Answers to Most Frequently Asked Windows Server Interview Questions
It is a great idea to prepare for your Windows service interview, as it will help you better understand what the job entails and give you an edge over other candidates.
What is Windows Server?
Windows Server is a server operating system developed by Microsoft, the successor to Windows NT and Windows 2000 Server. It is designed for use on servers, where it is the primary platform for many business applications.
What is the role of Windows Server in a network environment?
Windows Server is a server operating system developed and distributed by Microsoft. The Windows Server operating system is based on the Windows NT family. It provides an environment for running services and applications in a network environment.
In which languages is Windows Server available?
You can install Windows Server in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, simplified Chinese, or Spanish. In addition to your choice’s default language, you can install languages using Language Packs through the Add Roles and Features Wizard.
How do you keep Windows Server secure in your organization?
It is the most common question asked by interviewers and will be sure to get you thinking about your current server security measures. To answer this question, you must cover all the bases: patches and updates, antivirus software, firewalls, data encryption at rest/in transit, and data loss prevention software. These things help ensure that your server runs smoothly without any issues.
What are the different types of cloud services supported by Microsoft Azure?
Azure Virtual Networks allow the creation of a private or hybrid network environment in the cloud connected to on-premises networks. It extends existing IT infrastructure into Azure while maintaining complete control over networking components such as routing tables, firewalls, IP addressing schemes, and more.
Azure Storage provides flexible storage options for data archiving, backup & restore operations with geo-redundant storage available at various data centers worldwide (USA – East & West; Europe). It supports multiple storage services like:
- blob storage service for storing unstructured data like documents/images etc.;
- table service, which is used to store structured NoSQL data such as JSON documents using schemas;
- queue service, which allows asynchronous messaging between different applications or devices etc.
What is Azure Active Directory?
Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is a cloud-based directory service that makes it easy to secure access to on-premises resources and cloud services. In addition, it provides identity management for the cloud.
Mention some of the features of Azure services.
You can use Azure services to build, deploy, and manage applications. These services include:
- Azure Virtual Machines (VMs)
- Azure App Service
- Azure SQL Database
- Azure Functions
- Azure Web Apps
- Azure Container Service (AKS)
- Azure Cloud Services
Note: If you are interested in server-side development, you should know that this work involves writing software for a server. A server is a machine that runs programs and services for clients (devices). So, when users access websites or apps via their browsers or mobile devices, they use servers.
Server-side development involves working closely with databases and web applications to conduct tasks like storing information or tracking website visitors’ activity through analytics tools such as Google Analytics. The developer’s job is to ensure the app works seamlessly across all devices and platforms to deliver an optimal user experience for its users no matter what device they use at any given time.
Differentiate between dedicated and active directories.
A dedicated server is a server that is used for only one purpose. On the other hand, an active directory can be used for multiple purposes. It is a database of objects and a service. Active Directory provides authentication, group policy management, and domain management services.
What are the two advantages of using Active Directory?
Active Directory reduces administrative overhead. Active Directory provides centralized authentication, meaning you only have one place to go for all your users and groups. It also allows delegating the administration of resources by giving permissions at the OU level rather than the individual user level.
What is a domain controller?
A domain controller is a server that stores and manages the account and password information for all the users, computers, and other devices in a network. It also hosts or is part of the Active Directory domain. Domain controllers are the most critical servers in an Active Directory domain because they are crucial in maintaining security across the entire network by providing authentication services.
How can you limit access to an application running on your server?
There are many ways to protect your server from malicious network activity. You should first use the built-in Windows firewall to control which applications have access to the local computer or remote computers on your network. You can set up rules for each application running on your server and then use group policy or System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) to apply these rules across all servers in an organization. This method allows you to easily change settings if needed since it does not require a reboot of any servers to be effective, as with other methods involving custom software solutions such as firewalls or HIPS software.
Additionally, using Microsoft Software Restriction Policy will allow administrators more granular control over what applications can run on their servers without having direct access to each machine through Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
Which command would you use to check if DNS resolution is working correctly with your server?
You can use the ping command to test DNS resolution. This command will ping a hostname; if you get a response, your server can resolve DNS queries successfully. You can also use nslookup to test DNS resolution by pinging an IP address.
Explain what IIS (Internet Information Services) is.
IIS (Internet Information Services) is a web server built into Windows and Azure. It’s based on the ASP.NET platform, which allows IIS to support multiple protocols, including HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP.
What is a global catalog?
A global catalog server replicates information between domains so that all domains have an identical view of their respective trees. By default, there is one global catalog server per forest, which means it maintains a replica of each object within that forest.
What is the DFS namespace?
The DFS namespace is a way to organize shared folders on multiple servers. It allows you to create a virtual place where users can look for files and folders, even though they might be stored on different servers.
Mention some of the features provided by the Hyper-V server.
One of the features provided by the Hyper-V server is that you can create VMs on a local or remote computer. The other feature allows for the live migration of virtual machines from one server to another with no downtime.
How do you understand Proxy Servers?
Proxy servers manage client access to the Internet, control access to resources on the Internet, and for caching web pages.
What is a Visio Diagram?
Visio is a vector graphics editor developed by Microsoft. It allows users to create flowcharts, network diagrams, org charts, and various graphs from scratch or multiple templates.
Visio is a popular tool among IT professionals in the Windows Server industry. It can document security policies and procedures and create deployment documentation for an organization’s infrastructure.
Is the TCP/IP protocol connectionless or connection-oriented?
TCP is a connection-oriented protocol that requires an established connection between two communicating parties before they can exchange data.
What is the difference between TCP and UDP?
TCP uses sequence numbers to identify packets, so if one gets lost along the way, it can be retransmitted; UDP does not have such guarantees for loss recovery because it isn’t concerned about where each packet came from initially. In practice, though, most applications use both protocols side by side because they’re complementary: TCP has a high overhead but provides reliable transport. In contrast, UDP has low overhead but isn’t reliable enough for mission-critical operations like streaming media or real-time gaming.
Which of these protocols uses port numbers to create virtual paths in a network – IP, TCP, or UDP?
The correct answer is TCP and UDP. IP does not use port numbers to create virtual paths in a network.
What are the different layers of the OSI model?
The seven layers of the OSI model are:
- Physical layer
- Data Link layer
- Network layer
- Transport layer
- Session layer
- Presentation layer
- Application layer
How does data transfer across them?
The OSI model is a conceptual model that describes how data travels from one device to another. Each layer in the OSI model is responsible for a specific task, such as routing and addressing packets, error detection and handling, encryption/decryption of messages, etc.
Can you explain a CNAME record?
CNAME records are used when you point a domain name (like www.example.com) or subdomain (like example.com) at another hostname, which could be an IP address or another hostname.
How does the gateway work?
A gateway is a device that connects one network to another. It can be a router, switch, or even something as simple as an internet connection between two separate networks. The gateway will receive data from both networks and then forward it along to the other network based on the direction of traffic and firewall rules that are set up.
You have 5 switches. How many IP addresses do you need to provide for them?
The answer is 5 (or more if the switches are connected). So no matter how many devices are on one switch, they will all use a single IP address.
What is telnet?
Telnet is an application that allows you to log in to a remote computer and run programs. It is used for testing connections and troubleshooting problems with network connections.
Telnet is not recommended for remote administration because it is not secure.
What is a virtual machine (VM)?
A virtual machine (VM) is a software implementation of a computer that runs its operating system, has its processor and memory, and can be moved from one physical computer to another. Virtual machines allow you to run multiple operating systems on one physical computer.
Mention some of the features that Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) provides.
VDI provides a desktop experience to end users. It allows access to applications, data, and file shares centrally managed by the IT team. VDI also provides a centralized management console for desktops, applications, and security policies.
What is Group Policy?
Group Policy is a set of rules that define how users and computers in a domain, or an entire network, are configured. Group Policy is used to specify the configuration of a computer, user, or group of users.
We have put together a list of the most commonly asked Windows Server interview questions you will likely encounter during your job search. Knowing your stuff and being confident when answering these questions are critical. It’s also essential that you read each question carefully before answering it.
