Elements of this syllabus are subject to change.

This course combines five days of instructor-led training with additional e-Learning content to provide students with the knowledge and skills that are required to manage accounts and resources, maintain server resources, monitor server performance, and safeguard data in a Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003 environment.

This is the first course in the Systems Administrator and Systems Engineer tracks for Windows Server 2003 and serves as the entry point for other courses in the Windows Server 2003 curriculum.

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Create and populate organizational units with user and computer accounts.
• Manage user and computer accounts.
• Create and manage groups.
• Manage access to resources.
• Implement printing.
• Manage printing.
• Manage access to objects in organizational units.
• Implement Group Policy.
• Manage the user and computer environment by using Group Policy.
• Audit accounts and resources.
• Prepare to administer server resources.
• Configure a server to monitor system performance.
• Monitor system performance.
• Manage device drivers by configuring device driver signing and restoring a device driver.
• Manage hard disks.
• Manage data storage.
• Manage disaster recovery.
• Maintain software by using Microsoft Software Update Services.

Before attending this course, students must have:

• CompTIA A+ certification, or equivalent knowledge and skills.
• CompTIA Network+ certification, or equivalent knowledge and skills.

Part 1: Managing a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment

Module 1: Introduction to Administering Accounts and Resources

This module explains how to administer accounts and resources on computers running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 software in a networked environment.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Describe features of the Windows 2003 Server family.
• Log on to Windows Server 2003.
• Install and configure administrative tools.
• Create user accounts.
• Create computer accounts.
• Create an organizational unit.

Module 2: Managing User and Computer Accounts

This module explains how to modify user and computer accounts on computers running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 in a networked environment.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Modify user and computer account properties.
• Enable and unlock user and computer accounts.
• Create a user account template.
• Locate user and computer accounts in the Active Directory^® directory service.
• Save queries.
• Reset user and computer accounts.
• Move domain objects.

Module 3: Managing Groups

This module explains how to perform various administrative functions by using groups.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Create groups.
• Manage group membership.
• Apply strategies for using groups.
• Modify groups.
• Manage default groups.

Module 4: Managing Access to Resources

This module explains how to enable resource access with permissions, manage access to files and folders by using permissions, and manage permission inheritance.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Manage access to resources.
• Manage access to shared folders.
• Manage access to files and folders by using NTFS permissions.
• Determine effective permissions.
• Manage access to shared files by using offline caching.

Module 5: Implementing Printing

This module explains how to implement printing in a Windows Server 2003 environment.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Explain the printing process in the Windows Server 2003 family.
• Install and share printers.
• Manage access to printers by using shared printer permissions.
• Manage printer drivers.
• Implement printer locations.

Module 6: Managing Printing

This module explains how to set up a network-wide printing strategy to meet the needs of users and troubleshoot installation or configuration problems.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Change the location of the print spooler.
• Set printing priorities.
• Schedule printer availability.
• Configure a printing pool.

Module 7: Managing Access to Objects in Organizational Units

This module explains the permissions available for managing access to Active Directory objects, how to move objects between organizational units in the same domain, and how to delegate control of an organizational unit.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Identify the role of organizational units.
• Modify permissions for Active Directory objects.
• Delegate control of organizational units.

Module 8: Implementing Group Policy

This module explains the purpose and function of Group Policy in a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 environment. It also explains how to implement Group Policy objects (GPOs) and manage GPOs.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Implement a local GPO.
• Implement GPOs on a domain.
• Manage the deployment of Group Policy.

Module 9: Managing the User Environment by Using Group Policy

This module explains how to use Group Policy to configure Folder Redirection, Microsoft Internet Explorer connectivity, and the desktop.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Configure Group Policy settings.
• Assign scripts with Group Policy.
• Configure Folder Redirection.
• Determine applied GPOs.

Module 10: Introduction to Security in Windows Server 2003

This module explains how to use Group Policy to configure Folder Redirection, Microsoft Internet Explorer connectivity, and the desktop.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Provide an overview of security in Windows Server 2003.
• Use security templates to secure computers.
• Test computer security policy.
• Configure auditing.
• Manage security logs.

Part 2: Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment

Module 1: Preparing to Administer a Server

This module explains how to administer a server. It describes how to manage servers remotely, what tools to use, and the rights and permissions that are needed to administer a server.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Explain the tasks, tools, and rights that are required to administer a server.
• Configure Remote Desktop for Administration and client preferences.
• Manage remote desktop connections.

Module 2: Preparing to Monitor Server Performance

This module explains how to monitor server performance by using performance tools, configure and manage performance logs, configure and manage alerts, and manage system monitor views.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Establish a performance baseline.
• Perform real-time and logged monitoring.
• Configure and manage counter logs.
• Configure alerts.

Module 3: Monitoring Server Performance

This module explains how to collect performance data by monitoring primary server subsystems. It also covers how to identify system bottlenecks by using the Performance console and Task Manager in Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Explain how the four primary server subsystems affect server performance.
• Monitor server memory.
• Monitor processor usage.
• Monitor disks.
• Monitor network usage.
• Identify the guidelines for using counters and thresholds.
• Describe the best practices for monitoring server performance.

Module 4: Maintaining Device Drivers

This module explains how to maintain device drivers.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Configure device driver signing.
• Restore the previous version of a device driver.

Module 5: Managing Disks

This module explains how to manage disks and how to use the tools to manage and set up disks.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Initialize and partition a disk.
• View and update disk properties.
• Manage mounted drives.
• Create volumes on a disk.
• Convert a disk from basic to dynamic and from dynamic to basic.
• Import disks.

Module 6: Managing Data Storage

This module explains the Encrypting File System (EFS), which contributes to the safe storage of data and helps to keep the network from harm. It also explains how to administer disk quotas.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Manage NTFS file compression.
• Configure file encryption.
• Implement disk quotas.

Module 7: Managing Disaster Recovery

This module explains how to plan for a computer disaster and how to use the features of Windows Server 2003 to prevent a disaster or recover when one occurs.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Prepare for disaster recovery.
• Back up data.
• Schedule backup jobs.
• Restore data.
• Configure a shadow copy.
• Recover from server failure.
• Select a disaster recovery method.

Module 8: Maintaining Software by Using Software Update Services

This module explains how to use Microsoft Software Update Services to manage and distribute critical software updates that resolve known security vulnerabilities and other stability issues.

After completing this module, students will be able to:

• Explain Microsoft Software Update Services.
• Install and configure client computers to use Software Update Services.
• Install and configure servers to use Software Update Services.
• Manage the Software Update Services infrastructure.