Windows Server 2016 Interview Questions
Whether you’re an administrator, support engineer, technical consultant or developer, Windows Server is Microsoft’s flagship server platform that dates back to Windows NT. The 2016 version supersedes 2012 and was finally released towards the end of 2016 after several technical previews and refinements.
Server 2016 includes a large collection of new features such as Containers, Nano Server, Shielded VM’s and many more. If you’re applying for a job that requires knowledge of Microsoft’s latest tech then I strongly recommend reading about Dockers and Containers, particularly if you're involved in deployments, development or DevOps. Nano Server is another addition to the trimmed down OS types, providing a minimal footprint with high resource capacity.
I originally wrote the questions below to learn more about Microsoft’s new offering but here they are, available for you to use as well. I hope you find them useful in preparing for your interview!
Interview Questions
1. Is the following statement true or false?
When a printer is installed on a network, default printer permissions are assigned that allow all users to print and change the status of documents sent to it
Show AnswerAnswer:
True
Comments:
By default printer permissions are assigned that allow all users to print, and allow select groups to manage the printer, the documents sent to it, or both. By default, the everyone group can only print whilst administrators, power users, print operators and server operators can print, manage documents and manage printers.
2. Dynamic memory is a great feature that allows you to manage the amount of memory that Hyper-V virtual machines consume. How would you identify the memory a virtual machine consumes when Dynamic Memory is not enabled?
- View the amount of RAM listed under Static in the Memory page of the virtual machine
- View the amount of RAM listed under Startup in the Memory page of the virtual machine
- View the amount of RAM listed under Maximum in the Memory page of the virtual machine
- None of these
Show AnswerAnswer:
View the amount of RAM listed under Static in the Memory page of the virtual machine
Comments:
When dynamic memory is not enabled, the virtual machine is given a static amount of RAM. This value is located under the Static section of the Memory page of the virtual machine settings.
3. Virtual Network Manager (available from the Hyper-V Manager snap-in) offers three types of virtual networks that you can use to define various networking topologies for virtual machines and the virtualization server.
Which type of virtual network is isolated from all external network traffic on the virtualization server, as well any network traffic between the management operating system and the external network.
- Internal virtual network
- Private virtual network
Show AnswerAnswer:
Private virtual network
Comments:
Private virtual network is useful when you need to create an isolated networking environment, such as an isolated test domain.
4. Is the following statement about Hyper-V true or false?
Hyper-V does not support wireless networks
Show AnswerAnswer:
True
Comments:
An external virtual network provides access to a physical network through a wired physical network adapter.
5. You are trying to create a Nano Server on a physical computer. You have copied the NanoServerImageGenerator folder from the ISO to create a VHD that will run Nano Server on a physical computer using the pre-installed device drivers.
When you try and run Import-Module .\NanoServerImageGenerator it doesn’t work. What did you forget to run?
- Set-StrictMode
- Set-WmiInstance
- Disable-WSManCredSSP
- Set-ExecutionPolicy
Show AnswerAnswer:
Set-ExecutionPolicy
Comments:
You might have to adjust the Windows PowerShell execution policy. Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned should work well.
6. Nano Server is distributed on the physical media, where you will find a NanoServer folder; this contains a .wim image and a subfolder called Packages. It is these package files that you use to add server roles and features to the VHD image, which you then boot to.
You want to create a VHD that will run Nano Server on a physical computer, using the pre-installed device drivers. You have copied the VHD to the physical computer and want to configure it to boot from this new VHD. What command should you use?
- bcdboot
- drvload
- intlcfg
- winpeshi
Show AnswerAnswer:
bcdboot
Comments:
The BCDboot tool is a command-line tool that enables you to manage system partition files. You can use it to set up Windows to boot to a virtual hard disk.
7. With Nano Server some packages are installed directly with their own Windows PowerShell switches (such as -Compute); others you install by passing package names to the -Packages parameter, which you can combine in a comma-separated list.
You want to add IIS to your Nano Server, which command should you use?
- -Compute
- -Packages
- -Containers
- -Storage
Show AnswerAnswer:
-Packages
Comments:
IIS is added by using -Packages Microsoft-NanoServer-IIS-Package.
8. With Nano Server some packages are installed directly with their own Windows PowerShell switches (such as -Compute); others you install by passing package names to the -Packages parameter, which you can combine in a comma-separated list.
You want to add the Hyper-V role to your Nano Server, which command should you use?
- -Compute
- -Packages
- -Storage
- -Containers
Show AnswerAnswer:
-Compute
Comments:
Hyper-V is added using the -Compute command.
9. You want to prevent a virtual machine from using more than its share of system resources by looking for excessive levels of activity. This will help prevent a virtual machine's excessive activity from degrading the performance of the host or other virtual machines.
Which PowerShell paramter should you use with Set-VMProcessor?
- -HwThreadCountPerCore
- -EnableHostResourceProtection
- -MaximumCountPerNumaNode
- -RelativeWeight
Show AnswerAnswer:
-EnableHostResourceProtection
Comments:
EnableHostResourceProtection specifies whether to enable host resource protection. When monitoring detects a virtual machine with excessive activity, the virtual machine is given fewer resources. This monitoring and enforcement is off by default.
10. To change the amount of memory assigned to a virtual machine you must enable Dynamic Memory. Is this TRUE or FALSE?
Show AnswerAnswer:
FALSE
Comments:
You can add or remove a network adapter while the virtual machine is running, without incurring downtime. This works for generation 2 virtual machines that run either Windows or Linux operating systems.
You can also adjust the amount of memory assigned to a virtual machine while it's running, even if you haven’t enabled Dynamic Memory.
11. You want to boot a Linux Operating System with the Secure Boot option enabled in a virtual machine. This will be the first time you boot the OS. What must you do?
- Set the -BootOrder to HardDiskDrive
- Configure the virtual machine to use the Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority
- You can’t enable Secure Boot with Linux
- Set -EnableSecureBoot without specifying a template
Show AnswerAnswer:
Configure the virtual machine to use the Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority
Comments:
Linux operating systems running on newer generation virtual machines can boot with the Secure Boot option enabled. Before you boot the virtual machine for the first time, you must configure the virtual machine to use the Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority. You can do this from Hyper-V Manager, Virtual Machine Manager, or an elevated Windows Powershell session.
12. SET allows you to group between one and eight physical Ethernet network adapters into one or more software-based virtual network adapters. These virtual network adapters provide fast performance and fault tolerance in the event of a network adapter failure.
SET is not compatible with which of the following networking technologies?
- SDN Quality of Service (QoS)
- 802.1X authentication
- Datacenter bridging (DCB)
- Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA)
Show AnswerAnswer:
802.1X authentication
13. SET is an alternative NIC Teaming solution that you can use in environments that include Hyper-V and the Software Defined Networking (SDN) stack.
SET allows you to group several physical Ethernet network adapters into one or more software-based virtual network adapters. These virtual network adapters provide fast performance and fault tolerance in the event of a network adapter failure.
Which statement below is NOT possible with SET?
- Connect teamed NICs to the same physical switch
- Use Windows PowerShell commands and Remote Desktop connections to manage SET from remote computers
- Group between one and eight physical Ethernet network adapters into one or more software-based virtual network adapters
- Connect NICs to different switches with both switches on different subnets
Show AnswerAnswer:
Connect NICs to different switches with both switches on different subnets
Comments:
Although you can connect your teamed NICs to the same physical switch or to different physical switches, if you connect NICs to different switches, both switches must be on the same subnet.
14. When you create a new SET team, you must configure the following team properties: Member adapters and Load balancing mode.
Which Load balancing mode ensures that outbound loads are distributed based on a hash of the TCP Ports and IP addresses. This mode also re-balances loads in real time so that a given outbound flow can move back and forth between SET team members.
Show AnswerAnswer:
Dynamic
Comments:
When the dynamic mode algorithm detects that a flowlet boundary has been encountered - for example when a break of sufficient length has occurred in the TCP flow - the algorithm automatically rebalances the flow to another team member if appropriate
15. You want to capture the state, data, and hardware configuration of a running virtual machine. Which checkpoint can be very useful if you need to recreate a specific state or condition of a running virtual machine so that you can troubleshoot a problem?
Show AnswerAnswer:
Standard
Comments:
Standard checkpoints capture the state, data, and hardware configuration of a running virtual machine and are intended for use in development and test scenarios.
16. Which checkpoint type creates a “point in time” image of a virtual machine, which can be restored later on in a way that is completely supported for all production workloads. This is achieved by using backup technology inside the guest to create the checkpoint, instead of using saved state technology.
Show AnswerAnswer:
Production
Comments:
Production checkpoints are “point-in-time” images of a virtual machine. These give you a way to apply a checkpoint that complies with support policies when a virtual machine runs a production workload. Production checkpoints are based on backup technology inside the guest instead of a saved state. For Windows virtual machines, the Volume Snapshot Service (VSS) is used.
17. The Host Guardian Service supports two different deployments of a Guarded fabric (attestation modes). The statement below describes which mode?
Guarded hosts that can run Shielded VMs are approved based on their identity, measured boot sequence and code integrity policies so that you can ensure that these hosts are only running approved code.
- Admin-trusted attestation
- TPM-trusted attestation
Show AnswerAnswer:
TPM-trusted attestation
Comments:
TPM-trusted attestation offers the strongest possible protections but also requires more configuration steps. Host hardware and firmware must include TPM 2.0 and UEFI 2.3.1 with secure boot enabled.
TPM trusted attestation is the mode Microsoft recommend that you use because it offers stronger assurances but it requires that your Hyper-V hosts have TPM 2.0.
18. Which container type is described below:
Provides application isolation through process and namespace isolation technology. This container shares a kernel with the container host and all containers running on the host.
- Hyper-V Container
- Windows Server Container
Show AnswerAnswer:
Windows Server Container
19. You want to download a pre-created IIS image from the Docker Hub registry and deploy a simple container running IIS. What Docker command should you use?
- docker get microsoft/iis:windowsservercore
- docker pull microsoft/iis:windowsservercore
- docker subscribe microsoft/iis:windowsservercore
- docker download microsoft/iis:windowsservercore
Show AnswerAnswer:
docker pull microsoft/iis:windowsservercore
Comments:
To download a particular image, or set of images (i.e., a repository), we use docker pull.
20. An IIS image has been downloaded using the docker pull command and verified using the images command. You now want to deploy the IIS container. What command should you use?
- docker deploy
- docker run
- docker publish
- docker install
Show AnswerAnswer:
docker run
Comments:
When an operator executes “docker run”, the container process that runs is isolated in that it has its own file system, its own networking, and its own isolated process tree separate from the host.
21. You have created a new data volume using the following docker command:
docker run -it -v c:\new-data-volume windowsservercore cmd
New data volumes are stored on the host under 'c:\ProgramData\Docker\volumes'. Where will this data volume be accessible in the running container?
- c:\ProgramData\Docker\volumes\new-data-volume
- c:\volumes\host\new-data-volume
- c:\volumes\new-data-volume
- c:\new-data-volume
Show AnswerAnswer:
c:\new-data-volume