Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 Exam Professional Standards & Competencies 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A server administrator must deploy a Windows Server 2012 R2 role in a production environment. According to change management best practices, what should be done FIRST?
- Submit a change request and obtain approval before making changes (Correct answer)
- Deploy the role immediately and document afterward
- Test the role in production during off-peak hours
- Notify users after the change is complete
Correct answer: Submit a change request and obtain approval before making changes
Change management best practices require submitting a formal change request and obtaining approval before making any modifications to a production environment.
Question 2: Which Windows Server 2012 feature allows an administrator to apply consistent security configurations across multiple servers using predefined templates?
- Server Manager
- Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) (Correct answer)
- Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
- Local Security Policy
Correct answer: Security Configuration Wizard (SCW)
The Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) allows administrators to create, edit, apply, and roll back security policies based on server roles, reducing the attack surface.
Question 3: An administrator is preparing documentation for a new Windows Server 2012 deployment. Which item is MOST critical to include for disaster recovery purposes?
- A list of installed desktop shortcuts
- Baseline configuration and network topology diagrams (Correct answer)
- The server's wallpaper and theme settings
- A log of failed login attempts during setup
Correct answer: Baseline configuration and network topology diagrams
Baseline configuration documentation and network topology diagrams are essential for disaster recovery, enabling administrators to restore servers to their original state.
Question 4: Under Microsoft's support lifecycle policy, how long does Windows Server 2012 R2 receive Mainstream Support after its general availability date?
- 3 years
- 5 years (Correct answer)
- 7 years
- 10 years
Correct answer: 5 years
Microsoft's Fixed Lifecycle Policy provides 5 years of Mainstream Support followed by 5 years of Extended Support for Windows Server products.
Question 5: A junior administrator asks how to verify that a Windows Server 2012 R2 installation meets organizational security baselines. What is the BEST tool to use?
- Task Manager
- Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) (Correct answer)
- Disk Cleanup
- Resource Monitor
Correct answer: Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA)
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) scans Windows systems for missing security updates and common security misconfigurations against Microsoft best practices.
Question 6: When implementing the principle of least privilege on Windows Server 2012, what is the correct approach for administrative accounts?
- Use a single shared administrator account for all admins to simplify auditing
- Give all users Domain Admin rights to prevent access issues
- Use separate standard and privileged accounts; only elevate when necessary (Correct answer)
- Disable UAC to allow administrators unrestricted access at all times
Correct answer: Use separate standard and privileged accounts; only elevate when necessary
The principle of least privilege requires administrators to use standard accounts for daily tasks and only use elevated privileged accounts when administrative tasks require it.
Question 7: Which Windows Server 2012 logging feature should an administrator configure to maintain an audit trail of who accessed sensitive files on a file server?
- Performance Monitor counters
- Object Access Auditing via Group Policy (Correct answer)
- Windows Error Reporting
- Event Forwarding subscriptions only
Correct answer: Object Access Auditing via Group Policy
Object Access Auditing, configured through Group Policy and enabled on specific files/folders via SACL, records who accessed or attempted to access sensitive resources.
A server administrator must deploy a Windows Server 2012 R2 role in a production environment.
According to change management best practices, what should be done FIRST?