A) Tell me something about yourself.

Tell about your eductaion, place you belong to, some struggle in life which
shows that you have positive attitude and will to fight the odds.

B) Technical Questions:

1) What is Active Directory?

A central component of the Windows platform, Active Directory directory
service provides the means to manage the identities and relationships that
make up network environments. For example we can create, manage and
administor users, computers and printers in the network from active directory.

2) What is DNS? Why it is used? What is "forward lookup" and "reverse

lookup" in DNS? What are A records and mx records?
DNS is domain naming service and is used for resolving names to IP address and
IP addresses to names. The computer understands only numbers while we can
easily remember names. So to make it easier for us what we do is we assign
names to computers and websites. When we use these names (Like yahoo.com)
the computer uses DNS to convert to IP address (number) and it executes our
request.
Forward lookup: Converting names to IP address is called forward lookup.
Reverse lookup: Resolving IP address to names is called reverse lookup.
'A' record: Its called host record and it has the mapping of a name to IP
address. This is the record in DNS with the help of which DNS can find out the
IP address of a name.
'MX' Record: its called mail exchanger record. Its the record needed to locate
the mail servers in the network. This record is also found in DNS.

3) What id DHCP? Why it is used? What are scopes and super scopes?
DHCP: Dynamic host configuration protocol. Its used to allocate IP addresses to
large number of PCs in a network environment. This makes the IP management
very easy.
Scope: Scope contains IP address like subnet mask, gateway IP, DNS server IP
and exclusion range which a client can use to communicate with the other PCs
in the network.
Superscope: When we combine two or more scopes together its called super
scope.

4) What are the types of LAN cables used? What is a cross cable?
Types of LAN cables that are in use are "Cat 5" and "Cat 6". "Cat 5" can support
100 Mbps of speed and "CAT 6" can support 1Gbps of speed.
Cross cable: Its used to connect same type of devices without using a
switch/hub so that they can communicate.

5) What is the difference between a normal LAN cable and cross cable?
What could be the maximum length of the LAN cable?
The way the paired wires are connected to the connector (RJ45) is different in
cross cable and normal LAN cable.
The theoritical length is 100 meters but after 80 meters you may see drop in
speed due to loss of signal.

6) What would you use to connect two computers without using switches?
Cross cable. 7) What is IPCONFIG command? Why it is used?
IPCONFIG command is used to display the IP information assigned to a
computer. Fromthe output we can find out the IP address, DNS IP address,
gateway IP address assigned to that computer.

8) What is APIPA IP address? Or what IP address is assigned to the computer

when the DHCP server is not available?
When DHCP server is not available the Windows client computer assignes an
automatic IP address to itself so that it can communicate with the network
cmputers. This ip address is called APIPA. ITs in the range of 169.254.X.X.
APIPA stands for Automatic private IP addressing. Its in the range of
169.254.X.X.

9) What is a DOMAIN? What is the difference between a domain and a

workgroup? Domain is created when we install Active Directory. It's a security
boundary which is used to manage computers inside the boundary. Domain can
be used to centrally administor computers and we can govern them using
common policies called group policies.
We can't do the same with workgroup.

10) Do you know how to configure outlook 2000 and outlook 2003 for a
user?
Please visit the link below to find out how to configure outlook 2000 and
outlook
2003.http://www.it.cmich.edu/quickguides/qg_outlook2003_server.asp

11) What is a PST file and what is the difference between a PST file and OST
file? What file is used by outlook express?
PST file is used to store the mails locally when using outlook 2000 or 2003. OST
file is used when we use outlook in cached exchanged mode. Outlook express
useds odb file.

12) What is BSOD? What do you do when you get blue screen in a computer?
How do you troubleshoot it?
BSOD stands for blue screen of Death. when there is a hardware or OS fault due
to which the windows OS can run it give a blue screen with a code. Best way to
resolve it is to boot the computer is "LAst known good configuration". If this
doesn't work than boot the computer in safe mode. If it boots up than the
problemis with one of the devices or drivers.

13) What is RIS? What is Imaging/ghosting?

RIS stands for remote installation services. You save the installed image on a
windows server and then we use RIS to install the configured on in the new
hardware. We can use it to deploy both server and client OS. Imaging or
ghosting also does the same job of capturing an installed image and then install
it on a new hardware when there is a need. We go for RIS or iamging/ghosting
because installing OS everytime using a CD can be a very time consuming task.
So to save that time we can go for RIS/Ghosting/imaging.

14) What is VPN and how to configure it?

VPN stands for Virtual private network. VPN is used to connect to the corporate
network to access the resources like mail and files in the LAN. VPN can be
configured using the stepsmentioned in the KB:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/305550

15) Your computer slowly drops out of network. A reboot of the computer
fixes the problem. What to do to resolve this issue?
Update the network card driver.

16) Your system is infected with Virus? How to recover the data?
Install another system. Insall the OS with the lates pathces, Antivirus with
latest updates. Connect the infected HDD as secondary drive in the system.
Once done scan and clean the secondary HDD. Once done copy the files to the
new system.

17) How to join a system to the domain? What type of user can add a system
to the domain?
Please visit the article below and read "Adding the Workstation to the Domain"
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/technolo
gies/directory/activedirectory/stepbystep/domxppro.mspx
18) What is the difference between a switch and a hub?
Switch sends the traffic to the port to which its meant for. Hub sends the
traffic to all the ports.

19) What is a router? Why we use it?

Router is a switch which uses routing protocols to process and send the traffic.
It also receives the traffic and sends it across but it uses the routing protocols
to do so.

20) What are manageable and non manageable switches?

Switches which can be administered are calledmanageable switches. For
example we can create VLAN for on such switch. On no manageable swiches we
can't do so.
DNS ZONE TYPE:
Forward lookup zone: resolves names to IP address.
Reverse lookup zone:
resolves IP addresses to Host names.
AD INTEGRATED ZONE
AD–integrated DNS enables AD storage and replication of DNS zone databases.
Windows 2000 & 2003 DNS servers which accommodates storing zone data in
AD. When you configure a computer as a DNS server, zones are usually stored
as text files on name servers — that is, all of the zones required by DNS are
stored in a text file on the server computer. These text files must be
synchronized among DNS name servers by using a system that requires a
separate replication topology and schedule called a zone transfer However, if
you use AD integrated DNS you configure a domain controller as a DNS name
server, zone data is stored as an AD object and is replicated as part of domain
replication.
STUB ZONE
A Stub zone is a read only copy of a zone that contains only those resources
records necessary to identify the authoritative DNS servers for the actual zone.
A stub zone is used to keep a parent zone aware of authoritative DNS servers
for a delegated zone and thereby maintain DNS name resolution efficiently. A
stub zone is conposed of (A), (NS), (SOA)
Types of DNS Records: -
A(Host):
Represents a computer or device on the network. 'A'records are the most
common and most used DNS records.
PTR(Pointer):
Used for finding the DNS name that corresponds to an IP address. The PTR is
found only in the reverse lookup zone.
NS(NameServer):
The NS RRs facilitate delegation by identifying DNS servers for each zone. They
appear in all forward and reverse look-up zones.
SOA(Start Of Authority):
The first record in any zone file is a SOA. the SOA identifies a primary DNS
name server for the zone as the best source of information for the data within
that zone and as an entity processing the updates for the zone.
SRV(Service Record):
Indicates a network service offered by a host.- CNAME(Alias):an alias is
hostname that refers to another hostname.
=========================================
DHCP: Is a standard for simplifing management of host IP configuration.
SUPERSCOPE: Superscope is a administrative feature of DHCP server that you
can create and manage through the DHCP console. Using a Superscope you can
group multiple scopes as a single administrative entity.
DHCP Authorize: This procedure is usually only needed if you are running a
DHCP server on a member server. In most cases, if you are installing a DHCP
server on a computer also running as a domain controller, the server is
automatically authorized the first time you add the server to the DHCP console.
SCOPE: DHCP scope is a poole of IP addresses which are offered to DHCP
clients.
=========================================
WHAT ARE FSMO ROLES IN ACTIVE DIRECTORY?
Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 Active directory follow the multimaster
model. Under this model there are five roles which which can be held by the
DCs (Domian Controllers).

The five roles are given below:

• Schema Master: The schema master domain controller controls all updates
and modifications to the schema. To update the schema of a forest, you must
have access to the schema master. There can be only one schema master in the
whole forest.
• Domain naming master: The domain naming master domain controller
controls the addition or removal of domains in the forest. There can be only
one domain naming master in the whole forest.
• Infrastructure Master: The infrastructure is responsible for updating
references from objects in its domain to objects in other domains. At any one
time, there can be only one domain controller acting as the infrastructure
master in each domain.
• Relative ID (RID) Master: The RID master is responsible for processing RID
pool requests from all domain controllers in a particular domain. At any one
time, there can be only one domain controller acting as the RID master in the
domain.
• PDC Emulator: The PDC emulator is a domain controller that advertises itself
as the primary domain controller (PDC) to workstations, member servers, and
domain controllers that are running earlier versions of Windows. For example,
if the domain contains computers that are not running Microsoft Windows XP
Professional or Microsoft Windows 2000 client software, or if it contains
Microsoft Windows NT backup domain controllers, the PDC emulator master
acts as a Windows NT PDC. It is also the Domain Master Browser, and it handles
password discrepancies. At any one time, there can be only one domain
controller acting as the PDC emulator master in each domain in the forest.

What is replication in active directory?

REPLICATION Replication is a process of sending update information for data
that has changed in the directory to other domain controllers, as a Part of the
AD planning an implementation process.*2000/2003 uses MULTI-MASTER
replication for the AD.
Types of UPDATES which force replication: Add, Modify, ModifyDN, delete
USN: Update sequence numbers
GUID: Globally unique identifier

REPLICATION PARTITIONS: Schema Partition: contains object and attribute

definitions. In other words it contains a list of definitions that define what
objects and attributes for those objects can exist in the AD.Configuration
partition: contains information about the physical structure of the AD, such as
the sites and domains and where DC resides in the enterprise. It is replicated to
all DC's in the tree or forest.Domain partition: contains information about all
AD objects that are specific to that domain, such as users, groups and other
resources. All domain partition information is completely replicated to all
domain controllers within the domain.

REPLICATION TOPOLOGY
KCC: Knowledge Consistency Checker: It builds the topology for the intrasite
replication between the DCs. It uses only RPC to communicate with the
directory service.
Bridgehead server: A point where a replication information leaves or enters a
site for intersite replication.

BENIFITS
• Optimize replication for speed and bandwidth consumption between domain
controllers.• Locate the closest domain controller for client logon, services,
and directory searches.
• Direct a Distributed File System (DFS) client to the server that is hosting the
requested data within the site.
• Replicate the system volume (SYSVOL), a collection of folders in the file
system that exists on each domain controller in a domain and is required for
implementation of Group Policy
=============================================================
What is RAID?
ANS: Redundant Array of Inexpensive disk is a way to increase capaxity,
performance and reliablility.
RAID0: (Striping) Not really RAID as it has no fault tolerance, Data is striped
across all disks, Excelent read/write performance.
RAID1: (Mirroring) Need at least 2 drives, tolerates single drive failure, often
used for OS drive or boot volume.
RAID5: Requires at least 3 drives, data and parity striped across all disks, can
tolerate failure of any one disk without losing data but performance does
degrade.

TCP/IP MODEL:
Application Layer
Transport Layer
Internet
Network Interface

OSI MODEL
Application Layer
Presentation layer
Session layer
Transport Layer
Network Layer
Data-link Layer
Physical layer

What is a switch?
A network switch, or bridge, is a specialized device that connects multiple
network segments. It's a more modern and efficient form of the ubiquitous (and
outdated) network hub. A hub, also known as a repeater, is a simple device
that has been used for years to connect all nodes, or computers, on a network
to a central location. Each node on a network has a unique hardware address
called a MAC address. A hub is known as a repeater because when a packet of
data, or frame, is sent through the hub, it is repeated to each and every
computer on the network.This means that if a 1 GB video is sent to one
computer through the hub, the file will also be sent to all of the other
computers on the hub. This is very inefficient for bandwidth management.
"Hubs have two major drawbacks," says Ben deGonzague, a deployment
engineer with TopCoder Software, a Glastonbury, Conn.-based software
engineering firm. "First, network bandwidth is consumed as each and every
frame is sent to all devices on a network. Second, your network is only as fast
as the slowest device. Hubs have become obsolete with switching-based
networks."A switch-based network is one that utilizes switches instead of hubs.
A switch is a major upgrade to a hub. Instead of sending all network data to
each and every network node, the switch will analyze the MAC address and
determine where to send the data. Network bandwidth is not wasted by
sending every frame to every port.So when a switch receives data for a file, if
it was addressed to one computer it will only be sent there. The other
computers on the network wouldn't know about it. This means that the network
is now much more efficient, but it's also a step toward being more secure:
"Since switches can segregate traffic from different nodes," says deGonzague,
"this makes it more difficult for anyone to capture packets on your network.

What is a router?
While switches connect multiple computers, a router is required to connect
multiple networks, like your LAN to the Internet. Routers work by storing large
tables of networks and addresses, then using algorithms to determine the
shortest routes to individual addresses within those networks. In this way
efficient routers not only facilitate intra-network communications, but also
play a role in overall network performance. delivering the information
faster.While many consumers are familiar with small routers from companies
like Linksys, which can be purchased for less than $50 at computer hardware
stores, they shouldn't be confused with a proper router for business. "A typical
router at home will connect your cable modem or DSL network to your internal
network. This is just connecting two different networks. Routers for businesses
on the other hand might have to connect several different networks," says
deGonzague. Small business routers from vendors like Cisco often include
management software, enabling IT staff to better manage network stability
and, ultimately, performance.