Mod 02: Configuring Windows Server 2019

Best Practices Analyzer (BPA)

A scan that allows an administrator to scan associated servers and roles for configuration issues that do not follow Microsoft's recommendations.

alias provider

A provider used to view and manage aliases.

certificate provider

A provider used to view and manage encryption certificates issued to user accounts on the system as well as on the local computer.

environment provider

A provider used to view and manage variables.

decision construct

A PowerShell feature that allows a programmer to modify the flow of a PowerShell script.

PowerShell provider

A PowerShell plug-in that provides functionality within Windows PowerShell (e.g., aliases, functions, variables) or allows PowerShell to interact with other parts of the system (e.g., registry, filesystem, environment variables, certificates). PowerShell providers provide useful ways of interacting with a system.

metacharacter

A Windows PowerShell feature that is frequently used within PowerShell scripts. A metacharacter is a special keyboard character that has special meaning within Windows PowerShell.

Registry Editor

A Windows Server 2019 tool that allows an administrator to search and edit the Windows Registry.

File Signature Verification tool (Sigverif)

A Windows Server 2019 tool that verifies system and critical files, including device drivers, to determine if they have a signature.

Interrupt Request (IRQ) line

A channel for communication with the processor.

power plan

A combination of power options that define the amount of power used by the computer and the operating system. Options include how soon to turn off the display, whether to require a password on wakeup, how soon to turn off the storage devices, sleep/hibernate settings, USB settings, PCI card settings, and processor settings.

object

A component of PowerShell that has attributes (properties that describe the object) and methods (things that the object can do).

entry

A component of the Windows Registry hierarchical structure. The entry component is an item that appears in the details pane and is the lowest level in the Windows Registry. An entry consists of an entry name, its data type, and its value.

key

A component of the Windows Registry hierarchical structure. The key component is a folder that appears in the left pane of the Registry Editor and can contain subkeys and entries, for example, HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

subkey

A component of the Windows Registry hierarchical structure. The subkey component is a part of the Windows Registry that is below a key. A subkey can contain entries or other subkeys.

winRM

A component required for remote management with Windows PowerShell.

WMI provider

A component that contains different WMI classes that can be used to obtain/modify different hardware and software information on a system.

WMI namespace

A component that represents/organizes different types of WMI data in much the same way that a file cabinet organizes files. There are different namespaces for different purposes, and each namespace holds different WMI providers.

variable

A data item that may take on more than one value during the runtime of a program.

Windows Registry

A database containing all the information the operating system needs about the entire system, including hardware and software.

function

A grouping of code that has an optional input and output. It is a way of collecting up a bunch of code to perform one or many different times by just pointing to it instead of duplicating that code repeatedly.

variable provider

A provider used to view and manage variables.

registry provider

A provider used to view and modify the Windows Registry keys HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and HKEY_CURRENT_USER.

constant

A name or an identifier for a simple value. A constant value cannot change during the execution of a script.

file caching

A performance option that can be configured within Windows Server 2019.

flushing

A performance option that can be configured within Windows Server 2019.

virtual memory

A performance option that can be configured within Windows Server 2019. It consists of disk storage used to expand the capacity of the physical memory installed in the computer.

processor scheduling

A performance option that can be configured within Windows Server 2019. Processor scheduling allows an administrator to configure how processor resources are allocated to programs.

Component Object Model (COM)

A platform-independent, distributed, object-oriented system for creating binary software components that can interact.

type cast

A process of converting one object type to another. By default, all information is stored within variables and constants in Windows PowerShell as text strings, but this behavior can be changed if an administrator prefixes the variable with a type cast.

loop construct

A programming construct that allows a programmer to perform a task several times. There are many different types of loop constructs available, including foreach, for, while, do...while, and do...until.

attribute

A property that describes the object.

method

A property that describes things that an object can do.

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP)

A proprietary protocol developed by Microsoft that provides a user with a graphical interface to connect to another computer over a network connection. The user employs RDP client software for this purpose, while the other computer must run RDP server software.

function provider

A provider that is used to view and manage functions within Windows PowerShell.

PowerShell profile script

A script that runs when a PowerShell console is started. The script is used to configure PowerShell. There are four profile scripts documented in the PowerShell documentation pack.

Data Execution Prevention (DEP)

A security feature that can help prevent damage to a computer from viruses and other security threats.

alias

A shortcut to a command.

gateway server mode

A state where Windows Admin Center on a Windows Server 2016 or 2019 system is able to provide remote Web access for administrations.

Certificate Store

A storage location on a local computer that contains one or more certificates. A certificate store often has numerous certificates, possibly issued from a number of different certification authorities (CAs).

piping

A technique for passing information from one program process to another.

Plug and Play (PnP)

A technique that allows an operating system to work with hardware devices to automatically detect and configure recently installed hardware to work with the operating system.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

A tool that allows client computers to remotely connect to a central server to obtain their Windows desktop.

System File Checker

A tool that can be used to scan system files for integrity and replace them with the correct versions.

driver signing

A two-part process where Microsoft software first examines a new devices' driver to verify that it is secure and then, second, assigns a unique Microsoft digital signature that is incorporated into the driver.

system environment variables

A type of environment variable. System environment variables are defined by the operating system and apply to any user logged into the computer. Administrators can add new system environment variables or change the values of existing ones.

user environment variables

A type of environment variable. User environment variables can be defined on a per-user basis and may be used to provide a wide variety of different information, such as specifying the path where application files are stored.

Devices and Printers utility

A utility that can be used to monitor and manage devices and printers installed within a Windows server or computer.

exit status

A value generated by PowerShell upon a script's completion to indicate the script's execution status.

array variable

A variable construct that contains multiple variables as opposed to a single variable.

PowerShell console file

An XML file that has an extension .psc1. A PowerShell console file stores configuration settings for a particular console that leads to a customized Windows PowerShell session.

Input/Output (I/O) address

An address that is used to communicate between devices and software.

paging file

An area of memory allocated by the operating system that is moved from virtual memory back into physical memory when the operating system calls for the block of code.

command chaining

An MS-DOS shell feature that allows an administrator to run multiple lines on one line in PowerShell.

output redirection

An MS-DOS shell feature that is implemented as an operator defined as a rightward pointing angular bracket (>). The operator is used in shells to redirect standard output to a file, where it is written and saved, or to a device (such as a printer, where it is printed).

WQL (WMI Query Language)

An SQL database language used by WMI query statements.

self-signed certificate

An encryption certificate for use with HTTPS.

Certification Authority

An entity that issues digital certificates.

Device Manager utility

An extension of the Microsoft Management Console that provides a central and organized view of all the Microsoft Windows recognized hardware installed in a computer. Device Manager is used to manage the hardware devices installed in a computer, such as hard disk drives, keyboards, sound cards, USB devices, and more.

Universal PnP (UPnP)

An open standard that is used in all types of systems and that enables connectivity through networks and network protocols. UPnP supports server-based networking, wireless networking, peer-to-peer networking, and other networking services.

Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)

An optional tool that can be downloaded and installed on a Windows 10 PC. RSAT allows an administrator to perform server administration remotely using Server Manager and a wide range of MMC tools from a Windows 10 PC within an IT office.

page

Blocks of information used in a virtual memory system.

comment

Lines of code in a script that are effectively ignored during execution. However, they provide a means for an administrator to document the purpose of their script or any key areas that are difficult to trace.

WMI class

Individual types of data. Classes can be used within Windows PowerShell to work with different pieces of hardware and software.

Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)

The ISE is a handy tool that allows an administrator to write scripts on the fly, and has a convenient look-up for all the PowerShell commands.

escape character

The PowerShell escape character is the grave-accent(`). When used at the end of a line, it is a continuation character—so the command will continue on the next line. Additionally, the escape character can be used to indicate that the next character following it should be passed without substitution. Finally, when used inside double quotation marks, the escape character indicates that the following character should be interpreted as a 'special' character.

WMI infrastructure

The collective components built into the operating system that respond to WMI queries.

filesystem provider

The default provider. It is responsible for generating PS C:\Users\Administrator> as the prompt when a programmer starts PowerShell. A programmer can use the filesystem provider to view and manage the files on a filesystem.

tracing

The process of reading and understanding PowerShell scripts on the Internet.

WMI consumers

The programs and system software that can query WMI.

environment variables

Variables that are normally set within the Windows operating system.