Microsoft has equipped the organizations with the Windows server operating system and other server tools like Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Server, etc. In addition, there are inbuilt server tools like DNS Server, DHCP Server, File Server, and Active Directory to create a complete networking infrastructure inside an organization. However, the server and networking management using the traditional Microsoft tools become obsolete at a level. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how these tools fail to serve the purpose and why the need of using third party tools arises.
Scenarios
1. Managing Users in Large Organizations
Let us suppose a case of a large organization has fifty different departments, each of which contains hundreds of employees segregated on different positions. A large IT helpdesk of at least 70 or more members is at least required to meet the IT requirements in this case. Suppose the IT staff is required to create the user accounts of 200 new users who’ve to join in the different departments next week, audit 300 users of five departments, and to keep a check on the file modifications on the file server to trace the unauthorized accesses to the sensitive data. How much time will they take for these three tasks? Almost three to four weeks, but the management wants them to complete this task in four days without a hit to the daily demands of troubleshooting the computers, managing the networks, seeing the logon/logoff, and other work. Is it possible? The
Installing and configuring key services on Windows Server 2012 was a breeze thanks to its intuitive GUI. My favorite part of this lab was the feeling of control over the network from a single machine. Instead of switching to a different VM, I was able to simply switch to a different window. Windows Server 2012 made it easy to push changes across the network, allowing me to set up the same network configuration in far less time. Even working with only 7 VMs, I can clearly see why tools like Active Directory are all but necessary in a large enterprise network. Using a centralized controller like Windows Server 2012 would save hundreds of man-hours over time, increasing efficiency and profitability for the company. I look forward to working with Windows Server 2012 further and learning more of its capabilities in the labs to
We have been engaged in business for some time, and have been very successful, however we need to re-examine our network configuration and infrastructure and identify that our network defenses are still reliable, before we make any changes. We need to take a hard look at our current configuration of host, services and our protocols within our organization. Data from a large number of penetration tests in recent years show most corporate networks share common vulnerabilities. Many of these
Chapter 4 - Describe the impact on users of migrating from a small single server-based network to a directory-based network with multiple servers in different roles. Also describe the impact on network designers and administrators.
The objectives of this lab were to install essential services such as Active Directory, Dynamic Host Configuration Service, Domain Name Service and Network Time Service on a Windows Server Platform. I used windows server 2016 technical review version 3 and successfully installed all the mentioned services on it. In this lab we used all services on windows as primary and I configured the services on Linux as secondary services.
Lab Three repeats much of Lab Two by setting up the same core services, DNS and DHCP, but adds Microsoft’s Active Directory role to the server. The lab introduces the student to administrating these services in a Graphical based, Windows environment.
In this lab, we must add the Windows 2012 server to our monitoring server with monitoring DNS and DHCP on the Windows 2012 server. In my case, I have Nagios as the monitoring service set up. In Nagios, I added the Windows 2012 server and configured it to monitor DHCP, DNS, and the CPU of the Windows 2012 server. This is an excellent practice for Sys Admins to make sure what services are critical to watch or troubleshoot in the infrastructure.
Individual users play an important role in any form of institution or organization but concerns are raised about the security. The network administrators clearly lay down a set of rules, regulations and protocols that an individual user has to agree accordingly upon which part of the resources and what class of service that the user can obtain.
The hospital’s administrative network consists of Apple iMACS and thin computers that use 1000Base T with CAT 6 cables. All work stations belonging to Executive Management has Apple iMAC computers with 24” monitors, 2.4 GHz speed, 2 GB RAM, and a 500 MB hard drive. Human Resources, OPNS, and the Finance Senior Managers have Apple iMACS with 20” monitors, 2 GHz speed, and a 350 MB hard drive. All of the systems have OS virtualization and use the MAC Operating System X, Leopard, and Windows XP. OS virtualization allows separate, isolated virtual environments to be used on a single server. The MAC Operating System X is a UNIX system that is both simple and powerful. Leopard further enhanced the system by making it faster and more reliable. Windows XP is a product of Microsoft but it is able to be installed on any MAC using a native version of Microsoft Office. This way users are able to create documents using MS Word, make presentations using PowerPoint, and
In this lab, many more options were explored with Windows servers. The topics covered were Group Policies and Password Settings Objects. Both of these features of Windows Active Directory allow for very granular settings to be set across the network. These include a wide range of settings that one most likely would not even think of. I have personally worked with both Active Directory and Group Policies quite extensively so neither of these were new topics for me to learn. However, I had never worked with Password Setting Objects before so that was a learning experience. All of these features are useful in any enterprise production network and are highly valuable skills to have.
Vitale, D. (2013, Feb 07). Doug Vitale Tech Blog. Retrieved from Network administration commands for Microsoft Windows and Active
Level 1: Identify the functions a windows server could provide from a small business / home office environment. Please include the server roles in your answer.
Network switches are deployed throughout the enterprise. They are used to distribute data and provide LAN connectivity to end users. Without the network switches, systems will not be able to communicate with servers and applications. All devices are managed. Managing network devices is critical to any organization. It allows
The networking of the system is recommended after a system study and the fact that there has been a 100% expansion of the demand for the system- from 5 to 50 have been noted. It is also shown that as of now there are machines that are stand alone with windows 7 operating system. The task is to provide a network connectivity that would provide direct connections between the employees, and be centralized in the operation. This essentially requires the creation of a network. This means that all the computers must be installed with a network card and this would be the case with windows 7. The question then comes is if there must be windows networking or use other protocols. We can also partly use the most modern practical solutions.
Few companies today can exist without an IT department. The IT department contains many of the company’s technology experts. Almost all companies rely on computers to some degree whether it is an international conglomerate or a small startup company. Some companies are very dependent on computer systems while others use them only for accounting for payrolls and everyday computer tasks. Most organization, even the smallest company have people whose job is to make sure that the computer system is up and running or an emergency contact to call when the computer systems goes down. In the future, I want to take the head of a database administrator of an IT department whether the size of the company is small or enormous.
of available planning and preparation time to themselves, allowing their subordinates the remaining twothirds. During fast-paced operations, planning and preparation time might be extremely limited. Knowing