Windows Server 2022 Administration Fundamentals E-Book

Bekim Dauti

• Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 380

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

This third edition gets you up and running with Windows Server 2022, Microsoft's new server operating system, as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems, developed concurrently with Windows 10, version 21H2.
The book begins by introducing computer networking and Windows Server concepts, gradually moving towards Windows Server 2022. With the help of step-by-step instructions and easy-to-understand graphics, you’ll become well versed with the roles, features, and functionalities of Windows Server 2022. Topics such as the installation process, upgrades, post-installation tasks, and initial server configuration are covered in detail. As you make progress, you’ll explore roles, features, and role services such as Active Directory, DNS, Hyper-V, remote access, storage, and printers, among others. The book then takes you through maintenance and troubleshooting tasks to guide you in efficiently managing Windows Server 2022. Finally, by working with numerous questions in each chapter and detailed answers at the end, you can test your understanding of the concepts covered.
By the end of this Windows Server book, you’ll be equipped with the knowledge needed to update, maintain, and troubleshoot servers to ensure business continuity by relying on best practices and using step-by-step graphic-driven examples.

Leseprobe

Windows Server 2022 Administration Fundamentals

Third Edition

A beginner's guide to managing and administering Windows Server environments

Bekim Dauti

BIRMINGHAM—MUMBAI

Windows Server 2022 Administration Fundamentals

Third Edition

Copyright © 2022 Packt Publishing

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Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capital. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

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Second edition: October 2019

Third edition: September 2022

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It is estimated that there are 5 billion (source: Statista) internet users worldwide, including politicians. Will that then be enough to contribute to stopping the wars and bringing PEACE to everyone globally?

– Bekim Dauti

Contributors

About the author

Bekim Dauti works in the administration of servers and computer networks, and training in Cisco, CompTIA and Microsoft.

He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tirana and a master’s degree from UMGC Europe, both in IT. Additionally, he has nearly 20 years of experience as a Cisco Certified Academy Instructor (CCAI) and more than 15 years of experience as a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT). Bekim holds several certifications from vendors such as ECDL, Certiport, CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, and Sun Microsystems. Bekim has contributed to nearly 20 books and dozens of articles for PC World Albanian and CIO Albanian. He founded Dautti LLC.

These days, he blogs on Bekim Dauti’s Blog. In addition, he works as a Microsoft Certified Trainer.

“I thank God for giving me life, health, and the opportunity to contribute through knowledge sharing. May God Almighty reward my family, friends, the folks at Packt Publishing, my colleagues at elev8 LLC., and everyone who supported me in writing this book. Last but not least, peace and blessings to every reader.”

About the reviewer

Premnath Sambasivam is a server engineer with 10 years of experience in Windows, Azure, VMware, and SCCM administration. He is an MCSE Cloud Platform and Infrastructure professional and a Microsoft-certified Azure architect. He has developed and deployed Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager solutions to manage over 6,000 assets in his client’s environment and various VMware solutions. Premnath is a technology enthusiast who loves learning and exploring new technologies. He is currently a senior cloud engineer for one of the major retail brands in the USA. He has also reviewed Packt Publishing's books like Mastering Windows Server 2019 and Mastering Windows Security and Hardening.

“I want to thank my wife and son for encouraging me to spend time learning. Reviewing books also refreshes our memory and lets us learn about the latest technologies and software improvements. Special thanks to my mom and dad for always being supportive.”

Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1: Introducing Windows Server and Installing Windows Server 2022

1

Getting Started with Windows Server

Technical requirements

Getting to know computer networks

What is a computer network?

The types of computer networks

Exploring computer network components

Clients and servers

Hosts and nodes

Investigating computer network architectures

P2P network architecture

Client/server network architecture

Getting to know IP addressing and subnetting

IPv4 network addresses

IPv6 network addresses

IPv4 subnetting

Exploring servers

Server hardware and software

Server sizes, form factors, and shapes

Understanding a NOS

Windows Server overview

Linux Server overview

macOS Server overview

Understanding Windows Server

The Windows Server timeline

Chapter exercise – downloading Windows Server 2022

Summary

Questions

Further reading

2

Introducing Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

An overview of Windows Server 2022

Windows Server 2022 editions

Windows Server 2022 versus Windows Server 2019

The minimum and recommended system requirements

What’s new in Windows Server 2022?

Microsoft Edge Chromium

Azure hybrid center

Storage Migration Service

Storage Replica

Secured-core server

Azure Kubernetes Service

Containers

Windows Admin Center

Chapter exercise – downloading Windows Admin Center

Summary

Questions

Further reading

3

Installing Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding the installation of Windows Server 2022

Getting to know the partition schemes

Getting to know the boot options

Accessing the advanced startup options

Various Windows Server 2022 installation methods

Choosing Desktop Experience, Server Core, or Nano Server installation

A clean installation

Installing over a network

Unattended installation

An in-place upgrade

Migrating network services

Trying Windows Server 2022 in Azure

Chapter exercise – setting up WDS

Installing WDS

Setting up WDS

Summary

Questions

Further reading

4

Post-Installation Tasks in Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding devices and device drivers

Getting to know computer devices and device drivers

Working with devices and device drivers

Getting to know PnP, IRQ, DMA, and driver signing

Understanding the Windows Registry and its services

Windows Server Registry

Windows Server services

Working with Windows Registry and its services

Understanding Windows Server initial configuration

Using Server Manager in Desktop Experience

Using Server Configuration in Server Core

Chapter exercise – performing an initial Windows Server configuration

Performing Windows Server initial configuration using Server Manager

Performing Windows Server initial configuration using Server Configuration

Summary

Questions

Further reading

Part 2: Setting Up Windows Server 2022

5

Directory Services in Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding the Active Directory infrastructure

DC

Domains

Tree domain

Forest

Child domain

Operations master roles

Comparing a domain with a workgroup

Trust relationship

Functional levels

Namespaces

Sites

Replication

Schema

Microsoft Passport

Understanding DNS

Adding the DNS role

The hosts and lmhosts files

Hostnames

DNS zones

WINS

UNC

Understanding OUs and containers

What are OUs?

Default containers

Hidden default containers

Uses of default containers

Delegating control to an OU

Understanding accounts and groups

Domain accounts

Local accounts

User profiles

Computer accounts

Group types

Default groups

Group scopes

Group nesting

Chapter exercise – installing the AD DS and DNS roles and promoting the server to a DC

Summary

Questions

Further reading

6

Adding Roles to Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding server roles and features

Server roles

Role services

Server features

Server Manager

Understanding application servers

Email server

Database server

Collaboration server

Monitoring server

Data protection server

Understanding web services

IIS

WWW

FTP

Separate worker processes

Adding components to the IIS

Sites

Ports

SSL

Certificates

Understanding Remote Access

Remote Assistance

RSAT

RDS

RDS Licensing

RDG

VPN

App-V

Multiple ports

Understanding file and print services

File Services role

PDS role

Understanding user rights, NTFS permissions, and share permissions

Understanding file server auditing

Chapter exercise – installing the Web Server (IIS) and PDS roles

Installing the Web Server (IIS) role

Installing a PDS role

Summary

Questions

Further reading

Part 3: Configuring Windows Server 2022

7

Group Policy in Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding GP

Managing GPOs

GPO configuration settings

Processing GPOs

Types of GP editors

Local Group Policy Editor

Updating local GPOs

GPO configuration settings

Chapter exercise – examples of GPOs for system administrators

Renaming the administrator account

Renaming the guest account

Blocking the Microsoft accounts

Prohibiting access to the Control Panel and PC settings

Denying access to all removable storage classes

Summary

Questions

Further reading

8

Virtualization with Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding server virtualization

Virtualization modes

The Hyper-V architecture

Hyper-V’s installation requirements

Nested virtualization

Getting to know Hyper-V Manager

Configuration settings in Hyper-V

Creating and configuring VHDs

Managing a VM’s virtual memory

Setting up a virtual network

Understanding checkpoints

VHD and VHDX formats

P2V conversion

V2P conversion

Configuring VM settings

Managing VMs

Chapter exercise – installing Hyper-V on Windows Server 2022

Summary

Questions

Further reading

9

Storing Data in Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding storage technologies

Exploring different storage types

Adapter and controller types

Serial bus technologies

Storage protocols

File-sharing protocols

The HBA and FC switches

The iSCSI hardware

S2D

Dedup

Storage tiering

Managing storage

Understanding RAID

Types of RAID

Hardware versus software RAID

SDS

Resiliency using S2D

High availability

Understanding disks

HDDs

SSDs

ODDs

Basic disk

Dynamic disk

Mount points

Filesystems

Mounting a VHD

DFS

Chapter exercise – enabling Dedup on Windows Server 2022

Summary

Questions

Further reading

Part 4: Keeping Windows Server 2022 Up and Running

10

Tuning and Maintaining Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding server hardware components

Processor

Memory

Disk

Network interface

32-bit and 64-bit architectures

Removable drives

Graphics cards

Cooling

Power supply

Physical ports

Understanding performance monitoring

Performance monitoring methodology

Performance monitoring procedures

Server baselines

Performance Monitor

Resource Monitor

Task Manager

Performance counters

Understanding logs and alerts

Chapter exercise – working with the Performance Logs & Alerts service

Starting the Performance Logs & Alerts service

Accessing the Performance Monitor logs folder

Creating performance data logs

Setting up performance counter alerts

Summary

Questions

Further reading

11

Updating and Troubleshooting Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

Understanding updates

Understanding Windows Update

Updating Microsoft programs

Updating third-party programs

Updating the device drivers

Getting to know WSUS

Understanding the troubleshooting methodology

Best practices, guidelines, and procedures

Troubleshooting process

The systematic versus the specific approach

Troubleshooting procedures

ITIL

Event Viewer

Understanding the startup process

BIOS

UEFI

TPM

POST

MBR

BCD

Bootloader

Boot sector

Boot menu

Safe Mode

Understanding business continuity

DRP

Data redundancy

Clustering

Folder redirection

Backup and restore

Active Directory (AD) restore

Power redundancy

Chapter exercise – using Event Viewer to monitor and manage logs

Setting up centralized monitoring

Filtering Event Viewer logs

Changing the default logs location

Summary

Questions

Further reading

Part 5: Studying and Preparing for Microsoft Certification Exams

12

Preparing for Microsoft Certifications

What is Microsoft Certification?

What is Microsoft role-based certification?

Who should take a Microsoft Certification exam?

Which skills are measured by Microsoft Certification exams?

Deploy and manage Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) in on-premises and cloud environments (30–35%)

Manage Windows Servers and workloads in a hybrid environment (10–15%)

Manage virtual machines and containers (15–20%)

Implement and manage an on-premises and hybrid networking infrastructure (15–20%)

Manage storage and file services (15–20%)

What should you expect in a Microsoft Certification exam?

How should you prepare for a Microsoft Certification exam?

How do you register for a Microsoft Certification exam?

On the day of the Microsoft Certification exam

New Microsoft Certification validity period and renewal format

Summary

Further reading

Assessments

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy

Preface

Windows Server 2022 is Microsoft’s latest operating system for servers as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems, based on the Windows 10 platform.

With Windows Server 2022, Microsoft is continuing to enhance and advance its OS for servers by making it robust, high-performing, secure, and cloud-enabled. The vision was to bring the cloud to everyone by providing platforms and tools to help build IT solutions that drive success. In addition, with Windows Server 2022, Microsoft has consolidated its status in the world of cloud service providers by competing head to head with the Amazon Web Services cloud (AWS cloud). For this reason, there has been no better time to become a cloud-focused system administrator.

This book begins with the computer network essentials and then moves on to the world of Windows Server 2022. It covers all aspects of the administration-level tasks and activities required to become an expert in Microsoft Windows Server 2022. It begins by introducing Windows Server and Windows Server 2022 and then gradually builds up its content with the installation and deployment of Windows Server 2022 in Chapter 3, Installing Windows Server 2022. After becoming familiar with Windows Server’s 2022 post-installation tasks in Chapter 4, Post-Installation Tasks in Windows Server 2022, you will start functionalizing Windows Server 2022 by adding roles. Doing so, you will find out the following:

What is a domain controller? How to set up a file and print server Configuring a web server and hosting a website Virtualizing your IT environmentAutomating Windows Server 2022 deployment Centrally managing Windows Server 2022 updates

With the help of multiple hands-on exercises, you will gain an immense understanding of Windows Server 2022, which will help you solve complex tasks quickly. At the end of the book, you will be exposed to maintenance and troubleshooting tasks where, with the help of best practices, you will manage Windows Server 2022 with ease.

At its heart, this book aims to teach you the system administrator’s craft. Hence, to validate your skills and the knowledge gained from this book, each chapter ends with a concept summary and questionnaire to help you take full advantage of the content. By the end of this book, you will have enough knowledge to administer and manage Windows Server 2022 with ease and be able to get informed and learn about Microsoft certifications just in case you set yourself a challenge such as passing an exam.

Who this book is for

This book is for you if you are an IT professional interested in deploying and configuring Windows Server 2022. This book will also help you get to know about the Microsoft certifications.

What this book covers

Chapter 1, Getting Started with Windows Server, introduces Windows Server. At the beginning of this chapter, there is a recap of the most fundamental concepts of computer networks. This chapter is organized into two parts, where each attempts to provide a concise yet complete description of the basic concepts of computer networks. In addition, definitions of key terms such as hosts, nodes, peer-to-peer, and clients/servers are covered in the Computer network overview section.

Chapter 2, Introducing Windows Server 2022, introduces you to Windows Server 2022. Windows Server 2022 is developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems and concurrently with Windows 10 version 21H2. The Windows Server overview section uncovers the essentials of Windows Server 2022. In addition, it outlines the various Windows Server 2022 editions and compares Windows Server 2022 to Windows Server 2019 with a focus on what is new in Windows Server 2022.

Chapter 3, Installing Windows Server 2022, provides detailed instructions for installing Windows Server 2022. The step-by-step instructions, driven by easy-to-understand graphics, show you how to master the installation of Windows Server 2022. You will quickly learn the installation process without hitting any obstacles. This chapter is an excellent collection of how-to tips and provides information on getting the job done efficiently.

Chapter 4, Post-Installation Tasks in Windows Server 2022, explains the steps required during the post-installation stage, including managing devices and device drivers, checking the registry and status of services, and taking care of the initial server configuration. This chapter is divided into three parts. Each topic is accompanied by step-by-step instructions driven by targeted, easy-to-understand graphics.

Chapter 5, Directory Services in Windows Server 2022, introduces you to directory services. Now that you have learned how to install Windows Server 2022 and run the initial server configuration, it is time to set up the first services in your organization’s IT infrastructure. With that in mind, this chapter explains directory services. Additionally, you will become familiar with Organizational Units (OUs), default containers, user accounts, and groups to organize your domain’s user and computer accounts.

Chapter 6, Adding Roles to Windows Server 2022, explains what a role is and the importance of roles in determining the server’s function when providing network services. You will also know all the parts and features that Windows Server 2022 supports. Finally, you will learn how to add roles to the server and the requirements after adding functions so that you can set up client/server network services whenever required.

Chapter 7, Group Policy in Windows Server 2022, helps you understand Group Policy (GP) in Windows Server. You will learn about GP processing, become familiar with the GP Management Console, learn about computer and user policies, and learn about local procedures when your server is not part of a domain. At the same time, you will learn the steps involved in configuring computer and user policies in a domain-based network.

Chapter 8, Virtualization with Windows Server 2022, teaches you virtualization concepts and familiarizes you with Hyper-V software, enabling the virtualization of Windows-based servers. You will discover the steps to add the Hyper-V role to your server, familiarize yourself with Hyper-V Manager, and learn the steps it takes to create virtual machines. That way, you will understand what virtualization is and how you can enable the Hyper-V role and create virtual machines.

Chapter 9, Storing Data in Windows Server 2022, explains storage technologies. As well as understanding storage technologies in general, you will learn about various related topics. These include physical interfaces and disk controllers. We will also explore how data is stored in a medium, the types of storage systems used in network environments, and various storage protocols. Additionally, you will get to know the concepts and types of RAID.

Chapter 10, Tuning and Maintaining Windows Server 2022, covers the best practices and considerations for server hardware. By understanding the importance of a server’s role in a computer network and learning about each component, we can be vigilant when selecting server hardware. In addition to this, this chapter teaches you server performance monitoring methodologies and procedures. Performance monitoring will help you identify the cause of server performance issues early on.

Chapter 11, Updating and Troubleshooting Windows Server 2022, outlines the server startup process; advanced boot options and Safe Mode; backup and restore; the disaster recovery plan; and how to update the operating system, hardware, and software. Event Viewer is also mentioned, which will help you monitor different logs in your system, thus helping you troubleshoot and solve problems. In this way, you will be able to minimize downtime, expressed as money lost from a business point of view.

Chapter 12, Preparing for Microsoft Certifications, offers an overview of the Microsoft certifications, including a look at the skills measured in the exam. Additionally, this chapter explains the role-based Microsoft certifications and how to register for the exam. Furthermore, you will find valuable resources to help you gather as much information as possible about the exam in general, discover what it takes to pass it, and, by doing so, launch a successful career.

Assessments provides you with answers to the chapter questions. In addition, many questions accompany each chapter to help you reinforce the concepts and definitions. With this appendix, you can check your answers to those questions.

To get the most out of this book

You must have solid experience working with the Windows 10/11 operating system and have a solid knowledge of computer networks and network operating systems.

Make sure you have a computer with a processor that supports virtualization technology and has 8 GB or 16 GB of RAM.

Download the color images

We also provide a PDF file with color images of the screenshots and diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://packt.link/8Cdqe.

Conventions used

There are several text conventions used throughout this book.

Code in text: Indicates code words in the text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: “Unlike IPv4, IPv6 is a 128-bit address size of 8 hextets with 16 bits each, divided by a colon for simplicity of interpretation (for example, 2001:0DB8:85A3:0000:0000:8A2E:0370:7334).”

A block of code is set as follows:

html, body, #map { height: 100%; margin: 0; padding: 0 }

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items are set in bold:

[default] exten => s,1,Dial(Zap/1|30) exten => s,2,Voicemail(u100) exten => s,102,Voicemail(b100) exten => i,1,Voicemail(s0)

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

$ mkdir css

$ cd css

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words you see onscreen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: “Take the time to read the license terms. When done, select the I accept the license terms checkbox and click Next.”

Tips or important notes

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Part 1: Introducing Windows Server and Installing Windows Server 2022

Part 1 covers the Windows Server in general, and Windows Server 2022 in particular. In addition, it also covers the installation of Windows Server 2022. Thus, upon completing this part, you will be knowledgeable about Windows Server in general and Windows Server 2022. Additionally, you will be able to clean, install, upgrade, and migrate Windows Server 2022. You will also be able to complete network and unattended installation.

This part of the book comprises the following chapters:

Chapter 1, Getting Started with Windows ServerChapter 2, Introducing Windows Server 2022Chapter 3, Installing Windows Server 2022Chapter 4, Post-Installation Tasks in Windows Server 2022

1

Getting Started with Windows Server

This chapter introduces you to computer networking, in general, and Windows Server, in particular. As such, this chapter contains concepts from these two main topics. It begins with a section on computer networks, which covers the ideas and types. Then, discussions about hosts, nodes, Peer-to-Peer (P2P) networking, and clients/servers are covered in the Exploring computer network components section. Moreover, the Getting to know IP addressing and subnetting section covers IP addressing and subnetting. Together, they will help you learn and remember the basic concepts of computer networks because networking is considered part of the Windows Server Operating System (OS).

In contrast, Windows Server is covered in the second part of this chapter, where basic concepts such as hardware, software, and the Network Operating System (NOS) are explained. In addition, a brief introduction to Windows Server, Linux Server, and macOS Server are included. Furthermore, the Windows Server timeline is presented, too. Finally, in the chapter exercise, you can download Windows Server 2022 and create installation media.

In this chapter, the following sections will be covered:

Getting to know computer networksExploring computer network componentsInvestigating computer network architecturesGetting to know IP addressing and subnettingExploring serversUnderstanding a NOSUnderstanding Windows ServerChapter exercise – downloading Windows Server 2022

Technical requirements

To complete the exercise in this chapter, you will need a PC with Windows 11 Pro, at least 8 GB of Random Access Memory (RAM), 500 MB of HDD, and access to the internet.

Getting to know computer networks

When you start reading this section, you will naturally wonder why you should learn about computer networking if you are interested in learning about Windows Server. Initially, your statement would stand. However, the more you delve into Windows Server, the more you will justify the necessity of learning about computer networks. As such, this section has been designed to instill fundamental networking skills in you, which are very much needed for installing and supporting Windows Server 2022. So, let’s go back to computer networks.

It all began many years ago when sharing resources became necessary. As time went by and demand increased, the development and advancement of computer network technologies also occurred. Therefore, the need to connect and interconnect computers within computer networks and among more geographic locations created a demand for well-defined terms and concepts to describe computer networks. Because of that, concepts such as computer network types, computer network topologies, computer network architectures, and computer network components were born. As such, a computer network represented one of humanity’s most significant inventions in communication. That said, simply think about the internet, and you will immediately understand how great of a benefit a computer network is to society. More computers were connected to computer networks, and geographical distances were diminished in communication. Therefore, it created a need for well-defined terms and concepts to describe computer networking. Because of that, different types of computer networks, network topologies, architectures, and components have emerged.

Let’s begin by understanding what a computer network is.

What is a computer network?

Merriam-Webster defines a network as “a group of people or organizations that are closely linked and that work with each other.” Furthermore, from the same dictionary, networking is defined as the “exchange of information or services among individuals, groups or institutions.” These definitions will serve as a simple, clear, and concrete way to define computer networks next.

From what was mentioned in the preceding paragraph, a computer network is a group of computers connected through networking devices and networking media to share resources. Usually, when talking about resources, they can be data, network services, and peripheral devices. So, anyone with experience with computer networks has seen that sharing files, applications, printers, and other peripheral devices is simple. Yet, people often confuse what a computer network is with what a computer network does. While the former explains what constitutes a computer network, the latter shows the benefits we get out of it. That is best illustrated in Figure 1.1, where you can see that a computer network is indeed a group of computers connected to share resources:

Figure 1.1 – A typical computer network

A computer network is divided into different types. Let’s take a look at each of them individually.

The types of computer networks

Indeed, the most exciting thing about a computer network is the process of designing and building one. The design and deployment of computer networks are linked to the definition of networking itself. Therefore, the minimal requirement for building a computer network is that there must be two computers. The number of computers on a particular computer network and how they access the resources from the same network determine the categorization of computer network types, which will be explained in the following section.

In general, the categorization of computer networks consists of the area they cover and the purpose they serve. The following subsections describe some of the most popular computer networks used today.

Personal area network

A Personal Area Network (PAN), as shown in Figure 1.2, is a computer network that connects and transmits data between devices in a private area. This so-called private area refers to the space that belongs to an individual. For example, at a working desk at home, you can have your laptop, smartphone, printer, and headphones connected to a PAN via Bluetooth. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are the most common communication technologies to interconnect devices in a PAN. Often, a PAN is also known as a Home Area Network (HAN):

Figure 1.2 – A PAN

Another type of network is the Local Area Network (LAN). However, its coverage is far greater than a PAN. Let’s learn more about it in the next section.

Local area network

A LAN, as shown in Figure 1.3, is a computer network that connects two or more computers within a local area. Imagine a local area as one single room, a floor, several floors, a building, or several buildings adjacent to each other at a distance that Ethernet communication technology IEEE 802.3 permits. Usually, a LAN utilizes a central device that uses twisted pair, coaxial, or fiber optic cables as a networking media to interconnect computers.

Now that you have learned about PAN, it will be easier to understand what LAN is. Next, let’s compare it with the PAN. A PAN is dominated by portable devices (smartphones), while a LAN mainly consists of fixed appliances. Both computer networks cover the local area. However, the LAN has more extensive coverage than the PAN. For example, a LAN can cover a single floor of the building, several floors of the building, an entire building, or even a few buildings close to one another. Furthermore, while a PAN is primarily organized around a person, a LAN is organized around a site:

Figure 1.3 – A LAN

The next type of network we will look at is the Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). Its coverage is even more significant than a LAN.

Metropolitan area network

In contrast to a LAN, a MAN, as shown in Figure 1.4, represents a group of LANs interconnected within the geographical boundary of a town or city. As was the case with the PAN and the LAN, the MAN’s existence is the need for sharing and accessing the resources inside the city or metro. As a result, a MAN is larger than a LAN in terms of coverage and smaller than a Wide Area Network (WAN). At the same time, the MAN is faster than the LAN and the WAN in data transmission speeds. Nowadays, fiber optics and gigabit Layer 3 switches interconnect LANs and route the traffic, thus enabling MAN’s high speeds:

Figure 1.4 – A MAN

Finally, we will understand a WAN with the most significant coverage.

Wide area network

A WAN covers areas that a LAN or a MAN does not cover. Therefore, unlike a MAN, a WAN, as shown in Figure 1.5, is a computer network covering a wide geographic area using dedicated telecommunication lines such as telephone lines, leased lines, or satellites. As such, WANs do not have geographic restrictions. The internet is the best example of a WAN:

Figure 1.5 – A WAN

Important note

You can learn more about the types of computer networks at https://www.lifewire.com/lans-wans-and-other-area-networks-817376.

Now that we’ve understood the different types of computer networks, let’s look at the underlying components that make up those networks.

Exploring computer network components

Just as PCs have components, computer networks have their components, too. Usually, while PCs and peripheral devices are known to most people, IT professionals mostly understand components such as networking devices, networking media, and NOSes.

First, let’s understand what clients and servers in a computer network are.

Clients and servers

Let’s assume that the network resource is the reference point for clients and servers. Then, in a computer network, clients usually request access to resources. On the other hand, servers are responsible for providing resources and managing access to those resources. Both clients and servers play an active role in the computer network. For example, in Figure 1.6, a server with a directly connected printer provides print services to PCs in the role of print requesters:

Figure 1.6 – The client and server in a computer network

Important note

Interestingly, the origin of the word servers comes from the word serve. If you search for the word serve in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, among the results, you will find one that says "to provide services that benefit or help". Therefore, we can think of a server in a computer network as the computer that provides services to clients. In conclusion, the server serves the clients.

Although clients and servers are the most critical components of a computer network, they take a different naming approach in computer network terminology. So, let’s see how that fits into this structure.

Hosts and nodes

Have you heard about hosts and nodes and wondered what they are? Our first impressions might make us think that hosts and nodes are the same, but they are not! While all hosts can be nodes, not every node can be a host. Hence, a host represents any device with an IP address assigned to its network interface that requests or provides networking services. Usually, clients, servers, and routers act as hosts.

Important note

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a logical element of decimal numbers separated by a dot. It is assigned to the host’s network interface to identify it in a computer network.

However, a node is any device that can receive and transmit the network traffic but has no interface with an IP address assigned to it. However, nodes have a network interface that is used for their management. For example, in Figure 1.7, the PCs and the file server act as hosts, while switches act as nodes:

Figure 1.7 – Hosts and nodes within a computer network

Now that we have learned what a network is and its components, we can understand its architecture.

Investigating computer network architectures

Talking about computer networks usually involves discussions about the essential and broader concepts, for example, the elements that make up a computer network. In this debate, the computer network types deal with the area coverage, whereas physical and logical topologies deal with the computer network’s physical arrangement and logical structure. Computer network architecture represents a framework incorporating many aspects: physical and logical topology, network components, communication protocols, and operational principles and procedures. Moreover, the computer network architecture is a design that enables computers to communicate based on the request and response paradigm. The most popular network architectures are P2P and client/server.

First, let’s understand the P2P network architecture.

P2P network architecture

P2P, often known as a workgroup, is a computer network (see Figure 1.8) where hosts have no predefined roles. Instead, they switch the roles from client to server, and vice versa, based on their actual activities on the network. For example, if PC1 requests services from PC2, PC1 acts as the client, and PC2 acts as the server. Likewise, if PC2 requests services from PC1, PC2 acts as a client, and PC1 acts as the server. Usually, PANs are the best example of a P2P network:

Figure 1.8 – A P2P computer network

Important note

P2P network architecture refers to a network model where hosts or computers are equally privileged in network participation. Each host may act as a client or server depending on the request and response paradigm. But, of course, that depends on whether it requests or provides services in that network.

The next type of network architecture is the client/server architecture.

Client/server network architecture

A client/server network architecture, or a domain-based network, is a computer network (see Figure 1.7) where hosts have a predefined role. In such networks, hosts that request services are called clients, whereas hosts that provide services are called servers. The client/server network architecture has dedicated clients and servers.

We now have a greater understanding of how a network operates. However, for a computer to communicate in a network, it requires an IP address. In more detail, we will learn about this in the next section.

Getting to know IP addressing and subnetting

For a computer to communicate within a computer network, it must have an IP address. As explained earlier, the IP address identifies the computer on that network. In addition, we encounter the term “subnet” in complex networks, which helps determine the specific network within the overall network. So far, the world of networks recognizes two IP-addressing technologies: Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Nevertheless, even though IPv6-addressing technology is becoming increasingly plausible, it still prefers the role of spectator in the great arena of the internet, in which IPv4-addressing technology continues to be the norm.

First, let’s take a look at IPv4 network addresses.

IPv4 network addresses

A computer must have an IPv4 address assigned to its network interface to communicate. Therefore, an IPv4 addressing technology is often referred to as just an IP address in its most straightforward format. The v4 label represents the fourth version of IP addressing specified in the IETF publication, RCF 791. It is a logical element in a network that consists of 32 bits organized into four octets with 8 bits each, divided by a decimal point for simplicity of interpretation (for example, 192.168.1.1). Additionally, IETF’s RFC 791 document organizes IP addresses into 8-bit, 16-bit, or 24- bit prefixes. That introduces the classful addressing that enables IP addresses to be classified as A, B, C, D, and E. The classful addressing organizes the IPv4 addresses into the bits used for the network and the host portions for a given class. From what has been said about IPv4, if you think that internet traffic is realized mainly through IPv4 addresses, I will tell you that you are not wrong:

Table 1.1 – IPv4 classes and their corresponding ranges

Now, let’s look at the IPv6 addressing technology introduced to overcome the IPv4 address exhaustion of IPv4 network addresses.

IPv6 network addresses

Today, internet traffic is supposed to be IPv6 -driven, but it is not. However, at the time of writing, according to Google IPv6 statistics, 32.57% of internet traffic is managed by IPv6 addressing technology, which is not bad! Therefore, an IPv6 addressing technology is another logical element in identifying a device on a computer network. The label, v6, represents the sixth version of IP addressing, as specified in the IETF publication, RFC 2460. Unlike IPv4, IPv6 is a 128-bit address size of 8 hextets with 16 bits each, divided by a colon for simplicity of interpretation (for example, 2001:0DB8:85A3:0000:0000:8A2E:0370:7334). The fact that IPv6 uses 128 bits makes it possible to use 2,128 IPv6 addresses, which gives an approximate number of 340 undecillion IPv6 addresses. Undoubtedly, that represents a vast number of available IPv6 addresses.

Next, we look at IPv4 subnetting, which is vital in identifying the network addresses.

IPv4 subnetting

Subnetting represents a logical division of one extensive network into multiple smaller networks. A subnet mask plays an essential role in identifying the network and determining the size of the subnet. Additionally, subnetting enables you to specify a given network’s network address, host addresses, and broadcast address. A subnet mask is a 32-bit address combined with an IPv4 address to indicate a network and its hosts.

The default subnet masks, otherwise known as classful networks, for each class of IPv4 addresses are shown in Table 1.2:

Table 1.2 – The IPv4 classful networks

Important note

You can learn more about IPv4-addressing technology, address space exhaustion, and classful networks at https://blogs.igalia.com/dpino/2017/05/25/ipv4-exhaustion/.

So far, we have understood what a computer network is and the various types, components, and architectures available. The following section will introduce Windows Server and its related concepts.

Exploring servers

Since we have already provided a basic definition for the server, we will introduce Windows Server in this section. Throughout its history, Windows Server has evolved from a simple file server to an OS capable of handling network services in complex environments such as corporate networks. Therefore, Windows Server can provide network services such as domain controllers, web servers, print servers, and file servers. In addition, it often acts as a separate platform in which enterprise applications such as Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Server, and others are executed. With its robust performance and advanced security, nowadays, Windows Server is shaping cloud computing.

Server hardware and software

As you might recall, computer hardware and software represent physical and logical components. Therefore, since the server’s primary role is to provide network services to the clients, a server requires powerful hardware. That is because software such as Windows Server is designed to provide advanced network services. Therefore, its hardware must be durable and high-quality materials to deliver services and support network-based operations continually. Aside from distinguishing itself from the ordinary computer, a server is also specific in the types of services it provides. For example, a database server requires more memory capacity and storage space.

The Central Processing Unit (CPU), memory, disk, and network are key hardware components. As such, these components affect the overall performance of servers. Therefore, it is recommended that the actual performance of system components is continuously monitored to maintain the optimal performance of servers for both regular and heavy workloads.

First, let’s understand what a CPU is.

CPU

A CPU, or processor, is a chip on a server’s motherboard. In literature, you often encounter the term computer’s brain. That is a component that does all the processing and calculations. Intel and AMD are the biggest CPU manufacturers for PCs and servers. Their newest CPUs on the market are based on 64-bit architecture, which differs from 32-bit architecture-based processors. In 64-bit architecture, 64 bits of data are exchanged between the CPU and RAM in each communication session. On the other hand, in 32-bit architecture, only 32 bits of data are exchanged per communication session between RAM and the CPU. That is 50% less data being communicated via a 32-bit architecture compared to a 64-bit architecture.

To give out performance, the CPU depends on RAM. Let’s learn about that in the next section.

Memory

RAM represents the server’s working memory used by Windows Server 2022 and the server’s applications. Therefore, the more RAM there is on the server, the more multitasking can be performed, which can be interpreted as more applications running simultaneously. You can learn more about RAM in the Memory section of Chapter 10, Tuning and Maintaining Windows Server 2022.

Now, let's understand what a disk is in a server.

Disks

As you know, data is usually stored on a disk. In the case of servers, they mostly have more than one disk, referred to as the server’s disk subsystem. As for disk performance, read/write speed is an element that must be considered because the faster the disk’s throughput, the higher the performance of your disk subsystem. In terms of disk technology used in the server, usually, we encounter types such as Solid State Drive (SSD) and Hard Disk Drive (HDD). SSD has no moving parts and contains high read and writing speeds. In contrast, HDD has moving parts and durability and contains high-capacity storage spaces.

Now, let’s understand what a network interface is.

Network interface

A network interface enables the server to connect to an organization’s LAN and the internet. Usually, servers have more than one network interface. That is because the faster the server’s network connection speed is, the more data the server can send and receive to and from the network.

Now that we have understood a server, let’s look at the various server sizes, form factors, and shapes.

Server sizes, form factors, and shapes

Essentially, the server is a computer, so everything that applies to the form factor of the laptop also applies to the form factor of the server. So, the question that arises is, what is a form factor? A form factor is a hardware design that defines and describes an electronic device’s size, shape, and technical specifications. So, in terms of size, shape, and tech specs, today’s servers are presented in the following three form factors:

As their name suggests, rack-mountable servers are usually built to be mounted inside a rack. These servers are considered general-purpose computers and can support various applications and network services. In addition, these servers usually populate on-premises server rooms or data centers. And because of their weight, these servers are fixed to the rack, as shown in Figure 1.9:

Figure 1.9 – An HP server in a rack

Blade servers are modular servers that allow multiple servers to be deployed within a smaller area. They are thin in design and contain mainly the CPU, memory, network interface, and storage disks. Put simply, blade servers usually populate data centers or supercomputer facilities. That is because they can fit multiple servers on a single shelf, providing high processing power.Tower servers refer to a type of server that looks identical to a PC’s vertical case. However, they contain very advanced hardware and, as a result, offer higher processing power when compared to ordinary PCs. Usually, these servers are used for testing or local services in a Small Office/Home Office (SOHO).

Important note

A 64-bit Windows server installed on a 64-bit hardware server can process double the amount of data compared to a 32-bit Windows server installed on a 32-bit hardware server.

The server has an OS that enables network services such as a computer. Let’s learn more about it next.

Understanding a NOS

A NOS is software capable of managing, maintaining, and providing services within a network. Additionally, a NOS can share files and applications, provide web services, provide authentication and authorization, control access to resources, administer users and computers, provide tools for configuration, maintain and provide resources, and perform other functions related to network resources. With that in mind, a NOS is crucial for managing computer network resources.

These days, Windows Server, Linux Server, and macOS Server versions are all considered NOSes because they can provide network services. So, let’s understand each one of them individually.

Windows Server overview

As you know, in general, Windows OS is a Microsoft product. The same applies to Windows Server. Therefore, its server line began with Windows NT 3.5 in the early 1990s, followed by other Windows Server versions, starting with Windows 2000 Server. Windows Server has a Graphical User Interface (GUI)-based OS at its core. However, as of Windows Server 2008, a Server Core edition has been introduced, a Command-Line Interface (CLI)-based OS. From Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008, the architecture was 32-bit and 64-bit; however, since Windows Server 2012, it’s only 64-bit. The