Exam Profile: MCTS 70-642: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

Date: Feb 7, 2011

This article walks you through the -642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring exam. It discusses trouble spots, preparation hints, and detailed exam objectives. By reading this, you will get a better idea of what to expect from the exam and the exam process.

A solid understanding of basic networking skills is essential to being a network administrator. This exam tests your ability to deploy a Windows Server 2008 network and to configure some of the various networking services. As such, this exam should be considered a must for anyone who wants to be an administrator on a Windows Server 2008 network.

Exam Details

Number of questions: Microsoft does not disclose the number of questions on their exams, but candidates typically report seeing approximately 55 questions.
Types of questions: Multiple Choice, Hot Area, Drag and Drop, Reorder, and Build a Tree. There are no case study questions on this exam.
Passing score: 700 out of 1000
Time limit: 120 minutes
How to register: Prometric

Trouble Spots

One thing that seems to cause a lot of problems for candidates taking this exam is that Microsoft expects you to be able to configure both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing. This includes being subnetting and supernetting. You should also know how to use both address types within the context of various network services such as DNS and DHCP.

This exam also focuses heavily on remote networking. It isn’t enough to know how to install and configure RRAS. You should also know how Network Access Protection (NAP) works. Finally, be prepared for a question or two dealing with wireless networks.

Preparation Hints

Exam 70-643 is designed to test your ability to create, maintain, protect, and recover networks running Windows Server 2008. Before taking this exam, you should make sure that you know how to install Windows Server 2008 and how to turn a workgroup deployment into a domain. You should also know how to backup and restore your domain controllers.

In addition to knowing the basics of setting up an Active Directory environment, make sure that you know how to configure and use the more common network services such as DNS and DHCP.

This exam also tests your ability to work with basic file and print services. Therefore, be sure that you know how to set up a DFS root and how to maintain disk quotas. You should also be able to configure the print services.

Keep in mind that these are just some of the main areas that you should focus on, not the full exam objectives. The official exam objectives are listed later in this exam profile.

Recommended Study Resources

There are numerous study resources for Exam 70-642 including:

MCTS 70-642 Exam Cram: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

MCTS 70-642 Cert Flash Cards Online: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

The Real MCTS / MCITP Exam 70-642 Prep Kit

MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-642): Configuring Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure

Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Training

Microsoft Practice Exam for 70-642 MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

Exam Objectives

The objectives for this exam as stated by Microsoft include:

Configuring Addressing and Services (24 percent)

Configure IPv4 and IPv6 addressing.

May include but is not limited to: configure IP address options; subnetting; supernetting; multi-homed; interoperability between IPv4 and IPv6

Configure Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

May include but is not limited to: DHCP options; creating new options; PXE boot; default user profiles; DHCP relay agents; exclusions; authorize server in Active Directory; scopes; DHCPv6

Configure routing.

May include but is not limited to: static routing; persistent routing; Routing Internet Protocol (RIP); metrics; choosing a default gateway; maintaining a routing table; demand-dial routing; IGMP proxy

Configure Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.

May include but is not limited to: inbound and outbound rules; custom rules; authorized users; authorized computers; configure firewall by using Group Policy; network location profiles; service groups; import/export policies; isolation policy; IPsec group policies; Connection Security Rules

Configuring Names Resolution (27 percent)

Configure a Domain Name System (DNS) server.

May include but is not limited to: conditional forwarding; external forwarders; root hints; cache-only; socket pooling; cache locking

Configure DNS zones.

May include but is not limited to: zone scavenging; zone types; Active Directory integration; Dynamic Domain Name System (DDNS); Secure DDNS; GlobalNames; zone delegation; DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC); reverse lookup zones

Configure DNS records.

May include but is not limited to: record types; Time to live (TTL); weighting records; registering records; netmask ordering; DnsUpdateProxy group; round robin; DNS record security; auditing

Configure DNS replication.

May include but is not limited to: DNS secondary zones; DNS stub zones; Active Directory Integrated replication scopes; securing zone transfer; SOA refresh; auditing

Configure name resolution for client computers.

May include but is not limited to: configuring HOSTS file; Link-Local Multicast Name Resolution (LLMNR); broadcasting; resolver cache; DNS server list; Suffix Search order; DNS devolution

Configuring Network Access (22 percent)

Configure remote access.

May include but is not limited to: dial-up; Remote Access Policy; Network Address Translation (NAT); VPN protocols, such as Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol (SSTP) and IKEv2; Routing and Remote Access Services (RRAS); packet filters; Connection Manager; VPN reconnect; RAS authentication by using MS-CHAP, MS-CHAP v2, and EAP

Configure Network Access Protection (NAP).

May include but is not limited to: network layer protection; DHCP enforcement; VPN enforcement; RDS enforcement; configure NAP health policies; IPsec enforcement; 802.1x enforcement; flexible host isolation; multi-configuration System Health Validator (SHV)

Configure DirectAccess.

May include but is not limited to: IPv6; IPsec; server requirements; client requirements; perimeter network; name resolution policy table

Configure Network Policy Server (NPS).

May include but is not limited to: IEEE 802.11 wireless; IEEE 802.3 wired; group policy for wireless; RADIUS accounting; Connection Request policies; RADIUS proxy; NPS templates

Configuring File and Print Services (13 percent)

Configure a file server.

May include but is not limited to: file share publishing; Offline Files; share permissions; NTFS permissions; encrypting file system (EFS); BitLocker; Access-Based Enumeration (ABE); branch cache; Share and Storage Management console

Configure Distributed File System (DFS).

May include but is not limited to: DFS namespace; DFS configuration and application; creating and configuring targets; DFS replication; read-only replicated folder; failover cluster support; health reporting

Configure backup and restore.

May include but is not limited to: backup types; backup schedules; managing remotely; restoring data; shadow copy services; volume snapshot services (VSS); bare metal restore; backup to remote file share

Manage file server resources.

May include but is not limited to: FSRM; quota by volume or quota by user; quota entries; quota templates; file classification; Storage Manager for SANs; file management tasks; file screening

Configure and monitor print services.

May include but is not limited to: printer share; publish printers to Active Directory; printer permissions; deploy printer connections; install printer drivers; export and import print queues and printer settings; add counters to Performance Monitor to monitor print servers; print pooling; print priority; print driver isolation; location-aware printing; print management delegation

Monitoring and Managing a Network Infrastructure (14 percent)

Configure Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) server settings.

May include but is not limited to: update type selection; client settings; Group Policy object (GPO); client targeting; software updates; test and approval; disconnected networks

Configure performance monitoring.

May include but is not limited to: Data Collector Sets; Performance Monitor; Reliability Monitor; monitoring System Stability Index; page files; analyze performance data

Configure event logs.

May include but is not limited to: custom views; application and services logs; subscriptions; attaching tasks to events find and filter

Gather network data.

May include but is not limited to: Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP); Network Monitor; Connection Security Rules monitoring

Where to Go from Here

Candidates who pass the 70-642 exam earn the following certification:

Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring

In addition to earning this certification, passing the 70-642 exam counts as credit toward the following certifications:

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Administrator
Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Server Administrator

To earn the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator certification, candidates must pass the following exams:

Exam 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
Exam 70-642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
Exam 70-643: TS: Windows Server 2008 Application Infrastructure, Configuring

In addition, candidates must pass one of the following exams:

70-620: TS: Configuring Microsoft Windows Vista Client
70-624: TS: Deploying and Maintaining Windows Vista Client and 2007 Microsoft Office System Desktops

As an alternative to passing Exam 70-620 or 70-624, candidates can pass the following exams:

70-680: TS: Windows 7, Configuring
70-647: Pro: Windows Server 2008, Enterprise Administrator

The requirements for earning the MCITP: Server Administrator are somewhat similar to the requirements for the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator certification, but are not as stringent. To earn the MCITP: Server Administrator certification candidates must pass the following exams:

Exam 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring
Exam 70-642: TS: Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure, Configuring
Exam 70-646: Pro: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator