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Windows Server System Toolkit

Windows Server System

$345.00
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Includes a practical, ready-to-use toolkit containing implementation templates, worksheets, checklists, and decision-support materials used to accelerate real-world application and reduce setup time.
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This curriculum reflects the scope typically addressed across a full consulting engagement or multi-phase internal transformation initiative.

Module 1: Server Infrastructure Strategy and Role Alignment

  • Evaluate trade-offs between physical, virtualized, and hybrid server deployments based on workload density, compliance, and cost-per-core licensing implications.
  • Map server roles (e.g., Domain Controller, File Server, Application Server) to business service requirements and availability SLAs.
  • Assess the impact of legacy application dependencies on modern server OS version adoption and lifecycle planning.
  • Design role-based access control (RBAC) models for administrative delegation across distributed IT teams.
  • Balance security hardening requirements against operational supportability and change management overhead.
  • Define server standardization policies to reduce configuration drift and streamline patch compliance.
  • Integrate server deployment plans with data center capacity planning for power, cooling, and rack space constraints.

Module 2: Active Directory Design and Governance

  • Architect multi-domain or single-domain Active Directory forests based on merger scenarios, regulatory boundaries, and administrative autonomy needs.
  • Implement and test Group Policy Objects (GPOs) with enforced, blocked, and enforced inheritance to manage conflicting policy requirements.
  • Design Organizational Unit (OU) hierarchies that align with business units while minimizing GPO processing overhead.
  • Plan and execute domain functional level upgrades with awareness of legacy application and OS compatibility.
  • Implement privileged access management (PAM) controls for Domain Admins and enforce Just-In-Time (JIT) elevation.
  • Monitor and remediate replication failures across global sites using tools like REPADMIN and DNS health checks.
  • Define retention and recovery procedures for accidental object deletion using AD Recycle Bin and authoritative restore.

Module 3: Identity and Access Management Integration

  • Integrate Windows Server with Azure AD for hybrid identity, evaluating trade-offs between password hash sync, pass-through auth, and federation.
  • Configure and troubleshoot Web Application Proxy for secure remote access to on-premises applications.
  • Design claims-based access rules using AD FS for role-based application access across business partners.
  • Implement smart card and certificate-based authentication for high-security environments.
  • Assess the operational impact of multi-factor authentication (MFA) on helpdesk volume and user productivity.
  • Manage service account lifecycle using Managed Service Accounts (MSAs) and Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSAs).
  • Align identity synchronization schedules with compliance audit windows and change blackout periods.

Module 4: High Availability and Disaster Recovery Planning

  • Design failover clustering configurations for SQL Server, file services, and Hyper-V with quorum model selection based on node count and site distribution.
  • Configure Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) with appropriate resiliency settings (mirror, parity) based on performance and capacity requirements.
  • Implement stretch clusters across data centers and evaluate witness placement under network partition scenarios.
  • Define RTO and RPO for critical workloads and validate through scheduled failover drills and backup restoration testing.
  • Select backup methodologies (full, incremental, differential) based on recovery complexity and storage footprint.
  • Integrate Windows Server Backup with VSS to ensure application-consistent snapshots for Exchange and SQL workloads.
  • Evaluate third-party backup solutions for cross-platform support and long-term retention compliance.

Module 5: Security Hardening and Threat Mitigation

  • Apply Microsoft Security Baselines using Group Policy and analyze deviations using Security Compliance Manager (SCM).
  • Configure Windows Defender Exploit Guard features (ASR, EDR, Network Protection) with monitoring and exclusion policies.
  • Implement Just Enough Administration (JEA) to limit PowerShell command access based on role capabilities.
  • Design audit policies for privilege use, account management, and object access with log capacity and retention planning.
  • Respond to Kerberos relay and pass-the-hash attacks using LDAP signing, SMB signing, and constrained delegation.
  • Isolate high-risk servers using Windows Firewall with Advanced Security and IPsec policies.
  • Conduct regular privilege usage reviews and decommission stale administrative accounts.

Module 6: Performance Monitoring and Capacity Management

  • Deploy and interpret Performance Monitor (PerfMon) counters for CPU, memory, disk I/O, and network bottlenecks.
  • Configure Data Collector Sets for long-term trend analysis and correlation with business usage patterns.
  • Use Task Manager and Resource Monitor to isolate rogue processes and service resource contention.
  • Size virtual machines based on historical utilization data and forecast growth using exponential smoothing.
  • Optimize paging file configuration on systems with large memory allocations and memory-intensive applications.
  • Correlate event logs with performance data to diagnose intermittent service degradation.
  • Establish capacity thresholds and alerting rules that balance sensitivity with operational noise.

Module 7: Update and Patch Lifecycle Management

  • Design WSUS hierarchy or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager deployment based on network topology and bandwidth constraints.
  • Classify updates (security, critical, definition, optional) and assign approval workflows by risk category.
  • Implement patching schedules that align with change control windows and third-party application support agreements.
  • Test updates in a representative staging environment and document rollback procedures for failed deployments.
  • Manage cumulative update dependencies and sequencing for Windows Server 2016 and later versions.
  • Monitor update compliance across server fleets and generate executive reports for audit readiness.
  • Address end-of-support risks by planning OS migrations or extended security update (ESU) procurement.

Module 8: Hybrid Cloud Integration and Migration Strategy

  • Evaluate lift-and-shift versus refactor approaches for migrating on-premises workloads to Azure Virtual Machines.
  • Implement Azure File Sync to tier on-premises file server data to the cloud while maintaining local access performance.
  • Configure Azure Backup for Windows Server to meet offsite retention and ransomware recovery requirements.
  • Design hybrid DNS architectures using Azure Private DNS and conditional forwarders.
  • Assess latency and bandwidth implications of hybrid identity and hybrid management tools.
  • Use Azure Migrate to assess on-premises server dependencies and estimate cloud costs.
  • Define governance policies for hybrid environments, including tagging, cost allocation, and access control alignment.

Module 9: Automation and Configuration Management

  • Develop PowerShell scripts to automate repetitive administrative tasks and integrate with scheduled tasks or Orchestrator.
  • Implement Desired State Configuration (DSC) to enforce configuration consistency across server fleets.
  • Choose between push and pull DSC configurations based on network architecture and management scalability.
  • Use Just Enough Permissions (JEP) and script signing to secure automation workflows.
  • Version-control configuration scripts using Git and integrate with CI/CD pipelines for change validation.
  • Monitor configuration drift and trigger remediation using DSC compliance reports.
  • Document automation logic for auditability and knowledge transfer across operations teams.

Module 10: Operational Governance and Compliance

  • Define server provisioning and decommissioning checklists aligned with ITIL or COBIT frameworks.
  • Implement change management controls for server configuration modifications using approval workflows.
  • Conduct regular configuration audits using PowerShell or third-party tools to detect unauthorized changes.
  • Map server controls to regulatory standards (e.g., HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GDPR) and document compliance evidence.
  • Manage software licensing compliance for Windows Server and CALs across virtual and physical environments.
  • Develop runbooks for common incident scenarios (e.g., domain controller failure, disk full, patch rollback).
  • Establish KPIs for server uptime, patch compliance, mean time to repair (MTTR), and change success rate.
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