Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 Exam Professional Standards & Competencies 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An administrator needs to ensure Windows Server 2012 R2 servers are patched consistently across the enterprise. Which Microsoft solution is BEST suited for centralized patch management?
- Windows Update (standalone)
- Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) (Correct answer)
- Microsoft Update Catalog manual downloads
- Third-party antivirus patch modules
Correct answer: Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) provides centralized management, approval, and distribution of Microsoft updates across an enterprise environment.
Question 2: A Windows Server 2012 administrator is following ITIL best practices. Which ITIL process governs the systematic tracking of hardware and software components in the data center?
- Incident Management
- Configuration Management (Correct answer)
- Problem Management
- Release Management
Correct answer: Configuration Management
ITIL Configuration Management governs the identification, recording, and maintenance of information about hardware and software components (Configuration Items) in a Configuration Management Database (CMDB).
Question 3: After deploying Windows Server 2012 R2, an administrator creates a performance baseline. What is the PRIMARY purpose of this baseline?
- To satisfy software licensing requirements
- To compare against future performance data and detect anomalies (Correct answer)
- To replace the need for monitoring tools
- To document the server's purchase cost
Correct answer: To compare against future performance data and detect anomalies
A performance baseline captures normal operating metrics so that administrators can identify deviations that may indicate performance degradation or security incidents.
Question 4: Which Windows Server 2012 feature enables administrators to run server management tasks remotely using PowerShell without a full GUI installation?
- Remote Assistance
- Windows Remote Management (WinRM) / PowerShell Remoting (Correct answer)
- Remote Desktop Services (RDS)
- Telnet Server
Correct answer: Windows Remote Management (WinRM) / PowerShell Remoting
Windows Remote Management (WinRM) enables PowerShell Remoting, allowing administrators to execute commands and scripts on remote servers, including Server Core installations.
Question 5: An organization's security policy requires that all Windows Server 2012 administrator actions be traceable to individual users. Which configuration BEST satisfies this requirement?
- Disable the built-in Administrator account and use named admin accounts with audit policies (Correct answer)
- Share the Administrator account credentials with all IT staff
- Enable auto-logon with the Administrator account
- Create one service account for all administrative tasks
Correct answer: Disable the built-in Administrator account and use named admin accounts with audit policies
Disabling the shared built-in Administrator account and requiring named individual accounts with audit logging ensures all administrative actions can be attributed to a specific person.
Question 6: A compliance audit requires evidence that Windows Server 2012 systems are running only necessary services. Which tool provides a role-based approach to disabling unneeded services?
- Disk Management
- Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) (Correct answer)
- Task Scheduler
- Performance Monitor
Correct answer: Security Configuration Wizard (SCW)
The Security Configuration Wizard analyzes the server's role and disables services, ports, and settings not required for that role, reducing attack surface per compliance requirements.
Question 7: When an administrator installs Windows Server 2012 R2 in Server Core mode rather than the full GUI, what is the PRIMARY professional benefit?
- Server Core has better gaming performance
- Reduced attack surface, lower memory footprint, and fewer required updates (Correct answer)
- Server Core supports more desktop applications
- GUI-based management tools work better with Server Core
Correct answer: Reduced attack surface, lower memory footprint, and fewer required updates
Server Core reduces the attack surface by installing fewer components, requires less memory, needs fewer security updates, and results in fewer reboots compared to a full GUI installation.
Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 Exam Professional Standards & Competencies 3
An administrator needs to ensure Windows Server 2012 R2 servers are patched consistently across the enterprise.
Which Microsoft solution is BEST suited for centralized patch management?