Implementing and Supporting Windows NT Server 4.0 in the Enterprise

Exam Number: 70-68

Exam Length:

90 mins.

Pass Mark:

784

Experiences

This is a difficult exam! The pass mark is the highest Microsoft have yet set for an exam to my knowledge, excluding Networking Essentials. If you haven't installed a multiple domain model implementation of Windows NT, you have a lot of work to do to solve the questions. A lot of them revolve around the interaction between global and local groups across trust relationships; ensure you have grasped this before taking the exam. You are expected to know how member servers operate within a domain (e.g. installing an enterprise backup solution that can backup PDCs, BDCs, member servers and workstations). I was surprised to see that several common registry hacks were tested; this really tests whether you have the practical experience or have just read a few books...!

There are a lot of lengthy "scenario" questions which pop up, including four (when I took the exam) which ask you to rate a proposed solution as to how well it meets the desired objectives. Try to skim read through the scenario element to start with and get a feel for the answers first; you could easily spend the whole exam studying the scenarios and exhibits otherwise. If you are losing concentration with a particular question, leave it and come back to it. Ninety minutes is not very long at all!

In summary, groups and domains are the key to this exam; if you really understand these concepts in depth you can enter the exam feeling confident.

 

Things to Learn

Domains Understand the four domain models (single, single master, multiple master and complete trust). Know the benefits and deficiencies of each and when they should be implemented.
  Know which way a trust relationship operates (if A trusts B then B's accounts may be used to access resources in domain A).
  Understand that trust relationships are not transitive (i.e. if A trusts B and B trusts C that A does not trust C automatically).
  Remember which sorts of servers can be moved between domains and which cannot.
  Understand that member servers do not participate in a domain in the same way as a domain controller.
Groups Know that local groups are not visible across a trust relationship, but global groups are visible.
  Know that global groups can be placed into local groups in a different domain to grant the users contained in the group access to a resource or privilege.
Networks Understand the various TCP/IP services such as DNS, DHCP, WINS.
  Know the four routing services in Windows NT 4.0: RIP for TCP/IP, RIP for IPX, the SAP Relay Agent and the DHCP/BOOTP Relay Agent. Understand what each are used for.
  Learn when Gateway (Client) Services for NetWare are required and when the IPX protocol is sufficient.
  Know how to ensure that a server does not become a browse master (the registry entry MaintainServerList = No).
Performance Be able to identify a server problem through Performance Monitor counters (e.g. high processor and disk loads usually indicates excessive paging as a result of insufficient memory).
  Know the common PM counters for testing high processor, disk and network usage, etc. Know how to graph the total processor load in an SMP system.
Troubleshooting Know that the registry can be restored through the Emergency Repair Disk and that the ERD is a good first recovery attempt in a serious system problem where Last Known Good is not an option.
  Remember that stripe sets with parity only protect against a single disk failure, and know how to recover from failure.
Policies Know where policies are stored and how to select which policies take precedence in conflict between two policies.
Printing Know how to set up multiple print queues to one or more printers in order to optimise their use.