Microsoft Exams –  70-290 Study Guide

70-290 Windows 2003 Server Study Guide

There are two exam on Windows 2003 server, the official title of the 290 is:

Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment.

This this 290 exam is the easier of the 2003 server exam and follows on from, or is a sister exam to the XP exam 70-270.

Change of Exam Format

As I mentioned before, Microsoft do change the format from time to time, this is my latest information.

Microsoft introduced simulations technology in its MCP exams in March 31 2005, beginning with Exam 70-290 and Exam 70-291. Individuals will be able to demonstrate their capability of solving real-world problems by performing tasks in simulated environments. Please check with your local exam delivery provider, Pearson VUE or Thomson Prometric, for availability. In June 2005, Microsoft released simulation-based versions of Exams 70-293 and 70-294.

Exam Syllabus

Managing and Maintaining Physical and Logical Devices

Manage basic disks and dynamic disks

Monitor server hardware. Tools include Device Manager, the Hardware Troubleshooting Wizard, and appropriate Control Panel items.

Optimize server disk performance

• Implement a RAID solution.  Disk Mirroring
• Defragment volumes and partitions.

Install and configure server hardware devices.

• Configure driver signing options.
• Configure resource settings for a device.
• Configure device properties and settings. (See More Here)

Managing Users, Computers, and Groups

Manage local, roaming, and mandatory user profiles.

Create and manage computer accounts in an Active Directory environment.

Create and manage groups.

• Identify and modify the scope of a group.
• Find domain groups in which a user is a member.
• Manage group membership.
• Create and modify groups by using the Active Directory Users and Computers Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in.
• Create and modify groups by using automation.

Create and manage user accounts.

• Create and modify user accounts by using the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in.
• Create and modify user accounts by using automation.
• Import user accounts.

Troubleshoot computer accounts.

• Diagnose and resolve issues related to computer accounts by using the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in.
• Reset computer accounts.

Troubleshoot user accounts.

• Diagnose and resolve account lockouts.
• Diagnose and resolve issues related to user account properties.

Troubleshoot user authentication issues.

(See More Here)

Managing and Maintaining Access to Resources

Configure access to shared folders.

• Manage shared folder permissions.

Troubleshoot Terminal Services.

• Diagnose and resolve issues related to Terminal Services security.
• Diagnose and resolve issues related to client access to Terminal Services.

Configure file system permissions.

• Verify effective permissions when granting permissions.
• Change ownership of files and folders.

Troubleshoot access to files and shared folders.

(See More Here)

Managing and Maintaining a Server Environment

Monitor and analyze events. Tools might include Event Viewer and System Monitor.

Manage software update infrastructure.

Manage software site licensing.

Manage servers remotely.

• Manage a server by using Remote Assistance.
• Manage a server by using Terminal Services remote administration mode.
• Manage a server by using available support tools.

Troubleshoot print queues.

Monitor system performance.

Monitor file and print servers. Tools might include Task Manager, Event Viewer, and System Monitor.

• Monitor disk quotas.
• Monitor print queues.
• Monitor server hardware for bottlenecks.

Monitor and optimize a server environment for application performance.

• Monitor memory performance objects.
• Monitor network performance objects.
• Monitor process performance objects.
• Monitor disk performance objects.

Manage a Web server.

• Manage Internet Information Services (IIS).
• Manage security for IIS. (See More Here)

Managing and Implementing Disaster Recovery

Perform system recovery for a server.

• Implement Automated System Recovery (ASR).
• Restore data from shadow copy volumes.
• Back up files and System State data to media.
• Configure security for backup operations.

Manage backup procedures.

• Verify the successful completion of backup jobs.
• Manage backup storage media.

Recover from server hardware failure.

Restore backup data.

Schedule backup jobs.

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