Study Guide Preview Cert MSCert Microsoft Cert-1Z0-050 DBCert Oracle Cert CompCert CompTIA

Transcription

1 Study Guide Preview Cert MSCert Microsoft Cert-1Z0-050 DBCert Oracle Cert CompCert CompTIA

2 Study Guide Preview Cert MSCert Microsoft Cert-1Z0-050 DBCert Oracle Cert CompCert CompTIA

3 Microsoft Guide Contents Contents... 3 About Your Transcender Study Guide... 4 Configuring the Domain Name System (DNS) for Active Directory... 5 Configure Zones... 6 Configure DNS server settings Review Checklist: Configuring the Domain Name System (DNS) Configuring the Active Directory Infrastructure Configure a Forest or a Domain Configure Trusts Configure Sites Configure Active Directory Replication Configure the Global Catalog Configure Operations Masters Review Checklist: Configuring the Active Directory Infrastructure Configuring Additional Active Directory Server Roles Configuring Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS) Configuring Active Directory Rights Management Service (AD RMS) Configuring a Read-only Domain Controller (RODC) Scope Configuring Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) Scope Review Checklist: Configuring Additional Active Directory Server Roles Creating and Maintaining Active Directory Objects Automating the Creation of Active Directory Accounts Maintaining Active Directory Accounts Creating and Applying Group Policy Objects (GPOs) Configuring GPO Templates Scope Configuring Software Deployment GPOs Configuring Account Policies Scope Review Checklist: Creating and Maintaining Active Directory Objects Maintaining the Active Directory Environment Configure Backup and Recovery Perform Offline Maintenance Monitor Active Directory Review Checklist: Maintaining the Active Directory Environment Configuring Active Directory Certificate Services Install Active Directory Certificate Services Configure CA Server Settings Manage Certificate Templates Manage Enrollments Manage Certificate Revocations Review Checklist: Configuring Active Directory Certificate Services Test Taking Strategies

4 Microsoft Guide About Your Transcender Study Guide IT professionals agree! Transcender has consistently been voted the industry's #1 practice exam. This Study Guide complements your TranscenderCert TM practice exam. The Study Guide is objective-driven and contains a variety of tools to help you focus your study efforts. Each Study Guide contains structured sections to help you prepare for your certification exam: Scope :: identifies the learning objectives for each section Focused Explanation :: provides definitions, in-depth discussions and examples Review Checklist :: highlights the key learning points at the end of each major section Additional sections to further assist you are located at the end of each Study Guide: Test Taking Strategies General Tips Explanation of Test Item Types The following study model will help you optimize your study time. Develop a Study Plan Assess your knowledge Focus on weak areas Track your progress Prepare To Pass Start early, at least 6 weeks out Don t try to cram Set aside specific study times Use a disciplined approach so you can thoroughly prepare Stick to your plan Assess your current knowledge level Take a Transcender practice exam using Preset Experience The objective-based score report shows you the areas where you are strong and the areas where you need to focus your study efforts Read the Study Guide by objective Use the practice exam in Optimize Experience mode Study the test items by objective Use the included TranscenderFlash cards to review key concepts Use your favorite references to get further information on complex material Take a Transcender practice exam using Preset Experience again If you didn t score 100%, go back to your study plan and focus on weak areas Study those objective areas where you didn t score 100% Keep practicing until you consistently score 100% in all areas Transcender s commitment to product quality, to our team and to our customers continues to differentiate us from other companies. Transcender uses an experienced team of certified subject-matter experts, technical writers, and technical editors to create and edit the most indepth and realistic study material. Every Transcender product goes through a rigorous, multistage editing process to ensure comprehensive coverage of exam objectives. Transcender study materials reinforce learning objectives and validate knowledge so you know you re prepared on exam day. 4

5 Microsoft Guide Configuring the Active Directory Infrastructure 39

6 Microsoft Guide Configure a Forest or a Domain Scope Learn to install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). Learn to remove a domain. Learn to raise forest and domain functional levels. Focused Explanation Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) is a server role of the Windows Server 2008 operating system. AD DS provides a distributed directory service that can be used for centralized, secure management of a network. AD DS is required for directory-enabled services. Installing AD DS Before installing the AD DS server role on a server, you must configure appropriate Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) and DNS server addresses. You can add the AD DS server role by starting the Add Roles wizard from the Server Manager console. This wizard installs files that are required to setup and configure AD DS on a server. After installing the necessary files, the wizard prompts you to run the dcpromo command at the command-line. Unattended Installation of AD DS There are several new options in Windows Server to perform an AD DS unattended installation. The unattended installation method is typically used for Server Core installations. The unattended installation method to install AD DS is the same whether a server is running a full installation or a Server Core installation of Windows Server The dcpromo command provides you with two different methods to perform an unattended installation. You can create an answer file that contains all the required parameters or you can use the /unattend option and specify all the required parameters in the command line. The syntax for the dcpromo command is as follows: dcpromo [/answer[:<filename>] /unattend[:<filename>] /unattend Note: For the /answer option, you must specify the answer file name that contains installation parameters and values. However, for the /unattend option, specifying an answer file name is optional. 40

7 Microsoft Guide Using Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) v3 The ADMT v3 simplifies the process of restructuring the operating environment to meet an organization s requirement. You can use ADMT v3 to migrate users, groups, and computers from Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 domains to Active Directory domains. ADMT v3 can also be used to migrate between Active Directory domains in different forests, known as interforest migration; and between Active Directory domains in the same forest, known as intraforest migration. ADMT v3 also performs security translation from Windows NT 4.0 domains to Active Directory domains and between Active Directory domains in different forests. Using the Forestprep and Domainprep utilities Adprep.exe is a command-line tool that extends the Active Directory schema and updates permissions to prepare a forest and domain for a Windows Server 2008 DC. The dcpromo command-line tool is accessible from the Windows Server 2008 DVD. You can go to \sources\adprep folder to access the adprep.exe command-line tool and use the elevated command prompt to run the command. The syntax of the adprep command is as follows: adprep {/forestprep /domainprep /domainprep /gpprep /rodcprep /wssg /silent} The /forestprep option The /forestprep option prepares a forest for a Windows Server 2008 DC. Running the adprep /forestprep command can only be run once and is performed at the forest level. This command should be run only on the DC that holds the schema operations master role. The administrator who runs this command must be a member in at least one of the following groups: Schema Admins group Enterprise Admins group Domain Admins group Domainprep is the option used to set up a domain for a Windows Server 2008-based domain controller. First, run the adprep /forestprep command. After the changes replicate to all the DCs in the forest, run the adprep /domainprep command in each domain that contains a Windows Server 2008 DC. However, you must ensure that the DC holds the infrastructure operations master role for the domain. An administrator must be a member of the Domain Admins group to run this command. You can also use the /domainprep with the /gpprep option. The /gpprep option also provides needed updates, which are necessary for enabling the Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) Planning Mode functionality. 41

8 Microsoft Guide Removing a Domain To remove an Active Directory domain, you must first demote all DCs that are associated with the domain. If a DC is a global catalog, ensure that another global catalog is available before demoting it. To remove a domain, you must hold a membership in one of the following groups: Domain Admins group in the forest root domain Enterprise Admins group Before you attempt to remove a domain in your Active Directory environment, you must be aware that removing a domain will erase all domain records, such as user/computer accounts, group membership accounts, and more. To remove a domain, perform the following steps: 1. Run the dcpromo command on the last DC in the domain. 2. When the Active Directory Installation wizard appears, click Next. 3. When the Remove Active Directory page appears, select the This server is the last domain controller in the domain check box. 4. Click Next and follow the wizard prompts to complete the domain removal process. 42

9 Microsoft Guide Raising the Functional Levels of Windows Server 2008 Forests and Domains Windows Server 2008 provides three domain and forest functional levels: Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server Windows 2000 is the default functional level for forests and domains. Once the functional level of a domain or forest is raised, DCs that are running previous versions of Windows cannot be added. For example, if the domain or forest functional level is raised to Windows Server 2003, then no Windows 2000 Server DCs can be added. To raise a domain s functional level, perform the following steps: 1. Open the Active Directory Domains and Trusts console from Administrative Tools. 2. Select the domain from the console tree. Open the Action menu and click Raise Domain Functional Level. 3. When the Raise Domain Functional Level dialog box appears, select the appropriate functional level from the drop down menu and click OK. The available domain functional levels are as follows: Windows Server 2003: Choose this level if your network infrastructure includes Windows Server 2003-based DCs. Windows Longhorn Server: Choose this level if your network infrastructure includes only Windows Server 2008-based DCs. 4. Click OK to confirm the domain functional level. If you encounter problems in raising the functional level for a forest, click Save As in the Raise Forest Functional Level dialog box. Doing so will save a log file that specifies which DCs in the forest need to be upgraded. 43

10 Microsoft Guide Configure Trusts Scope Understand trust relationships. Learn about selective authentication. Learn about forest-wide authentication. Focused Explanation A trust relationship is a relationship between domains that allows the DC of one domain to authenticate users from another domain. For example, if a trust relationship exists where Domain A trusts Domain B, then Domain B users can access resources in Domain A and can log on to stations in Domain A with their user accounts and passwords from Domain B. Trusts in a forest are created automatically during the creation of domains. Trusts can be configured in two directions: one-way, which is referred as non-transitive, or two-way, which is referred to as transitive. Transitive trust is automatically created for all domains within a forest. In active directory, all trust relationships within a forest are two-way or transitive trusts. In a transitive trusts, the relationship between domains is not only two-way but also transitive. For example, Domain1 has a transitive trust relationship with Domain2 and Domain2 has a transitive trust relationship with Domain3. In this scenario, a transitive trust relationship is automatically formed between Domain1 and Domain3. Transitive Trust Relationships A transitive trust relationship is created automatically for all domains within a forest. Therefore, any domain in the forest can authenticate any domain-based account from any domain within the forest. With a single logon process, accounts with the proper permissions can access resources in any domain in the forest.. You can use the New Trust Wizard to manually create various transitive trusts, such as a Shortcut trust, a Forest trust, or a Realm trust. As its name implies, a shortcut trust will shorten the trust path. Shortcut trusts are generally configured in a large and complex domain tree or forest in the Active Directory environment where a transitive trust is formed between a domain in the same domain tree or forest. A forest trust designed to form a transitive trust between the Forest root domain and a second forest root domain. In case of a Realm trust, you form a transitive trust between the following: Active Directory domain Kerberos V5 realm 44

11 Microsoft Guide Configuring Shortcut Trusts If users have to logon to different domains in a tree multiple times a day, and the domains are not directly connected, the authentication request will traverse to the highest common domain. A shortcut trust between two such domains eliminates the need for user logon authentication at each traversed domain. You can create a shortcut trust by using the netdom trust command. To configure a shortcut trust, you must perform the following steps: 1. Open the Active Directory Domains and Trusts console from Administrative Tools. 2. Right-click the domain node for the domain with which you want to establish a shortcut trust from the console tree. 3. Click Properties and select the Trusts tab. 4. Click New Trust, then click Next to access the Trust Name page. 5. Specify the DNS and NetBIOS names for the domain, then click Next. 6. On the Direction of Trust page, perform one of the following actions: For users in this domain and users in the specified domain to use this trust path, click Twoway. For only users in this domain to use this trust path, click One-way:incoming. For only users in the specified domain to use this trust path, click One-way:outgoing. 7. Continue to follow the instructions in the wizard. If you want to create both sides of a shortcut trust at the same time, click the Both this domain and the specified domain option on the Sides of Trust page. To be able to perform this configuration, you must have administrative rights in both domains to configure this type of trust relationship. Selective Authentication Trusts between forests can use legacy authentication settings or selective authentication. Selective authentication is a security setting for external trusts and trusts between forests. With selective authentication, administrators can choose the users who should have rights to access shared resources in the trusting forest. Selective authentication helps enable Active Directory administrators grant permission for specific users in another forest. Configuring selective authentication To enable selective authentication, you must use the following command: Netdom trust TrustingDomainName /domain: TrustedDomainName /SelectiveAuth:Yes /usero:domainadministratoracct/password:domainadminpwd 45

12 Microsoft Guide To enable selective authentication over an external trust by using the Windows interface, you must perform the following steps: 1. Open Active Directory Domains and Trusts console from Administrative Tools. 2. From the console tree, select the appropriate domain. 3. Open the Action menu and click Properties. 4. Open the Trusts tab and select the appropriate external trust: Domains trusted by this domain (outgoing trusts) Domains that trust this domain (incoming trusts) 5. Click Properties and select the Authentication tab. 6. Click the Selective Authentication option. 7. Click OK. To enable selective authentication over a forest trust by using the Windows interface, you must perform the following steps: 1. Open the Active Directory Domains and Trusts console. 2. In the console tree, right-click the domain node for the forest root domain, and click Properties. 3. On the Trusts tab, select the forest trust that you want to configure under either Domains trusted by this domain (outgoing trusts) or Domains that trust this domain (incoming trusts), then click Properties. 4. On the Authentication tab, click Selective authentication, then click OK. 46

13 Microsoft Guide Forest-wide authentication The forest-wide authentication setting permits unrestricted access to all available resources in any of the domains in the trusting forest. This is the default authentication setting for forest trusts, and it is representative of the way authentications can be routed without restriction. You can enable forest-wide authentication over a forest trust by using the New Trust wizard in Active Directory Domains and Trusts or by using the Netdom command-line tool. To enable forest-wide authentication over a forest trust by using the Windows interface, you must perform the following steps: 1. Open the Active Directory Domains and Trusts console. 2. In the console tree, right-click the forest root domain, and click Properties. 3. On the Trusts tab, select the forest trust that you want to configure under either Domains trusted by this domain (outgoing trusts) or Domains that trust this domain (incoming trusts), then click Properties. 4. On the Authentication tab, click Forest-wide authentication, then click OK. Note: Only the authentication settings for the outgoing trust are displayed when you click the Authentication tab. To view the correct authentication settings for the incoming side of a two-way forest trust, connect to a DC in the trusted domain, then use the Active Directory Domains and Trusts console to view the authentication settings for the outgoing side of the same trust. 47

14 Microsoft Guide Configure Sites Scope Learn to create Active Directory subnets. Learn to configure site links. Learn to configure site infrastructure. Focused Explanation Sites are the physical structure, or topology, of a network. In a network, sites represent the physical structure. Site objects and their contents are replicated to all DCs in the forest, regardless of the domain or site. You can use the Active Directory Sites and Services snap-in to manage the site, subnet, and site link objects that combine to influence the replication topology. Create a Subnet A site consists of subnets. A subnet is the set of all addresses behind a single interface on a router. When you associate a site with one or more subnets, you assign a set of IP addresses to the site. The address prefix for an AD DS subnet must conform to the IP version 4 (IPv4) or IP version 6 (IPv6) format. To create a subnet, you must access Active Directory Sites and Services console from Administrative Tools, then perform the following steps: 1. Under console tree, expand Sites. 2. Select Subnets, access the Action menu and click the New Subnet option. The New Object Subnet dialog box appears. 3. Type your subnet prefix, for example, IPv4 or IPv6, under the Prefix section. 4. At the bottom of the New Object Subnet dialog box, select the site that will be associated with this subnet. 5. Click OK. 48

15 Microsoft Guide Site links To provide the most updated Active Directory information, you replicate the Active Directory or the default site associated with it. To replicate a site, you must create another site, then transfer the information to the second site. The transfer of information is possible only if the sites are connected or if there is a route between the sites for the information to travel. The association or route between sites is referred to as a site link. To create a site link, you must first access Active Directory Sites and Services from Administrative Tools, and then perform the following steps: 1. Under console tree, expand Sites > Inter-Site Transport. 2. Select the inter-site transport protocol, for example IP or SMTP. 3. Click Action in the menu bar. 4. Click New Site Link. The New Object Site Link dialog box appears. 5. Specify a unique name for your new site link. 6. Under Sites not in this site link, select each site from the left pane and click the Add button. Click the Remove button to remove any site from the list. 7. Click OK. Site link costing When more than one route is available between two sites, inter-site replication occurs on the route with the least cost. If a DC is not available at the time that the replication topology is created, the next leastcost route is used. All site links are transitive and the Bridge all site links option is enabled by default. A site link bride creates a bridge between multiple sites. The site link bridge allows site links to have a common site between different sites. To configure site link cost, you must first access Active Directory Sites and Services console from Administrative Tools, and then perform the following steps: 1. Under console tree, expand Sites > Inter-Site Transport. 2. Select the site link from the right pane then click Action from the menu bar 3. Click Properties. 4. Specify a value for the cost of replication. This needs to be performed in the Cost section in the site link properties window. 5. Click OK. Note: You cannot apply costs directly to site link bridges. 49

16 Microsoft Guide Configure Site Infrastructure Site infrastructure is stored in the directory as site, subnet, and site link objects. When you add the AD DS server role to create the first DC in a forest, a default site is created in AD DS. If this is the only site in the directory, all DCs are assigned to this site. If your forest has multiple sites, you must create subnets that assign IP addresses to the default and additional sites. Multiple subnets can be attached to a site. To associate a subnet with a site, you must access Active Directory Sites and Services console from Administrative Tools, then perform the following steps: 1. Under console tree, expand Sites. 2. Select Subnets. Click Action from the menu bar. 3. Click Properties. 4. Under the properties window of your subnet, select the site. You perform this step to associate site with the subnet. After you associate the subnets, you have to create site links with the other sites in your network. This needs to be performed only if your network consists of multiple sites. 50

17 Microsoft Guide Configure Active Directory Replication Scope Learn to configure one-way replication. Learn to configure a bridgehead server. Learn to configure replication scheduling. Learn to configure replication protocols. Focused Explanation The Active Directory database on any DC can be changed. All DCs in the Active Directory environment maintain a record of any modification made to any DC in the forest. Replication in Active Directory enhances the ability to maintain synchronized records on all DCs. In addition, it also ensures that any modification made to the replica on one DC is updated in the records of other DCs. Replication can happen only between two DCs, whereas information synchronization can be performed for an entire forest of DCs in the Active Directory environment. Configure One-way Replication To configure Active Directory replication between two sites, replication should be performed on a continual basis. A replication connection varies between a persistent connection and a one-way initiated on-demand connection. If you imply a persistent connection, you can also configure replication scheduling by specifying time intervals for replication to happen. A one-way initiated on-demand connection is more of a manual process where Active Directory replication is initiated from a particular site whenever there is a need. Microsoft recommends that you build a reciprocal replication when you plan to initiate a one-way Initiated on-demand connection configuration by using the Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) Edit snap-in. Great care should be taken when making any changes to the Active Directory object attributes in the ADSI Edit snap-in. Incorrect changes could cause severe problems to the server s operating system, which may require reinstallation to correct. To enable one-way replication on a site link, you must perform the following steps: 1. Use the adsiedit.msc run command to open the ADSI Edit snap-in on a DC. 2. Under Connection Point choose Select a well know Naming Context. Choose Configuration. 3. Navigate to the Configuration Sites Inter-Site Transports containers. 4. Select the CN=IP option. 51

18 Microsoft Guide 5. Under the Details pane, right-click the desired site link object and click the Properties option. Note: The site link objects that you choose are for the sites for which you wish to enable reciprocal replication. 6. Under the Attributes box, double-click Options. 7. From the Integer Attribute Editor dialog box, you can perform one of the following actions: Specify the value as 2, if the Value box displays the value as <not set>. If a value is displayed, you should convert the integer value to a binary value. In addition, use the binary or operation to join that value with the binary value of 0010, then specify the outcome of the integer value under the Value box. Configure a Bridgehead Server When communication takes place between different sites, it is advantageous to reduce the amount of bandwidth used. To accomplish this, the Knowledge Consistency Checker (KCC) automatically selects a server that will handle communication for each site. These servers are known as bridgehead servers. The selection process for a bridgehead server can be performed manually. You can select a server to function as a primary bridgehead server. For added redundancy, you can also select multiple servers. However, only one server can be active at any given time. The other servers function as backup servers and only become active when the active bridgehead server fails. In the event that none of the designated servers is available, the task of inter-site communication is handled by a DC. To designate a bridgehead server, you must access Active Directory Sites and Services console from Administrative Tools, then perform the following steps: 1. Expand the Sites branch node. 2. Expand the site node that contains the server. 3. Select the Servers container. 4. Right-click the server and select Properties. 5. Choose the protocol for which the server should function as a preferred bridgehead server. Then click OK. 52

19 Microsoft Guide Configure replication scheduling To control replication between two sites, also known as inter-site replication, and to configure settings on the site link object to which the sites are added, you can use the Active Directory Sites and Services snap-in. By configuring certain settings on a site link object, you can when and how often replication occurs between two or more sites. To configure inter-site replication availability, you must access the Active Directory Sites and Services console from Administrative Tools, and perform the following steps: 1. In the console tree, select the inter-site transport folder that contains the site link for which you are configuring inter-site replication availability. 2. Select the appropriate site link, then click Action from the Menu bar. 3. Click Properties. 4. Click Change Schedule under the site link Properties window. Note: When you are logged on with an account that does not have sufficient credentials to change the schedule, you can still view the schedule by clicking View Schedule. Select the block of time during which you want replication to be either available or not available, and click Replication Not Available or Replication Available, respectively. Force Inter-site Replication A site object in Active Directory contains a compilation of IP subnets in which several sites are connected to each other for replication. Active Directory site management involves the following: the addition of new subnets the addition of new site link objects the configuring cost and scheduling for site links For inter-site replication optimization, an administrator can perform cost and scheduling modifications. You can also remove sites and associated objects during the following circumstances: if there is no need for replication if clients do not require sites or discover network resources Repadmin and replmon are the command-line tools that can be used to perform force replication. 53

20 Microsoft Guide Configure Replication Protocols To define a route for replication data to travel across the network, a replication topology is created. In order to create a replication topology, Active Directory must identify each DCs replication schedule. Site replication is performed by using the following protocols: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Microsoft recommends use of SMTP protocol because it offers a higher level of security when a firewall boundary is crossed. You can also use Replication Monitor, which provides a graphical representation of replication topology. Configure the Global Catalog Scope Learn how to configure Universal Group Caching. Focused Explanation The global catalog (GC) is the set of all objects in a forest. GC, a DC in the Active Directory forest, is responsible for maintaining the following: Full copy records: Contains all objects of its host domain Partial copy records: Contains a read only copy of all other domains in the forest When you install AD DS, the first DC that you create in the Active Directory forest will automatically be created in the same DC. However, it is also possible to provide GC functionalities to other DCs in the forest. If necessary, you can also remove the GC from a DC. Universal Group Membership Caching In some scenarios, a new domain that is added to a forest does not have a GC server. In such a domain, if the DC is running Windows Server 2008, you can enable the Universal Group Membership Caching feature. When this feature is enabled, the user's universal group membership information is cached on the DC the first time that a user logs on to a domain. For subsequent logons, the DC uses cached memberships to process the logon. 54

21 Microsoft Guide Enabling Universal Group Membership Caching The Universal Group Membership Caching feature for a site can be enabled through the Active Directory Sites and Services snap-in. This can be performed by accessing the Properties window of the NTDS Site Settings and selecting the Enabling Universal Group Membership Caching check box under the Site Settings tab as displayed in Figure 2-1: Figure 2-1: NTDS Site Settings Properties Window When Universal Group Membership Caching is enabled, caching begins during the initial logon of universal and global group memberships, after which the cache is updated on a regular basis. You can also define which site is to be used by accessing the NTDS Site Settings Properties dialog box under the Site Settings tab. This can be performed from Refresh cache from list. In some cases, when you do not define any site to use, the cost setting that has been configured will determine which cost effective connection to be used to communicate with a GC server. To perform this action, the closest-site mechanism is followed. An Active Directory site should have a DC with a GC server and a DNS server installed. If you are concerned about the amount of replication traffic that the GC server produces, you can enable Universal Group Membership Caching for Active Directory sites that have 100 users or less and remove the GC server from the site. 55

22 Microsoft Guide Note: A local domain user can log on only to the local computer and will not be allowed to enter the domain. This is true when the GC server is not available and the local domain user has not previously logged in to the domain. By default, the privilege of logging on to the domain without an available GC is assigned only to domain administrators as they are allowed to log in to a domain even in the absence of GC server. Configure Operations Masters Scope Understand Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) roles. Learn to manage Operations Master roles. Learn how to extend Active Directory schema. Focused Explanation Active Directory in a Windows-based environment is referred to as a multimaster-enabled database system. This system consists of five Operations Master roles, or Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO): Domain-Naming Master Schema Operations Master Relative Identifier (RID) Master Infrastructure Master Primary Domain Controller (PDC) Operations Master As a multimaster-enabled database, Active Directory provides greater flexibility by allowing modifications to occur on any DC in the forest. There are specific tasks allocated to each DC that contain one or more Operations Master roles, thereby ensuring greater efficiency towards updates that occur in the Active Directory database. The domain-naming master and schema operations master roles are considered forest-wide roles. This means that there will be only a single domain-naming master and schema operations master roles in the entire forest. However, of the other Operations Master roles, the RID master, the infrastructure master and the PDC operations master roles, are referred to as domain-wide roles. These roles are present in each domain of a forest. 56

23 Microsoft Guide Manage Operations Master Roles There are five operations master roles in Active Directory. Domain-Naming Master Role: The DC that holds the domain-naming Master role is responsible for managing the inclusion and exclusion of all domains in the directory partition. The following actions can be performed by a DC that has been designated as the domain naming master role: the removal of existing domains or addition of new domains to the forest the removal of existing application directory partitions or addition of new application directory partitions to the forest the replication of existing application directory partitions and the addition of the replicas to other DCs the addition of cross reference objects to external directories the removal of cross reference objects from external directories the preparation of a forest in order to rename a domain Schema Operations Master Role: The DC that holds the schema operations master role is the only DC in the entire forest that can perform write operations to the Active Directory schema. The schema operations master role in the Active Directory environment manages and performs updates that are necessary to the Active Directory schema. The DC that acts as the schema master role performs the necessary updates to the Active Directory schema; those updates are then replicated to the other DCs in the forest. Update conflicts are reduced because the schema operations master role is a forest-wide role. RID Master Role: The DC that holds the RID Master role is responsible for allocating blocks of RIDs to all DCs in the domain. This DC assigns a unique security identifier (SID) to every new object it creates. The SID is a combination of two identifiers: the domain SID and the RID. The domain SID uniquely identifies the domain, and all objects within that domain are assigned the same domain SID. The RID is unique for each object in a particular domain. These two identifiers form the SID for an object. Infrastructure Master Role: The DC that holds the infrastructure master role is an important part of managing updates to object references. The updates will be delayed in the Active Directory environment in the absence of the infrastructure master. This role is responsible for updating object references locally and keeping domain replicas updated by performing replications. The object reference consists of the Globally unique identifier (GUID) and Distinguished name. The infrastructure master periodically updates the distinguished name and the SID on the object reference and reflects all modifications that have been made to the original objects. 57

24 Microsoft Guide PDC Operations Master Role: On a network environment where the client computers in a particular network segment are operating without Active Directory client software or functioning without Windows NT backup domain controllers (BDC), the computer that holds the PDC operations master role acts as a Windows NT PDC to manage that network segment. It is also responsible for processing and managing logon password changes. If a user supplies an incorrect password while attempting to log on to a DC, the request for authentication is forwarded to the PDC operations master role before the DC rejects the authentication request. Reassigning Operations Master Roles There are two methods of reassigning an Operations Master role: transfer or seizure. The transfer method refers to moving the Operations Master role from one DC to another in the Active Directory environment. When you transfer an Operations Master role from one DC to another, the former DC replicates all recent updates to the new DC. This prevents information loss during the transfer. The former DC also reconfigures itself to accept the role transfer and resumes its normal operations without the particular Operations Master role. Role seizure is performed when an Operations Master role must be forcibly removed from a DC and assigned to another DC in the Active Directory domain. A disadvantage of performing a role seizure is that any recent changes made to the role will not be updated to the new DC; they will be lost. The former DC is not available to keep the updates and replicate the recent changes (as in the case of a transfer) during the role seizure process. Therefore, it is recommended that role seizure be performed only when no other option is available. The Active Directory Schema snap-in enables you to move the schema operations master role to a different DC. A domain-naming master role can also be moved to a different DC in the network by using the Active Directory Domains and Trust snap-in or the ntdsutil tool. With ntdsutil, you can seize or transfer any forest-wide and domain-wide role. If you decide to use the Active Directory Schema snap-in for moving the schema operations master role, then you should access the Active Directory Schema snap-in and perform the following steps: 1. Right-click Active Directory Schema from the console tree. 2. Click Change Domain Controller. 3. Click Specify Name to enter the DC to which the schema operations master role will be transferred. 4. Right-click Active Directory Schema from the console tree. 5. Click Operations Master. Then click Change. 58

25 Microsoft Guide To move a domain-level Operations Master role from the Active Directory Schema snap-in, perform the following steps: 1. Highlight Active Directory Users and Computers then click Action from the menu bar. 2. Click Connect to the Domain Controller. 3. Click the name of the server from the list of available DCs to which the role will be transferred.. 4. Click OK. 5. Highlight Active Directory Users and Computers, then click Action from the Menu bar. 6. Click All tasks, then click Operations Masters. The current operations master role holders are displayed in the lower box. 7. Click the tab that corresponds to the role that must be transferred: RID, PDC, or Infrastructure. 8. Click Change once the computer names that are displayed have been confirmed. 9. Click Yes to transfer the role. 10. Click OK. To seize an Operations Master role, you can run the ntdsutil.exe command from a command prompt, and then perform the following steps: 1. Under the ntdsutil utility, type roles, then press the Enter key at the ntdsutil: prompt. 2. When the fsmo maintenance: prompt in the ntdsutil utility appears, type connections, then press the Enter key. 3. When the server connections: prompt appears, type connect to server <servername>, then press the Enter key. 4. Once notified of a successful connection, type quit, then press Enter. Type the required command and press the Enter key according to the role that must be seized. This step should be performed at the fsmo maintenance: prompt in the ntdsutil utility. At the fsmo maintenance: prompt, type the appropriate command for the role that must be seized and press the Enter key. 59

26 Microsoft Guide Table 2-1 shows a list of the available commands: Role Credential Command Domain-naming master Enterprise Admins Seize domain naming master Schema operations master Enterprise Admins Seize schema master Infrastructure master Domain Admins Seize infrastructure master PDC operations master Domain Admins Seize pdc RID master Domain Admins Seize rid master Table 2-1: Seizing Role Commands The system asks for confirmation. It then attempts to transfer the role. When the transfer fails, the error information appears and the system proceeds with the seizure. After the seizure is complete, a list of the roles and the LDAP name of the server that currently holds each role appears. Note: During seizure of the RID master, the current role holder attempts to synchronize with its replication partners. If it cannot establish a connection with a replication partner during the seizure operation, it displays a warning and confirms that you want the role seizure to proceed. Click Yes to proceed. Run the quit command twice to exit from ntdsutil utility. Extending Active Directory Schema Some features and server roles require corresponding updates to the Active Directory schema. These schema additions are automatically installed when you create an Active Directory forest. Before extending the Active Directory schema, you must ensure that all DCs in the Active Directory forest are online and are performing inbound replication. Steps to extend the Active Directory schema 1. Log on to the computer that holds the schema operations master role as a member of the Schema Admins group and the Enterprise Admins group. Note: If you do not know which computer holds the schema operations master role, type Netdom query FSMO at a command prompt, then press Enter: 2. Type repadmin /showrepl to verify that the schema operations master has performed inbound replication of the schema directory partition since the last time server restarted. 3. Type adprep /forestprep at the command prompt, then press the Enter key. Note: When you change the schema on the schema operations master, the changes are automatically propagated to all other DCs in the forest. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform this operation on other DCs. 60

27 Microsoft Guide Review Checklist: Configuring the Active Directory Infrastructure Learn to install Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). Learn to remove a domain. Learn to raise forest and domain functional levels. Understand trust relationships. Learn about selective authentication. Learn about forest-wide authentication. Learn to create Active Directory subnets. Learn to configure site links. Learn to configure site infrastructure. Learn to configure one-way replication. Learn to configure a bridgehead server. Learn to configure replication scheduling. Learn to configure replication protocols. Learn how to configure Universal Group Caching. Understand Flexible Single Master Operations (FSMO) roles. Learn to manage Operations Master roles. Learn how to extend Active Directory schema. 61

28 Microsoft Guide Test Taking Strategies The Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified System Administrator (MCSA), Microsoft Certified System Engineer (MCSE), and Microsoft Technology Specialist (TS) credentials identify a standard of competence for entry-level and professional job roles that utilize Microsoft products. Microsoft's certification program is a recognized credential that signifies a proven level of knowledge and ability. With each level of certification, a higher benchmark of ability is set for greater opportunities and higher pay. The exam is a proctored exam, which may be taken at a Prometric testing center. Microsoft Certification Roadmap The TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring exam fulfills the requirement for the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration. For more information on this certification, visit This exam can also be used to fulfill a core exam requirement for the Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Administrator and the Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Server Administrator certifications. A Microsoft candidate should combine training with on-the-job experience. Many of the exam questions are based on real-world scenarios so hands-on experience with the software is vital. Registering for the Exam An exam candidate may register for the at Resources There are several resources produced by Microsoft that you may use to prepare for this exam. These resources include the Microsoft Official Curriculum courseware used in instructor-led training, Microsoft Self-Paced Training Kits, and Microsoft Online Resources. For more information, see the Preparation Guide at 234

29 Study Guide Preview Cert MSCert Microsoft Cert-1Z0-050 DBCert Oracle Cert CompCert CompTIA

30 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Contents Contents... 3 About your Transcender Study Guide... 5 Installation and Upgrade Enhancements... 6 Install Oracle Database 11g... 7 Upgrade your Database to Oracle Database 11g... 8 Oracle Direct NFS Use Online Patching Review Checklist: Installation and Upgrade Inhancements Storage Enhancements Set up ASM Fast Mirror Resync Understand Scalability and Performance Enhancements Set up ASM Disk Group Attributes Use Various New Manageability Options Use the md_backup, md_restore, and remap ASMCMD extensions Review Checklist: Storage Enhancements Intelligent Infrastructure Enhancements Creating and Using AWR Baselines Setting AWR Baseline Metric Thresholds Control Automated Maintenance Tasks Using Database Resource Manager New Features Using New Scheduler Features Review Checklist: Intelligent Infrastructure Enhancements Performance Enhancements ADDM Enhancements Set up Automatic Memory Management Enhancements in Statistics Collection Review Checklist: Performance Enhancements Partitioning and Storage-Related Enhancements Implement New Partitioning Methods Employ Data Compression SQL Access Advisor Overview Create SQL Access Advisor Analysis Session using PL/SQL Using RMAN Enhancements Managing Archive Logs Duplicating a Database Back up Large Files in Multiple Sections Perform Archival Backups Create a Virtual Private Catalog for RMAN Review Checklist: Using RMAN Enhancements Using Flashback and LogMiner Overview of Flashback Data Archive Manage Flashback Data Archive Back out Transactions using Flashback Transactions Working with LogMiner Review Checklist: Using Flashback and LogMiner

31 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Diagnosability Enhancements Set up Automatic Diagnostic Repository Use Support Workbench Run Health Checks Use SQL Repair Advisor Review Checklist: Diagnosability Enhancements Database Replay Overview of Workload Capture and Replay Using Workload Capture and Replay Review Checklist: Database Replay Using the Data Recovery Advisor Overview of Data Recovery Advisor Repairing Data Failure Using Data Recovery Advisor Perform Proactive Health Check of the Database Security: New Features Configure the Password File to use Case Sensitive Passwords Encrypt a Tablespace Configure Fine Grained Access to Network Services Review Checklist: Security: New Features Oracle SecureFiles Use SecureFile LOBs to store documents with Compression, Encryption, De-duplication, and Caching 146 Use SQL and PL/SQL APIs to Access SecureFile LOBs Review Checklist: Oracle SecureFiles Miscellaneous New Features Describe and Use Online Table Redefinition Enhanced Fine Grained Dependency Management Use Enhanced DDL Apply the Improved Table Lock Mechanism, Create Invisible Indexes Use Query Result Cache and PL/SQL Result Cache Adaptive Cursor Sharing Temporary Tablespace Enhancements Review Checklist: Miscellaneous New Features SQL Performance Analyzer Overview of SQL Performance Analyzer Using SQL Performance Analyzer Review Checklist: SQL Performance Analyzer SQL Plan Management SQL Plan Baseline Architecture Set up a SQL Plan Baseline Using SQL Plan Baseline Review Checklist: SQL Plan Management Automatic SQL Tuning Set up and Modify Automatic SQL Tuning Interpret Reports Generated by Automatic SQL Tuning Review Checklist: Automatic SQL Tuning Test Taking Strategies

32 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide About your Transcender Study Guide IT professionals agree! Transcender has consistently been voted the industry's #1 practice exam. This Study Guide complements your TranscenderCert TM practice exam. The Study Guide is objective-driven and contains a variety of tools to help you focus your study efforts. Each Study Guide contains structured sections to help you prepare for your certification exam: Scope :: identifies the learning objectives for each section Focused Explanation :: provides definitions, in-depth discussions and examples Review Checklist :: highlights the key learning points at the end of each major section Additional sections to further assist you are located at the end of each Study Guide: Test Taking Strategies General Tips Explanation of Test Item Types The following study model will help you optimize your study time. Develop a Study Plan Assess your knowledge Focus on weak areas Track your progress Prepare To Pass Start early, at least 6 weeks out Don t try to cram Set aside specific study times Use a disciplined approach so you can thoroughly prepare Stick to your plan Assess your current knowledge level Take a Transcender practice exam using Preset Experience The objective-based score report shows you the areas where you are strong and the areas where you need to focus your study efforts Read the Study Guide by objective Use the practice exam in Optimize Experience mode Study the test items by objective Use the included TranscenderFlash cards to review key concepts Use your favorite references to get further information on complex material Take a Transcender practice exam using Preset Experience again If you didn t score 100%, go back to your study plan and focus on weak areas Study those objective areas where you didn t score 100% Keep practicing until you consistently score 100% in all areas Transcender s commitment to product quality, to our team and to our customers continues to differentiate us from other companies. Transcender uses an experienced team of certified subject-matter experts, technical writers, and technical editors to create and edit the most indepth and realistic study material. Every Transcender product goes through a rigorous, multistage editing process to ensure comprehensive coverage of exam objectives. Transcender study materials reinforce learning objectives and validate knowledge so you know you re prepared on exam day. 5

33 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Performance Enhancements 52

34 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide ADDM Enhancements Scope Understand the enhancements to ADDM in Oracle 11g, including support for RAC environments. Use the DBMS_ADDM package for ADDM management. Focused Explanation Automatic Database Diagnostic Monitor (ADDM) is a feature of Oracle Database that is used to detect possible performance problems and possible solutions for those problems. After data is captured in the Automatic Workload Repository (AWR), ADDM processes the data to identify the root cause of performance problems. In Oracle Database 11g, ADDM works at both the database and instance levels. Oracle Database 11g introduces a new mode for running ADDM at the cluster level, called database ADDM mode. In database ADDM mode, ADDM analyzes data associated with an Oracle Real Application Clusters (RAC) database. This mode is used to tune all global resources. To view the reports generated by ADDM, you can use Enterprise Manager. ADDM reports only time-consuming issues. Time-consuming issues are issues that take up a significant amount of instance or database time. Instance time is the time for which a specific resource is used by a single instance. Database time is the sum of instance times of all instances in a database. Database time does not include time taken by the Automatic Storage Management (ASM) instances. The data generated by ADDM is in the form of findings. There are two types of findings, database and instance. Database findings are issues that affect multiple instances or a shared resource of the database. Instance findings are issues related to only one instance. If any instance time is a huge part of the database time, the issue might be recorded as a database finding. An issue is associated with a suggested solution. Each suggestion reflects the amount of database instance time that will be saved by implementing the suggestion. Each suggestion also explains the reasons for suggested solutions. At times, the suggestion contains instructions for implementing the suggested solutions. An issue might have several possible solutions suggested. The user can decide whether to implement the solutions. Working with ADDM You can run ADDM using the DBMS_ADDM package. This package allows you to run ADDM in the different available modes, to view repots, insert directives to findings, and delete directives for findings. To run the DBMS_ADDM package, you must have the ADVISOR privilege. Note: You can also use Oracle Enterprise Manager to run ADDM. To analyze all instances of Oracle RAC databases, run ADDM in the database mode. To enable the database mode, you should use the DBMS_ADDM.ANALYZE_DB procedure. 53

35 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Syntax DBMS_ADDM.ANALYZE_DB(task_name, begin_snapshot, end_snapshot, db_id); The task_name parameter specifies the name of the analysis task to be created. The begin_snapshot and end_snapshot parameters specify the range of snapshots to be analyzed or the time period to be analyzed. The db_id parameter is the database identifier of the database to be analyzed. The default value of this parameter is the database identifier of the local database. To analyze a single instance of the database, you should run ADDM in the instance mode. To enable ADDM in the instance mode, use the DBMS_ADDM.ANALYZE_INST procedure. Syntax DBMS_ADDM.ANALYZE_INST(task_name, begin_snapshot, end_snapshot, instance_number, db_id); The instance_number parameter specifies the instance to be analyzed. If unspecified, the default value is the current instance to which you are connected. All the other parameters are the same as for the DBMS_ADDM.ANALYZE_DB procedure. If you want to analyze only some instances of a database, you can run ADDM in partial mode. In partial mode, ADDM analyzes only the specified instances. Instances to be analyzed are indicated by their associated instance_number parameters. To initialize ADDM in partial mode, run the DBMS_ADDM.ANALYZE_PARTIAL procedure. Syntax DBMS_ADDM.ANALYZE_PARTIAL(task_name, instance_numbers, begin_snapshot, end_snapshot, db_id); The instance_numbers parameter specifies the instances to be analyzed. The parameter is specified as a list of instance numbers, separated by commas. To display the findings of ADDM, you can use the DBMS_ADDM.GET_REPORT function. The return type of the function is CLOB, formatted to fit a line size of 80. Syntax DBMS_ADDM.GET_REPORT (task_name, RETURN CLOB); For example, to display reports despite any directives for the task task1, you would use the following statement: SELECT DBMS_ADVISOR.GET_TASK_REPORT('task1', 'TEXT', 'ALL') FROM DUAL; 54

36 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Inserting Directives To limit reporting of specific types of findings, you can create directives and apply them to ADDM tasks. Note: A directive can be created for a specific task or for all ADDM tasks globally. The directive is applied to all ADDM tasks created after the directive is specified. It does not affect pre-existing tasks. Such directives are called system directives. Directives can suppress ADDM findings related to specific parameters, SQL statements, or segments. You can create a finding directive using the INSERT_FINDING_DIRECTIVE procedure. Syntax DBMS_ADDM.INSERT_FINDING_DIRECTIVE (task_name, dir_name, finding_name, min_active_sessions, min_perc_impact); The task_name and finding_name parameters specify the name of the task and the ADDM finding with which the directive is assocaiated, respectively. The dir_name parameter specifes a unique name for the directive. The min_active_sessions and min_perc_impact parameters define the criteria for the ADDM finding to be a part of ADDM results. If the minimum number of active sessions is less than the value specified in the min_active_sessions parameter, the ADDM finding will not be included in the ADDM results. The min_perc_impact parameter specifies the mimum time that a particular finding should have taken when compared to the total time. If the minimum percentage of time taken by the finding is less than the percentage specified in the min_perc_impact parameter, the finding will not be included in the overall ADDM analysis. For example, if you have set the min_perc_impact parameter to 10 and the database time is 10 hours, then any ADDM finding that takes less than one hour, which is 10 percent of 10 hours, will not be included in the ADDM analysis report. If you want to stop ADDM from suggesting actions regarding a specific system parameter, you can create parameter directives. Parameter directives are created using the DBMS_ADDM.INSERT_PARAMETER_DIRECTIVE procedure. After you create a parameter directive, all suggestions containing actions associated with the specified parameter will be omitted from the report. Syntax DBMS_ADDM.INSERT_PARAMETER_DIRECTIVE (task_name, dir_name, parameter_name); The parameter_name parameter specifies the parameter for which suggestions will not be reported. If you do not want ADDM to suggest running the Segment Advisor as a solution, you can create a segment directive. This directive is created using the DBMS_ADDM.INSERT_SEGMENT_DIRECTIVE procedure. You can use this directive to suppress the findings related to specific users, partitions, or segments. 55

37 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Syntax DBMS_ADDM.INSERT_SEGMENT_DIRECTIVE (task_name, dir_name, owner_name, object_name, sub_object_name); dir_name specifies a unique name of the directive to be created. owner_name specifies the name of the user who owns the segment on which you are performing the filter action. object_name specifies the particular object that will be filtered. sub_object_name specifies the name of the sub-object, such as a partition or sub-partition within the object being filtered. object_number specifies the unique ID number to identify the specific object or sub-object to being filtered. When you execute the INSERT_SEGMENT_DIRECTIVE procedure, you need to ensure that the task has been reset to its initial state; otherwise, the code will fail. If you do not want ADDM to display any findings for a specific SQL statement, you should create a SQL directive. To create a SQL directive, you can use the DBMS_ADDM.INSERT_SQL_DIRECTIVE procedure. Syntax DBMS_ADDM.INSERT_SQL_DIRECTIVE (task_name, dir_name, sql_id, min_active_sessions, min_response_time); Most of the parameters used in the INSERT_SQL_DIRECTIVE procedure have been covered in the procedures discussed earlier, except for the sql_id parameter and the min_response_time parameter. The sql_id parameter specifies the unique SQL ID number to identify the SQL statement to be filtered. The min_response_time parameter specifies the minimum response time for the SQL statement required for it to be included in the ADDM analysis. This time is measured in microseconds. Deleting ADDM Tasks and Directives To delete a task created for running ADDM in instance mode, you should use the DBMS_ADDM.DELETE procedure. For tasks created to run ADDM in database or partial mode, this procedure deletes the local tasks associated with the main task. 56

38 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Syntax DBMS_ADDM.DELETE (task_name); To delete a finding directive, use the DBMS_ADDM.DELETE_FINDING_DIRECTIVE procedure: DBMS_ADDM.DELETE_FINDING_DIRECTIVE(task_name, dir_name); To delete a parameter directive, use the DBMS_ADDM.DELETE_PARAMETER_DIRECTIVE procedure. It removes system directive for parameters. Subsequently created ADDM tasks are not affected by the directive. DBMS_ADDM.DELETE_PARAMETER_DIRECTIVE (task_name, dir_name); To delete a segment directive, use the DBMS_ADDM. DELETE_SEGMENT_DIRECTIVE procedure: DBMS_ADDM.DELETE_SEGMENT_DIRECTIVE (task_name, dir_name); To delete a SQL directive, use the DBMS_ADDM.DELETE_SQL_DIRECTIVE procedure: DBMS_ADDM.DELETE_SQL_DIRECTIVE (task_name, dir_name); Set up Automatic Memory Management Scope Understand and use the new memory management initialization parameters. Enable automatic memory management using Enterprise Manager. Focused Explanation Memory management involves managing how memory is allocated between the system global area and the instance program global area. Automatic memory management is a feature of Oracle 11g that helps you configure Oracle to allocate memory to database instances automatically. In previous versions of Oracle, two initialization parameters, SGA_TARGET and PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET, were used to manage memory allocation. Oracle 11g uses two new parameters, MEMORY_TARGET and MEMORY_MAX_TARGET, to automatically manage memory allocation. In previous versions of Oracle, the SGA_TARGET parameter value specified the amount of memory to be allocated to the system global area. Another parameter that was used was PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET, which specified the maximum amount of memory to be allocated to the instance program global area. The instance program global area is the sum of all program global areas of an instance. Memory would be allocated to the SGA and PGA according to these two parameter values. The amount of memory allocated to both of them was fixed. In addition, the space between the two could not be used as needed. For example, if the SGA required 10 MB of free space and the PGA had 12 MB of free space, the SGA could not use the free space. 57

39 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide In Oracle 11g, you can specify the amount of memory to be allocated to an instance by using the MEMORY_TARGET parameter. This is the only required parameter. The MEMORY_TARGET parameter represents the total amount of memory that can be allocated to the SGA and PGA. Oracle automatically calculates values for the SGA_TARGET and PGA_TARGET parameters. The memory between the SGA and PGA is adjustable according to the amount of memory each requires. The MEMORY_TARGET parameter is called the maximum memory size initialization parameter. This parameter is dynamic and can be modified without having to restart the database. If the SGA_TARGET and PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET parameters are specified, MEMORY_TARGET should be equal to or more than the sum of the SGA_TARGET and PGA_AGGREGATE_TARGET parameter values. If no value is specified, the default value is 0. The other new parameter is the MEMORY_MAX_TARGET parameter. This is a static parameter that specifies the maximum possible value for the MEMORY_TARGET parameter. It ensures that you do not set the target memory size too high so that sufficient memory space is left for the Oracle Database instance. Specifying a value for this parameter is optional. Because some SGA components require a minimum amount of memory, the instance prevents you from setting the target memory size too low. If unspecified, the value of MEMORY_MAX_TARGET is set to the value of MEMORY_TARGET. If MEMORY_TARGET is unspecified, then the value of MEMORY_MAX_TARGET is also 0. Enabling Automatic Memory Management You can enable automatic memory management after you have installed a database. Steps to enable automatic memory management: 1. Log in to the database as the SYS user. 2. At the top of the Database Home page, click Server. 3. In the Server subpage, in the Database Configuration section, click Memory Advisors. The Memory Advisors page appears with the SGA subtab displayed by default. 4. In the Maximum SGA Size (MB) field, enter the maximum permissible size for database memory and click Apply. 5. In the page prompting you to restart the database, click Yes. 6. In the Restart Database: Specify Host and Target Database Credentials page, enter the credentials for the SYS user for the host and database, and click OK. 7. On the Restart Database: Confirmation page, click Yes to restart the database automatically. 8. After a few minutes, click Refresh. The Database Home page appears. 9. Return to the Memory Advisors page. On the Memory Advisors page, next to Automatic Memory Management Disabled, click Enable. 10. On the Enable Automatic Memory Management page, in the Total Memory Size for Automatic Memory Management field, enter the desired amount of memory to allocate to the database, and click OK. 58

40 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide You can also enable automatic memory management when you install the Oracle database. While installing, if you choose the basic installation option, automatic memory management is enabled by default. If you choose the advanced installation option, DBCA enables you to select from the three memory management modes. Enhancements in Statistics Collection Scope Learn to gather statistics incrementally for partitioned tables. Understand and use extended statistics, including multicolumn statistics and expression statistics. Understand the difference between pending and current statistics. Learn to gather pending statistics and publish them later. Focused Explanation The automatic statistics-gathering feature was introduced in the previous versions of Oracle Database. This feature reduced the effort required to gather data for processing. The only disadvantage of this feature was that it did not have object-level control. If you wanted to analyze data or statistics for a small subset of an object, such as a subpartition of a schema, you would have to disable the automatic statistics-gathering feature and gather and analyze the data manually. In Oracle Database 11g, the Statistics Preferences feature has been introduced. This feature enhances the automated statistics-gathering feature by making it more flexible. Statistics preferences allows you to configure different attributes or parameters of the GATHER_*_STATS procedure while gathering data. These attributes override the default behavior of the gathering procedure at the object or schema level. You can set, get, export, import, and delete the statistics preferences at the table, schema, database, and global levels. Global preferences are for tables that do not have preferences, whereas database preferences set preferences on all tables. The preference values take precedence from the smallest to largest part of the database, from subpartition to global level preferences. In the Oracle Database 11g, three new options can be used as statistics preferences. They are: PUBLISH: This option is used to publish statistics to the data dictionary or store them in a pending area. STALE_PERCENT: This option helps determine the staleness of statistics. The value of this option is a percentage of rows modified since the last statistics gathering. If the percentage of rows modified since the last gathering is more than the value of this option, the statistics are gathered, as the current statistics are considered old. INCREMENTAL: This option is used to gather incremental global statistics on partitioned tables. 59

41 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Incremental Statistics for Partitioned Tables For partitioned objects, the system maintains statistics on each partition and the overall statistics of the table. Often, for a table partitioned using a date range value, very few partitions are modified and data in the other partitions remains the same. The system tracks modification of data at the table and partition levels. For the global statistics of the entire table, the entire table is scanned. This tends to increase the time and resources required to gather statistics. Oracle Database 11g introduces a new method of gathering global statistics by scanning only those partitions that have been significantly changed. It retains the statistics of partitions that have not been modified. This method of gathering and storing statistics is called incremental gathering of statistics. The DBMS_STAT package allows you to specify the granularity on a partitioned table. To activate incremental statistics gathering, you must set the INCREMENTAL option to TRUE. It does not incrementally maintain histograms and density global statistics. Hash-Based Sampling for Column Statistics By default and without histograms, the statistics optimizer uses a number of distinct values to decide the selectivity of a predicate of a column. For query optimization, it is important to know the number of distinct values. In previous versions of Oracle, the system used a SQL statement to count the number of distinct values in a sample of the table to be analyzed. In previous versions of Oracle, DBAs had two methods available for gathering column statistics. They could use either a small sample size, or they could use a large sample or full scan. Using a small sample size reduced the execution time, but the results were not totally reliable and accurate. Using a large sample or performing a full scan provided accurate results, but took more time. Oracle Database 11g introduces a new method for gathering column statistics that provides accurate results and takes less time than performing a full scan. To initiate this method, you must set the ESTIMATE_PERCENT gathering option to AUTO_SAMPLE_SIZE, which is also the default value of the ESTIMATE_PERCENT option. If you change the default value of ESTIMATE_PERCENTAGE, then the DBMS_STATS gathering procedures automatically decide on the size of the sample to be collected. If the size of the specified is sample is small, then the system automatically gathers a larger sample. If the specified sample size is large, then the system automatically gathers a smaller sample. This avoids any issues with the accuracy of the result because the system gathers a sample large enough to cover all distinct values. Oracle can gather extended statistics, which are based on a group of columns within a table or an expression on a column. Extending the type of optimizer statistics gathered helps the optimizer choose the best plan with improved accuracy. 60

42 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Multicolumn Statistics When there is a functional dependency between two or more columns, the set of columns is called a column group. In previous versions of Oracle, if multiple columns were specified in a query for statistics gathering, then the optimizer assumed that all columns were independent of each other. The optimizer estimated the selectivity of a combined predicate by multiplying the selectivity of single predicates. This resulted in an underestimation of selectivity. Oracle 11g introduces the concept of column groups. Column groups consist of columns with functional interdependency on number of distinct values, number of nulls, frequency histograms, and density. Oracle 11g also allows you to collect, store, and analyze data for a column group based on the interdependent functional parameters. This results in accurate costing of SQL commands or statements that involve multiple columns. You can alert the optimizer about column groups by using the CREATE_EXTENDED_STATS function. This results in easier computation of statistics for all columns and column groups. Syntax DBMS_STATS.CREATE_EXTENDED_STATS(schema_name,table_name,column_group); The schema_name parameter specifies the schema to be used. If you specify NULL instead of a schema name, the current schema is used. Instead of the column_group parameter, you can list the columns that you want to group. For example, to group COL1 and COL2 of the TABLE1 table of the current schema, use the following command: EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.CREATE_EXTENDED_STATS(NULL,'TABLE1','(COL1,COL2)'); This command returns a virtual hidden column. To view the value, you can either assign this command to a variable and display the variable or use the DBMS_STATS.SHOW_EXTENDED_STATS_NAME function. Expression Statistics If the statistics to be gathered are based on an expression, previous versions of Oracle assumed a static selectivity value of one percent. This produced inaccurate results. In Oracle 11g, the query optimizer first evaluates the expression in the query. Then, it creates virtual columns that store the values after the execution of the function, which is a part of the expression. The optimizer collects statistics from this virtual column. This works for built-in and user-defined functions. This feature relies on the virtual column infrastructure to create statistics in expressions of columns. You can create statistics on an expression as part of the GATHER_TABLE_STATS procedure as follows: EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.GATHER_TABLE_STATS(schema_name, table_name, method_opt => 'FOR ALL COLUMNS SIZE SKEWONLY FOR COLUMNS (FUNC1(COL1)) SKEWONLY'); Where, FUNC1 is the function that you want to apply on the column COL1. 61

43 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide You can also use the CREATE_EXTENDED_STATISTICS function to accomplish this: SELECT DBMS_STATS.CREATE_EXTENDED_STATS(schema_name, table_name, '(FUNC1(COL1))') FROM DUAL; Pending Statistics By default, the statistics gathering operation automatically stores the gathered statistics in the data dictionary every time it completes the iteration of an object. They are available to the optimizer as soon as they are written to the data dictionary. The new statistics are called current statistics. This automatic publishing of data can be an issue if the DBA is unsure of the data and its effects. Also, the statistics will be inconsistent if the table statistics are published before the statistics of its indexes, partitions, or subpartitions. In Oracle Database 11g, you can separate the process of publishing from gathering. Separating these two tasks makes it possible to publish the statistics of all tables and all dependent objects in a schema at the same time. By doing so, the optimizer will have a consistent view of statistics, and if the gathering process fails at any stage, the process can be restarted from the same stage by using the DBMS_STAT.RESUME_GATHER_STATS procedure. If the data is not automatically published, the DBA can validate the new statistics by testing them first. After the DBA is satisfied with the results, the DBA can manually publish these statistics to the production environment and make them current. To initiate pending statistics to be collected, you can use the DBMS_STATS.SET_TABLE_PREFS function as follows: EXECUTE DBMS_STATS.SET_TABLE_PREFS(schema_name,table_name,'PUBLISH','FALSE'); This command sets the PUBLISH option to FALSE. The gathered statistics are stored in the pending statistics tables instead of being written to the data dictionary. After you have gathered pending statistics, you can test the statistics in the following two ways: You can transfer the pending statistics to a statistics table by using the DBMS_STAT.EXPORT_PENDING_STATS procedure. Then, you can export the statistics to a test system. After testing is complete, you can import the statistics back and render the pending statistics current by using the DBMS_STAT.IMPORT_TABLE_STATS procedure. You can enable the optimizer to use session-pending statistics by setting the session initialization parameter OPTIMIZER_USE_PENDING_STATISTICS to TRUE. By default, this parameter is set to FALSE. You can use the DBMS_STAT.DIFF_TABLE_STATS procedure to check for differences between the current statistics and any pending statistics that you might have in your statistics table. After testing the pending statistics, you can publish these statistics as current statistics by using the DBMS_STAT.PUBLISH_PENDING_STATS procedure. 62

44 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide The complete process can be split into five high-level steps: 1. Use the SET_TABLE_PREFS procedure to set the PUBLISH option to FALSE. This will prevent automatic publishing of the statistics as current. 2. Gather the statistics for the table in the pending area. 3. Set OPTIMIZER_USE_PENDING_STATISTICS to TRUE to prepare for testing the pending statistics. This will cause the optimizer to use pending instead of current statistics. 4. Issue queries against table and perform any functions you want to test. 5. If you are satisfied by the test results, use the PUBLISH_PENDING_STATS procedure to publish the pending statistics as current and set OPTIMIZER_USE_PENDING_STATISTICS back to FALSE. 63

45 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Review Checklist: Performance Enhancements ADDM Enhancements Set up Automatic Memory Management. Enhancements in statistics collection 64

46 Oracle 1Z0-050 Study Guide Test Taking Strategies The Oracle Certified Associate, Professional, and Master Credentials identify a standard of competence for entry-level and professional job roles that utilize Oracle products. Oracle s certification program is a recognized credential that signifies a proven level of knowledge and ability. With each level of certification, a higher benchmark of ability is set for greater opportunities and higher pay. The 1Z0-050 exam is required to upgrade your Oracle10g DBA Certified Professional status. Passing this exam and earning this certification demonstrates your ability to function as an Oracle 11g DBA. Earning your Oracle10g DBA OCP status is a prerequisite for taking this exam. This exam is proctored, meaning you can take the exam at an Oracle University Training Center or an Authorized Prometric Testing Center. Oracle Certification Roadmap The 1Z0-050 exam is required if you are upgrading your Oracle10g DBA OCP certification to Oracle 11g DBA Professional certification. The Oracle 11g DBA Professional credential is a prerequisite for the Oracle 11g DBA Master credential. An Oracle candidate should combine training with on-the-job experience. Many of the exam questions are based on real-world scenarios so hands-on experience with the software is vital. To review the Oracle 11g DBA OCP upgrade certification track: To review the objectives for the 1Z0-050 exam: Registering for the Exam To register for the exam, visit: 192

47 Study Guide Preview Cert MSCert Microsoft Cert-1Z0-050 DBCert Oracle Cert CompCert CompTIA

48 CompTIA Study Guide Contents Contents... 3 About Your Transcender Study Guide... 5 Personal Computer Components... 6 Identify the Fundamental Principles of Using Personal Computers... 7 Install, Configure, Optimize, and Upgrade Personal Computer Components Identify Tools, Diagnostic Procedures, and Troubleshooting Techniques for Personal Computer Components Perform Preventive Maintenance on Personal Computer Components Review Checklist: Personal Computer Components Laptops and Portable Devices Identify Fundamental Principles of Using Laptops and Portable Devices Install, Configure, Optimize, and Upgrade Laptops and Portable Devices Use Tools, Diagnostic Procedures, and Troubleshooting Techniques for Laptops and Portable Devices 61 Perform Preventive Maintenance on Laptops and Portable Devices Review Checklist: Laptops and Portable Devices Operating Systems Identify the Fundamental Principles of Operating Systems Install, Configure, Optimize, and Upgrade Operating Systems Identify Tools, Diagnostic Procedures, and Troubleshooting Techniques for Operating Systems Perform Preventive Maintenance for Operating Systems Review Checklist: Operating Systems Printers and Scanners Identify the Fundamental Principles of Printers and Scanners Install, Configure, Optimize, and Upgrade Printers and Scanners Identify Tools, Diagnostic Procedures, and Troubleshooting Techniques for Printers and Scanners Review Checklist: Printers and Scanners Networks Identify the Fundamental Principles of Networks Install, Configure, Optimize, and Upgrade Networks Identify Tools, Diagnostic Procedures, and Troubleshooting Techniques for Networks Review Checklist: Networks Security Identify the Fundamental Principles of Security Install, Configure, Upgrade, and Optimize Security Identify Tools, Diagnostic Procedures, and Troubleshooting Techniques for Security Perform Preventive Maintenance for Computer Security Review Checklist: Security Safety and Environmental Issues Describe the Aspects and Importance of Safety and Environmental Issues Identify Potential Hazards and Implement Proper Safety Procedures Identify Proper Disposal Procedures for Batteries, Display Devices, Chemical Solvents, and Cans Review Checklist: Safety and Environmental Issues Communication and Professionalism Use Good Communication Skills when Communicating with Customers and Colleagues Use Job-Related Professional Behavior Review Checklist: Communication and Professionalism

49 CompTIA Study Guide Test Taking Strategies Test Day Strategies Test Item Types Thank you and good luck on your exam!

50 CompTIA Study Guide About Your Transcender Study Guide IT professionals agree! Transcender has consistently been voted the industry's #1 practice exam. This Study Guide complements your TranscenderCert TM practice exam. The Study Guide is objective-driven and contains a variety of tools to help you focus your study efforts. Each Study Guide contains structured sections to help you prepare for your certification exam: Scope :: identifies the learning objectives for each section Focused Explanation :: provides definitions, in-depth discussions and examples Review Checklist :: highlights the key learning points at the end of each major section Additional sections to further assist you are located at the end of each Study Guide: Test Taking Strategies General Tips Explanation of Test Item Types The following study model will help you optimize your study time. Develop a Study Plan Assess your knowledge Focus on weak areas Track your progress Prepare To Pass Start early, at least 6 weeks out Don t try to cram Set aside specific study times Use a disciplined approach so you can thoroughly prepare Stick to your plan Assess your current knowledge level Take a Transcender practice exam using Preset Experience The objective-based score report shows you the areas where you are strong and the areas where you need to focus your study efforts Read the Study Guide by objective Use the practice exam in Optimize Experience mode Study the test items by objective Use the included TranscenderFlash cards to review key concepts Use your favorite references to get further information on complex material Take a Transcender practice exam using Preset Experience again If you didn t score 100%, go back to your study plan and focus on weak areas Study those objective areas where you didn t score 100% Keep practicing until you consistently score 100% in all areas Transcender s commitment to product quality, to our team and to our customers continues to differentiate us from other companies. Transcender uses an experienced team of certified subject-matter experts, technical writers, and technical editors to create and edit the most indepth and realistic study material. Every Transcender product goes through a rigorous, multistage editing process to ensure comprehensive coverage of exam objectives. Transcender study materials reinforce learning objectives and validate knowledge so you know you re prepared on exam day. 5

51 CompTIA Study Guide Printers and Scanners 108

52 CompTIA Study Guide Identify the Fundamental Principles of Printers and Scanners Scope Understand types of printers, such as laser printer, inkjet printer, dot matrix printer, thermal printer, impact printer, and solid ink printer. Discuss printer components. Learn and discuss interfaces used by printers and scanners. Focused Explanation Printers are used to print information from a computer. You can use a printer to print text, images, graphs, and other printable information. Printers are divided into two main categories: impact printers and nonimpact printers. Types of Printers Depending on the printing requirement, different types of printers are used. Printers are divided into two categories: Impact printers: These types of printers use a print head that strikes on the ribbon to print characters on a paper. Examples of impact printers are dot-matrix printers and daisy wheel printers. An impact printer allows you to print multi-part forms and carbon copies of documents. Non-impact printers: These types of printers use a print head that does not strike the paper. Unlike impact printers, non-impact printers do not allow carbon copies to be made with a single print cycle. Examples of non-impact printers are laser printers, ink-jet printers, thermal printers, and solid ink printers. Similar to other computer peripherals, printers have evolved over the years. Depending on the printing requirement, different types of printers are used Dot Matrix Printers A dot-matrix printer is an impact printer. Dot-matrix printers can print multi-part forms, also known as carbon copy printing. In multi-part form printing, two or more papers are interleaved with sheets of carbon paper. The print head strikes the top sheet, and the impact transfers the carbon image to the additional sheets. Dot-matrix printers can also print multi-part forms using a carbonless form of duplicate printing. Laser Printers A laser printer is a non-impact printer that produces high quality text and graphics on plain paper. Laser printers are also referred to as page printers because these printers receive job instructions one page at a time. These printers use toner instead of liquid ink. A laser printer has many advantages, such as faster speed and low printing cost. The slowest laser printer can print approximately four pages per minute (ppm), and the fastest printer can print approximately 200 monochrome ppm. 109

53 CompTIA Study Guide Inkjet Printers An inkjet printer is a non-impact printer that uses liquid ink stored in cartridges and can produce high quality output for text and graphics. These printers are commonly used in homes and small businesses. Inkjet printers cost less than laser printers, however, the printing cost of an inkjet printer is higher because of the cost of ink cartridges. Thermal Printers Thermal printers are non-impact printers that use a heated head to enable images to appear on a special paper. Thermal printers are usually found in some modern cash registers and fax machines. There are two categories of thermal printers: Thermal Wax Transfer printer: Uses wax-based ink for printing on paper. The print head of the printer, known as the thermal print head, melts the wax-based ink and pushes the ink out through the nozzles onto the paper. Thermal wax transfer printers, also referred to as solid ink printers, are available as monochrome, three-color, and four-color thermal wax transfer printers. These printers do not require special paper. Each page requires a full page of wax to print, regardless of the amount of data on the page. Direct Thermal printer: Prints burning dots on heat-sensitive paper. Direct thermal printers are fast, but result in low quality printing. These printers require special paper. Printer Components A printer includes several components that work together in printing. Laser Printer Components A laser printer includes various components. The following are the major components of a laser printer: Toner cartridge: Holds the toner, which is a combination of carbon compound, polyester resins, and iron particles. Fuser assembly: Consists of two rollers that heat and fuse the toner onto the paper. This prevents the toner from being brushed off if anything touches the paper. Laser scanner: Responsible for shining light on the photosensitive drum. High-voltage power supply: Converts the standard 120 volt from your wall outlet to the higher voltages required to energize both the corona wire and the transfer corona wire. DC power supply: Provides power to the rest of printer components, such as the circuit boards, motors, and other electrical parts that do not require high voltage. Paper transport assembly: Moves paper from one component to the other as part of the printing process. 110

54 CompTIA Study Guide Corona: Transfers the toner from the drum to the paper. It does this by using high voltage current to give the paper a charge, causing the toner to stick to the paper. Printer controller circuitry: Converts print signals from a computer into signals that the printer components can use. A laser printer contains other components that assist in printing. These components are the main control board and read-only memory module. The main control board, also referred to as interface controller, includes a processor, Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) firmware, random access memory (RAM), and read-only memory (ROM) modules. The ROM module contains printer languages and fonts. Inkjet Printer Components An inkjet printer consists of following components: Power supply board: Supplies power to the printer electronics, such as the circuit boards, within the printer and electromechanical components, such as the paper feed mechanism and nozzle assembly, within the printer. Main control board: Controls the operation of the printer. The main control board contains the circuitry for controlling the paper feed and the circuitry that drives the nozzle assembly. Ink cartridge: Contains ink. Black and white printers use a single black ink cartridge. Color printers may use a black cartridge and a partitioned cartridge containing cyan-, yellow-, and magentacolored inks. Ink cartridge print head assembly: Consists of nozzles (one for each color of ink) that move horizontally back and forth across the paper. The print head traverses the paper horizontally, depositing drops of ink to form characters or graphics on the paper. The cartridges are a part of the ink cartridge print head assembly, and move with the print head. Paper feed mechanism: Feeds and moves the paper as printing proceeds. Inkjet printers use friction feed. The paper feed mechanism is driven by a motor allowing the printer to move the paper. Ink cartridge print head assembly positioning motor: Horizontally traverses the ink cartridge print head assembly across the paper during printing. The main control board drives the motor. Printer Interfaces The connection through which a printer is connected to a computer is referred as the printer interface. Printers use various interfaces, such as a parallel interface, network interface, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, serial interface, IEEE 1394/FireWire interface, wireless interface, and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interface, to communicate with a computer. 111

55 CompTIA Study Guide Parallel Interface Parallel printer cables use a 36-pin Centronics connector on the end that attaches to a printer, and a male DB-25 connector on the end that attaches to a computer's parallel port. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) created a specification for an IEEE 1284 cable, which is used for bidirectional data transfer. A standard cable allows data transfers from a computer to a printer, but the IEEE 1284 cable allows the printer to send data back to the computer. Parallel printer cables are normally limited to 10 feet in length. Network Interface Printers that can be configured on the network are known as network printers. These printers are equipped with a network interface card (NIC), configured with an IP address, and are able to execute print jobs sent by remote computers on the network. A network printer appears to the network as another host and typically uses the RJ-45 port to connect to the network. You can connect network printers using a network cable. To attach a network cable to the network printer, connect one end to the RJ-45 port in the printer and other end to any available RJ-45 port on the network. Some printers are connected to a central print server to enable central maintenance and configuration. Using a print server, the printer drivers for all operating systems can be installed in a central location, ready for installation on any networked computer. USB Interface The USB interface allows you to connect the printer to your computer s USB port. The USB port provides faster transfer rates, and it is hot-swappable and supported by most of the available operating systems. A USB 1.0 interface allows the data transfer speed of 1.5 megabits per second (Mbps), and a USB 2.0 interface allows the data transfer speed of 480 Mbps. This interface is widely used and is the fastest interface for printing from a computer. Serial Interface Serial interface printers tend to be slow, due to the speed of the serial interface. The data transfer speed of serial interface is slow because this interface transfers data one bit at a time. The only advantage of using a serial interface for printers is that you can use a longer cable to connect the printer to a computer. IEEE 1394/FireWire The IEEE 1394/FireWire port is a high-speed serial-transmission port that allows devices to be hotplugged. A FireWire port can be seen in modern laptops. The high data transfer rates make it the port of choice for transferring digital image files. 112

56 CompTIA Study Guide Wireless Interface A wireless interface is used to connect printers without using a network cable. Wireless interface technologies, such as Bluetooth, b, and infrared, are becoming popular for connecting a printer to a computer. Bluetooth is a wireless technology that provides convergence between a variety of wirelessenabled devices, such as computers, printers, cellular telephones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and other Bluetooth-supported devices. The IEEE b is a wireless standard and is referred to as Wi- Fi. Most printers have a built-in b interface that is used to connect printers on a wireless network. Infrared is also used as a wireless interface to establish communication with other infrared compatible devices. There are many infrared devices available, such as printers and laptops. The infrared devices work in a limited area of one meter and require a clear view of other devices with which they are communicating. SCSI Interface SCSI printers can print at speeds faster than parallel port printers. However, SCSI printers are rarely used because SCSI is a relatively expensive interface. Recap Printers are divided into two categories: impact printers and non-impact printers. Impact printers use a print head that strikes on the ribbon to print characters on paper. Non-impact printers use a print head that does not strike the paper. A laser printer is a type of non-impact printer that produces high quality text and graphics on a plain paper. An inkjet is a type of non-impact printer. These printers use liquid ink and produce high quality output. Dot-matrix printers are often used for printing multi-part forms, also known as carbon copy printing. In multi-part form printing, two or more papers are interleaved with sheets of carbon paper or a carbonless form for duplicate printing. Thermal printers are non-impact printers and use a heated head to enable images to appear on a special paper. Thermal printers are mainly divided into two categories: thermal wax transfer printer and direct thermal printer. The toner cartridge holds the toner, which is a combination of carbon compound, polyester resins, and iron particles. The corona is part of the laser printing system that transfers the toner from the drum to the paper. Black and white printers use a single black ink cartridge. Color printers may use a black cartridge and a partitioned cartridge containing cyan-, yellow-, and magenta-colored inks. 113

57 CompTIA Study Guide Parallel printer cables use a 36-pin Centronics connector on the end that attaches to a printer, and a male DB-25 connector on the end that attaches to a computer's parallel port. Printers that can be configured on the network are known as network printers. A network printer appears to the network as another host and typically uses the RJ-45 port to connect to the network. The USB interface is used for serial data transfers and allows high transfer speeds. The hot-swap capabilities of these interfaces make them attractive for use with printers. Serial interface printers can be slow, due to the speed of the serial interface. The IEEE 1394/FireWire port is a high-speed serial-transmission port that allows devices to be hot-plugged. Wireless interface is used to connect printers without using a network cable. Wireless interface technologies, such as Bluetooth, b, and infrared, are becoming popular. 114

58 CompTIA Study Guide Install, Configure, Optimize, and Upgrade Printers and Scanners Scope Learn to install printers. Learn to configure printer options and default settings. Discuss procedures to optimize printer performance. Focused Explanation To make a printer operational, you should first install the printer. USB printers support the Windows Plugand-Play (PnP) feature that automatically detects the printer and installs the required driver for the printer. Unlike USB printers, you have to manually install parallel printers on a computer. This requires turning off the computer, connecting the printer to the computer, and then restarting the computer to install the printer driver. After installing the printer, you should configure printer options to optimize the printer's performance according to your requirements. Installing a Printer and a Scanner Printers Microsoft Windows XP supports the PnP feature that automatically detects and installs peripheral devices, such as mouse, printers, and scanners. To determine whether a new printer is supported by Windows operating system, you should check the Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) provided by Microsoft for your version of Windows operating system. You should also check the printer's documentation to see whether the device supports a particular version of Windows operating system. Modern printers use a USB interface to connect to a computer. To install a USB printer, you should connect the printer to a computer and let the Windows XP PnP feature automatically detect and install the appropriate printer driver. If an operating system is unable to install the appropriate printer driver automatically, you should use driver installation media provided by the printer manufacturer to install the printer on the computer. If you want to install a parallel printer on a Windows XP computer, you should use the Add a printer option in the Printers and Faxes icon in Control Panel. You should read the instructions specified in the printer s manual before installing a new printer. Configure Printer Options and Default Settings After installing the printer, you must configure the printer options and settings. To configure the printer options, you should adhere to the following steps: Open Printers and Faxes from the Start menu. Right-click the installed printer, and click Properties. Click the Device Settings tab. You can configure printer options, such as the Form to Tray Assignment option that is used to set paper trays used by a printer. To reset your printer to default settings, follow these steps: 115

59 CompTIA Study Guide Open Printers and Faxes from the Start menu. Right-click the installed printer, and click Properties. Click the Advanced tab, and click Printing Defaults. This will reset your printer settings to default settings. Printing a Test Page You should print a test page to check if the printer is installed and configured correctly. By printing a test page, you can verify the printer configuration, such as data format, share name, location, driver name, and driver version. The test page also allows you to inspect the print quality. To print a test page on a network printer in Windows XP computer, perform the following steps: Click Start Printers and Faxes to display the Printers window. In the Printers window, right-click the printer, and select Properties. On the General tab of the printer's Properties dialog box, click Print Test Page. Note: You can use low-resolution printing to achieve high-speed printing with low quality. Optimize Printer Performance You can optimize printer performance by configuring printer settings, such as tray switching, print spool settings, device calibration, media types, and paper orientation. You can configure tray switching from the Device Settings in the printer's Properties dialog box. To configure tray selection, follow these steps: Open Printers and Faxes from the Start menu. Right-click the installed printer, and click Properties. On the General tab, click the Printing Preferences. On the Paper/Quality tab, you can set Tray Selection options, such as Paper Source and Media Type. To configure paper orientation, follow these steps: Open Printers and Faxes from the Start menu. Right-click the installed printer, and click Properties. On the General tab, click the Printing Preferences. On the Layout tab, you can set paper orientation by selecting Portrait or Landscape. 116

60 CompTIA Study Guide Scanners Scanners are used for scanning documents or pictures. Scanners are often compatible with parallel connectors, such as a computer's DB-25 female connector, which is often used to connect a parallel printer to a computer. Image scanners can connect to a computer through either a USB port or a parallel port. Other popular high-speed interfaces used by scanners include SCSI or IEEE 1394/FireWire. Some scanners also use the RS-232 serial port. However, the RS-232 serial port has a low bandwidth. Therefore, nowadays scanners are rarely designed to transfer data to a computer by using RS-232 connections. To install a scanner that uses a USB interface, you need to connect the scanner to the USB port on the computer and allow the Windows XP PnP feature to automatically detect the scanner and install the appropriate scanner driver. If you are installing a parallel scanner, you should install the scanner by using the Scanners and Cameras option in Control Panel and use the scanner driver installation media provided by the manufacturer. Recap Windows XP supports the PnP feature that automatically detects and installs peripheral devices, such as mouse and printers. If an operating system is unable to install the appropriate printer driver automatically, you should use the driver installation media provided by the vendor to install a printer on a computer. You should configure printer options to optimize a printer's performance. You should print a test page to check if the printer is installed and configured correctly. By printing a test page, you can verify the printer configuration, such as data format, share name, location, driver name, and driver version. You can optimize printer performance by configuring printer settings, such as tray switching, print spool settings, device calibration, media types, and paper orientation. Scanners are used for scanning documents or pictures. To install a USB scanner, connect the scanner to the USB port on the computer and allow the Windows XP PnP feature to automatically detect and install the appropriate scanner driver. 117

61 CompTIA Study Guide Identify Tools, Diagnostic Procedures, and Troubleshooting Techniques for Printers and Scanners Scope Discuss diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting techniques. Understand common printer problems. Identify solutions to printer problems. Focused Explanation Most printers have a self-test capability that allows them to test their functionality when a printer starts. If you suspect a problem with a printer, you should first run the self test to check the functionality of the printer. If the self test is successful, you will need to check other options, such as the printer cable, network interface card connectivity, or printer configuration, on the client computer or the print server. Diagnostic Procedures Before troubleshooting a printer or scanner problem, you should gather required information about problems. This information assists in diagnosing problems and troubleshooting problems efficiently. To gather the information about printer or scanner problems, you should adhere to the following guidelines: Identify the symptoms that are causing the problem. Review device error codes that assist in diagnosing problems. View event logs for detailed information of the problem. When the problem occurs, the Windows operating system creates a log that contains the information of the problem. To view event logs, you can use Event Viewer in the Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems. Print a test page. Use vendor-specific diagnostic utilities. Some vendors provide diagnostic tools or Web-based utilities that can be used to identify the cause of a problem. Some printers have built-in utilities or have a self-test button that can be used to diagnose a problem. The self-test button assists in testing the print engine. Error codes and messages displayed on a printer are vendor-specific. Table 4-1 shows some examples of common error codes for HP Laser Jet printers. 118

62 CompTIA Study Guide Error Code Description 11 Paper Out The paper tray sensor reports that there is no paper in the paper tray. 13 Paper Jam A piece of paper is stuck in the paper path, causing a paper jam. 16 Toner Low The toner cartridge is out of toner. 24 JOB Memory Full The print job is complex and larger than the printer can handle. This error can usually be resolved by adding memory to the printer. 02 Warming Up The fuser is warming up. 50 Fuser Error A fuser lamp failure. You should replace the fuser to resolve this problem Table 4-1: HP Laser Jet Printer Error Codes After you have gathered the information about the printer problem, you should adhere to the following guidelines: Review and analyze collected data to troubleshoot the problem more efficiently. Establish probable causes, such as printer driver problem, paper jam problem, or print quality problem. Review service documentation to resolve printer problems. Service documentation includes solutions to many printer problems. Define and isolate the problems, whether it is a hardware or software problem. If it is a hardware problem, replace printer consumables, such as toner cartridge and print head. If it is a software problem, you should try reinstalling the printer driver. When you have resolved the problem, test the printer by printing a test page and by verifying the proper functionality. Troubleshooting Techniques Some common techniques, such as calibrating a printer or restarting the print spooler service, are used to troubleshoot printer problems. If a printer is not printing colors correctly or is printing blurred documents, you should calibrate the printer. Calibrating the printer ensures that printed documents contain the same color as displayed on your monitor. When colors of a printed image are different from that displayed on the monitor, the first step is to calibrate the monitor and then the printer, which can be done by using the printer driver. Calibrating a printer requires you to adjust printer color settings, brightness and contrast settings, and paper type settings. You can adjust these settings from the printer's Properties dialog box. 119

63 CompTIA Study Guide Spooling is the process of loading files that must be printed into a buffer until the printer is ready to print the files. The print spooler service in Windows manages the queue for print jobs to be printed. Before you can print the files from an application, Windows creates a spool file and stores the files that must be printed. After the spool file is created, Windows transfers control to the application and then sends the file to be printed. After the file is printed, Windows deletes the file from the spool file. You can configure a printer to start printing after the first page is spooled. To do so in Windows 2000 or Windows XP, you must perform the following steps: Click Start Printer and Faxes. Right-click the printer for which you want to update the driver, and select Properties. Select the Advanced tab in the printer s Properties dialog box, and select the Spool print documents so the program finishes printing faster option. Select the Start printing immediately option. Windows 2000 or Windows XP automatically spools the first page before it starts printing. Note: If you are printing a document from a computer but the printer does not print the document and you observe that print jobs are queued in the printer spooler, then you should restart the Print Spooler service to resolve this problem. Similarly, if you are troubleshooting a printer problem in which the printer suddenly stops working and you are unable to print a test page, then you should first inspect the Printer Spooler service. Solutions to Common Printer and Scanner Problems You must have good technical knowledge to troubleshoot printer problems. Printer problems occur for many reasons. Some common printer problems include printer driver failure, poor printer quality, paper feed and output errors, fuzzy printing, paper jams, and missing or partial print jobs. Printer Driver Problem A printer driver is a program that acts as a mediator between the computer or its applications and the print device. A printer driver accepts instructions from the computer application and passes it to the printer. If there is a problem with the printer driver, the printer can stop printing or can print incorrectly. Reasons for printer driver problems include: A newly installed software package or program overwrites the printer driver files with incorrect driver files. An update of the operating system corrupts the printer driver. An incompatible version of the printer driver is installed in the operating system. Note: If you connect a new printer to Windows XP Home via USB cable and Windows XP Home detects the device but still the printer is not working, the problem is probably due to the printer's driver not being installed. 120

64 CompTIA Study Guide Note: If a printing problem occurs, always troubleshoot the most obvious issues first. Ensure that there is paper in the printer and that the printer is connected as a local printer or to a network. If a printing problem persists, you should troubleshoot the print spooler and driver. Paper Quality Problem Print quality on paper largely depends on the toner or the cartridge. For example, if a laser print drum is scratched, your print job will have vertical lines. If this occurs, you should replace the toner cartridge. A new toner cartridge will produce acceptable print quality. A laser printer that has the toner cartridge replaced may print documents that are smudged and smeared. The smudged and smeared printing usually appears when a toner cartridge has been cleaned. To avoid this problem, after cleaning the toner cartridge, you should print a few test sheets to ensure that there is no excess toner. Paper Feed and Output Problems Paper feed and output problems normally occur with tractors and friction feed. The tractors, found on dotmatrix printers, adjust the paper on the printer. The tractors hold paper that has holes on both sides. If the paper is not adjusted properly, the tractor cannot push the paper through the printer properly. Uneven adjustment of the paper causes paper jam problems. Dot-matrix printers use a platen, a rubberized roller to hold the paper in place and to help advance the continuous paper. A dot-matrix printer may print dark and clear on the left side of the paper, but print lighter colors on the right side of the paper. If the platen does not hold the paper evenly, the print will appear lighter as you move across the page. Adjusting the platen usually solves the problem. Friction feeds are prone to humidity problems. Humidity can cause the paper to absorb moisture. When papers have moisture, they stick together resulting in more than one sheet being pushed into the assembly for printing. If the friction feeders are not clean, they can also force the rollers to pick up multiple sheets of paper, causing a paper jam. Note: When a printer is not feeding paper properly due to excessive wear on the printer, you should first inspect the pickup roller of the printer. Fuzzy Printing Laser and inkjet printers can produce fuzzy printing. A laser printer produces fuzzy printing when the printer paper is damp. When the paper is damp, the toner is not able to fuse ink permanently onto the paper and the printed content will appear fuzzy. When the toner is running low on ink, it tends to produce light-colored or fuzzy printing. This is also a symptom of damp paper. When a printer produces fuzzy printing, you should first try replacing the paper. If that fails to correct the problem, then replace the toner. The corona wire also needs to be cleaned occasionally. During a printing process, the corona wire collects toner. If the corona wire is not cleaned periodically, the printed content will appear faded. 121

65 CompTIA Study Guide If a laser printer produces accurate images that smear easily, you should replace the fuser assembly. A laser printer's fuser contains two rollers, which use heat and pressure to fuse an image onto the paper. You may need to replace a blown fuser assembly to resolve the problem. Paper Jam Problem Laser printers are more prone to paper jams. Paper jams commonly occur in the following places: At the feeder. This indicates that the feeder wheel is worn out or needs immediate replacement. This can also indicate that improper paper is being used, such as paper that is too thick or too thin. You should ensure that the paper meets the recommendations of the printer manufacturer. At the corona assembly. This usually occurs when the static eliminator strip or the transfer corona wire is damaged. At the feed rollers. This usually occurs when one of the rollers is damaged. Defective feed rollers pick up multiple papers at once. When a paper jam occurs in a laser printer, the display panel flashes a paper jam message. After fixing the component that caused the paper jam, you should open the printer cover and then close it. Opening and closing the printer cover removes the paper jam message from the display panel. Missing or Partial Characters Printing Problems related to missing or partial character printing typically occur in dot-matrix printers. A defective print head can cause a dot-matrix printer to print only partial characters. Dot-matrix printers use an array of pins to strike an inked printer ribbon that prints characters or generates images on the paper. The individual pins in the print head are controlled by electromagnets, which move the pins to form specific characters. The failure of some or all of the pins in the print head to move in response to the electromagnetic force will have an obvious and immediate effect on the printer's ability to print specific characters. A print head could also be misaligned in such a way that only the bottom half of its pins strike the printer ribbon. In such cases, the printer would render only partial characters, even if all components in the print head were functioning correctly. If possible, you should align the print head to the correct position or replace the print head with a new one. Note: If an inkjet printer is printing documents that have a horizontal line missing, then you should first troubleshoot the print head to resolve the problem. Common Scanner Problems Scanner problems occur for many reasons, such as incorrect driver, power cable unplugged, and faulty scanner components. To resolve scanner problems, you should adhere to the following guidelines: Check that the cables are connected properly. 122

66 CompTIA Study Guide Recap Verify that scanner driver is properly installed in the computer. Check the scanner components to ensure they are working properly. If a component is faulty, you must replace the component. Most printers have the self-test capability, which allows them to test the printer functionality when a printer starts. Before troubleshooting a printer problem, you should gather information about printer or scanner problems. This information helps to diagnose problems and troubleshoot efficiently. You should use vendor-specific diagnostic utilities. Some vendors provide diagnostic tools or Webbased utilities to identify the cause of the problem. You should define and isolate problems, whether it is a hardware problem or software problem. If the printer is not printing color correctly or printing blurred documents, you should calibrate the printer. Spooling is the process of loading files into a buffer until the printer is ready to print the files. Some common printer problems include failed printer driver, poor print quality, paper feed and output errors, fuzzy printing, paper jam, and missing or partial printing. A printer driver is a program that acts as a mediator between the computer application that creates the document and the print device. Print quality on paper largely depends on the toner or the cartridge. A laser printer that has the toner cartridge replaced may print documents that are smudged and smeared. Paper feed and output problems normally occur with the tractors and the friction feed. The tractors, found on dot-matrix printers, adjust the paper on the printer. Friction feeds are prone to humidity problems. Humidity can cause the paper to absorb moisture. Laser and inkjet printers can produce fuzzy printing. A laser printer causes fuzzy printing when the printer paper is damp. If a laser printer produces accurate images that tend to smear easily, then you should replace the fuser assembly. Missing or partial characters printing errors generally occur in dot-matrix printers. A defective print head can cause a dot-matrix printer to print only partial characters. Scanner problems occur for many reasons such as incorrect driver, power cable unplugged, and faulty scanner components. 123

67 CompTIA Study Guide Review Checklist: Printers and Scanners Understand types of printers, such as laser printer, inkjet printer, dot matrix printer, thermal printer, impact printer, and solid ink printer. Discuss printer components. Learn and discuss interfaces used by printers and scanners. Learn to install printers. Learn to configure printer options and default settings. Discuss procedures to optimize printer performance. Discuss diagnostic procedures and troubleshooting techniques. Understand common printer problems. Identify solutions to printer problems. 124

68 CompTIA Study Guide Test Taking Strategies The CompTIA A+ credential identifies individuals who possess excellent customer service and communication skills. Candidates should also have a good understanding and the ability to address security issues. The A+ Essentials exam will test the basic skills necessary for an entry-level service technician. The A+ Essentials exam is a proctored exam, which may be taken at a Prometric or VUE testing center. CompTIA Certification Roadmap The A+ Essentials exam is one of two exams required to achieve A+ certification. For more information on this exam and certification, visit A CompTIA A+ candidate should combine training with on-the-job experience. Many of the exam questions are based on real-world scenarios so hands-on experience is vital. Registering for the Exam An exam candidate may register for the at one of the following sites: Or Resources There are several references to prepare for this exam. Reference material for our practice test can be found in the following publication by Que Publishing: Upgrading and Repairing PCs, 17th Edition Author: Scott Mueller ISBN:

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