Hands-On Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Administration

Chapter 2

Managing Windows Server 2003 Hardware and Software

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Objectives

• Plan operating system installation to ensure Windows Server 2003 hardware and software compatibility

• Assess hardware and software needs by using Windows Server 2003 qualifier tools

• Install and configure computer hardware devices and drivers

• Configure driver signing options and verify digital signatures on existing drivers

• Install and manage Windows Server 2003 updates using service packs and hot fixes

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Planning the Installation

• Planning for the installation of Windows Server 2003 ensures that– All aspects of the installation are thought out

before the start of the setup process

– All problem areas can be identified and minimized

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Planning the Installation (Continued)

• To prepare for Windows Server 2003 deployment– Collect and document information regarding

• Computer hardware configurations• Network infrastructure configuration• Organizational unit illustration• Network interoperability issues• Existing applications

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Planning the Installation (Continued)

• Risk management– Proactive approach

• Predict and possibly prevent a problem before it happens

– Reactive approach• Deal with a problem after it has happened

• A thorough Windows Server 2003 installation and deployment plan is part of a proactive approach

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Accessing Hardware and Software Needs

• To install Windows Server 2003– System must meet or exceed the server’s

minimum system requirements

• Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List (HCL)– Lists hardware devices that have been tested by

Microsoft to determine whether they can work with Windows Server 2003

– Can be used to verify the compatibility of current and future hardware

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Hardware specifications for Windows Server 2003

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Accessing the BIOS Configuration• Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)

– Program that establishes the initial communication between computer components, such as

• Hard drive• CD-ROM• Floppy disk• Video• Memory

– Must be• Compatible with Windows Server 2003• Configured to work properly with Windows Server

2003

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Sample computer BIOS configuration screen

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Accessing the BIOS Configuration (Continued)

• Possible changes to the BIOS– Adjusting order in which devices start when you

start your system from CD-ROM during setup

– Reserving a specific interrupt request (IRQ) for a legacy component in the computer

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Verifying Hardware and Software Compatibility

• Used to evaluate the compatibility of existing components and software– Windows Server 2003 Readiness Analyzer

– Microsoft Windows Catalog Web site

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The Microsoft Windows Upgrade Advisor

• Launches the first part of Windows Server 2003 setup

• Checks for hardware and software compatibility– Displays a list of incompatible items once the

check is complete

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Running the Microsoft Upgrade Advisor

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Hardware and Software Compatibility Web Site

• Microsoft’s compatibility Web page– Can be queried to

evaluate current or future hardware and software compatibility

– Can be accessed at www.microsoft.com/windows/catalog/

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Installing and Configuring Hardware Devices

• Device Manager– Can be used to

• View and modify hardware device properties• Update device drivers• Uninstall unneeded hardware

– For a device that is not functioning• Displays a yellow exclamation point

– For manually disabled hardware• Displays a small red “x” over the device icon

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Viewing devices that are disabled or have a problem

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Installing and Configuring Hardware Devices

• Two ways to troubleshoot or repair a device that is missing or not functioning– Method 1

• Obtain a new driver from the manufacturer’s Web site, and

• Install the new driver from within the Device Manager

– Method 2• Use the Add Hardware Wizard

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Installing and Configuring Hardware Devices (Continued)

• Installing a new driver from within the Device Manager– The Driver tab in the properties of a device is

used to• View current driver details• Access the Update Driver button

– Hardware Update Wizard• Steps you through the task of selecting and

installing the updated device driver

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Installing an updated device driver

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Starting the Hardware Update Wizard

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Installing and Configuring Hardware Devices (Continued)

• Add Hardware Wizard– Can be used to install or repair a hardware device– By default, attempts to automatically detect any

new hardware devices via Plug and Play• If a new device is not detected

– The device can be added manually

– Lists the functional status of the device once the process of adding or changing the driver associated with the device is complete

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Adding hardware with the Add Hardware Wizard

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The current status of a hardware device

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Configuring Driver Signing Options

• Driver signing– Ensures that

• A driver for a specific device has been verified by Microsoft to work with Windows Server 2003

• A unique digital signature has been incorporated into the driver

– Digital signature assures you that» The driver has met a certain quality test standard» The file has not been altered or overwritten by

another program’s installation process

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Configuring Driver Signing Options (Continued)

• Driver signing options– Ignore

• Effectively turns off driver and file verification

– Warn• Displays a message if an attempt is made to install

an unsigned driver

– Block• Prevents the installation of any driver that is not

signed

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Verifying digital signatures

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Configuring Driver Signing Options (Continued)

• File Signature Verification utility– Used to see which existing drivers on the

computer are not digitally signed

– Identifies unsigned files and provides information about the file, such as

• Name• Location• Modification date• Version number

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Results of the File Signature Verification scan

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Configuring Driver Signing Options

• Windows File Protection– Helps prevent the replacement of protected files

– If an application attempts to replace a protected file during installation

• Checks to see if the file is the correct Microsoft version

• If not– Replaces the file from a backup of original file

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Configuring Driver Signing Options (Continued)

• System File Checker– Command-line utility that scans and verifies the

protected system files on the computer

– If it discovers that a protected file has been overwritten

• It replaces the file with an original backup

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Installing and Managing Windows Server 2003 Updates Using Service Packs and Hot Fixes

• Service packs– Periodic updates to Windows Server 2003 to fix

reported bugs and security issues

– Options for installation• Download from the Microsoft Web site• Order a CD-ROM• Use the Windows Update feature

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Installing and Managing Windows Server 2003 Updates Using Service Packs and Hot Fixes (Continued)• Hot fixes

– Also known as Quick Fix Engineering (QFE) updates

– Interim updates to Windows Server 2003 released between major service pack releases

– Used to fix operating system bugs and security issues

– Options for installation• Download from the Microsoft Web site• Use the Windows Update feature

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• The Windows Update feature– Available from

• Help and Support tool• Program Files section of Start menu

– Can be used to • Scan operating system to determine which service

packs and hot fixes are required • Download and install required service packs and

hot fixes

Installing and Managing Windows Server 2003 Updates Using Service Packs and Hot Fixes (Continued)

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Installation of a Windows.NET Server 2003 service pack

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• Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)– Can be used to verify which hot fixes and service

packs have been installed

Installing and Managing Windows Server 2003 Updates Using Service Packs and Hot Fixes (Continued)

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Slipstreaming Windows Server 2003 Service Packs

• Slipstreaming– Integrates a Windows Server 2003 service pack

with original Windows Server 2003 installation files

– Advantages• No need to perform separate installations of

operating system and individual service packs• Service packs do not need to be reapplied when

new services are added to the server

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Example

• Service pack C:\SP• Installation program D:\SOURCE• C:\SP\I386\update\update.exe –s:d:\SOURCE