In computing, Physical Address Extension (PAE) is a feature of x86 and x86-64 processors that enable the use of more than 4 gigabytes[1] of physical memory to be used in 32-bit systems, given appropriate operating system support. PAE is provided by Intel Pentium Pro and above CPUs (including all later Pentium-series processors except the 400 MHz bus versions of the Pentium M), as well as by some compatible processors such as the Athlon and later models from AMD.
The x86 processor hardware is augmented with additional address lines used to select the additional memory, so physical address size is increased from 32 bits to 36 bits. This increases maximum physical memory size from 4 GB to 64 GB. The 32-bit size of the virtual address is not changed, so regular application software continues to use instructions with 32-bit addresses and (in a flat memory model) is limited to 4 gigabytes of virtual address space. The operating system uses page tables to map this 4 GB address space into the 64 GB of RAM, and the map is usually different for each process. In this way, the extra memory is useful even though no single regular application can access it all simultaneously.
For application software which needs access to more than 4 GB of RAM, some special mechanism may be provided by the operating system in addition to the regular PAE support.
What is AWE:
Address Windowing Extensions (AWE) is a Microsoft Windows application programming interface that allows a 32-bit software application to access more physical memory than it has virtual address space. The process of mapping an application's virtual address space to physical memory under AWE is known as "windowing," and is similar to the "overlay" concept of other environments. AWE is beneficial to certain data-intensive applications, such as database management systems and scientific and engineering software, that need to manipulate very large data sets.
The application reserves a region, or "window" of virtual address space, and allocates one or more regions of physical memory. Using the AWE API, the application can map the virtual window to any one of the physical regions. The application can reserve more than one virtual address space and map it to any of the allocated regions of physical memory, as long as the number of bytes reserved in the virtual address space matches that of the physical memory region.
AWE usage is coded into the application itself. An application must have the Lock Pages in Memory privilege to use AWE.
AWE does not depend on Physical Address Extension support or vice versa[1].
Diff between emergency disk and ASR
Emergency Repair Disk (ERD) is a specially formated bootable floppy disk made by some Windows operating systems that contains information about a particular Windows installation. This disk is designed to be used with the NTFS file system, and can be used to restore a computer to a bootable state if the registry or other fundamental system components are damaged.
Automated System Recovery (ASR) is a windows tool used to simplify recovery of a server's system or boot volumes. ASR consists of two parts: an automated backup, and an automated restore. The backup portion can be accessed in the Backup utility under System Tools.
ASR does not backup user's files or other data, only data necessary for restoring the system configuration state. Other backup systems should be put in place to ensure user's actual data files are also backed up. In the event of a failure an ASR restore is performed first, which allows user files to then be recovered.
ASR should be used only as a last resort because in preparation for a restore ASR will format the system and boot volumes of the hardrive, making other, less drastic recovery methods impossible.
ER replace Missing or corrupt system files but did not format drives or reconfigure storage info
ASR always format the boot volume and system volume before restoring the system
ASR automatically restore a system to working state after a system failure
What is Stub Zone
A stub zone is a copy of a zone that contains only those resource records necessary to identify the authoritative Domain Name System (DNS) servers for that zone. A stub zone is used to resolve names between separate DNS namespaces. This type of resolution may be necessary when a corporate merger requires that the DNS servers for two separate DNS namespaces resolve names for clients in both namespaces.
A stub zone consists of:
* The start of authority (SOA) resource record, name server (NS) resource records, and the glue A resource records for the delegated zone.
* The IP address of one or more master servers that can be used to update the stub zone.
The master servers for a stub zone are one or more DNS servers authoritative for the child zone, usually the DNS server hosting the primary zone for the delegated domain name.
What is the difference between Hardware RAID and Software RAID?
A: Hardware RAID uses a dedicated RAID controller card to provide RAID capabilities and is NOT operating system dependent. The RAID controller card used in a Hardware RAID configuration consists of an embedded processor that offloads all RAID processes, commands, and algorithms from the system processor and memory to that of the Hardware RAID controller. This allows the system processor to process other various commands.
Software RAID uses either a standard IDE or SCSI controller in conjunction with the operating system to provide RAID capabilities. Software RAID uses the system processor and memory, thus using precious processor time, making it unavailable to network and operating system requests, which in turn can slow down the response times and performance of the computer.
What is MBSA tool?
MBSA(Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer) is a tool used to check which security updates and service packs are to be installed on a server. It can be used to get the printouts of a report so that data related to the previous and current updates can be stored for further reference. MBSA tool can also be used to check for the updates that are to be evaluated and applied to SQL Server 2005 or an operating system.
What is FSMO:
Flexible single master operation
Domain-wide FSMO Roles:
Relative ID Master
Infrastructure Master
PDC Emulator
Forest-wide FSMO Roles:
Schema Master
Domain Naming Master
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.
Ntdsutil.exe or MMC snap in
What is Active Directory? Active Directory is a network-based object store and service that locates and manages resources, and makes these resources available to authorized users and groups. An underlying principle of the Active Directory is that everything is considered an object—people, servers, workstations, printers, documents, and devices. Each object has certain attributes and its own security access control list (ACL).
How can you authenticate between forests?
Four types of authentication are used across forests: (1) Kerberos and NTLM network logon for remote access to a server in another forest; (2) Kerberos and NTLM interactive logon for physical logon outside the user’s home forest; (3) Kerberos delegation to N-tier application in another forest; and (4) user principal name (UPN) credentials
What types of classes exist in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory?
Structural class. The structural class is important to the system administrator in that it is the only type from which new Active Directory objects are created. Structural classes are developed from either the modification of an existing structural type or the use of one or more abstract classes.
Abstract class. Abstract classes are so named because they take the form of templates that actually create other templates (abstracts) and structural and auxiliary classes. Think of abstract classes as frameworks for the defining objects.
Auxiliary class. The auxiliary class is a list of attributes. Rather than apply numerous attributes when creating a structural class, it provides a streamlined alternative by applying a combination of attributes with a single include action.
88 class. The 88 class includes object classes defined prior to 1993, when the 1988 X.500 specification was adopted. This type does not use the structural, abstract, and auxiliary definitions, nor is it in common use for the development of objects in Windows Server 2003 environments
What Is the Global Catalog?
Global catalog contains a partial replica of every Windows 2000 domain in the directory. The GC lets users and applications find objects in an Active Directory domain tree given one or more attributes of the target object. It also contains the schema and configuration of directory partitions. This means the global catalog holds a replica of every object in the Active Directory, but with only a small number of their attributes. ...
Domain as “a single security boundary of a Windows NT-based computer network.
What is a tree?
defines a tree as “a set of Windows NT domains connected together through transitive, bidirectional trust, sharing a common schema, configuration, and global catalog.
What is a forest?
defines a forest as “a group of one or more Active Directory trees that trust each other.
What is a schema?
“the definition of an entire database; the universe of objects that can be stored in the directory is defined in the schema.
What is an organizational unit (OU)
Defines an organizational unit as “a container object that is an Active Directory administrative partition.
What is a group policy
Group policy “refers to applying policy to groups of computers and/or users contained within Active Directory containers.
Win2000 & Win2003 Diff:
2003 supports up to 64 processors and max of 512GB RAM
2000 Supports IIS 5.0 and 2003 Supports IIS6.0
2000 has Server and Advance Server editions whereas 2003 has Standard, Enterprise, Datacentre and Web server Editions
Increased security for Internet connections
In 2000 we can create 1 million users and in 2003 we can create 1 billion users
In 2003 we have concept of Volume shadow copy service which is used to create hard disk snap shot which is used in Disaster recovery and 2000 doesn’t have this service
Automated System Recovery(ASR) is there, but 2k only Emergency Repair Disk(ERD) is there
In 2000 we cannot rename domain whereas in 2003 we can rename Domain
In 2000 we have cross domain trust relation ship and 2003 we have Cross forest trust relationship.
Stub zone is available
Where is the AD database held
The AD data base is store in NTDS.DIT
What is the SYSVOL folder?
The sysVOL folder stores the server’s copy of the domain’s public files. The contents such as group policy, users etc of the sysvol folder are replicated to all domain controllers in the domain
Files backup up during System state data backup:
Boot files and system files
Registry
COM+
System files under Windows File Protection
Active Directory, directory service -For domain
SYSVOL directory -For domain controller
IIS Metadirectory
Certificate Services database -For certificate server
Cluster Service information-For Cluster server
