Top Interview Questions For System Administrators (Microsoft)

Top Interview Questions for System Administrators (Microsoft) | Intense...
1 of 11
http://resources.intenseschool.com/top-interview-questions-for-system-a...
Aug 08 2014
NOTE: Click here to download a full list of questions (in both Word and PDF form) for this article.
Are you looking for a job as a system administrator? Or are you thinking about leaving your
current position for a new job as a system administrator with a new company in a Microsoft
multi-user computing environment?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, then this article is for you! Any of the described
technologies and questions below may be asked of you during an interview.
A system administrator is responsible for managing a multi-user computing environment, such
as a local area network (LAN). The responsibilities of the system administrator typically include
installing and configuring system hardware and software, establishing and managing user
accounts, upgrading software and performing backup and recovery tasks.
The main responsibilities performed by a system administrator are:
* Active Directory management (adding and configuring new workstations and setting up
user accounts to provide authorizations)
* Installing and updating system software
* OS patching/upgrades
* Preventing the spread of viruses and malicious programs
* Allocating mass storage space
* Reviewing system logs
* System security management
* Creating a backup and recovery policy
* Performance monitoring and optimization
Before facing any interview for a system administrator position, make sure that you have enough
knowledge on these technologies:
Basic Network Concepts:
* Data communication and transmission techniques
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
2 of 11
* Fundamentals of OSI and TCP/IP model

* IP address classes
* IP subnetting
PMP Practice Exam
* IPv6 fundamentals
CISSP Practice Exam
* Basics of switching
CCNA & CompTIA Exams Coming Soon
Microsoft Server Functionalities:

* Active Directory Domain Controller (Read only DC , Child DC)
* Active Directory Domain Services
* DHCP Server
* DNS
Cisco IOS XR: Routing Fundamentals of OSPF,

ISIS and BGP
* File and print server
Review: Cisco IOS XP Fundamentals
* Database storage server
Cisco IOS XR: Routing Fundamentals
* Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
Cisco IOS XR: The Definitive Guide
* Group Policy management

* Registry management
Evolution of Cisco IOS
* Hyper V
* Schedule tasks (Backup, AD DS Backup)
* High Availability Features (Failover Clustering, Network Load Balancing)
Top Interview Questions for a System Administrator (Microsoft) Position:
All of the questions below are very common and must be prepared for before facing any
interview for a System-Server Administrator position.
Android
Business Skills
Cisco
Q: What is Active Directory?
Cisco Exam Prep Exercises and Labs
A: Active Directory provides a centralised control for network administration and security. Server
Cloud Computing
computers configured with Active Directory are known as domain controllers. Active Directory
Developer Training
stores all information and settings for a deployment in a central database, and allows
administrators to assign policies and deploy and update software.
IT Training
Leadership
Q: What is a Domain?
Microsoft
A: A domain is defined as a logical group of network objects (computers, users, devices) that
share the same Active Directory database. A tree can have multiple domains.
Project Management
Software Development
Q: What is Domain Controller?

Uncategorized
A: A domain controller (DC) or network domain controller is a Windows-based computer system
Virtualization
that is used for storing user account data in a central database. It is the centrepiece of the
Windows Active Directory service that authenticates users, stores user account information and
VMware
enforces security policy for a Windows domain.

A domain controller allows system administrators to grant or deny users access to system
resources, such as printers, documents, folders, network locations, etc., via a single username
and password.
Q: What is Group Policy?
A: Group Policy allows you to implement specific configurations for users and computers. Group
Policy settings are contained in Group Policy objects (GPOs), which are linked to the following
99 Comments.
By : Nitin Vashisht
Active Directory service containers: sites, domains, or organizational units (OUs).
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
3 of 11
Q: What are GPOs (Group Policy Objects)?

A: A Group Policy Object (GPO) is a collection of settings that control the working environment
35 Comments.
By : Nitin Vashisht
of user accounts and computer accounts. GPOs define registry-based policies, security options,
software installation and maintenance options, script options, and folder redirection options.
There are two kinds of Group Policy objects:
16 Comments.
By : Peterson Amar
* Local Group Policy objects are stored on individual computers.

* Nonlocal Group Policy objects, which are stored on a domain controller, are available only
in an Active Directory environment.
Q: What is LDAP?
Archives
Comments
Learn More
A: LDAP (Light-Weight Directory Access Protocol) determines how an object in an Active

Directory should be named. LDAP is the industry standard directory access protocol, making
Active Directory widely accessible to management and query applications. Active Directory
supports LDAPv2 and LDAPv3.
Q: Where is the AD database stored?
A: The AD database is stored in C:\Windows\NTDS\NTDS.DIT.
Q: What is the SYSVOL folder?
A: The SYSVOL folder stores the server copy of the domains public files that must be shared
for common access and replication throughout a domain.
All AD databases are stored in a SYSVOL folder and its only created in an NTFS partition. The
Active Directory Database is stored in the %SYSTEM ROOT%NDTS folder.
Q: What is Garbage collection?
A: Garbage collection is the online defragmentation of the Active Directory which happens every
12 hours.
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
(9)
(17)
(21)
(23)
(30)
(32)
(32)
(33)
(26)
(24)
(26)
(27)
(19)
(22)
(25)
(20)
(25)
(22)
(21)
(26)
(32)
(24)
(15)
(12)
Q: When do we use WDS?

A: Windows Deployment Services is a server role used to deploy Windows operating systems
remotely. WDS is mainly used for network-based OS installations to set up new computers.
Q: What is DNS and which port number is used by DNS?
A: The Domain Name System (DNS) is used to resolve human-readable hostnames like
www.intenseschool.com into machine-readable IP addresses like 69.143.201.22.
DNS servers use UDP port 53 but DNS queries can also use TCP port 53 if the former is not
accepted.
The instructor was the best teacher I have

ever had at any level. I learned more in the
last 7 days than I did studying on my own for
the past 6 months. The material was
presented in a way that was easy for
everyone to understand. He by far had the
most knowledge of anyone I have ever met in
the subject and I hope to learn more from him
in the future.
Stephen Muma
Q: What are main Email Servers and which are their ports?
A: Email servers can be of two types:
Incoming Mail Server (POP3, IMAP, HTTP)
The incoming mail server is the server associated with an email address account. There cannot
be more than one incoming mail server for an email account. In order to download your emails,
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
4 of 11
you must have the correct settings configured in your email client program.
Find us on Facebook
Intense School Resources: CCNA,

MCSE, VMware, PMP Articles and
Tutorials
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)

Most outgoing mail servers use SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) for sending emails. The
Like
outgoing mail server can belong to your ISP or to the server where you setup your email
account.
1,907 people like Intense School Resources: CCNA,

MCSE, VMware, PMP Articles and Tutorials.
The main email ports are:

* POP3 port 110
* IMAP port 143
* SMTP port 25
Follow @IntenseSchool
* HTTP port 80
* Secure SMTP (SSMTP) port 465
* Secure IMAP (IMAP4-SSL) port 585
* IMAP4 over SSL (IMAPS) port 993
* Secure POP3 (SSL-POP) port 995
Q: What do Forests, Trees, and Domains mean?
Amazon Web Service
Amazon Web Services
ASA
A: Forests, trees, and domains are the logical divisions in an Active Directory network.
AWS
A domain is defined as a logical group of network objects (computers, users, devices) that share
the same active directory database.
A tree is a collection of one or more domains and domain trees in a contiguous namespace
BGP
BGP Series
Book Review
CCNA
CCNA Prep
CCNA Security
CCNA Security Prep
linked in a transitive trust hierarchy.
CCP Prep
CCNA Voice Prep
At the top of the structure is the forest. A forest is a collection of trees that share a common
global catalog, directory schema, logical structure, and directory configuration. The forest
represents the security boundary within which users, computers, groups, and other objects are
accessible.
Q: Why do we use DHCP?
cisco
Cisco ASA
Cloud Computing
GNS3
EIGRP
GNS3 lab
GNS3 labs
Interview skills
IPv6
LAN
Linux
IPv6 series
MCSE prep
A: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol assigns dynamic IP addresses to network devices

allowing them to have a different IP address each time they are connected to the network.
microsoft
Network Engineer
MPLS
NAT
networking
Q: What are Lingering Objects?

A: A lingering object is a deleted AD object that still remains on the restored domain controller in
Network Reliability
OSPF
Packet Tracer
PMP
its local copy of Active Directory. They can occur when changes are made to directories after
system backups are created.
When restoring a backup file, Active Directory generally requires that the backup file be no more
than 180 days old. This can happen if, after the backup was made, the object was deleted on
another DC more than 180 days ago.
Q: How can we remove Lingering Objects?
PMP Prep
project management
routing
Quiz
Server 2012
Server 2012 R2
Tips and Tricks
SharePoint
Virtualization
VPN
A: Windows Server 2003 and 2008 have the ability to manually remove lingering objects using
the console utility command REPADMIN.EXE.
Q: Why should you not restore a DC that was backed up 6 months ago?
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
5 of 11
A: When restoring a backup file, Active Directory generally requires that the backup file be no
more than 180 days old. If you attempt to restore a backup that is expired, you may face
problems due to lingering objects.
Q: How do you backup AD?
A: Backing up Active Directory is essential to maintain the proper health of the AD database.
Windows Server 2003
You can backup Active Directory by using the NTBACKUP tool that comes built-in with Windows
Server 2003 or use any 3rd-party tool that supports this feature.
Windows Server 2008
In Server 2008, there isnt an option to backup the System State data through the normal backup
utility. We need to use the command line to backup Active Directory.
1. Open up your command prompt by clicking Start, typing cmd and then hit Enter.
2. In your command prompt, type wbadmin start systemstatebackup -backuptarget:e: and
press Enter.
3. Input y and press Enter to start the backup process.
When the backup process has finished you should get a message that the backup completed
successfully. If it did not complete properly you will need to troubleshoot.
The questions above are very tricky and important from the standpoint of clearing any interview
for a System Administrator (Microsoft) position. It is not possible for anyone to list every possible
question, but you can get more frequently asked interview questions for System/Server
Administrator (Microsoft) Jobsfrom the download link posted here. If you find any difficulty in
answering any questions, ask me below @ the Comments section.
Tips for Preparing for an Interview
* Study: Before an interview, do a quick recap of relevant technologies.
* Update resume: Read your resume through; dont copy and paste your anything in it.
You must be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
* Prepare professional certifications: One of the best ways to prove the technical skills
mentioned in your resume is through certifications. This gives a new employer an easy way
to understand your knowledge level.
* Update LinkedIn profile: Update your LinkedIn profile regularly; make sure that your
work experience, qualifications, and project details match your resume.
This article is the output of my extensive research and work experience. With this article I hope
to help candidates in preparing for an interview for a system administrator position in a Microsoft
multi-user computing environment.
Dont forget to post your queries and feedback in the comments section. You can join our
Facebook group, http://www.facebook.com/intenseschool, to get updates on new posts and
technologies.
Bio
Latest Posts
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
6 of 11
Nitin Vashisht is a Network Engineer and holds Bachelor of Engineering

Degree in Information Technology with Five+ years of experience in
network engineering, Windows system/server administration. He also holds
industry leading professional certifications in Cisco & Microsoft Technology.
He always keen to learn new technologies and day to day he tries to make
Technology easier so everyone can understand it easily. He is currently
working as Senior Technical Trainer cum Network Engineer where he is
responsible for delivering high end technological trainings & Solutions to
Corporate Clients.
Like
452
Monica says:
1.
AUGUST 9, 2014 AT 4:57 AM
Nice Start with MICROSOFT. learned a lot from this article.

Will help a lot to System Admins
Fabrice says:
2.
AUGUST 14, 2014 AT 6:03 AM
thanks you for this..it help really
Nitin Vashisht says:
1.
AUGUST 16, 2014 AT 10:44 PM
Thanks Mr Fabrice your appreciation. Dont forget to read my

other posts.
Sue says:
3.
AUGUST 20, 2014 AT 3:31 PM
Excellent reference for interviewee as well as the interviewer
1.
AUGUST 25, 2014 AT 11:14 PM
Thanks Sue for you appreciation ; Keep reading @

intenseschool.com
sarvesh chodankar says:
4.
AUGUST 26, 2014 AT 2:46 AM
Thanks it helped alot.:-)
1.
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
7 of 11

AUGUST 28, 2014 AT 12:36 PM
Thanks Sarvesh for you appreciation ; Keep reading @

intenseschool.com
lawrence says:
5.
SEPTEMBER 21, 2014 AT 4:29 PM
Thanks alot.
1.
SEPTEMBER 23, 2014 AT 11:03 PM
Thanks Lawrence for you appreciation ; Keep reading @

intenseschool.com
Olorunosebi James says:
6.
OCTOBER 5, 2014 AT 12:12 PM
This is a great piece. I enjoyed it.
1.
OCTOBER 15, 2014 AT 10:09 PM
Thanks a lot Mr James, your appreciation makes me more

energetic towards my work.
Fayyaz Khan says:
7.
OCTOBER 9, 2014 AT 8:43 AM
Very helpful. Thank you Nitin.
1.
OCTOBER 15, 2014 AT 10:11 PM
Thanks Fayyaz for you response feel great whenever I got

feedback of my work.Thanks again and keep READING @
intenseschool.com
8.
Azad says:
OCTOBER 18, 2014 AT 10:35 AM
Thanks Sir Nitin, I have an interview tomorrow, your article is

great. It would be a great help to juniors if you add pictures with
your article. Thanks a lot once again
9.
shabbir Ahmad says:

2/12/2015 10:42 AM
8 of 11
plzz anyone help me for interview questions
1.
Hi Shabbir, Most of common questions are attached with this

article with a download link,,, just wait for another 1 month ,, we
are process to provide exams quiz question..keep reading @
intenseschool
Tramell James says:
10.
OCTOBER 20, 2014 AT 10:54 PM
I have probably the biggest interview of my coming up in a

couple of days. I was in panic mode until I found this article. I
greatly appreciate the time and effort you put into this for people
like me, who are new to the career field. Studying your material
along with my own personal references has greatly increased
my confidence.
1.
OCTOBER 21, 2014 AT 10:26 PM
Thanks a lot Mr. Tramell James for your kind note,,,Best of Luck
for your Interview..Keep reading @intenseschool.com
imtiaz says:
11.
NOVEMBER 24, 2014 AT 7:15 AM
very helpful info,

thank you
Manish says:
12.
NOVEMBER 25, 2014 AT 9:25 AM
Awesome site. Thx a lot just wondering if you could also provide
some help for VCP or Vcap exam
Ungal Beda says:
13.
DECEMBER 9, 2014 AT 9:50 PM
Bhadiya article tha bhai, Moza aagaya. Sahi likha honga tumne
shayad, haur likho bahut likho. Bus likhte hi jao bhayya.
1.

Thanks Ungal Beda, Keep reading @ intenseschool.com
14.
vinod ambhore says:

DECEMBER 22, 2014 AT 12:22 AM
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
9 of 11
very nice information to learn about microsoft
1.
Thanks Mr. Vinod for your feedback. Intenseschool provides such

a large variety of Technologies to learn and updated. So, Keep
Reading @ Intenseschool.com and also share the experience of
this web portal with your friends.
Thanks Again!
shajahan says:
15.
Thanks for your time and effort Mr.Nitin Vashisht
16.
JANUARY 14, 2015 AT 1:28 AM
Thanks Shajahan for providing for valuable feedback. Keep

Reading @ intenseschool.com.
Dev says:
17.
JANUARY 17, 2015 AT 8:13 PM
i really enjoyed with your article.
1.
JANUARY 24, 2015 AT 10:26 AM
Thanks a lot Mr Dev for your valuable comment..
b.saibanna says:
18.
JANUARY 20, 2015 AT 12:03 AM
good morning sir,
i need some idieas from you sir, i have been working for system
administrator since 6-years in engineering college. i want to
change my job in mnc companies. what should i do to get job in
mnc
1.

JANUARY 24, 2015 AT 10:24 AM
Hello B.Saibanna, Yes It would be a great if you join any good

MNC,, working with MNCs will provide you more space to learn
best of technologies with dedicated commitments and deadlines.
As you mentioned that you already have almost 6 years of
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
10 of 11
relevant experience and would be counted as an added

advantage to get a great opportunity with any MNC of your choice.
If you have some time then I would recommend you for
Cisco/Juniper Network learning. It would be a good combination
(System + Network) administration. This learning will give you
more capable wings to fly in the space of Technology.
Thanks Again for your query Keep Reading here.
ambadas Jagtap says:
19.
JANUARY 20, 2015 AT 12:19 AM
Thank u very much Mr. Nitin , i injoy it
1.
JANUARY 24, 2015 AT 10:11 AM
Thanks Mr. Jagtap for your kind words,,,,keep reading @

Intenseschool.com
Harsh Dev Vashist says:
20.
JANUARY 22, 2015 AT 2:23 AM
Nice information Nitin. Keep on posting such valuable

information.
1.
JANUARY 24, 2015 AT 10:13 AM
Thanks a lot Harsh for providing such a valuable feedback.

Definitely I will write some more useful stuff on System
AdministrationThanks again
Manjunath K says:
21.
FEBRUARY 12, 2015 AT 12:09 AM
Thanks so much for providing such fantastic valuable info.
Name
(required)
Mail
(will not be published) (required)
Website
2/12/2015 10:42 AM
11 of 11
1997-2010 Intense School and

InfoSec Institute. All Rights Reserved.
7310 North Ave.
About Intense School
Atlanta, GA
Suite 4D
Press & Media
Washington DC Metro
Privacy Policy
San Francisco, CA Bay Area
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
Terms & Conditions.
PMP is a registered mark of the Project
Phone : 1.877.290.9507
San Diego, CA
Email :
info@intenseschool.com
Orlando, FL
Management Institute, Inc.
InfoSec Institute
For further information about Intense
Intense School @ ISI
School, click here or contact us at
InfoSec Institute.net & InfoSec

Institute.org
877-290-9507.
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Cleveland, OH
Dallas, TX
InfoSec Institute on LinkedIn
Las Vegas, NV
InfoSec Institute on YouTube
Colorado Springs, CO
InfoSecInstitute on Facebook
Chicago, IL
InfoSecInstitute on SlideShare
2/12/2015 10:42 AM

Top Interview Questions For System Administrators (Microsoft)

Загружено:

Сведения о документе

Оригинальное название

Авторское право

Доступные форматы

Поделиться этим документом

Поделиться или встроить документ

Параметры публикации

Этот документ был вам полезен?

Это неприемлемый материал?

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Top Interview Questions For System Administrators (Microsoft)

Загружено:

Авторское право:

Доступные форматы

Top Interview Questions for System Administrators (Microsoft) | Intense...