This book is dedicated to the three ladies of my life: Crystal, Alexandria, and Paige.

I would like to thank my wife and best friend, Crystal. She is always the light at the end of my tunnel. I want to thank my two daughters, Alexandria and Paige, for all of their love and support during the writing of all my books. The three of them are my support system and I couldn’t do any of this without them.

I want to thank all of my family and friends who always help me when I’m writing my books. I want to thank my brothers Rick, Gary, and Rob. I want to thank my great friends Shaun, Jeremy, and Gene.

I would like to thank all of my friends and co-workers at StormWind Studios. I want to especially thank the team who I work with on a daily basis, and that includes Tom W, Dan Y, Corey F, Ronda, Dan J, Jessica, Dave, Tiffany, Tara, Ashley, Brittany, Doug, Mike, Vince, Desiree, Ryan, Ralph, Dan G, Tyler, Jeff B, Shayne, Patrick, Noemi, Michelle, Zachary, Colin, and the man who makes it all possible, Tom Graunke. Thanks to all of you for everything that you do. I would not have been able to complete this book without all of your help and support.

I want to thank everyone on my Sybex team, especially my development editor Kim Wimpsett, who helped me make this the best book possible, and Rodney R. Fournier, who is the technical editor of many of my books. It’s always good to have the very best technical guy backing you up. I want to thank Rebecca Anderson, who was my production editor, and Judy Flynn for being the copy editor.

I want to also thank Chris Crayton and Nancy Carrasco for being my proofreaders. Special thanks to my acquisitions editor, Kenyon Brown, who was the lead for the entire book. Finally, I want to thank everyone else behind the scenes that helped make this book possible. It’s truly an amazing thing to have so many people work on my books to help make them the very best. I can’t thank you all enough for your hard work.

 William Panek holds the following certifications: MCP, MCP+I, MCSA, MCSA+ Security and Messaging, MCSE-NT (3.51 & 4.0), MCSE 2000, 2003, 2012/2012 R2, MCSE+Security and Messaging, MCDBA, MCT, MCTS, MCITP, CCNA, CCDA, and CHFI. Will is also a four time and current Microsoft MVP winner.

After many successful years in the computer industry, Will decided that he could better use his talents and his personality as an instructor. He began teaching for schools such as Boston University and the University of Maryland, just to name a few. He has done consulting and training for some of the biggest government and corporate companies in the world including the United States Secret Service, Cisco, the United States Air Force, and the US Army.

In 2015, Will became a Sr. Microsoft Instructor for StormWind Studios (www.stormwindstudios.com). He currently lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two daughters. Will was also a Representative in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 2010 to 2012. In his spare time, he likes to do blacksmithing, shooting (trap and skeet), snowmobiling, playing racquetball, and riding his Harley. Will is also a commercially rated helicopter pilot.

This book is drawn from more than 20 years of IT experience. I have taken that experience and translated it into a Windows Server 2016 book that will help you not only prepare for the MCSA: Windows Server 2016 exams but also develop a clear understanding of how to install and configure Windows Server 2016 while avoiding all of the possible configuration pitfalls.

Many Microsoft books just explain the Windows operating system, but with MCSA: Windows Server 2016 Complete Study Guide, I go a step further by providing many in-depth, step-by-step procedures to support my explanations of how the operating system performs at its best.

Microsoft Windows Server 2016 is the newest version of Microsoft’s server operating system software. Microsoft has taken the best of Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2012 and combined them into the latest creation, Windows Server 2016.

Windows Server 2016 eliminates many of the problems that plagued the previous versions of Windows Server, and it includes a much faster boot time and shutdown. It is also easier to install and configure, and it barely stops to ask the user any questions during installation. In this book, I will show you what features are installed during the automated installation and where you can make changes if you need to be more in charge of your operating system and its features.

This book takes you through all the ins and outs of Windows Server 2016, including installation, configuration, Group Policy Objects, auditing, backups, and so much more.

Windows Server 2016 has improved on Microsoft’s desktop environment, made networking easier, enhanced searching capability, and improved performance—and that’s only scratching the surface.

When all is said and done, this is a technical book for IT professionals who want to take Windows Server 2016 to the next step and get certified. With this book, you will not only learn Windows Server 2016 and ideally pass the exams, but you will also become a Windows Server 2016 expert.

The Microsoft Certification Program

Since the inception of its certification program, Microsoft has certified more than 2 million people. As the computer network industry continues to increase in both size and complexity, this number is sure to grow—and the need for proven ability will also increase. Certifications can help companies verify the skills of prospective employees and contractors.

The Microsoft certification tracks for Windows Server 2016 include the following:

MCSA: Windows Server 2016 The MCSA is now the lowest-level certification you can achieve with Microsoft in relation to Windows Server 2016. It requires passing three exams: 70-740, 70-741, and 70-742.

MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure The MCSE certifications, in relation to Windows Server 2016, require that you become an MCSA first and then pass two additional exams. The additional exams will vary depending on which of the two MCSE tracks you choose. For more information, visit Microsoft’s website at www.microsoft.com/learning.

Who Should Read This Book?

This book is intended for individuals who want to earn their MCSA: Windows Server 2016 certification.

This book will not only help anyone who is looking to pass the Microsoft exams, it will also help anyone who wants to learn the real ins and outs of the Windows Server 2016 operating system.

What’s Inside?

Here is a glance at what’s in each chapter:

Chapter 1: Installing Windows Server 2016 In the first chapter, I explain the requirements and steps required to install and configure Windows Server 2016.

Chapter 2: Installing in the Enterprise This chapter shows you how to install Windows Server 2016 in an enterprise environment.

Chapter 3: Configuring Storage and Replication I take you through the advantages and benefits of Windows Server 2016 storage and replication configurations.

Chapter 4: Understanding Hyper-V This chapter will show you how to implement and configure Windows Server Hyper-V and virtual machines. You will learn about virtual networking, virtual hard disks, migration types, and Integration Services.

Chapter 5: Configuring High Availability This chapter takes you through the different ways to create and manage Network Load Balancing (NLB) and high availability.

Chapter 6: Understanding Clustering You will see the different ways that you can setup and configure clustering. I will explain how to setup clustering for applications or Hyper-V servers.

Chapter 7: Configuring Windows Containers In this chapter I will explain the advantages of using Microsoft Containers. I will also explain how containers and images are created and managed using Docker.

Chapter 8: Maintaining Windows Server This chapter shows you how to maintain your Windows Server 2016 system.

Chapter 9: Understanding Monitoring This chapter will show you how to implement and configure monitoring. Monitoring allows you to look at the different resources on a system and fine-tune those resources for best performance.

What’s Included with the Book

This book includes many helpful items intended to prepare you for the MCSA: Windows Server 2016 certification.

Assessment Test There is an assessment test at the conclusion of the introduction that can be used to evaluate quickly where you are with Windows Server 2016. This test should be taken prior to beginning your work in this book, and it should help you identify areas in which you are either strong or weak. Note that these questions are purposely more simple than the types of questions you may see on the exams.

Objective Map and Opening List of Objectives Later in this introduction, I include a detailed exam objective map showing you where each of the exam objectives is covered. Each chapter also includes a list of the exam objectives that are covered.

Helpful Exercises Throughout the book, I have included step-by-step exercises of some of the more important tasks that you should be able to perform. Some of these exercises have corresponding videos that can be downloaded from the book’s website. Also, in the following section I have a recommended home lab setup that will be helpful in completing these tasks.

Exam Essentials The end of each chapter also includes a listing of exam essentials. These are essentially repeats of the objectives, but remember that any objective on the exam blueprint could show up on the exam.

Chapter Review Questions Each chapter includes review questions. These are used to assess your understanding of the chapter and are taken directly from the chapter. These questions are based on the exam objectives, and they are similar in difficulty to items you might actually receive on the MCSA: Windows Server 2016 exams.

Sybex Test Engine Readers can access the Sybex Test Engine, which includes the assessment test and chapter review questions from the book in electronic format. In addition, it includes the following:

• Practice Exams There are a total of three practice exams included with the Sybex test engine: one each for Exams 70-740, 70-741, and 70-742.
• Electronic Flashcards Flashcards are included for quick reference. They are a great tool for learning important facts quickly. You may even consider these as additional simple practice questions, which is essentially what they are.
• PDF of Glossary of Terms There is a glossary included that covers the key terms used in this book.

Recommended Home Lab Setup

To get the most out of this book, you will want to make sure you complete the exercises throughout the chapters. To complete the exercises, you will need one of two setups. First, you can set up a machine with Windows Server 2016 and complete the labs using a regular Windows Server 2016 machine.

The second way to set up Windows Server 2016 (the way I set up Server 2016) is by using virtualization. I set up Windows Server 2016 as a virtual hard disk (VHD), and I did all the labs this way. The advantages of using virtualization are that you can always just wipe out the system and start over without losing a real server. Plus, you can set up multiple virtual servers and create a full lab environment on one machine.

I created a video for this book showing you how to set up a virtual machine and how to install Windows Server 2016 onto that virtual machine.

How to Contact Sybex/Author

Sybex strives to keep you supplied with the latest tools and information you need for your work. Please check the Sybex.com website at www.sybex.com/go/mcsawin2016, where I’ll post additional content and updates that supplement this book should the need arise.

You can contact me by going to my website at www.willpanek.com. You can also watch free videos on Microsoft networking at www.youtube.com/c/williampanek. If you would like to follow information about Windows Server 2016 from Will Panek, please visit Twitter @AuthorWillPanek.

Certification Objectives Maps

Table I.1 provides the objective mappings for the 70-740 exam. In addition to the book chapters, you will find coverage of exam objectives in the flashcards, practice exams, and videos on the book’s companion website:

http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/ productCd-1119359341,miniSiteCd-SYBEX.html

Answers to Assessment Test

1. D. Based on the business needs of an organization, a Windows 2016 Server computer can be configured in any of the roles listed. See Chapter 1 for more information.
2. A. The WDSUTIL /Add command allows an administrator to add an image to a WDS server. See Chapter 1 for more information.
3. D. Windows Server 2016 Essentials is ideal for small businesses that have as many as 25 users and 50 devices. Windows Server 2016 Essentials has a simpler interface and preconfigured connectivity to cloud-based services but no virtualization rights. See Chapter 1 for more information.
4. B. You should use the /copy-image option of the WDSUTIL utility to copy an image from the image store. See Chapter 2 for more information.
5. B. The /generalize option prevents system-specific information from being included in the image. The Sysprep.exe command can be used with a variety of options. You can see a complete list by typing sysprep/? at a command-line prompt. See Chapter 2 for more information.
6. B. The Set-VMNetworkAdapter command allows an administrator to configure features of the virtual network adapter in a virtual machine or the management operating system. See Chapter 3 for more information.
7. C. The Set-VMSwitch cmdlet allows an administrator to configure a virtual switch. See Chapter 3 for more information.
8. A. The only virtual hard disk that increases in size is the dynamically expanding disk. See Chapter 4 for more information.
9. C. This question relates to the setup command used to install the Hyper-V server role on a Windows Server 2016 Server Core machine. It’s important to remember that these commands are case sensitive and that the correct command is start /wocsetup Microsoft-Hyper-V. See Chapter 4 for more information.
10. A. The PowerShell command Restart-VM restarts a virtual machine. See Chapter 4 for more information.
11. A. To create a new NLB cluster, you would use the PowerShell command New-NlbCluster. See Chapter 5 for more information.
12. A. Administrators would use to complete validation tests for a cluster. See Chapter 6 for more information.
13. B. The docker rm command is the command that is used to delete an image. You should run docker images first and get the ID number or name of the image that you want to delete. See Chapter 7 for more information.
14. D. The Get-Container PowerShell command allows an administrator to view information about containers. See Chapter 7 for more information.
15. A. The docker images command gives you the ability to see your images. The docker info command allows you to see how many images you have on a host, but it does not give you details about the images. See Chapter 7 for more information.
16. B. The primary method by which system administrators create and manage application data partitions is through the ntdsutil tool. See Chapter 8 for more information on TTL.
17. B. Perfmon.exe is the command-line command to start Performance Monitor. See Chapter 9 for more information on DDNS.
18. D. Resmon.exe is the command-line command to start Resource Monitor. See Chapter 9 for more information.