If you answered yes to either of those questions, then this article is for you!

Any of the described

technologies and questions below may be asked of you during an interview.
A system administrator is responsible for managing a multi-user computing environment, such as a
local area network (LAN). The responsibilities of the system administrator typically include installing
and configuring system hardware and software, establishing and managing user accounts, upgrading
software and performing backup and recovery tasks.
The main responsibilities performed by a system administrator are:
Active Directory management (adding and configuring new workstations and setting up user
accounts to provide authorizations)
Installing and updating system software
OS patching/upgrades
Preventing the spread of viruses and malicious programs
Allocating mass storage space
Reviewing system logs
System security management
Creating a backup and recovery policy
Performance monitoring and optimization
Before facing any interview for a system administrator position, make sure that you have enough
knowledge on these technologies:
Basic Network Concepts:

Data communication and transmission techniques

Fundamentals of OSI and TCP/IP model
IP address classes
IP subnetting
IPv6 fundamentals
Basics of switching

Microsoft Server Functionalities:

Active Directory Domain Controller (Read only DC , Child DC)

Active Directory Domain Services
DHCP Server
DNS
File and print server
Database storage server
Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
Group Policy management

Registry management
Hyper V
Schedule tasks (Backup, AD DS Backup)
High Availability Features (Failover Clustering, Network Load Balancing)

Top Interview Questions for a System Administrator (Microsoft) Position:

All of the questions below are very common and must be prepared for before facing any interview for a
System-Server Administrator position.
Q: What is Active Directory?
A: Active Directory provides a centralised control for network administration and security. Server
computers configured with Active Directory are known as domain controllers. Active Directory stores
all information and settings for a deployment in a central database, and allows administrators to assign
policies and deploy and update software.
Q: What is a Domain?
A: A domain is defined as a logical group of network objects (computers, users, devices) that share the
same Active Directory database. A tree can have multiple domains.
Q: What is Domain Controller?
A: A domain controller (DC) or network domain controller is a Windows-based computer system that
is used for storing user account data in a central database. It is the centrepiece of the Windows Active
Directory service that authenticates users, stores user account information and enforces security policy
for a Windows domain.
A domain controller allows system administrators to grant or deny users access to system resources,
such as printers, documents, folders, network locations, etc., via a single username and password.
Q: What is Group Policy?
A: Group Policy allows you to implement specific configurations for users and computers. Group
Policy settings are contained in Group Policy objects (GPOs), which are linked to the following Active
Directory service containers: sites, domains, or organizational units (OUs).
Q: What are GPOs (Group Policy Objects)?
A: A Group Policy Object (GPO) is a collection of settings that control the working environment of
user accounts and computer accounts. GPOs define registry-based policies, security options, software
installation and maintenance options, script options, and folder redirection options.
There are two kinds of Group Policy objects:
Local Group Policy objects are stored on individual computers.
Nonlocal Group Policy objects, which are stored on a domain controller, are available only in an
Active Directory environment.

Q: What is LDAP?
A: LDAP (Light-Weight Directory Access Protocol) determines how an object in an Active Directory
should be named. LDAP is the industry standard directory access protocol, making Active Directory
widely accessible to management and query applications. Active Directory supports LDAPv2 and
LDAPv3.
Q: Where is the AD database stored?
A: The AD database is stored in C:\Windows\NTDS\NTDS.DIT.
Q: What is the SYSVOL folder?
A: The SYSVOL folder stores the server copy of the domains public files that must be shared for
common access and replication throughout a domain.
All AD databases are stored in a SYSVOL folder and its only created in an NTFS partition. The Active
Directory Database is stored in the %SYSTEM ROOT%NDTS folder.
Q: What is Garbage collection?
A: Garbage collection is the online defragmentation of the Active Directory which happens every 12
hours.
Q: When do we use WDS?
A: Windows Deployment Services is a server role used to deploy Windows operating systems
remotely. WDS is mainly used for network-based OS installations to set up new computers.
Q: What is DNS and which port number is used by DNS?
A: The Domain Name System (DNS) is used to resolve human-readable hostnames like
www.intenseschool.com into machine-readable IP addresses like 69.143.201.22.
DNS servers use UDP port 53 but DNS queries can also use TCP port 53 if the former is not accepted.
Q: What are main Email Servers and which are their ports?
A: Email servers can be of two types:
Incoming Mail Server (POP3, IMAP, HTTP)
The incoming mail server is the server associated with an email address account. There cannot be more
than one incoming mail server for an email account. In order to download your emails, you must have
the correct settings configured in your email client program.
Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP)
Most outgoing mail servers use SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) for sending emails. The
outgoing mail server can belong to your ISP or to the server where you setup your email account.
The main email ports are:

POP3 port 110

IMAP port 143
SMTP port 25
HTTP port 80
Secure SMTP (SSMTP) port 465
Secure IMAP (IMAP4-SSL) port 585
IMAP4 over SSL (IMAPS) port 993
Secure POP3 (SSL-POP) port 995

Q: What do Forests, Trees, and Domains mean?

A: Forests, trees, and domains are the logical divisions in an Active Directory network.
A domain is defined as a logical group of network objects (computers, users, devices) that share the
same active directory database.
A tree is a collection of one or more domains and domain trees in a contiguous namespace linked in a
transitive trust hierarchy.
At the top of the structure is the forest. A forest is a collection of trees that share a common global
catalog, directory schema, logical structure, and directory configuration. The forest represents the
security boundary within which users, computers, groups, and other objects are accessible.
Q: Why do we use DHCP?
A: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol assigns dynamic IP addresses to network devices allowing
them to have a different IP address each time they are connected to the network.
Q: What are Lingering Objects?
A: A lingering object is a deleted AD object that still remains on the restored domain controller in its
local copy of Active Directory. They can occur when changes are made to directories after system
backups are created.
When restoring a backup file, Active Directory generally requires that the backup file be no more than
180 days old. This can happen if, after the backup was made, the object was deleted on another DC
more than 180 days ago.
Q: How can we remove Lingering Objects?
A: Windows Server 2003 and 2008 have the ability to manually remove lingering objects using the
console utility command REPADMIN.EXE.
Q: Why should you not restore a DC that was backed up 6 months ago?
A: When restoring a backup file, Active Directory generally requires that the backup file be no more
than 180 days old. If you attempt to restore a backup that is expired, you may face problems due to
lingering objects.

Q: How do you backup AD?

A: Backing up Active Directory is essential to maintain the proper health of the AD database.
Windows Server 2003
You can backup Active Directory by using the NTBACKUP tool that comes built-in with Windows
Server 2003 or use any 3rd-party tool that supports this feature.
Windows Server 2008
In Server 2008, there isnt an option to backup the System State data through the normal backup utility.
We need to use the command line to backup Active Directory.
1. Open up your command prompt by clicking Start, typing cmd and then hit Enter.
2. In your command prompt, type wbadmin start systemstatebackup -backuptarget:e: and press Enter.
3. Input y and press Enter to start the backup process.
When the backup process has finished you should get a message that the backup completed
successfully. If it did not complete properly you will need to troubleshoot.
The questions above are very tricky and important from the standpoint of clearing any interview for a
System Administrator (Microsoft) position. It is not possible for anyone to list every possible question,
but you can get more frequently asked interview questions for System/Server Administrator (Microsoft)
Jobsfrom the download link posted here. If you find any difficulty in answering any questions, ask me
below @ the Comments section.
Tips for Preparing for an Interview
Study: Before an interview, do a quick recap of relevant technologies.
Update resume: Read your resume through; dont copy and paste your anything in it. You must
be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Prepare professional certifications: One of the best ways to prove the technical skills
mentioned in your resume is through certifications. This gives a new employer an easy way to
understand your knowledge level.
Update LinkedIn profile: Update your LinkedIn profile regularly; make sure that your work
experience, qualifications, and project details match your resume.

Wintel Interview Questions and Answers

1) Differences b/w Conditional Forwarding and Stub Zones.
Ans:- Both do the same thing like forwarding the requests to appropriate name servers who are
authoritative for the domains in the queries. However, there is difference in both, Stub Zone are

Dynamic and Conditional forwarder are static.

Conditional Forwarding Where you want DNS clients in separate networks to resolve each others
names without having to query DNS servers on the Internet, such as in the case of a company merger,
you should configure the DNS servers in each network to forward queries for names in the other
network. DNS servers in one network will forward names for clients in the other network to a specific
DNS server that will build up a large cache of information about the other network. When forwarding
in this way, you create a direct point of contact between two networks DNS servers, reducing the need
for recursion.
Stub Zone Stub-Zones are dynamic -A stub zone is like a secondary zone in that it obtains its
resource records from other name servers (one or more master name servers). A stub zone is also readonly like a secondary zone, so administrators cant manually add, remove, or modify resource records
on it. But the differences end here, as stub zones are quite different from secondary zones in a couple of
significant ways.First, while secondary zones contain copies of all the resource records in the
corresponding zone on the master name server, stub zones contain only three kinds of resource records:
A copy of the SOA record for the zone.
Copies of NS records for all name servers authoritative for the zone.
Copies of A records for all name servers authoritative for the zone.
2) How AD Replication Works ?
Ans:- http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772726(v=ws.10).aspx
3) How DNS is important in AD replication?
Ans:- Once DC gets its replication Partner Hostname then it queries DNS for IP Address. Also,
_MSDCS zone is required for Domain Controller Locator that enables the client to locate the DC.
For complete details
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc759550(WS.10).aspx
4) Ports Required for Domain Controllers to communicate.
Ans:- http://yourcomputer.in/list-port-numbers-windows/
5) What is GPT and GPC?
Ans:- A GPO (Group Policy Object) is a collection of Group Policy settings, it consists of GPC and
GPT.
GPC (Group Policy Container) contains the information of property of GPO like Security Filtering,
GPO Status, GPO GUID etc.
GPT (Group Policy Template) contains the data of GPO in Sysvol folder that can be checked after the
configuration of the GPO that what settings have been configured to the client.
6) What is new in Microsoft Clustering 2008?

Ans:- http://yourcomputer.in/whats-new-windows-server-2008-cluster/
7) What is Majority Node Set?
Ans:- A majority node set is a single quorum resource, from a server cluster perspective; however, the
data is actually stored on multiple disks across the cluster. Each cluster node stores the configuration on
a local disk it can have access to when it starts up. By default, the location is pointed to %systemroot
%\cluster\ResourceGUID
Further Explained :- http://yourcomputer.in/windows-cluster-interview-questions-and-answers/
If the configuration of the cluster changes, that change is replicated across the different disks
8) What is NLB?
Ans:- NLB (Network Load Balance) is a Microsoft implementation of clustering and load
balancing that is intended to provide high availability and high reliability, as well as high scalability.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc779570(v=ws.10).aspx
9) Difference Between Unicast and Multicast
Ans:-

Unicast
Unicast is a one-to one connection between the client and the server. Unicast uses IP delivery methods
such as Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP), which are sessionbased protocols. When a Windows Media Player client connects using unicast to a Windows Media
server, that client has a direct relationship to the server. Each unicast client that connects to the server
takes up additional bandwidth. For example, if you have 10 clients all playing 100-kilobits per second
(Kbps) streams, those clients as a group are taking up 1,000 Kbps. If you have only one client playing
the 100 Kbps stream, only 100 Kbps is being used.

Multicast
Multicast is a true broadcast. The multicast source relies on multicast-enabled routers to forward the
packets to all client subnets that have clients listening. There is no direct relationship between the
clients and Windows Media server. The Windows Media server generates an .nsc (NetShow channel)
file when the multicast station is first created. Typically, the .nsc file is delivered to the client from a
Web server. This file contains information that the Windows Media Player needs to listen for the
multicast. This is similar to tuning into a station on a radio. Each client that listens to the multicast adds
no additional overhead on the server. In fact, the server sends out only one stream per multicast station.
The same load is experienced on the server whether only one client or 1,000 clients are listening
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291786
10) What is new in Windows 2008 AD?

Ans:Read-Only Domain Controllers

Fine-Grained Password Policies
Restartable Active Directory Service
Backup and Recovery
SYSVOL Replication with DFS-R
Auditing Improvements
UI Improvements
11) How to configure RODC to replicate password of users?
Ans:- You can add users in the PASSWORD REPLICATION POLICY tab of RODC computer
properties
12) What is the issue we face while recovering AD from VMware snapshot?
13) Difference between Authoritative and Non-authoritative restore in AD?
Ans:- http://yourcomputer.in/authoritative-vs-non-authoritative-restoration-of-active-directory
14) What is new in Authoritative restoration in windows 2008?
15) What is new in Windows Cluster 2008?
Ans:- http://yourcomputer.in/whats-new-windows-server-2008-cluster/
16) What is Strict Replication?
Ans:Strict Replication is a mechanism developed by Microsoft developers for Active Directory Replication.
If a domain controller has the Strict Replication enabled then that domain controller will not get
Lingering Objects from a domain controller which was isolated for more than the TombStone Life
Time. TSL is 180 days by default on a Forest created with Windows Server 2003 SP1. A domain
controller shouldnt be outof sync for more than this period. Lingering Objects may appear on other
domain controllers if replication happens with the outdated domain controllers. These domain
controllers will not replicate with the outdated domain controllers if you have set the below mentioned
registry key.You must set the following registry setting on all the domain controllers to enable the Strict
Replication:
KEY
Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NTDS\Parameters
Registry Entry: Strict Replication Consistency
Value: 1 (enabled), 0 (disabled)

Type: REG_DWORD

17) What is Super Scope in DHCP?

Ans:A superscope is an administrative feature of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers
running Windows Server 2008 that you can create and manage by using the DHCP Microsoft
Management Console (MMC) snap-in. By using a superscope, you can group multiple scopes as a
single administrative entity. With this feature, a DHCP server can:
Support DHCP clients on a single physical network segment (such as a single Ethernet LAN
segment) where multiple logical IP networks are used. When more than one logical IP network
is used on each physical subnet or network, such configurations are often called multinets.
Support remote DHCP clients located on the far side of DHCP and BOOTP relay agents (where
the network on the far side of the relay agent uses multinets).
In multinet configurations, you can use DHCP superscopes to group and activate individual scope
ranges of IP addresses used on your network. In this way, the DHCP server can activate and provide
leases from more than one scope to clients on a single physical network.
Superscopes can resolve specific types of DHCP deployment issues for multinets, including situations
in which:
The available address pool for a currently active scope is nearly depleted, and more computers
need to be added to the network. The original scope includes the full addressable range for a
single IP network of a specified address class. You need to use another range of IP addresses to
extend the address space for the same physical network segment.
Clients must be migrated over time to a new scope (such as to renumber the current IP network
from an address range used in an existing active scope to a new scope that contains another
range of IP addresses).
You want to use two DHCP servers on the same physical network segment to manage separate
logical IP networks.
18) What is the requirement to configure Full memory Dump in windows?
Ans:To generate a complete memory dump file:
1. Click Start > right-click Computer and select Properties in the menu.
2. Click Advanced > Settings > Startup and Recovery > Settings > Write debugging
information > Complete memory dump.
3. Click OK twice.
19) Which DNS record is required for Replication?
Ans:- Host A records of replication partners (Domain Controllers), Srv Records to find out the Domain

Controllers GUID in _msdcs zone (DC Locator)

20) Tools to analyze Memory Dump?
Ans:Windows Debugger (WinDbg.exe) tool
Dumpchk,exe
21) Tools to troubleshoot Group Policy issues?
Ans:- You can use AD inbuilt features to troubleshoot group policy issue like RSOP.msc or can run
RSOP by selecting users in Active Directory users and computers, gpresult -v, gpt.ini in sysvol under
Group Policy GUID folder can be checked to find out the GPO settings configured
22) What AD parameters can be added to enable the Monitoring for AD?
23) How to troubleshoot AD replication issues?
Ans:- It can be troubleshooted by repmon command that generates the error result in eventvwr. DNS
can be checked between two destination. Network/Firewall issue
24) Booting sequence in windows 2008?
Heres the brief description of Windows Server 2008 Boot process.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

System is powered on
The CMOS loads the BIOS and then runs POST
Looks for the MBR on the bootable device
Through the MBR the boot sector is located and the BOOTMGR is loaded
BOOTMGR looks for active partition
BOOTMGR reads the BCD file from the \boot directory on the active partition
The BCD (boot configuration database) contains various configuration parameters( this
information was previously stored in the boot.ini)
8. BOOTMGR transfer control to the Windows Loader (winload.exe) or winresume.exe in case
the system was hibernated.
9. Winloader loads drivers that are set to start at boot and then transfers the control to the windows
kernel.

25) How to edit Schema in AD?

Ans:- Firstly, schmmgmt.dll has to be register. Then ADSIEdit tool can be used to edit schema.
26) Difference between Windows 2003 & Windows 2008 boot process
Ans:Windows 2003 Boot Process:

1.POST
2.The MBR reads the boot sector which is the first sector of the active partition.
3.Ntldr looks path of os from boot.ini
4.Ntldr to run ntdedetect.com to get information about installed hardware.
5.Ntldr reads the registry files then select a hardware profile, control set and loads device
drivers.
6.After that Ntoskrnl.exe takes over and starts winlogon.exe which starts lsass.exe
Windows Server 2008 Boot process.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

System is powered on
The CMOS loads the BIOS and then runs POST
Looks for the MBR on the bootable device
Through the MBR the boot sector is located and the BOOTMGR is loaded
BOOTMGR looks for active partition
BOOTMGR reads the BCD file from the \boot directory on the active partition
The BCD (boot configuration database) contains various configuration parameters( this
information was previously stored in the boot.ini)
8. BOOTMGR transfer control to the Windows Loader (winload.exe) or winresume.exe in case
the system was hibernated.
9. Winloader loads drivers that are set to start at boot and then transfers the control to the windows
kernel.

27) Name of utilities that is being used to check multipathing

Ans:- FCInfo utility or Storage Explorer (windows 2008) can be used to check the same.
For complete details: http://yourcomputer.in/how-to-check-wwn-on-windows-server/
28) How to create Host A record remotely?
Ans:- dnscmd command can be used for creating a Resource Record on DNS server. Below is the
command:
dnscmd [<ServerName>] /recordadd <ZoneName> <NodeName> <RRType> <RRData>

29) What is glue record?

Ans:Name servers in delegations are identified by name, rather than by IP address. This means that a
resolving name server must issue another DNS request to find out the IP address of the server to which
it has been referred. If the name given in the delegation is a subdomain of the domain for which the
delegation is being provided, there is a circular dependency. In this case the name server providing the
delegation must also provide one or more IP addresses for the authoritative name server mentioned in

the delegation. This information is called glue. The delegating name server provides this glue in the
form of records in the additional section of the DNS response, and provides the delegation in
the answer section of the response.
For example, if the authoritative name server for example.org is ns1.example.org, a computer trying to
resolve www.example.org first resolves ns1.example.org. Since ns1 is contained in example.org, this
requires resolving example.org first, which presents a circular dependency. To break the dependency,
the name server for the top level domain org includes glue along with the delegation for example.org.
The glue records are address records that provide IP addresses for ns1.example.org. The resolver uses
one or more of these IP addresses to query one of the domains authoritative servers, which allows it to
complete the DNS query.
30) What is Loopback Group Policy?
Ans:- Group Policy applies to the user or computer in a manner that depends on where both the user
and the computer objects are located in Active Directory. However, in some cases, users may need
policy applied to them based on the location of the computer object alone. You can use the Group
Policy loopback feature to apply Group Policy Objects (GPOs) that depend only on which computer
the user logs on to.
31) Difference between Windows 2003 and Windows 2008
Ans:- http://yourcomputer.in/difference-between-windows-2003-and-2008/
32) TCP/UDP ports used in Windows?
Ans:- http://yourcomputer.in/list-port-numbers-windows/
33) Types of RAID

HCL Screening
1. Application packaging
2. p2v conversion
3. Diff b/n 2003 vs 2008 AD
4. hpsim ilo sccm
5. How to allocate hdd to server from san
6. Minimum space for Server OS
7. wsus , wds, ris
8. Max vm per host
9. Hot migration,cold migration, VMOTION

10. security feature in 2008