AZ-800 Administering Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure Questions and Answers

Only the Domain Admins group and the Enterprise Admins group can fully manage GPOs. Members of the Group Policy Creator Owners group can create new GPOs but they can’t link the GPOs to sites, the domain or OUs and they cannot manage existing GPOs.

Box 1.

We need to create a site and subnet for the remote site. The new site will be added to the Default IP Site Link so we don’t need to create a new site link. You configure the replication schedule on the site link.

Box 2.

When we pre-create an RODC account, we can specify who is allowed to attach the server to the prestaged account. This means that the User1 does not need to be added to the Domain Admins group.

Box3.

User1 can connect the RODC to the prestaged account by running the AD DS installation wizard.

Membership in the Enterprise Admins group or the Domain Admins group in the forest root domain is required.

Create a domain controller named dc3.corp.fabrikam.com in Vnet1.

In a hybrid network, you can configure Azure virtual machines as domain controllers. The domain controllers in Azure communicate with the on-premises domain controllers in the same way that on-premises domain controllers communicate with each other.

Virtual machines in an Azure virtual network receive their DNS configuration from the DNS settings configured on the virtual network. You need to configure the Azure virtual network to use DC3 as the DNS server. Then all virtual machines in the virtual network will use DC3 and their DNS server.

TASK 2

???? Objective: Configure DC3 to replicate with DC1 and DC2 only between 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM.

Step-by-Step Guide: Replication Scheduling for DC3

✅ Step 1: Promote DC3 to a Domain Controller (if not already done)

Use Server Manager or PowerShell to install the Active Directory Domain Services role and promote the server as a domain controller.

Example PowerShell command to install the AD DS role:

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Install-WindowsFeature AD-Domain-Services

To promote:

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Install-ADDSDomainController -DomainName "contoso.com"

✅ Step 2: Open Active Directory Sites and Services

Log in to DC3 or another DC with administrative tools.

Open Active Directory Sites and Services (dssite.msc).

✅ Step 3: Locate the Site

In the left pane, expand the Sites container and find the site that contains DC3.

Expand the site to find Servers.

Under Servers, select DC3.

✅ Step 4: Configure Replication Connection Objects

Expand DC3 and click on NTDS Settings.

In the right pane, you’ll see connection objects to other domain controllers (these represent replication partners).

✅ Step 5: Adjust the Replication Schedule for Each Connection

For each connection object to DC1 and DC2:

Right-click the connection object and select Properties.

Click the Change Schedule button.

✅ Step 6: Set the Replication Schedule

In the schedule window, you’ll see a grid of hours.

Clear all hours except the time window of 8 PM to 6 AM (in 1-hour blocks).

Select 8 PM to 6 AM (10 hours total) for all days.

Click OK to save.

✅ Step 7: Verify and Document

Ensure that both connection objects (to DC1 and DC2) have the updated schedule.

Document your configuration as part of your environment’s change control.

One possible solution to ensure that you can manage DC1 by using Windows Admin Center on SRV1 is to install Windows Admin Center on SRV1 and add DC1 as a managed server. Windows Admin Center is a web-based management tool that allows you to manage servers, clusters, Windows PCs, and Azure virtual machines (VMs) from a single interface. Here are the steps to install Windows Admin Center on SRV1 and add DC1 as a managed server:

On SRV1, open a web browser and go to the folder named \dc1.contoso.com\install. Download the Windows Admin Center installer file (WindowsAdminCenter.msi) and save it to a local folder, such as C:\Temp.

Run the Windows Admin Center installer file and follow the installation wizard. You can choose to install Windows Admin Center as a desktop app or as a service. For more information on how to install Windows Admin Center, see Install Windows Admin Center.

After the installation is complete, launch Windows Admin Center from the Start menu or the desktop shortcut. If you installed Windows Admin Center as a service, you can access it from a web browser by using the URL https://localhost:6516 or https:// :6516, where is the name or IP address of SRV1.

On the Windows Admin Center dashboard, click Add to add a new connection. Select Server as the connection type and enter the name or IP address of DC1 in the Server name field. Optionally, you can specify the display name, description, and tags for the connection. Click Submit to add DC1 as a managed server.

On the Windows Admin Center dashboard, you should see DC1 listed under the Servers section. Click on DC1 to open the server overview page. From here, you can manage various aspects of DC1, such as roles and features, certificates, devices, events, files, firewall, processes, registry, services, and more. For more information on how to use Windows Admin Center to manage servers, see Manage servers with Windows Admin Center.

Now, you can manage DC1 by using Windows Admin Center on SRV1. You can also add more servers or other types of connections to Windows Admin Center and manage them from the same interface

TASK 4

???? Objective:

Enforce a minimum password length of 12 characters for members of the BranchAdmins group only.

Step-by-Step Guide: Fine-Grained Password Policy (FGPP)

✅ Step 1: Verify Forest Functional Level

Fine-grained password policies require the forest functional level to be at least Windows Server 2008.

On a DC, open Active Directory Domains and Trusts (domain.msc).

Right-click the domain and select Raise Forest Functional Level to verify.

If it’s lower, consider raising it (requires caution and planning).

✅ Step 2: Open the Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC)

On a DC or management server, open ADAC:

Press Windows + R, type dsac.exe, and hit Enter.

✅ Step 3: Create a Fine-Grained Password Policy

In ADAC, in the left pane, expand the domain (e.g., contoso.com) and click System > Password Settings Container.

In the right pane, right-click and select New > Password Settings.

✅ Step 4: Configure the Password Policy

Name: e.g., BranchAdminsPSO.

Precedence: e.g., 1 (lower number = higher priority).

Minimum password length: 12.

Configure other settings as required (leave them at default if not specified).

In Directly Applies To, click Add.

Search for and select the BranchAdmins group.

Click OK.

✅ Step 5: Confirm and Apply

Click OK to create the policy.

It’s now linked directly to the BranchAdmins group, affecting only its members.

✅ Step 6: Verify the Policy

You can use PowerShell to confirm that the PSO is applied:

Get-ADUserResultantPasswordPolicy -Identity "username"

Replace "username" with a user from the BranchAdmins group. The output will show the minimum password length (should be 12).

One possible solution to register SRV1 to sync Azure file shares using the 34646045 Storage Sync Service is to use the Register-AzStorageSyncServer cmdlet from the Az.StorageSync module. This cmdlet establishes a trust relationship between the server and the Storage Sync Service, which is required for creating server endpoints and syncing files. Here are the steps to register SRV1 using the cmdlet:

On SRV1, open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following command to install the Az.StorageSync module if it is not already installed:

Install-Module -Name Az.StorageSync

Run the following command to import the Az.StorageSync module:

Import-Module -Name Az.StorageSync

Run the following command to sign in to your Azure account and select the subscription that contains the 34646045 Storage Sync Service:

Connect-AzAccount

Select-AzSubscription -SubscriptionId

Run the following command to register SRV1 with the 34646045 Storage Sync Service. You need to specify the resource group name and the Storage Sync Service name as parameters:

Register-AzStorageSyncServer -ResourceGroupName -StorageSyncServiceName 34646045

Wait for the registration to complete. You can verify the registration status by checking the Registered servers tab on the Azure portal or by running the following command:

Get-AzStorageSyncServer -ResourceGroupName -StorageSyncServiceName 34646045

Now, SRV1 is registered with the 34646045 Storage Sync Service and ready to sync Azure file shares. You can create server endpoints on SRV1 and cloud endpoints on the Azure file shares to define the sync topology.

One possible solution to monitor the security configuration of DC1 by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud is to use the Guest Configuration feature. Guest Configuration is a service that audits settings inside Linux and Windows virtual machines (VMs) to assess their compliance with your organization’s security policies. You can use Guest Configuration to monitor the security baseline settings for Windows Server in the Microsoft Defender for Cloud portal by following these steps:

On DC1, open a web browser and go to the folder named \dc1.contoso.com\install. Download the Guest Configuration extension file (GuestConfiguration.msi) and save it to a local folder, such as C:\Temp.

Run the Guest Configuration extension file and follow the installation wizard. You can choose to install the extension for all users or only for the current user. For more information on how to install the Guest Configuration extension, see Install the Guest Configuration extension.

After the installation is complete, sign in to the Microsoft Defender for Cloud portal (2).

In the left pane, select Security Center and then Recommendations.

In the recommendations list, find and select Vulnerabilities in security configuration on your Windows machines should be remediated (powered by Guest Configuration).

In the Remediate Security Configurations page, you can see the compliance status of your Windows VMs, including DC1, based on the Azure Compute Benchmark. The Azure Compute Benchmark is a set of rules that define the desired configuration state of your VMs. You can also see the number of failed, passed, and skipped rules for each VM. For more information on the Azure Compute Benchmark, see Microsoft cloud security benchmark: Azure compute benchmark is now available.

To view the details of the security configuration of DC1, click on the VM name and then select View details. You can see the list of rules that apply to DC1 and their compliance status. You can also see the severity, description, and remediation steps for each rule. For example, you can see if DC1 has the latest security updates installed, if the firewall is enabled, if the password policy is enforced, and so on.

To monitor the security configuration of DC1 over time, you can use the Compliance over time chart, which shows the trend of compliance status for DC1 in the past 30 days. You can also use the Compliance breakdown chart, which shows the distribution of compliance status for DC1 by rule severity.

By using Guest Configuration, you can monitor the security configuration of DC1 by using Microsoft Defender for Cloud and ensure that it meets your organization’s security standards. You can also use Guest Configuration to monitor the security configuration of other Windows and Linux VMs in your Azure environment.

To configure the domain to support the creation of gMSAs, you need to perform the following steps:

On a domain controller or a computer that has the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) installed, open PowerShell as an administrator and run the following command to install the Active Directory module:

Install-WindowsFeature -Name RSAT-AD-PowerShell

Run the following command to create a Key Distribution Service (KDS) root key, which is required for generating passwords for gMSAs. You only need to do this once per domain:

Add-KdsRootKey -EffectiveImmediately

Wait for at least 10 hours for the KDS root key to replicate to all domain controllers in the domain. Alternatively, you can use the -EffectiveTime parameter to specify a past date and time for the KDS root key, but this is not recommended for security reasons. For more information, see Add-KdsRootKey.

After the KDS root key is replicated, you can create and configure gMSAs using the New-ADServiceAccount and Set-ADServiceAccount cmdlets. For more information, see Create a gMSA and Configure a gMSA.

One possible solution to configure SRV1 as a DNS server that can resolve names from the contoso.com domain by using DC1 and all other names by using the root hint servers is to use conditional forwarding. Conditional forwarding allows a DNS server to forward queries for a specific domain name to another DNS server, while using the normal forwarding or root hint servers for other queries. Here are the steps to configure conditional forwarding on SRV1:

On SRV1, open DNS Manager from the Administrative Tools menu or by typing dnsmgmt.msc in the Run box.

In the left pane, right-click on Conditional Forwarders and select New Conditional Forwarder.

In the New Conditional Forwarder dialog box, enter contoso.com as the DNS Domain name.

In the IP addresses of the master servers box, enter the IP address of DC1, which is the DNS server for the contoso.com domain. You can also click on Resolve to verify the name resolution of DC1.

Optionally, you can check the box Store this conditional forwarder in Active Directory, and replicate it as follows if you want to store and replicate the conditional forwarder in AD DS. You can also select the replication scope from the drop-down list.

Click OK to create the conditional forwarder.

Now, SRV1 will forward any queries for the contoso.com domain to DC1, and use the root hint servers for any other queries. You can test the name resolution by using the nslookup command on SRV1 or another computer that uses SRV1 as its DNS server. For example, you can run the following commands:

nslookup www.contoso.com

nslookup www.microsoft.com

The first command should return the IP address of www.contoso.com from DC1, and the second command should return the IP address of www.microsoft.com from a root hint server.

To create a group-managed service account (gMSA) named gMSA1 and make it available on SRV1, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Create the Key Distribution Services Root Key First, you need to create the KDS Root Key, which is required for the gMSA to function. You can do this with the following PowerShell command:

Add-KdsRootKey –EffectiveTime ((get-date).addhours(-10))

Note: The -EffectiveTime parameter is set to 10 hours in the past to ensure immediate effect.

Step 2: Create the gMSA Next, use the New-ADServiceAccount cmdlet to create the gMSA:

New-ADServiceAccount -Name gMSA1 -DNSHostName gmsa1.domain.com -PrincipalsAllowedToRetrieveManagedPassword SRV1$

Replace domain.com with your actual domain name.

Step 3: Install the gMSA on SRV1 Now, you need to install the gMSA on the server SRV1. Run the following command on SRV1:

Install-ADServiceAccount -Identity gMSA1

Step 4: Test the gMSA To ensure that the gMSA is installed correctly and ready for use, perform a test using:

Test-ADServiceAccount -Identity gMSA1

If the test returns True, the gMSA is correctly installed and ready for use on SRV1.

Step 5: Configure the Service to Use the gMSA Finally, configure the service that requires the gMSA to use gMSA1 by setting the service’s logon account to domain\gMSA1$ and leave the password field blank.

This will create and make the gMSA gMSA1 available on SRV1. Ensure that you have the necessary permissions and that SRV1 is properly joined to the domain before proceeding with these steps123.

To deploy a new primary DNS zone named fabrikam.com to DC1 and sign the zone, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Create the Primary DNS Zone Use the Add-DnsServerPrimaryZone PowerShell command to create the primary zone:

Add-DnsServerPrimaryZone -Name "fabrikam.com" -ZoneFile "fabrikam.com.dns" -DynamicUpdate Secure

This command creates a primary zone for fabrikam.com with a DNS file named fabrikam.com.dns and allows secure dynamic updates.

Step 2: Sign the Zone To sign the zone, you can use the DNS Manager or Windows PowerShell. Here’s how to sign the zone using PowerShell:

Add-DnsServerSigningKey -ZoneName "fabrikam.com" -Type KeySigningKey -CryptoAlgorithm RsaSha256

Set-DnsServerDnsSecZoneSetting -ZoneName "fabrikam.com" -DenialOfExistence NSEC3 -NSEC3Parameters 1,0,10,""

These commands add a signing key to the zone and set DNSSEC settings with NSEC3 parameters.

Step 3: Publish the Signed Zone After signing the zone, ensure that it is published and available for DNS queries. You can verify the zone signing status using the following command:

Get-DnsServerZone -Name "fabrikam.com"

Note: Ensure that you have the appropriate permissions to perform these actions on DC1 and that the DNS Server role is installed and properly configured. Also, replace "fabrikam.com.dns" with the actual path to your DNS file if it’s different12.

By following these steps, you should be able to deploy and sign the new primary DNS zone fabrikam.com on DC1.

TASK 7

???? Objective:

Attach the VHDX file c:\vhds\Disk1.vhdx to VM1 so it can dynamically expand when VM1 is running.

Step-by-Step Guide

✅ Step 1: Verify the VHDX File Type

Dynamic expansion means the virtual disk type should be dynamic (not fixed).

Let’s verify the disk type of Disk1.vhdx:

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Get-VHD -Path "c:\vhds\Disk1.vhdx"

In the output, ensure that VhdType shows Dynamic.

If it’s not dynamic, convert it:

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Convert-VHD -Path "c:\vhds\Disk1.vhdx" -DestinationPath "c:\vhds\Disk1_dynamic.vhdx" -VHDType Dynamic

✅ Step 2: Attach the VHDX to VM1

Use PowerShell to add the disk to VM1:

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Add-VMHardDiskDrive -VMName "VM1" -Path "c:\vhds\Disk1.vhdx"

✅ Or do it via Hyper-V Manager:

Open Hyper-V Manager.

Select VM1 and go to Settings.

In the left pane, select SCSI Controller (recommended for hot-add).

Click Add Hard Drive.

Browse and select c:\vhds\Disk1.vhdx.

Click Apply and OK.

✅ Step 3: Verify Hot-Add Support (Optional)

If VM1 is running Windows Server 2012 or later and uses a SCSI Controller, the VHDX can be added without shutting down the VM.

✅ Step 4: Verify the Disk in the VM

Inside VM1, open Disk Management (diskmgmt.msc).

The newly attached disk should appear as unallocated.

Initialize it, create a volume, and format if needed.

Summary

VHDX file type: Must be dynamic for expanding.

Hot-adding supported if attached via SCSI Controller and OS supports it.

Now Disk1.vhdx is attached to VM1 and can expand dynamically.

To run a container on SRV1 using the mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore/iis image, publish port 60 on the container to port 5001 on SRV1, and ensure it runs in the background, you can follow these steps:

Step 1: Pull the IIS Image First, pull the IIS image from the Microsoft Container Registry:

docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore/iis

Step 2: Run the Container Next, run the container with the required port mapping and ensure it runs in the background using the -d flag:

docker run -d -p 5001:60 --name iis_container mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore/iis

This command will start a container named iis_container using the IIS image, map port 60 inside the container to port 5001 on SRV1, and run the container in detached mode.

Step 3: Verify the Container is Running To verify that the container is running and the port is published, use the following command:

docker ps

This will list all running containers and show the port mappings.

Step 4: Access the IIS Server You can now access the IIS server running in the container by navigating to http:// :5001 in a web browser, where is the IP address of SRV1.

Note: Ensure that Docker is installed on SRV1 and that the port 5001 is open on the firewall to allow incoming connections1.

By following these steps, you should be able to run the IIS container on SRV1 with the specified port mapping and have it running in the background.

Objective:

Configure the DHCP server SRV1 to lease IP addresses only to computers with MAC addresses starting with AABB in a specific range.

Step-by-Step Guide

✅ Step 1: Open DHCP Management Console

Log in to SRV1 with Domain Admin or DHCP Admin privileges.

Open DHCP Manager:

Press Windows + R, type dhcpmgmt.msc, and press Enter.

✅ Step 2: Create a New DHCP Scope

In the DHCP console, expand SRV1.

Right-click IPv4 and select New Scope.

The New Scope Wizard opens.

✅ Step 3: Configure the Scope

Name:

Enter a name (e.g., MAC-Filtered Scope).

Click Next.

IP Address Range:

Start IP: 192.168.1.190

End IP: 192.168.1.200

Subnet mask: as appropriate (e.g., 255.255.255.0).

Click Next.

Add Exclusions:

None needed unless you want to reserve certain addresses.

Click Next.

Lease Duration:

Set as needed, default is usually fine.

Click Next.

Configure DHCP Options:

You can skip or configure as needed (gateway, DNS, etc.).

Click Next.

Activate Scope:

Click Yes to activate it.

✅ Step 4: Configure MAC Address Filtering (Allow List)

In the DHCP console, expand the scope you created.

Right-click Filters under the scope and choose New Filter.

Enter the MAC address pattern to match devices with MAC addresses starting with AABB:

MAC Address: AABB*

Description: e.g., Allow devices starting with AABB.

Click Add.

✅ Step 5: Enable Allow Filters

Right-click Filters under the scope and select Enable.

Ensure that only devices matching the AABB pattern will receive leases.

✅ Step 6: Test and Verify

Use a test client with a MAC address starting with AABB to ensure it receives an IP address in the 192.168.1.190–192.168.1.200 range.

Use ipconfig /renew on the client, or check the DHCP leases in the Address Leases section.

To use Azure File Sync to replicate the contents of C:\app on SRV1 to an Azure file share named sharel1, with the source files located in \\dc1.contoso.com\install, follow these steps:

Step 1: Prepare Windows Server for Azure File Sync Ensure that SRV1 meets the prerequisites for Azure File Sync, such as having a supported version of Windows Server and PowerShell 5.1 or later1.

Step 2: Deploy the Storage Sync Service In the Azure portal, deploy the Storage Sync Service in the same region as your Azure file share1.

Step 3: Create an Azure File Share Create an Azure file share named sharel1 in your storage account1.

Step 4: Install the Azure File Sync Agent Download and install the Azure File Sync agent on SRV11.

Step 5: Register SRV1 with the Storage Sync Service After installing the agent, register SRV1 with the Storage Sync Service using the Azure portal1.

Step 6: Create a Sync Group and Server Endpoint In the Azure portal, go to your Storage Sync Service and create a new sync group. Add a server endpoint with the path C:\app on SRV12.

Step 7: Configure Cloud Endpoint Add the Azure file share sharel1 as the cloud endpoint to the sync group2.

Step 8: Initiate the Sync Process The initial sync will start automatically after the cloud endpoint and server endpoint are added to the sync group. Ensure that the Azure File Sync agent is running on SRV11.

Step 9: Monitor the Sync Status Monitor the sync status in the Azure portal to ensure that the files are being replicated correctly from C:\app on SRV1 to the Azure file share sharel11.

Note: Make sure that the network connectivity between SRV1 and the Azure file share is established and that the necessary ports are open. Also, verify that the SMB security settings allow for the required SMB protocol version and authentication methods1.

By following these steps, you should be able to replicate the contents of C:\app on SRV1 to the Azure file share sharel1 using Azure File Sync. Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to perform these actions and that SRV1 is properly configured to communicate with Azure services.

To create an AD DS site named Site2 that is associated to an IP address range of 192.168.2.0 to 192.168.2.255, you can follow these steps:

On a domain controller or a computer that has the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) installed, open Active Directory Sites and Services from the Administrative Tools menu or by typing dssite.msc in the Run box.

In the left pane, right-click on Sites and select New Site.

In the New Object - Site dialog box, enter Site2 as the Name of the new site. Select a site link to associate the new site with, such as DEFAULTIPSITELINK, and click OK. You can also create a new site link if you want to customize the replication frequency and schedule between the sites. For more information on how to create a site link, see Create a Site Link.

In the left pane, right-click on Subnets and select New Subnet.

In the New Object - Subnet dialog box, enter 192.168.2.0/24 as the Prefix of the subnet. This notation represents the IP address range of 192.168.2.0 to 192.168.2.255 with a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. Select Site2 as the Site object to associate the subnet with, and click OK.

Wait for the changes to replicate to other domain controllers. You can verify the site and subnet creation by checking the Sites and Subnets containers in Active Directory Sites and Services.

Now, you have created an AD DS site named Site2 that is associated to an IP address range of 192.168.2.0 to 192.168.2.255. You can add domain controllers to the new site and configure the site links and site link bridges to optimize the replication topology.

TASK 5

???? Objective:

Configure a Group Policy Preference to create a shortcut to \\srvi.contoso.com\data on the desktop of users in the Server Admins OU.

Step-by-Step Guide: Using Group Policy Preferences to Create a Desktop Shortcut

✅ Step 1: Open Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

Log in to a DC or a management computer with RSAT installed.

Open Group Policy Management (gpmc.msc).

✅ Step 2: Create a New GPO

In the GPMC console, expand the forest and the domain (e.g., contoso.com).

Right-click the OU named Server Admins and select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here.

Name the GPO, e.g., Desktop Shortcut for Server Admins.

✅ Step 3: Edit the GPO

Right-click the newly created GPO and select Edit.

This opens the Group Policy Management Editor.

✅ Step 4: Navigate to User Preferences

In the editor, expand:

User Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Shortcuts.

✅ Step 5: Create the Shortcut

Right-click Shortcuts and select New > Shortcut.

In the New Shortcut Properties window:

Action: Create

Name: Data Folder

Target Type: File System Object

Location: Desktop

Target Path: \\srvi.contoso.com\data

Optionally, set an icon or description if you want.

✅ Step 6: Configure Item-Level Targeting (Optional)

If you want to limit this shortcut strictly to specific users/groups, click the Common tab.

Check Item-level targeting and configure conditions (optional).

For this scenario, linking the GPO to the Server Admins OU is usually sufficient.

✅ Step 7: Close and Update

Close the editor.

In GPMC, ensure the GPO is linked to the Server Admins OU.

Force a Group Policy Update on client computers:

On a client computer:

gpupdate /force

Or wait for the next Group Policy refresh cycle.

✅ Step 8: Verify

Log in as a user in the Server Admins OU.

The shortcut to \\srvi.contoso.com\data should appear on the desktop.