Managing System Reliability and Availability

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Chapter 12

• Managing System Reliability and Availability

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Objectives

• Develop general problem-solving strategies
• Resolve boot problems
• Back up and restore system state data
• Restore a failed system volume
• Use Event Viewer for solving problems

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Objectives

• Troubleshoot security using the Security
  Configuration and Analysis Snap-in
• Troubleshoot connectivity
• Remotely administer a server

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General Problem-solving Strategies

• Understand how a server and the network interact
• Train your users to help you solve problems
• Solve problems step by step
• Track problems and solutions

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Understanding How Servers and the Network Interact

• Create network diagrams
• Mainframes, minicomputers, and servers
• Workstations and network printers
• Network devices
• Telecommunications links
• Remote links
• Building locations
• Gather benchmarks

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Training Users to Help

• Save work at the first sign of a problem
• Record information about a problem as the problem
  is occurring
• Report any protocol information, including error
  messages
• Quickly report the problem by telephone or voice
  mail
• Avoid sending e-mail about urgent problems

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Solving Problems Step by Step

• Ask the right questions to get as much
  information as possible
• Record the error message when it appears or when
  the user reports it
• Start with simple solutions
• Determine if anyone else is experiencing the
  problem

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Solving Problems Step by Step

• Regularly check the Windows Server 2003 event
  logs for signs of a problem
• Use System Monitor and Network Monitor filtering
  to help you troubleshoot problems
• Check for power interruptions

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Tracking Problems and Solutions

• Keep a log of all network problems and their
  solutions
• Database
• Help Desk system
• Use the log for future reference, as a teaching
  tool, and as an indicator of recurring problems
• Keep a log of changes made to the system
• Serves as a reference for other administrators

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Resolving Boot Problems

• Common causes of boot problems
• Disk failure of drive with system and boot files
• Corrupt partition table, boot file, or Master
  Boot Record
• Disk read error
• First step is to try rebooting
• Often works for temporary disk read or memory
  errors, out-of-sync registers, and disk
  controller problems

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Troubleshooting by Using Safe Mode

• Safe mode boots the server using the most generic
  default settings with only the services needed
  for a basic configuration
• Accessed by pressing F8 when the computer boots
• Contains several advanced options for various
  problems associated with
• Modified server configuration
• New software or drivers

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Using the Automated Recovery Set to Solve a Boot
Problem

• Restores the disk signatures, volumes and
  partitions, and system files required to start
  the computer
• Uses a previously created ASR set created with
  the Backup utility
• Windows Server 2003 is then installed and a
  system restore can be done
• The restore process uses previously created
  backup media

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Troubleshooting by Using the Recovery Console

• Enables booting into the Windows Server 2003
  command line
• Repair a disk problem
• Copy a critical file back into the server
• Start a service
• Format a drive
• Started from the Windows Server 2003 CD-ROM or
  from an installation
• Available from the Advanced Options Menu after
  installation

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General Tips for Fixing Boot Problems
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Troubleshooting Stop Messages
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Backing Up and Restoring System State Data

• System state data consists of several critical
  elements
• System and boot file, Active Directory, Sysvol
  folder, Registry, COM information, DNS zones,
  certificate information, and server cluster data
• All of the system state data must be backed up as
  a group and from the local computer
• Select the System State option in the Backup
  utility to ensure system protected files are
  backed up
• Check the Automatically backup System Protected
  files with the System State box in the Advanced
  tab

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Restoring a Failed System Volume

• Replace the failed hardware
• Install Windows Server 2003 on the new drive
• Use the Backup utility to restore the system
  state data and all other data, using the most
  recent backup tapes
• Do additional restores if using differential or
  incremental backups

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Using and Configuring Event Viewer

• Event logs contain a record of all types of
  server events
• System
• Security
• Application
• Directory Service
• DNS Service
• File Replication Service

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Viewing Log Events

• Icons indicate the seriousness of an event
• Information message contains a blue i in a
  white comment circle
• Warning message contains a black ! on a yellow
  caution symbol
• Error message contains a white x inside a red
  circle
• Event Viewer can be accessed from Administrative
  Tools, Computer Management, or as an MMC snap-in
• Logs contain information about each event

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Using the Event Viewer Filter Option

• All event logs have a filter option to help
  locate a problem quickly
• Events can be filtered on the following criteria
• Event type, source, and category
• Event ID
• User and computer associated with an event
• Date and time of day range

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Maintaining Event Logs

• Size each log to prevent it from filling it too
  quickly
• Set the maximum log size
• Test the setting regularly
• Regularly clear each log before it is full
• Use the clear or overwrite option
• Automatically override the oldest events when a
  log is full
• Use the Overwrite events older than x days option
• Save logs as .evt, .txt, or .csv files

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Troubleshooting Security

• Security policies may have omissions
• Security requirements may change over time
• Use the Security Configuration and Analysis tool
  to monitor and analyze security
• Creates a database to configure a server and
  perform a security check
• Can be used periodically to perform an analysis
  of a policy
• Make modifications on the basis of growth in
  server use

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Troubleshooting Connectivity

• TCP/IP utilities and TCP/IP-compatible operating
  systems often have built-in IP troubleshooting
  tools
• ipconfig can find duplicate IP addresses
• Subnet mask will be 0.0.0.0
• ping can poll the presence of another TCP/IP
  computer
• netstat can verify that a workstation or server
  has established a successful TCP/IP connection
• If the network and sent data contain 0 bytes, the
  session may be hung

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Remotely Administering a Server

• Remote access may be from another building, from
  home, or while traveling
• Enabled in the System Properties Remote tab
• Remote Desktop client
• Use a dial-up line via a RAS or VPN server
• Configure a strong password
• Remote Assistance
• Set up a Group Policy
• Access the server from a Windows XP computer

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Summary

• Develop a problem-solving strategy before
  problems occur
• Understand your server and network
• Train users to help
• Step-by-step problem solving
• Tracking problems
• Windows Server 2003 addresses boot problems with
  several tools
• Safe mode
• ASR set
• Recovery console

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Summary

• Regularly back up the system state data and
  system protected data in case of emergencies,
  such as a failed boot partition or volume
• Understand how to restore a failed volume,
  including system state data and system protected
  files, so you are prepared in advance
• Learn to regularly use Event Viewer as a
  monitoring and troubleshooting tool
• Configure your event logs to match the needs of
  your organization

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Summary

• Use the Security Configuration and Analysis tool
  to troubleshoot security policy problems
• There are many tools for troubleshooting TCP/IP
  connectivity problems at the server or on a
  client
• ipconfig
• ping
• nbstat
• netstat
• You can remotely administer a server using Remote
  Desktop client or Remote Assistance