Active Directory Concepts
1. AD Group Policy
Steps to configure a group policy that enable users to click a button (such as a printer icon) to receive instructions on how to install a network printer on their workstation.
To configure a group policy to enable a pop up that users click to receive instructions on how to install a network printer on their workstation starts with accessing the group policy and making a new configuration named printers. The next step is allowing printers to be published by enabling the publishing of printers in the directory. The next step is to allow pruning of published printers to avoid deletion (Microsoft, 2012). The new printers will automatically be published in the Active Directory. Checking published state step follows, which allows the verification if the published printers are published in Active Directory. The creation of a custom support URL in the printers folder’s left pane is then conducted for each user group.
2. Configuration of IP Settings
Type of network device you would assign a dynamic IP address and another that you would assign a static IP address and why it is appropriate.
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique number that is given to every device that is connected to a network. The IP address allows devices connected on a network to communicate with each other. The two types of IP address for the devices include static IP address and dynamic IP address (Frontier Business, 2018). A dynamic IP address is assigned to the device by the network and changes periodically. A network device that would be assigned a dynamic IP address is a mobile device since it interacts with more networks hence the need to periodically change the IP address based on the network connection. The static IP address is assigned to specific network devices and remains constant over time (Mitchell, 2020). A static IP address is used in work computers or home computers to ensure users can access the computer as the configuration remain constant.
Pick a device and explain how to configure its IP address.
To configure a computer DHCP or Static IP address in the LAN, the steps will include Start >> Settings >> Control Panel >> Network Connections >> Local Area Connections >> Properties. Then select internet protocol (TCP/IP), and click properties. For DHCP, obtain the DNS Address automatically by selecting “Obtain IP Address,” while for Static, one has to specify IP Address, the subnet mask, the gateway assigned by the isp, and the DNS. The settings are saved, and all devices on the network restarted to configure with the changes.
3. The Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)
How to access Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) enables system administrators to manage roles and features in Windows Server remotely. Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) are accessed from the control panel by running the program as admin and tuning the program features on or off.
Assume you need to recover an encrypted password on a remote laptop. Explain which RSAT tool(s) you would enable. Why?
Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) features are not enabled by default as part of security measures. At default, the RSAT features can be used intentionally to corrupt files on computers or as an attack mechanism against the network. For instance, the RSAT can be used to delete files in the Active Directory that grants the user permission to access software.
Explain why RSAT features are not enabled by default
RSAT tools can be used in many functions, including recovering an encrypted password on a remote laptop. The RSAT tool that can be used to recover the password is the Bitlocker. Bitlocker is the preferred RSAT tool since it enables one to locate the data stored in the Active Directory of the device allowing access to files that can recover the password (Microsoft, 2019).
References
Frontier Business. (2018). Static vs. Dynamic IP—Find Out Which Is Right for Your Business. Retrieved from https://business.frontier.com/blog/static-vs-dynamic-ip/
Microsoft. (2012). How to use Group Policy settings to control printers in Active Directory. Retrieved from https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/234270/how-to-use-group-policy-settings-to-control-printers-in-active-directo
Microsoft. (2019). BitLocker: Use BitLocker Recovery Password Viewer. Retrieved from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/information-protection/bitlocker/bitlocker-use-bitlocker-recovery-password-viewer
Mitchell, B. (2020). When to Use a Static IP Address. Lifewire. Retrieved from https://www.lifewire.com/using-static-ip-address-on-private-computer-818404
