MCTS 70-640 Exam Objectives
These exam objectives are reprinted with permission from Microsoft. Please check the Microsoft website to get the most up-to-date information.
This exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks listed below. The percentages indicate the relative weight of each major topic area on the exam.
Configuring Domain Name System (DNS) for Active Directory (17%)
- Configure zones.
May include but is not limited to: Dynamic DNS (DDNS), Non-dynamic DNS (NDDNS), and Secure Dynamic DNS (SDDNS); Time to Live (TTL); GlobalNames; Primary, Secondary, Active Directory Integrated, Stub; SOA; zone scavenging; forward lookup; reverse lookup - Configure DNS server settings.
May include but is not limited to: forwarding; root hints; configure zone delegation; round robin; disable recursion; debug logging; server scavenging - Configure zone transfers and replication.
May include but is not limited to: configure replication scope (forestDNSzone; domainDNSzone); incremental zone transfers; DNS Notify; secure zone transfers; configure name servers; application directory partitions
Configuring the Active Directory infrastructure (17 percent)
- Configure a forest or a domain.
May include but is not limited to: remove a domain; perform an unattended installation; Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) ; change forest and domain functional levels; interoperability with previous versions of Active Directory; multiple user principal name (UPN) suffixes; forestprep; domainprep - Configure trusts.
May include but is not limited to: forest trust; selective authentication vs. forest-wide authentication; transitive trust; external trust; shortcut trust; SID filtering - Configure sites.
May include but is not limited to: create Active Directory subnets; configure site links; configure site link costing; configure sites infrastructure - Configure Active Directory replication.
May include but is not limited to: DFSR; one-way replication; Bridgehead server; replication scheduling; configure replication protocols; force intersite replication - Configure the global catalog.
May include but is not limited to: Universal Group Membership Caching (UGMC); partial attribute set; promote to global catalog - Configure operations masters.
May include but is not limited to: seize and transfer; backup operations master; operations master placement; Schema Master; extending the schema; time service
Configuring Active Directory Roles and Services (14 percent)
- Configure Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS).
May include but is not limited to: migration to AD LDS; configure data within AD LDS; configure an authentication server; Server Core Installation - Configure Active Directory Rights Management Service (AD RMS).
May include but is not limited to: certificate request and installation; self-enrollments; delegation; create RMS templates; RMS administrative roles; RM Add-on for IE - Configure the read-only domain controller (RODC).
May include but is not limited to: replication; Administrator role separation; read-only DNS; BitLocker; credential caching; password replication; syskey; read-only SYSVOL; staged install - Configure Active Directory Federation Services (AD FSv2).
May include but is not limited to: install AD FS server role; exchange certificate with AD FS agents; configure trust policies; configure user and group claim mapping; import and export trust policies
Creating and maintaining Active Directory objects (18 percent)
- Automate creation of Active Directory accounts.
May include but is not limited to: bulk import; configure the UPN; create computer, user, and group accounts (scripts, import, migration); template accounts; contacts; distribution lists; offline domain join - Maintain Active Directory accounts.
May include but is not limited to: manage computer accounts; configure group membership; account resets; delegation; AGDLP/AGGUDLP; deny domain local group; local vs. domain; Protected Admin; disabling accounts vs. deleting accounts; deprovisioning; contacts; creating organizational units (OUs); delegation of control; protecting AD objects from deletion; managed service accounts - Create and apply Group Policy objects (GPOs).
May include but is not limited to: enforce, OU hierarchy, block inheritance, and enabling user objects; group policy processing priority; WMI; group policy filtering; group policy loopback; Group Policy Preferences (GPP) - Configure GPO templates.
May include but is not limited to: user rights; ADMX Central Store; administrative templates; security templates; restricted groups; security options; starter GPOs; shell access policies - Deploy and manage software by using GPOs.
May include but is not limited to: publishing to users; assigning software to users; assigning to computers; software removal; software restriction policies; AppLocker - Configure account policies.
May include but is not limited to: domain password policy; account lockout policy; fine-grain password policies - Configure audit policy by using GPOs.
May include but is not limited to: audit logon events; audit account logon events; audit policy change; audit access privilege use; audit directory service access; audit object access; advanced audit policies; global object access auditing; “Reason for Access” reporting
Maintaining the Active Directory environment (18 percent)
- Configure backup and recovery.
May include but is not limited to: using Windows Server Backup; back up files and system state data to media; backup and restore by using removable media; perform an authoritative or non-authoritative restores; linked value replication; Directory Services Recovery Mode (DSRM); backup and restore GPOs; configure AD recycle bin - Perform offline maintenance.
May include but is not limited to: offline defragmentation and compaction; Restartable Active Directory; Active Directory database mounting tool - Monitor Active Directory.
May include but is not limited to: event viewer subscriptions; data collector sets; real-time monitoring; analyzing logs; WMI queries; PowerShell
Configuring Active Directory Certificate Services (15 percent)
- Install Active Directory Certificate Services.
May include but is not limited to: certificate authority (CA) types, including standalone, enterprise, root, and subordinate; role services; prepare for multiple-forest deployments - Configure CA server settings.
May include but is not limited to: key archival; certificate database backup and restore; assigning administration roles; high-volume CAs; auditing - Manage certificate templates.
May include but is not limited to: certificate template types; securing template permissions; managing different certificate template versions; key recovery agent - Manage enrollments.
May include but is not limited to: network device enrollment service (NDES); auto enrollment; Web enrollment; extranet enrollment; smart card enrollment; authentication mechanism assurance; creating enrollment agents; deploying multiple-forest certificates; x.509 certificate mapping - Manage certificate revocations.
May include but is not limited to: configure Online Responders; Certificate Revocation List (CRL); CRL Distribution Point (CDP); Authority Information Access (AIA)
Where to Go from Here
If you are taking the 70-640 exam, you are most likely planning to take additional exams to complete the MCITP: Server Administrator or the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator.
Have you taken the TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring exam? Share your experiences by posting to the MCTS thread in our forums.