Windows Server 2003 Overview

Installing the operating system

• Selecting the correct hardware
• Upgrading from previous versions
• Choosing the installation options

Maintaining a stable system

• Monitoring system resources
• Making Registry changes
• Managing hardware devices and drivers
• Integrating tools with the Microsoft Management Console (MMC)

Managing Users and Groups

User identity and management

• Authenticating local and domain users
• Creating and managing user accounts
• Viewing a user's security context
• Setting rights and privileges

Resource and account groups

• Controlling access to resources using local, global and universal groups
• Changing the domain and forest functional levels
• Managing group scope and membership

Controlling File System Resources

Managing access to file resources

• Discretionary access control security
• Working with explicit and inherited permissions
• Controlling inheritance propagation

Protecting file system resources

• Monitoring access through auditing
• Securing files and folders with encryption
• Limiting disc space usage with quotas

Managing Network Resources

Accessing data from shared resources

• Sharing folders and defining permissions
• Installing and sharing printers
• Restoring user data through shadow copies

Distributed File System (DFS)

• Providing unified management of network resources using DFS
• Implementing fault-tolerant DFS roots

Maintaining Directory Information

Active Directory (AD) architecture

• Creating and managing the infrastructure
• Defining schema, configuration and domain naming contexts
• Managing replication with sites and global catalogue placement
• Locating directory objects
• Automating account creation with ADSI

Organising and managing the AD

• Designing a directory hierarchy using Organisational Units (OUs)
• Controlling object and attribute access
• Delegating administration tasks

Deploying the Active Directory

• Building domains and forests
• Managing DNS requirements
• Promoting and demoting domains with Dcpromo
• Upgrading from Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003 R2

Controlling the Users' Desktop

• Incorporating startup/shutdown and logon/logoff scripts
• Setting up and working with user profiles
• Configuring group policies for desktop control
• Applying policies to OUs

Windows Server 2003 R2 Management

File Server Resource Manager

• Creating quota templates
• Applying standard and auto quotas
• Reporting on disc usage
• Creating and managing file screens

Controlling the DFS

• Creating a DFS namespace
• Configuring data replication
• Backing up branch office data

Printer management

• Managing remote printers
• Creating print filters
• Consolidating print servers