
Review Questions 474
Answers to Review Questions 479
Chapter 12 Dial-Up Networking and Internet Connectivity 481
Overview of Dial-Up Networking 482
Understanding Connection Options 483
Contents
xv
Local Area Network Connections 484
Remote Access Connections 485
Virtual Private Network Connections 485
Wide Area Network Connections 486
Direct Cable Connections 486
Incoming Connection 487
Understanding Remote Access Security 487
Authentication Methods 487
Remote Data Encryption Options 489
Setting Up a Modem 489
Configuring General Modem Properties 490
Configuring Modem Properties 491
Running Modem Diagnostics 491
Configuring Advanced Modem Properties 491
Viewing Driver Details and Updating Drivers 495
Viewing Modem Resources 496
Using the New Connection Wizard 496
Creating a Connection to a Remote Access Server 497
Creating a RAS Connection 498
Managing the Properties of a RAS Connection 500
Troubleshooting Remote Access Connections 507
Creating a Connection to the Internet 508
Using Virtual Private Network Connections 508
Using Internet Connection Sharing 512
Configuring Internet Connection Sharing on
the Host Computer 513
Configuring Internet Connection Sharing on
the Network Computers 515
Troubleshooting Internet Connection Sharing 516
Using an Internet Connection Firewall Without a
Service Pack or with Service Pack 1 517
Using Windows Firewall 518
Configuring and Managing Internet Explorer 521
Accessing Resources through Internet Explorer 521
Configuring Internet Explorer 522
Managing Internet Printers 528
Overview of Internet Information Services 530
Installing Internet Information Services 530
Managing a Website 531
Troubleshooting Website Access 541
Summary 542
Exam Essentials 542
Review Questions 543
Answers to Review Questions 548
xvi
Contents
Chapter 13 Optimizing Windows XP 551
Overview of System Monitoring Tools 552
Creating Baselines 552
Identifying System Bottlenecks 553
Determining Trends 553
Testing Configuration Changes or Tuning Efforts 554
Using Alerts for Problem Notification 554
Using System Monitor 554
Selecting the Appropriate View 557
Adding Counters 559
Managing System Monitor Properties 561
Using Performance Logs and Alerts 564
Creating a Counter Log 565
Creating a Trace Log 567
Creating an Alert 570
Managing System Performance 572
Monitoring and Optimizing Memory 572
Monitoring and Optimizing the Processor 576
Monitoring and Optimizing the Disk Subsystem 578
Monitoring and Optimizing the Network Subsystem 580
Creating Baseline Reports 581
Minimizing the Performance Effects of System Monitoring 583
Using the System Tool in Control Panel 584
Using Task Manager 586
Managing Application Tasks 586
Managing Process Tasks 587
Managing Performance Tasks 590
Managing Networking Tasks 591
Scheduling Tasks 591
Managing Scheduled Task Properties 593
Troubleshooting Scheduled Tasks 596
Summary 597
Exam Essentials 597
Review Questions 598
Answers to Review Questions 603
Chapter 14 Performing System Recovery Functions 605
Safeguarding Your Computer and Recovering from Disaster 607
Using Event Viewer 609
Reviewing Event Types 610
Getting Event Details 611
Managing Log Files 612
Setting Log File Properties 613
Understanding the Windows XP Professional Boot Process 617
Reviewing the
x
86-Based Boot Process 618
Contents
xvii
Configuring the
BOOT.INI
File 623
Reviewing the Itanium Boot Process 629
Managing NVRAM Startup Settings 631
Creating the Windows XP Boot Disk 631
Using Advanced Startup Options 633
Starting in Safe Mode 633
Enabling Boot Logging 635
Using Other Advanced Options Menu Modes 637
Using Driver Rollback 638
Using Startup and Recovery Options 639
Using the Dr. Watson Utility 641
Using the Backup Utility 643
Using the Backup Wizard 644
Configuring Backup Options 645
Using the Restore Wizard 650
Using the Automated System Recovery Wizard 651
Using System Restore 652
Using the Recovery Console 654
Starting the Recovery Console 654
Working with the Recovery Console 656
Using Remote Desktop and Remote Assistance 659
Using Remote Desktop 659
Using Remote Assistance 664
Summary 670
Exam Essentials 670
Review Questions 672
Answers to Review Questions 676
Glossary
679
Index 718
Table of Exercises
Exercise 1.1
Installing Windows XP Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Exercise 1.2
Troubleshooting Failed Installations with Setup Logs . . . . . . . . .26
Exercise 2.1
Extracting the Windows XP Deployment Tools . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Exercise 2.2
Using the System Preparation Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Exercise 2.3
Installing Windows XP Professional from a Disk Image . . . . . . . .65
Exercise 2.4
Publishing an Application with Windows Installer . . . . . . . . . . .83
Exercise 2.5
Installing a Published Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Exercise 3.1
Upgrading to Windows XP Professional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Exercise 4.1
Updating a Device Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Exercise 4.2
Managing Driver Signing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Exercise 4.3
Managing Disk Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Exercise 4.4
Viewing Video Adapter Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Exercise 4.5
Configuring Multiple-Display Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Exercise 4.6
Configuring Power Management Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Exercise 4.7
Configuring I/O Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Exercise 4.8
Managing and Monitoring Imaging Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Exercise 4.9
Configuring Multiple Processors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Exercise 4.10
Using the Troubleshooter Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Exercise 5.1
Configuring Taskbar and Start Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Exercise 5.2
Creating a Shortcut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Exercise 5.3
Configuring Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178
Exercise 5.4
Configuring Locale Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Exercise 5.5
Using Accessibility Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
Exercise 6.1
Accessing the Local Users and Groups Utility . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Exercise 6.2
Creating New Local Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Exercise 6.3
Disabling a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Exercise 6.4
Deleting a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Exercise 6.5
Renaming a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Exercise 6.6
Changing a User’s Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Exercise 6.7
Adding a User to a Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Exercise 6.8
Using Local Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Exercise 6.9
Assigning a Home Folder to a User . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
Exercise 6.10
Troubleshooting User Authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Table of Exercises
xix
Exercise 6.11
Creating Local Groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226
Exercise 6.12 Adding Users to a Local Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .227
Exercise 6.13 Renaming a Local Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .228
Exercise 6.14 Deleting a Local Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Exercise 7.1 Adding the Local Computer Policy Snap-In to the MMC . . . . . . . .243
Exercise 7.2 Setting Password Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246
Exercise 7.3 Setting Account Lockout Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .247
Exercise 7.4 Setting Audit Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .251
Exercise 7.5 Setting User Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .255
Exercise 7.6 Defining Security Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .263
Exercise 7.7 Using the Security Configuration and Analysis Tool . . . . . . . . .268
Exercise 8.1 Converting a FAT16 Partition to NTFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .284
Exercise 8.2 Creating a New Partition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299
Exercise 8.3 Editing a Drive Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
Exercise 8.4 Compressing and Uncompressing Folders and Files . . . . . . . . .306
Exercise 8.5 Applying Default Quota Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .311
Exercise 8.6 Applying Individual Quota Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313
Exercise 8.7 Using EFS to Manage Data Encryption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .315
Exercise 8.8 Using the CIPHER Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .320
Exercise 8.9 Analyzing and Defragmenting Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Exercise 8.10 Using the Disk Cleanup Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .324
Exercise 8.11 Using the Check Disk Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325
Exercise 9.1 Creating a Directory and File Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .338
Exercise 9.2 Configuring Offline Files and Folders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351
Exercise 9.3 Configuring NTFS Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363
Exercise 9.4 Creating a Shared Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .367
Exercise 9.5 Applying Share Permissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .368
Exercise 9.6 Accessing Network Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376
Exercise 10.1 Viewing Network Adapter Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .396
Exercise 10.2 Manually Configuring IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .415
Exercise 10.3 Using the IPCONFIG Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .423
Exercise 10.4 Installing NWLink IPX/SPX Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .427
Exercise 10.5 Configuring the NWLink IPX/SPX Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . .428
Exercise 11.1 Creating Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .444
Exercise 11.2 Sharing an Existing Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .454
xx Table of Exercises
Exercise 11.3 Managing Advanced Printer Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 462
Exercise 11.4 Assigning Print Permissions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 465
Exercise 11.5 Managing Printers and Print Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Exercise 11.6 Connecting to a Shared Network Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 470
Exercise 12.1 Creating a Dial-Up Connection to the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Exercise 12.2 Configuring a VPN Client . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
Exercise 12.3 Configuring Internet Connection Sharing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516
Exercise 12.4 Configuring Internet Connection Firewall . . . . . . . . . . . . . 518
Exercise 13.1 Creating a Management Console for Monitoring System Performance . 564
Exercise 13.2 Monitoring System Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 575
Exercise 13.3 Monitoring the System Processor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 577
Exercise 13.4 Monitoring the Disk Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 579
Exercise 13.5 Monitoring the Network Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Exercise 13.6 Creating a Baseline Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 581
Exercise 13.7 Setting a Process Priority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590
Exercise 13.8 Creating a New Scheduled Task . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 592
Exercise 14.1 Using the Event Viewer Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 616
Exercise 14.2 Creating a Windows XP Boot Disk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 632
Exercise 14.3 Booting Your Computer to Safe Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 635
Exercise 14.4 Using Boot Logging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 636
Exercise 14.5 Using Startup and Recovery Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 641
Exercise 14.6 Using the Backup Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 644
Exercise 14.7 Using the Restore Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 650
Exercise 14.8 Using the Automated System Recovery Wizard. . . . . . . . . . . 651
Exercise 14.9 Using the System Restore Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653
Exercise 14.10 Adding Recovery Console to Windows XP Startup . . . . . . . . . 655
Exercise 14.11 Using the Recovery Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 658
Introduction
Microsoft’s Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified
Systems Engineer (MCSE) tracks for Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 are the premier
certifications for computer industry professionals. Covering the core technologies
around which Microsoft’s future will be built, these programs are powerful credentials for
career advancement.
This book has been developed to give you the critical skills and knowledge you need to prepare
for one of the core requirements of both the MCSA and MCSE certifications, in either the
Windows 2000 or the new Windows Server 2003 tracks:
Installing
,
Configuring
,
and Administering
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
(Exam 70-270).
The Microsoft Certified Professional Program
Since the inception of its certification program, Microsoft has certified over 1.5 million people.
As the computer network industry increases in both size and complexity, this number is sure
to grow—and the need for
proven
ability will also increase. Companies rely on certifications to
verify the skills of prospective employees and contractors.
Microsoft has developed its Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) program to give you
credentials that verify your ability to work with Microsoft products effectively and professionally.
Obtaining your MCP certification requires that you pass any one Microsoft certification
exam. Several levels of certification are available based on specific suites of
exams. Depending on your areas of interest or experience, you can obtain any of the following
MCP credentials:
Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA) on Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003
The MCSA certification is the latest certification track from Microsoft. This certification targets system
and network administrators with roughly 6 to 12 months of desktop and network administration
experience. The MCSA can be considered the entry-level certification. You must take and pass
a total of four exams to obtain your MCSA. Or, if you are an MCSA on Windows 2000, you can
take one Upgrade exam to obtain your MCSA on Windows Server 2003.
Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE) on Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003
This certification track is designed for network and systems administrators, network and systems
analysts, and technical consultants who work with Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
and Server and/or Windows XP and Server 2003 software. You must take and pass seven exams
to obtain your MCSE. Or, if you are an MCSE on Windows 2000, you can take two Upgrade
exams to obtain your MCSE on Windows Server 2003.


http://www.4shared.com/document/D0StLc0E/DATA_STRUCTURE.html
http://www.4shared.com/document/prqxN-uF/OOPS.html

[ C , C++, RDBMS , ORACLE ,SQL ETC ] :

http://www.4shared.com/document/HeXjTMXG/Technical_Aptitude_C_CRDBMSSQL.html


http://www.4shared.com/document/qC-t-fev/TCPIP.html [ TCP /IP ]


http://www.4shared.com/file/bujrD7IY/_2__MCSE_PRACTICALS.html [ MCSE PRACTICALS ]

http://www.4shared.com/file/lhnwgic3/Computer_Network_Architecture.html [ Computer Network Architecture ]


UNIX - LINUX Interview Questions and Answers : Advanced
________________________________________
1. How are devices represented in UNIX?

All devices are represented by files called special files that are located in/dev directory. Thus, device files and other files are named and accessed in the same way. A 'regular file' is just an ordinary data file in the disk. A 'block special file' represents a device with characteristics similar to a disk (data transfer in terms of blocks). A 'character special file' represents a device with characteristics similar to a keyboard (data transfer is by stream of bits in sequential order).

2. What is 'inode'?

All UNIX files have its description stored in a structure called 'inode'. The inode contains info about the file-size, its location, time of last access, time of last modification, permission and so on. Directories are also represented as files and have an associated inode. In addition to descriptions about the file, the inode contains pointers to the data blocks of the file. If the file is large, inode has indirect pointer to a block of pointers to additional data blocks (this further aggregates for larger files). A block is typically 8k.
Inode consists of the following fields:

File owner identifier
File type
File access permissions
File access times
Number of links
File size
Location of the file data
3. Brief about the directory representation in UNIX

A Unix directory is a file containing a correspondence between filenames and inodes. A directory is a special file that the kernel maintains. Only kernel modifies directories, but processes can read directories. The contents of a directory are a list of filename and inode number pairs. When new directories are created, kernel makes two entries named '.' (refers to the directory itself) and '..' (refers to parent directory).
System call for creating directory is mkdir (pathname, mode).

4. What are the Unix system calls for I/O?

open(pathname,flag,mode) - open file
creat(pathname,mode) - create file
close(filedes) - close an open file
read(filedes,buffer,bytes) - read data from an open file
write(filedes,buffer,bytes) - write data to an open file
lseek(filedes,offset,from) - position an open file
dup(filedes) - duplicate an existing file descriptor
dup2(oldfd,newfd) - duplicate to a desired file descriptor
fcntl(filedes,cmd,arg) - change properties of an open file
ioctl(filedes,request,arg) - change the behaviour of an open file
The difference between fcntl anf ioctl is that the former is intended for any open file, while the latter is for device-specific operations.

5. How do you change File Access Permissions?

Every file has following attributes:
owner's user ID ( 16 bit integer )
owner's group ID ( 16 bit integer )
File access mode word

'r w x -r w x- r w x'


(user permission-group permission-others permission)
r-read, w-write, x-execute
To change the access mode, we use chmod(filename,mode).
Example 1:
To change mode of myfile to 'rw-rw-r–' (ie. read, write permission for user - read,write permission for group - only read permission for others) we give the args as:
chmod(myfile,0664) .
Each operation is represented by discrete values

'r' is 4
'w' is 2
'x' is 1


Therefore, for 'rw' the value is 6(4+2).
Example 2:
To change mode of myfile to 'rwxr–r–' we give the args as:

chmod(myfile,0744).


6. What are links and symbolic links in UNIX file system?

A link is a second name (not a file) for a file. Links can be used to assign more than one name to a file, but cannot be used to assign a directory more than one name or link filenames on different computers.
Symbolic link 'is' a file that only contains the name of another file.Operation on the symbolic link is directed to the file pointed by the it.Both the limitations of links are eliminated in symbolic links.
Commands for linking files are:

Link ln filename1 filename2
Symbolic link ln -s filename1 filename2


7. What is a FIFO?

FIFO are otherwise called as 'named pipes'. FIFO (first-in-first-out) is a special file which is said to be data transient. Once data is read from named pipe, it cannot be read again. Also, data can be read only in the order written. It is used in interprocess communication where a process writes to one end of the pipe (producer) and the other reads from the other end (consumer).

8. How do you create special files like named pipes and device files?

The system call mknod creates special files in the following sequence.
1. kernel assigns new inode,
2. sets the file type to indicate that the file is a pipe, directory or special file,
3. If it is a device file, it makes the other entries like major, minor device numbers.
For example:
If the device is a disk, major device number refers to the disk controller and minor device number is the disk.

9. Discuss the mount and unmount system calls

The privileged mount system call is used to attach a file system to a directory of another file system; the unmount system call detaches a file system. When you mount another file system on to your directory, you are essentially splicing one directory tree onto a branch in another directory tree. The first argument to mount call is the mount point, that is , a directory in the current file naming system. The second argument is the file system to mount to that point. When you insert a cdrom to your unix system's drive, the file system in the cdrom automatically mounts to /dev/cdrom in your system.

10. How does the inode map to data block of a file?

Inode has 13 block addresses. The first 10 are direct block addresses of the first 10 data blocks in the file. The 11th address points to a one-level index block. The 12th address points to a two-level (double in-direction) index block. The 13th address points to a three-level(triple in-direction)index block. This provides a very large maximum file size with efficient access to large files, but also small files are accessed directly in one disk read.

11. What is a shell?

A shell is an interactive user interface to an operating system services that allows an user to enter commands as character strings or through a graphical user interface. The shell converts them to system calls to the OS or forks off a process to execute the command. System call results and other information from the OS are presented to the user through an interactive interface. Commonly used shells are sh,csh,ks etc.

12. Brief about the initial process sequence while the system boots up.

While booting, special process called the 'swapper' or 'scheduler' is created with Process-ID 0. The swapper manages memory allocation for processes and influences CPU allocation. The swapper inturn creates 3 children:

the process dispatcher,
vhand and
dbflush
with IDs 1,2 and 3 respectively.
This is done by executing the file /etc/init. Process dispatcher gives birth to the shell. Unix keeps track of all the processes in an internal data structure called the Process Table (listing command is ps -el).

13. What are various IDs associated with a process?

Unix identifies each process with a unique integer called ProcessID. The process that executes the request for creation of a process is called the 'parent process' whose PID is 'Parent Process ID'. Every process is associated with a particular user called the 'owner' who has privileges over the process. The identification for the user is 'UserID'. Owner is the user who executes the process. Process also has 'Effective User ID' which determines the access privileges for accessing resources like files.

getpid() -process id
getppid() -parent process id
getuid() -user id
geteuid() -effective user id
14. Explain fork() system call.

The `fork()' used to create a new process from an existing process. The new process is called the child process, and the existing process is called the parent. We can tell which is which by checking the return value from `fork()'. The parent gets the child's pid returned to him, but the child gets 0 returned to him.

15. Predict the output of the following program code

main()
{
fork();
printf("Hello World!");
}


Answer:

Hello World!Hello World!


Explanation:
The fork creates a child that is a duplicate of the parent process. The child begins from the fork().All the statements after the call to fork() will be executed twice.(once by the parent process and other by child). The statement before fork() is executed only by the parent process.

16. Predict the output of the following program code

main()
{
fork(); fork(); fork();
printf("Hello World!");
}


Answer:
"Hello World" will be printed 8 times.
Explanation:
2^n times where n is the number of calls to fork()

17. List the system calls used for process management:

System calls Description

fork() To create a new process
exec() To execute a new program in a process
wait() To wait until a created process completes its execution
exit() To exit from a process execution
getpid() To get a process identifier of the current process
getppid() To get parent process identifier
nice() To bias the existing priority of a process
brk() To increase/decrease the data segment size of a process.
18. How can you get/set an environment variable from a program?

Getting the value of an environment variable is done by using `getenv()'. Setting the value of an environment variable is done by using `putenv()'.

19. How can a parent and child process communicate?

A parent and child can communicate through any of the normal inter-process communication schemes (pipes, sockets, message queues, shared memory), but also have some special ways to communicate that take advantage of their relationship as a parent and child. One of the most obvious is that the parent can get the exit status of the child.

20. What is a zombie?

When a program forks and the child finishes before the parent, the kernel still keeps some of its information about the child in case the parent might need it - for example, the parent may need to check the child's exit status. To be able to get this information, the parent calls `wait()'; In the interval between the child terminating and the parent calling `wait()', the child is said to be a `zombie' (If you do `ps', the child will have a `Z' in its status field to indicate this.)

21. What are the process states in Unix?

As a process executes it changes state according to its circumstances. Unix processes have the following states:
Running : The process is either running or it is ready to run .
Waiting : The process is waiting for an event or for a resource.
Stopped : The process has been stopped, usually by receiving a signal.
Zombie : The process is dead but have not been removed from the process table.

Linux Interview Questions And Answers
________________________________________
You need to see the last fifteen lines of the files dog, cat and horse. What command should you use?
tail -15 dog cat horse

The tail utility displays the end of a file. The -15 tells tail to display the last fifteen lines of each specified file.

Who owns the data dictionary?
The SYS user owns the data dictionary. The SYS and SYSTEM users are created when the database is created.

You routinely compress old log files. You now need to examine a log from two months ago. In order to view its contents without first having to decompress it, use the _________ utility.
zcat

The zcat utility allows you to examine the contents of a compressed file much the same way that cat displays a file.
You suspect that you have two commands with the same name as the command is not producing the expected results. What command can you use to determine the location of the command being run?
which

The which command searches your path until it finds a command that matches the command you are looking for and displays its full path.

You locate a command in the /bin directory but do not know what it does. What command can you use to determine its purpose.
whatis

The whatis command displays a summary line from the man page for the specified command.

You wish to create a link to the /data directory in bob's home directory so you issue the command ln /data /home/bob/datalink but the command fails. What option should you use in this command line to be successful.
Use the -F option

In order to create a link to a directory you must use the -F option.

When you issue the command ls -l, the first character of the resulting display represents the file's ___________.
type

The first character of the permission block designates the type of file that is being displayed.

What utility can you use to show a dynamic listing of running processes_________?
top

The top utility shows a listing of all running processes that is dynamically updated.

Where is standard output usually directed?
to the screen or display

By default, your shell directs standard output to your screen or display.

You wish to restore the file memo.ben which was backed up in the tarfile MyBackup.tar. What command should you type?
tar xf MyBackup.tar memo.ben

This command uses the x switch to extract a file. Here the file memo.ben will be restored from the tarfile MyBackup.tar.

You need to view the contents of the tarfile called MyBackup.tar. What command would you use?
tar tf MyBackup.tar

The t switch tells tar to display the contents and the f modifier specifies which file to examine.

You want to create a compressed backup of the users' home directories. What utility should you use?
tar

You can use the z modifier with tar to compress your archive at the same time as creating it.

What daemon is responsible for tracking events on your system?
syslogd

The syslogd daemon is responsible for tracking system information and saving it to specified log files.

You have a file called phonenos that is almost 4,000 lines long. What text filter can you use to split it into four pieces each 1,000 lines long?
split

The split text filter will divide files into equally sized pieces. The default length of each piece is 1,000 lines.

You would like to temporarily change your command line editor to be vi. What command should you type to change it?
set -o vi

The set command is used to assign environment variables. In this case, you are instructing your shell to assign vi as your command line editor. However, once you log off and log back in you will return to the previously defined command line editor.

What account is created when you install Linux?
root

Whenever you install Linux, only one user account is created. This is the superuser account also known as root.

What command should you use to check the number of files and disk space used and each user's defined quotas?

repquota

n order to run fsck on the root partition, the root partition must be mounted as
readonly

You cannot run fsck on a partition that is mounted as read-write.

In order to improve your system's security you decide to implement shadow passwords. What command should you use?
pwconv

The pwconv command creates the file /etc/shadow and changes all passwords to 'x' in the /etc/passwd file.

Bob Armstrong, who has a username of boba, calls to tell you he forgot his password. What command should you use to reset his command?
passwd boba

The passwd command is used to change your password. If you do not specify a username, your password will be changed.

The top utility can be used to change the priority of a running process? Another utility that can also be used to change priority is ___________?
nice

Both the top and nice utilities provide the capability to change the priority of a running process.

What command should you type to see all the files with an extension of 'mem' listed in reverse alphabetical order in the /home/ben/memos directory.
ls -r /home/ben/memos/*.mem

The -c option used with ls results in the files being listed in chronological order. You can use wildcards with the ls command to specify a pattern of filenames.

What file defines the levels of messages written to system log files?
kernel.h

To determine the various levels of messages that are defined on your system, examine the kernel.h file.

What command is used to remove the password assigned to a group?
gpasswd -r

The gpasswd command is used to change the password assigned to a group. Use the -r option to remove the password from the group.

What command would you type to use the cpio to create a backup called backup.cpio of all the users' home directories?
find /home | cpio -o > backup.cpio

The find command is used to create a list of the files and directories contained in home. This list is then piped to the cpio utility as a list of files to include and the output is saved to a file called backup.cpio.

What can you type at a command line to determine which shell you are using?
echo $SHELL

The name and path to the shell you are using is saved to the SHELL environment variable. You can then use the echo command to print out the value of any variable by preceding the variable's name with $. Therefore, typing echo $SHELL will display the name of your shell.

What type of local file server can you use to provide the distribution installation materials to the new machine during a network installation?
A) Inetd
B) FSSTND
C) DNS
D) NNTP
E) NFS
E - You can use an NFS server to provide the distribution installation materials to the machine on which you are performing the installation. Answers a, b, c, and d are all valid items but none of them are file servers. Inetd is the superdaemon which controls all intermittently used network services. The FSSTND is the Linux File System Standard. DNS provides domain name resolution, and NNTP is the transfer protocol for usenet news.

If you type the command cat dog & > cat what would you see on your display? Choose one:
a. Any error messages only.
b. The contents of the file dog.
c. The contents of the file dog and any error messages.
d. Nothing as all output is saved to the file cat.
d

When you use & > for redirection, it redirects both the standard output and standard error. The output would be saved to the file cat.

You are covering for another system administrator and one of the users asks you to restore a file for him. You locate the correct tarfile by checking the backup log but do not know how the directory structure was stored. What command can you use to determine this?
Choose one:
a. tar fx tarfile dirname
b. tar tvf tarfile filename
c. tar ctf tarfile
d. tar tvf tarfile

d

The t switch will list the files contained in the tarfile. Using the v modifier will display the stored directory structure.

You have the /var directory on its own partition. You have run out of space. What should you do? Choose one:
a. Reconfigure your system to not write to the log files.
b. Use fips to enlarge the partition.
c. Delete all the log files.
d. Delete the partition and recreate it with a larger size.

d

The only way to enlarge a partition is to delete it and recreate it. You will then have to restore the necessary files from backup.

You have a new application on a CD-ROM that you wish to install. What should your first step be?
Choose one:
a. Read the installation instructions on the CD-ROM.
b. Use the mount command to mount your CD-ROM as read-write.
c. Use the umount command to access your CD-ROM.
d. Use the mount command to mount your CD-ROM as read-only.

d

Before you can read any of the files contained on the CD-ROM, you must first mount the CD-ROM.

When you create a new partition, you need to designate its size by defining the starting and ending _____________.
cylinders

When creating a new partition you must first specify its starting cylinder. You can then either specify its size or the ending cylinder.

What key combination can you press to suspend a running job and place it in the background?
ctrl-z

Using ctrl-z will suspend a job and put it in the background.

The easiest, most basic form of backing up a file is to _____ it to another location.
copy

The easiest most basic form of backing up a file is to make a copy of that file to another location such as a floppy disk.

What type of server is used to remotely assign IP addresses to machines during the installation process?
A) SMB
B) NFS
C) DHCP
D) FT
E) HTTP

C - You can use a DHCP server to assign IP addresses to individual machines during the installation process. Answers a, b, d, and e list legitimate Linux servers, but these servers do not provide IP addresses. The SMB, or Samba, tool is used for file and print sharing across multi-OS networks. An NFS server is for file sharing across Linux net-works. FTP is a file storage server that allows people to browse and retrieve information by logging in to it, and HTTP is for the Web.

Which password package should you install to ensure that the central password file couldn't be stolen easily?
A) PAM
B) tcp_wrappers
C) shadow
D) securepass
E) ssh
C - The shadow password package moves the central password file to a more secure location. Answers a, b, and e all point to valid packages, but none of these places the password file in a more secure location. Answer d points to an invalid package.

When using useradd to create a new user account, which of the following tasks is not done automatically.
Choose one:
a. Assign a UID.
b. Assign a default shell.
c. Create the user's home directory.
d. Define the user's home directory.

c

The useradd command will use the system default for the user's home directory. The home directory is not created, however, unless you use the -m option.

You want to enter a series of commands from the command-line. What would be the quickest way to do this?
Choose One
a. Press enter after entering each command and its arguments
b. Put them in a script and execute the script
c. Separate each command with a semi-colon ( and press enter after the last command
d. Separate each command with a / and press enter after the last command

c

The semi-colon may be used to tell the shell that you are entering multiple commands that should be executed serially. If these were commands that you would frequently want to run, then a script might be more efficient. However, to run these commands only once, enter the commands directly at the command line.

You attempt to use shadow passwords but are unsuccessful. What characteristic of the /etc/passwd file may cause this?
Choose one:
a. The login command is missing.
b. The username is too long.
c. The password field is blank.
d. The password field is prefaced by an asterisk.

c

The password field must not be blank before converting to shadow passwords.

When you install a new application, documentation on that application is also usually installed. Where would you look for the documentation after installing an application called MyApp?
Choose one:
a. /usr/MyApp
b. /lib/doc/MyApp
c. /usr/doc/MyApp
d. In the same directory where the application is installed.
c

The default location for application documentation is in a directory named for the application in the /usr/doc directory.

What file would you edit in your home directory to change which window manager you want to use?
A) Xinit
B) .xinitrc
C) XF86Setup
D) xstart
E) xf86init

Answer: B - The ~/.xinitrc file allows you to set which window man-ager you want to use when logging in to X from that account.
Answers a, d, and e are all invalid files. Answer c is the main X server configuration file.

What command allows you to set a processor-intensive job to use less CPU time?
A) ps
B) nice
C) chps
D) less
E) more

Answer: B - The nice command is used to change a job's priority level, so that it runs slower or faster. Answers a, d, and e are valid commands but are not used to change process information. Answer c is an invalid command.

While logged on as a regular user, your boss calls up and wants you to create a new user account immediately. How can you do this without first having to close your work, log off and logon as root?
Choose one:
a. Issue the command rootlog.
b. Issue the command su and type exit when finished.
c. Issue the command su and type logoff when finished.
d. Issue the command logon root and type exit when finished.

Answer: b
You can use the su command to imitate any user including root. You will be prompted for the password for the root account. Once you have provided it you are logged in as root and can do any administrative duties.

There are seven fields in the /etc/passwd file. Which of the following lists all the fields in the correct order?
Choose one:
a. username, UID, GID, home directory, command, comment
b. username, UID, GID, comment, home directory, command
c. UID, username, GID, home directory, comment, command
d. username, UID, group name, GID, home directory, comment
Answer: b
The seven fields required for each line in the /etc/passwd file are username, UID, GID, comment, home directory, command. Each of these fields must be separated by a colon even if they are empty.

Which of the following commands will show a list of the files in your home directory including hidden files and the contents of all subdirectories?
Choose one:
a. ls -c home
b. ls -aR /home/username
c. ls -aF /home/username
d. ls -l /home/username
Answer: b
The ls command is used to display a listing of files. The -a option will cause hidden files to be displayed as well. The -R option causes ls to recurse down the directory tree. All of this starts at your home directory.

In order to prevent a user from logging in, you can add a(n) ________at the beginning of the password field.
Answer: asterick

If you add an asterick at the beginning of the password field in the /etc/passwd file, that user will not be able to log in.

You have a directory called /home/ben/memos and want to move it to /home/bob/memos so you issue the command mv /home/ben/memos /home/bob. What is the results of this action?
Choose one:
a. The files contained in /home/ben/memos are moved to the directory /home/bob/memos/memos.
b. The files contained in /home/ben/memos are moved to the directory /home/bob/memos.
c. The files contained in /home/ben/memos are moved to the directory /home/bob/.
d. The command fails since a directory called memos already exists in the target directory.
Answer: a
When using the mv command to move a directory, if a directory of the same name exists then a subdirectory is created for the files to be moved.

Which of the following tasks is not necessary when creating a new user by editing the /etc/passwd file?
Choose one:
a. Create a link from the user's home directory to the shell the user will use.
b. Create the user's home directory
c. Use the passwd command to assign a password to the account.
d. Add the user to the specified group.
Answer: a
There is no need to link the user's home directory to the shell command. Rather, the specified shell must be present on your system.

You issue the following command useradd -m bobm But the user cannot logon. What is the problem?
Choose one:
a. You need to assign a password to bobm's account using the passwd command.
b. You need to create bobm's home directory and set the appropriate permissions.
c. You need to edit the /etc/passwd file and assign a shell for bobm's account.
d. The username must be at least five characters long.
Answer: a
The useradd command does not assign a password to newly created accounts. You will still need to use the passwd command to assign a password.

You wish to print the file vacations with 60 lines to a page. Which of the following commands will accomplish this? Choose one:
a. pr -l60 vacations | lpr
b. pr -f vacations | lpr
c. pr -m vacations | lpr
d. pr -l vacations | lpr

Answer: a
The default page length when using pr is 66 lines. The -l option is used to specify a different length.

Which file defines all users on your system?
Choose one:
a. /etc/passwd
b. /etc/users
c. /etc/password
d. /etc/user.conf

Answer: a
The /etc/passwd file contains all the information on users who may log into your system. If a user account is not contained in this file, then the user cannot log in.

Which two commands can you use to delete directories?
A) rm
B) rm -rf
C) rmdir
D) rd
E) rd -rf

Answer(s): B, C - You can use rmdir or rm -rf to delete a directory. Answer a is incorrect, because the rm command without any specific flags will not delete a directory, it will only delete files. Answers d and e point to a non-existent command.

Which partitioning tool is available in all distributions?
A) Disk Druid
B) fdisk
C) Partition Magic
D) FAT32
E) System Commander

Answer(s): B - The fdisk partitioning tool is available in all Linux distributions. Answers a, c, and e all handle partitioning, but do not come with all distributions. Disk Druid is made by Red Hat and used in its distribution along with some derivatives. Partition Magic and System Commander are tools made by third-party companies. Answer d is not a tool, but a file system type. Specifically, FAT32 is the file system type used in Windows 98.

Which partitions might you create on the mail server's hard drive(s) other than the root, swap, and boot partitions?
[Choose all correct answers]
A) /var/spool
B) /tmp
C) /proc
D) /bin
E) /home

Answer(s): A, B, E - Separating /var/spool onto its own partition helps to ensure that if something goes wrong with the mail server or spool, the output cannot overrun the file system. Putting /tmp on its own partition prevents either software or user items in the /tmp directory from overrunning the file system. Placing /home off on its own is mostly useful for system re-installs or upgrades, allowing you to not have to wipe the /home hierarchy along with other areas. Answers c and d are not possible, as the /proc portion of the file system is virtual-held in RAM-not placed on the hard drives, and the /bin hierarchy is necessary for basic system functionality and, therefore, not one that you can place on a different partition.

When planning your backup strategy you need to consider how often you will perform a backup, how much time the backup takes and what media you will use. What other factor must you consider when planning your backup strategy? _________
what to backup
Choosing which files to backup is the first step in planning your backup strategy.

What utility can you use to automate rotation of logs?
Answer: logrotate
The logrotate command can be used to automate the rotation of various logs.

In order to display the last five commands you have entered using the history command, you would type ___________ .

Answer: history 5
The history command displays the commands you have previously entered. By passing it an argument of 5, only the last five commands will be displayed.

What command can you use to review boot messages?
Answer: dmesg
The dmesg command displays the system messages contained in the kernel ring buffer. By using this command immediately after booting your computer, you will see the boot messages.

What is the minimum number of partitions you need to install Linux?
Answer: 2
Linux can be installed on two partitions, one as / which will contain all files and a swap partition.

What is the name and path of the main system log?
Answer: /var/log/messages
By default, the main system log is /var/log/messages.

Of the following technologies, which is considered a client-side script?
A) JavaScript
B) Java
C) ASP
D) C++
Answer: A - JavaScript is the only client-side script listed. Java and C++ are complete programming languages. Active Server Pages are parsed on the server with the results being sent to the client in HTML
__________________