The Server+ Certification Bible

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part I: Installation

Chapter 1: Planning for Installation

Installation Strategy

Installation planning

Types of servers

Verifying OS Hardware Compatibility

Verifying Power Sources and UPS Installation

Location

Quality

Grounding

Uninterruptible power supply

Verifying Rack Space

Network Cabling and Connectors

Network topologies

Types of cable

Connectors

Cable location

Verifying Components

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 2: Setting Up the Environment

Server Rack Installation

Preparing the rack for installation

Installing equipment in the rack

Preparing Network Cabling

Coaxial

Twisted-pair

Making the cable

Installing the UPS

Charging the UPS battery

Connecting the UPS

Configuring the UPS software

Testing the UPS

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 3: Installing Hardware

Installing Hardware

Installing internal devices

Installing external devices

Verifying SCSI IDs and Termination

Host adapter

Verifying device numbers

Device cabling and termination

BIOS and Firmware Levels

BIOS

Firmware

Monitoring the Power-On Sequence

Power initialization

BIOS initialization

Power-on self test

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Part II: Configuration

Chapter 4: Configuring RAID

The History of RAID

Mirroring and Parity

RAID Levels

RAID 0

RAID 1

RAID 2

RAID 3

RAID 4

RAID 5

RAID 6

Hybrid RAID Levels

RAID 0+1

RAID 30 and RAID 50

Hardware RAID and Software RAID

External RAID storage

PCI card RAID controllers

Embedded RAID controllers

RAID BIOS

Controller caching

Fibre Channel

Software RAID

RAID Disk Concepts

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 5: Configuring the Operating System and Network

Examining the Documentation

Configuring the Disk

Installing the NOS

Microsoft Windows NT/2000

Novell NetWare

IBM OS/2

Unix

Configuring and Verifying Network Connectivity

NetBEUI and NetBIOS

Novell IPX/SPX

TCP/IP

Verifying network configuration

Applying Patches and Service Packs

Bug fixes

Functionality enhancements

Hardware driver support

Security fixes

Types of NOS updates

Finding updates

Installing a service pack

Updating major operating systems

Shutting Down the Operating System

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 6: Using Services and Monitoring Tools

Using Tools and Services

Monitoring the network with SNMP

Using monitoring tools

Using event logs

Backing up the server

Performing a Server Baseline

Documenting the Configuration

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Part III: Upgrading

Chapter 7: Upgrading Motherboard Components

Backing up Before Upgrading

Central Processing Unit

CPU concepts

CPU architectures

Installing a CPU

System Memory

Basic types of server memory

Memory packaging types

Installing memory

System Bus Architectures

System bus concepts

I/O buses

Upgrading BIOS and Firmware

BIOS

Firmware

Performing an Upgrade Checklist

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 8: Upgrading Storage Devices

IDE/ATA Hard Drives

IDE/ATA standards

IDE configuration

IDE cabling

SCSI Disk Systems

SCSI standards and technologies

Cables, connectors, and termination

SCSI configuration

Installing SCSI drives

SCSI configuration and upgrading issues

Upgrading SCSI RAID Systems

Configuring the OS to Recognize New Hard Disks

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 9: Upgrading Cards and Peripherals

System Resources

IRQ

I/O addresses

Direct Memory Access

PCI plug-and-play

Expansion slots

Upgrading Network Interface Cards

Protocols

System bus issues

Cabling

Speed

Duplexing

Adaptive teaming

Installing a network card

Upgrading Peripheral Cards

SCSI adapters

Video cards

Sound cards

Tape drives

Upgrading UPS

UPS batteries

UPS software

Upgrading Diagnostic Tools and Utilities

Upgrading System Monitoring Tools

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Part IV: Proactive Maintenance

Chapter 10: Monitoring Performance

Performing Regular Backups

Backup performance

Improving backup performance

Record it

Creating a Baseline

Documenting performance

Taking a system snapshot

Measuring and Evaluating Performance

Thresholds

Processor

Memory

Storage

Network

Evaluating Overall Performance

Documenting Results

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 11: Using Monitoring Agents

Monitoring Your Network with SNMP

How SNMP works

SNMP Management Information Base

SNMP commands

Setting SNMP thresholds

Hardware Monitoring Agents

Dedicated hardware

Software monitoring of server hardware

Third-Party Agents

Application Monitoring

Event Logs

Remote Notification

Network Analyzers

Identifying Bottlenecks

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 12: Physical Housekeeping

Sights, Sounds, and Smells

Checking Status Lights

System power lights

Hardware diagnostic lights

Hard drive lights

Network card lights

Tape drive lights

Temperature and Ventilation

Internal air flow

External ventilation

Server Fans

Chip fan

Power supply fan

Chassis fan

Checking Cabling

Network cabling

Internal cabling

Keyboard, monitor, and mouse cables

Electrical Issues

Surge protection

Surge suppressor

Line conditioner

UPS

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Part V: Security

Chapter 13: Securing the Environment

Securing the Physical Site

Server room construction

Server room access

Locks

Access control systems

Biometric systems

Anti-theft devices

Securing Backup Tapes

Fireproof safes

Off-site storage

Disposing of Media

Documenting Security Measures

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 14: Environmental Issues

Recognizing Environmental Issues

Temperature

Humidity level

Ventilation

Air conditioning

Air Pollutants

Air quality levels

Sources of contaminants

Filtration

Regular cleaning

Electrical Issues

Quality of power source

Proper grounding

Electrostatic discharge

Fire Safety

Fire extinguishers

Sprinkler systems

Non-liquid systems

Floods

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Part VI: Troubleshooting

Chapter 15: Determining the Problem

Isolating the Problem

Troubleshooting methodology

Documentation

Know the network

Know the products

Logic and reasoning

Ask the right questions

Using Your Senses

Sight

Sound

Smell

Sensitivity

Checking Hardware

Checking server components

Checking lights

Checking cabling

Examining peripherals

Checking Software

Drivers

Dynamic Link Libraries

Software bugs

Troubleshooting the Operating System

System messages

Log files

Checking disk space

Checking for Viruses

Resolving the Problem

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 16: Using Diagnostic Tools

Using the Right Tool

Hardware diagnostic tools

Software diagnostic tools

Troubleshooting Remotely

Remote access cards

Wake-on-LAN

Troubleshooting Resources

Server documentation

Using vendor resources

Technical support

Replacing Hardware

Documenting the Problem and Solution

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Part VII: Disaster Recovery

Chapter 17: Planning for Disaster Recovery

Forming a Disaster Recovery Plan

The disaster recovery team

Risk analysis

Business Impact Analysis

Prioritizing applications

Recovery requirements

The disaster recovery document

Types of Disasters

Natural disasters

Human error

Vandalism and sabotage

Hackers

Viruses

Planning for Redundancy

Hard drives

Power supplies

Network Interface Cards

Processors

Tape backup system

UPS

Ensuring Service

Hot site

Cold site

Backup Plan

Testing the Disaster Recovery Plan

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Chapter 18: Ensuring Fault Tolerance

Recovering a RAID System

Disk failure

Recovering from a disk mirroring failure

Recovering from disk failure on a stripe set with parity

RAID drive state conditions

Ensuring High Availability

Hot swap

Warm swap

Hot spare

Raid controllers

Documenting Fault Tolerance

Assessment Questions

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Chapter 19: Backing Up and Restoring

Planning the Backup

How critical is the data

How often to back up the system

How much data to back up

How long to store data

Which devices to back up

Types of Backup Hardware and Media

Backup media

Backup hardware

Types of Backups

Full backup

Incremental backup

Differential backup

Daily backup

Media Rotation Methods

Son rotation method

Father-son rotation method

Grandfather rotation method

Grandfather-father-son rotation method

Documenting Backup and Restoration Procedures

Assessment Questions

Scenarios

Answers to Chapter Questions

Chapter pre-test

Assessment questions

Scenarios

Appendix A: Exam Objective Mapping

Appendix B: Practice Exam

Appendix C: Test Taking Tips

Appendix D: What's on the CD-ROM

Glossary

 
Index