Mixed Deck — All MCTS Topics Flashcards

What is the purpose of the SQL Server Resource Governor?

Answer: Classifies and limits CPU and memory resources for workload groups

Resource Governor classifies incoming sessions into workload groups and pools, capping CPU and memory usage to prevent one workload from starving others.

A developer needs to write a complex query that involves several levels of aggregation and joins. To improve readability and maintainability, they want to break the query into logical, named steps. The intermediate result set from one step will be used immediately in the next step within the same query. Which SQL Server feature should be used?

Answer: Common Table Expression (CTE)

A Common Table Expression (CTE), defined using the WITH clause, is ideal for improving the readability and structure of complex queries. It allows you to define a temporary, named result set that exists only for the duration of a single statement. This is perfect for multi-step logical operations within one query without the overhead of creating a physical temporary table in tempdb.

In SQL Server, what is the difference between UNION and UNION ALL?

Answer: UNION removes duplicate rows; UNION ALL keeps all rows including duplicates

UNION performs a DISTINCT operation to eliminate duplicate rows, while UNION ALL returns all rows including duplicates and is generally faster.

What is the purpose of the 'using' statement in C# when working with objects that implement IDisposable?

Answer: To ensure Dispose() is called automatically when the block exits

The using statement ensures that Dispose() is called on an IDisposable object when the code block exits, even if an exception occurs.

Which language is most commonly used with ASP.NET for web development?

Answer: C#

C# (C-sharp) is a modern, object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft and is the primary language for building applications on the .NET platform. It is most commonly used with ASP.NET for developing robust and scalable web applications and services. Its strong integration with the .NET framework makes it a powerful choice for enterprise-level web development.

You are building a secure section of a website. After a user successfully logs in, you need to determine if they have the permission to access a specific administrative page. What is this process of determining permissions called?

Answer: Authorization

Authorization is the process of determining whether an authenticated user has the necessary permissions to access a specific resource or perform an action. Authentication is the process of verifying the user's identity (e.g., checking their username and password). Authentication always happens before authorization.

You are developing a custom SharePoint 2010 timer job that needs to run in the background to perform maintenance tasks across multiple site collections in a web application. Which object from the server-side object model is the most appropriate starting point for your code, given that there is no HTTP context available?

Answer: SPFarm.Local

In a non-HTTP context like a timer job or console application, `SPContext.Current` is not available. The correct approach is to start from the top of the farm hierarchy with `SPFarm.Local`. From the farm object, you can navigate down to web services, then to a specific `SPWebApplication`, and then iterate through its `Sites` (site collections) collection to perform your tasks.

In C#, what is an extension method?

Answer: A static method that adds functionality to an existing type without modifying it

Extension methods are defined as static methods in a static class but are called as if they were instance methods on the extended type.

Which SQL Server data type should be used to store a globally unique identifier (GUID)?

Answer: UNIQUEIDENTIFIER

The UNIQUEIDENTIFIER data type stores a 16-byte GUID value and works with the NEWID() and NEWSEQUENTIALID() functions.

What is the purpose of the OUTPUT clause in a DML statement?

Answer: It returns rows affected by INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, or MERGE from inserted/deleted tables

The OUTPUT clause accesses the virtual inserted and deleted tables to return data about rows affected by a DML statement.

When configuring Exchange 2010 for federated sharing, which Microsoft service must the Exchange organization establish a trust relationship with?

Answer: Microsoft Federation Gateway

Exchange 2010 federated sharing requires establishing a trust with the Microsoft Federation Gateway to enable cross-organization calendar and contact sharing.

Which WCF binding uses SOAP 1.2 by default and provides WS-* protocol support such as reliable messaging and security?

Answer: WSHttpBinding

WSHttpBinding implements SOAP 1.2 and supports WS-Security, WS-ReliableMessaging, and WS-AtomicTransaction, making it suitable for secure interoperable services.

A Windows 7 computer is configured to use a proxy server. A user needs to bypass the proxy for internal intranet addresses. Where is this configured?

Answer: Internet Options > Connections > LAN Settings > Bypass proxy server for local addresses

The 'Bypass proxy server for local addresses' checkbox in LAN Settings routes intranet traffic directly, skipping the proxy.

What is the difference between 'ref' and 'out' parameters in C#?

Answer: ref requires initialization before the call; out does not

A ref parameter must be assigned before being passed, while an out parameter must be assigned within the called method.

What is the effect of enabling the 'Block Policy Inheritance' option on an OU in Active Directory?

Answer: All GPOs linked to parent containers are blocked from applying to the OU

Block Policy Inheritance prevents GPOs linked to parent OUs, the domain, or sites from flowing down to the OU where it is enabled.

In IIS-hosted WCF services, what is the purpose of a .svc file?

Answer: It is the entry point that IIS uses to activate and route requests to the correct WCF service type

The .svc file provides the Factory and Service directives that tell IIS/WAS which class implements the WCF service and how to activate it.

In SQL Server, which isolation level prevents dirty reads and non-repeatable reads but still allows phantom reads?

Answer: Repeatable Read

Repeatable Read prevents dirty reads and non-repeatable reads by holding shared locks until the transaction ends, but phantom rows can still appear.

Which .NET collection class provides a thread-safe, first-in-first-out data structure?

Answer: ConcurrentQueue

ConcurrentQueue in System.Collections.Concurrent is designed for thread-safe FIFO operations without explicit locking.

Which .NET mechanism allows you to call a method asynchronously using a delegate?

Answer: BeginInvoke() / EndInvoke()

Delegates expose BeginInvoke() to start an asynchronous call and EndInvoke() to retrieve the result — the classic .NET async pattern.

You need to capture all T-SQL statements executed against a database for auditing. Which is the MOST efficient method in SQL Server 2008?

Answer: Create a SQL Server Audit with a Database Audit Specification for EXECUTE events

SQL Server Audit with a Database Audit Specification provides granular, low-overhead auditing of specific event types compared to C2 auditing or full traces.