CPU College

Department of ICT
Unit of Competence:
Configure and Administrate Server

LO-1:- Confirm server specification

LO-2:- Verify server compatibility
and inter-operability
LO-3:- Configure and test server
 LO1: Confirm Server Specification
In computing, a server is a piece of computer hardware or
software (computer program) that provides functionality for
other programs or devices, called "clients". This
architecture is called the client–server model. Servers can
provide various functionalities, often called "services", such
as sharing data or resources among multiple clients, or
performing computation for a client. A single server can
serve multiple clients, and a single client can use multiple
servers. A client process may run on the same device or
may connect over a network to a server on a different
device. Typical servers are database servers, file servers,
mail servers, print servers, web servers, game servers, and
application servers.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
How Server works

Trainer: Girma Abebe

 Types of Server ?
File Server Provides convenient, centralized access to files and directories
for individual users, departments, and entire organizations. Choosing this
option allows you to manage user disk space by enabling and configuring
disk quota management and to provide improved file system.
Print Server Provides centralized and managed access to printing devices by
serving shared printers and printer drivers to client computers..
Application Server (IIS, ASP.NET) Provides infrastructure components
required to support the hosting of Web applications.
 Mail Server (POP3, SMTP) Installs POP3 and SMTP so that the server can
act as an e-mail server for POP3 clients.
Terminal Server Provides applications and server resources, such as
printers and storage, to multiple users as if those applications and resources
were installed on their own computers.
Remote Access/VPN Server Provides multiple-protocol routing and remote
access services for dial-in, local area networks (LANs) and wide area
networks (WANs).
Domain Controller (Active Directory) Provides directory services to clients
in the network.
DHCP Server Provides automatic IP addressing services to clients
configured to use dynamic IP addressing

Trainer: Girma Abebe

Types of Server

Trainer: Girma Abebe

Types of Server

Trainer: Girma Abebe

Types of Server

Trainer: Girma Abebe

 LO1: Confirm Server Specification
What is a server?
A network server is a computer designed
to process requests and deliver data to
other (client) computers over a local
network or the Internet.
Confirm server design with client
 The role of the server,
 How it will function with the
remaining IT infrastructure, and
the required configuration.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Functional requirements
 Functional requirements capture the
intended behavior of the system.
 This behavior may be expressed as a
service, task or function that the system
is required to perform.
The functional requirements documents
are the ‘blueprint’ for the project
implementation
Functional requirements specification
 The functional specification describes
what the system will do, as opposed to
how it will be done.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Requirements Issues
Requirements issues
 The business case
 What the client considers the project’s main
objectives are, including the services that are to
be performed
 What IT infrastructure is already in place
 Basic specifications
 Conflicting or overlapping requirements
 Maintenance and backup requirements
 Bandwidth issues that may affect the project
 Role definition of parties involved
 The nature of the data (eg text, multimedia)
 Security needs (E.g. levels of user access and
privileges)
 Available support resources
 Costing.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
Users & Technical Requirements
User requirements How many users are expected to use
the system?
 How many people will be utilizing the solution at one
time?
 Where the users will be located (E.g. overseas,
interstate or at home?
Technical requirements
 What types of computers/operating systems will the
users operate?
 Are their desktops all the same?
 What bandwidth restrictions occur presently?
 What security (login) will they need?
 What backup policies need to be in place?
 Who will have administration rights?
 What will the business do if the system fails at any
stage?
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Hardware Requirements
Hardware requirement for servers vary widely, depending on the server's purpose
and its software. Servers are more often than not, more powerful and expensive
than the clients that connect to them.
Since servers are usually accessed over a network, many run unattended without
a computer monitor or input device, audio hardware and USB interfaces. Many
servers do not have a graphical user interface (GUI). They are configured and
managed remotely. Remote management can be conducted via various methods
including Microsoft Management Console (MMC), PowerShell, SSH and
browser-based out-of-band management systems such as Dell's iDRAC or HP's iLo.
 Compatibility: will the solution work with existing systems?
 Support for proprietary formats: will the existing systems and
architecture support all types of data?
 Will the new system be supported by existing resources within
the company?
 What funding is available for new hardware?
 What is the backup strategy?
 Does the system need to be redundant, load balanced or
clustered?

Trainer: Girma Abebe

 Software Requirements
A software-based server is a program that offers a
specialized service to be used by other programs (known
as clients) locally or via a network. The service offered
depends on the type of server software. The client-server
model is the basis of communication. When it comes to
exchanging data, service-specific communication protocols
are used.
 What is the true cost of the software?
 Are there licensing issues?
 Can the software be licensed for use by multiple users who use it
on different machines? (Concurrent licensing)
 How long has the software been on the market for?
 What happens if the software company becomes insolvent? Who
supports it?
 Who owns the source code?
 What happens if the source code is modified?
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Operating Systems
To run a client server network, it is necessary that
an operating system is installed on the servers that
recognizes this type of network. The operating
systems for client server networks are:
 Unix
 Linux
 Solaris
 FreeBSD
 Novell Netware
 Windows NT , Windows 2000 , Windows 2003 ,
Windows XP , Windows Vista , Windows Server
2008 and Windows 7
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Internet Servers
The Internet, the largest computer network in
the world, uses the client-server model. Many
servers around the world are interconnected
and process information simultaneously.
Some services offered by hosting internet are
web pages, email, file transfer, remote access,
instant messaging and others. It is interesting
to note that any action taken by a user
involves the work of many computers around
the world.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Hardware and software specifications
Identify and Evaluate server technologies
Information technology is constantly changing
and improving at a high speed. Common
hardware technologies are
 Processors
 Random access memory
 Storage
 Optical drive.
System Requirement For hardware components you will need to
ensure compatibility with the existing system
 processor — ensure motherboard support for new CPU is
available
 memory — ensure type and size is compatible with the
motherboard
 Hard drives and optical drives — ensure that there is an
available drive bay, power cable and interface connection.
 Expansion cards — ensure that there is a suitable expansion
slot for installation of the expansion card.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Continued …
System requirements for software
you will need to ensure that your system meets
minimum requirements for
 the type and speed of the processor
 memory
 available disk space
 operating system

Software
When evaluating software, the cost of the product will
be determined by how many licenses are required.
• A site license for a number of computers at a
particular office
• A license assigned to a specific computer
• A license assigned to one specific user.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Specification & Architecture
Identify specifications :- multiple server architectures and
different types of server designs
 Mainframe architecture
 File sharing architecture
 Client/server architecture
 Web based architecture
 Thin client architecture
 Blade architecture

Identify vendor architecture

 Hardware platform refers to the hardware components that
make up the computer system.
 Software platform refers to the operating system or
programming language developed for the hardware. There are
defined terms used in the IT industry to describe the types of
platforms, including
Wintel o Lintel o Mac, Macintel o Mainframe o UNIX o
Alpha AXP o Java o .Net
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Platforms
Platform choice is an important consideration very early on in a
There are many different types of server platforms designed
to perform many types of functions. A server’s platform will
mainly depend on the type of service provided. Some of the
functions provided by a server are
 mail services
 web services
 transactional processing services
 streaming media services
 remote access services
 file storage and retrieval services
 network access
 Application services.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
LO2: Verify server compatibility and inter-operability

Ensuring Hardware Compatibility

Networking is hardware-dependent, and not
all hardware products are compatible.
 In order for two computers to communicate,
they must use the same protocol.
 Computer hardware raises similar issues

Check compatibility Using the Criteria :

Reading the Documentation - Read all the documentation about the
products involved
Detection during Installation - When you install a new computer or
network operating system, your computer will usually attempt to detect
the hardware in the system during the installation process and load the
appropriate drivers for it
Checking Minimum Requirements - make sure that you exceed the
minimum requirements for the resources in the computer.

Trainer: Girma Abebe

LO3. Configure and test server
What is network operating system?
 Network operating systems typically are used
to run computers that act as servers.
 They provide the capabilities required for
network operation.
 Network operating systems provide the
following functions:
Configure server
 Configuring server hardware and software
means setting up the way the hardware and
software operates to suit the IT environment
and organisational or user requirements.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Platforms
Server hardware configurations will depend on what components
make up the server. Configurations you may need to consider
include those for
 Storage
 Boot Sequence
 Specific device
 Redundant components

Server software configuration

 An application server which runs specific software applications for
end users, such as a server that runs a central Oracle Database that is
accessed by users across an organization.
 A storage server which provides a central storage place for data that
can be accessed by computer users around a network.
 A network services server which provides specific services such as
print, user authentication and authorizations, dynamic host
configuration protocol (DHCP), and domain name system (DNS) are
some examples of the services that can be provided.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
Server items to be configured
 Network setting which includes network protocol to be
used, network addressing, server name and network adaptor
settings.
 Services, which include enabling and configuring specific
services to run on the server, such as setting the server to
run dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) and domain
name system (DNS) services for an organization.
 Authentication which involves setting how users of the
server will be identified. This may involve setting up local
user accounts with passwords on the server.
 Authorization, which is setting up which authenticated
users are permitted to access and use the server, such as
allocating user permission to access data storage or server
applications or programs.
 Environment setting and policies, which are settings for
the server to operate as required or settings dictated by
organizational policy. Having data backup schedules for the
server is an example of environment setting
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Characteristics of NOS
Based on client/server architecture
 NOS manages resource sharing
 NOS provides many other functions
 Some are built in
 Some are configured at installation
 Default, customizable settings
 NOS components vary by NOS version and type Network
Operating Systems and Servers Networks use servers
exceeding minimum hardware
 Determining optimal server hardware
 Applications influence:
 Type of application
 Resources used
 Processing burden
 Vendor reputation requirements
 High quality, dependability, excellent technical
support
 Reliable server , Spend as much as necessary
 Component failure: widespread effects
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Characteristics of NOS
Client Support Important NOS function
 Allows efficient communication, resource sharing NOS client support
tasks
 Creating and managing client accounts
 Enabling clients to connect to the network
 Allowing clients to share resources
 Managing clients’ access to shared resources
 Facilitating communication between clients
Users and Groups
 After NOS client authentication, Client gains access to NOS services,
resources 
 Administrator account
 Is the most privileged user account
 Created by default
 User names
 NOS grants each network user access to files and other shared
resources
 Groups
 Basis for resource and account management
 Assists in resource sharing and security control
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Characteristics of NOS
Client/Server Communication
 Logon process
 Redirector
 Intercepts requests, determines where to handle 
 File access protocol
 Windows 7 client communication with Windows
Server 2008
 CIFS (Common Internet File System)
 Older protocol SMB (Server Message Block)
 Broad support allows every client type to
authenticate, access resources
 Middleware
 Translates requests, responses between client,
server
 3-tier architecture
 Client/server environment incorporating middleware
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008
 Released on February 2008
 Is an Enhancement of Windows Server 2003
 GUI (graphical user interface)
 Pictorial representation of computer function
 NOS GIUs
 Enable administrator to manage files,
users, groups, security, and printers
 Enhanced security, reliability, remote client
support, and performance
 Has New server management features
 Editions
 Standard Edition
 Web Edition
 Enterprise Edition
 Data-center Edition
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Network Computer Groups
Workgroups
 Used in Peer-to-peer network
 Decentralized management
 Each computer has own database, User accounts and security
privileges
 Practical for small networks
 Mostly used for few users
 Simple to design, implement
Domains
 A domain is just a group of servers and workstations that agree to
centralize user and machine accounts and passwords in a Shared
database.
Domains do several things for us.
 Keep a central list of users and passwords.
 Provide a set of servers to act as “authentication servers” or “logon
servers” known as domain controllers
 Maintain a searchable index of the things in the domain, making it
easier for people to find resources
 Let you create users with different levels of powers
 Allow you to subdivide your domains into sub domains called
organization units or OUs.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 What is a Server ?
A server is a device with a particular
set of programs or protocols that
provide various services, which other
machines or clients request, to
perform certain tasks.
Together, a server and its clients
form a client/server network,
which provides routing systems and
centralized access to information,
resources, stored data, etc.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Directory Services
 Directory Services: allow users to look up things by
name or by type of service or resource (such as printers)
 The two complete directory services that use “tree and
forest” metaphor to organize directory content are:
 Active Directory, introduced with Windows 2000
 Novell Directory Services (NDS), introduced with
Novell NetWare version 4
 Directory servers also store access control
 Connects all machines and peripherals; coordinates
and controls functions of machines and peripherals 
 Supports security and privacy; controls access to
resources on a user authentication basis 
 Advertises and manages resources from centralized
directory; gives ability to share resources such as
printers
 Includes client and server network software
Trainer: Girma Abebe
Installing Network Operating System
General NOS Components
NOS includes many software components and
services
 Naming Services
 Directory Services
 Client Network Software
Server Network Software
Task 1
Objective: Installation and Configuration of
Windows Server 2008
Installation Procedure
N.B Remember Server Installing Procedure
File(document) which is given by your instructor.
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Self Checks
1. Which of the following versions of Windows Server 2003 require product
activation? (Select all that apply.)
A. Standard Edition, retail version
B. Enterprise Edition, evaluation version
C. Enterprise Edition, Open License version
D. Standard Edition, Volume License version
2. What is the primary distinction between an Active Directory tree and an
Active Directory forest?
3. Which of the following types of Active Directory objects are not container
objects?
A. User B. Group C. Computer D. Organizational unit
4. What is system requirement?
5. List some of the hardware and software requirement consideration before
installing server operating system 4. Define hardware and software plat
form
7. What are the common hardware server technologies on?
8. A cross-platform program is one that runs ____.
A. only on one operating system
B. the same on multiple operating systems
C. differently on every operating system
D. differently on one operating system
Trainer: Girma Abebe
 Self Checks
9. Which of the following is true about setup in Windows Server
2008?(Select all that apply.)
A. Setup can be launched by booting from the CD.
B. Setup can be launched by booting from setup floppy disks.
C.Setup requires an Administrator password that is not blank to
meet complexity requirements.
D.Setup requires you to activate the product license before it
installs the operating system.
10. If the DHCP server is down of not set, can you still obtain an IP
address? What is the range of the IP addresses if there is any?
11. What are the purposes of a DNS ?
12. What happens if your computer and your neighboring students’
computer are both set to a same static IP address? Is there any
warning sign?
13. Examples of network operating systems include all of the
following except ____. a.
A. Windows Server 2008 B. Windows 7
C. NetWare and Solaris D. UNIX and Linux
Trainer: Girma Abebe