#1 BS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

FLEX Course Material

At the end of the
lesson(s), students must
be able to:

SYSTEM
Identify the role &
responsibilities of a
system administrator
Identify the challenges
of system administrator
ADMINISTRATION
Identify various server AND
MAINTENANCE
operating systems.
Identify the different
System Administration
tools
Setup and configure a
virtualized laboratory
environment using
Oracle VirtualBox. Introduction to System Administration and
Perform Windows Maintenance
Server configuration.

IT Security and System Administration Cluster

College of Computing and Information Technologies
 FOCAL POINTS

The task of system administration is a balancing act. It

requires patience, understanding, knowledge and experience.

Being a system administrator is as much a state of mind as it

is about being knowledgeable. It requires organization and the
ability to be systematic. There is no right answer, but there is
often a wrong answer. It's about making something robust
which works. Stereotypes notwithstanding, today's system
administrator is neither haphazard nor messy.

As system administrators, we have many responsibilities and

constraints on our work. Our first responsibility is to the
greater network community and then to the users of our
system. An administrator's job is to make users' lives bearable
and to empower them in the production of real work.

Lesson 1 P4

Principles of System Administration

?
Lesson 2 P13

Server Operating System

Lesson 3 P21

Virtual Laboratory Environment

INSIDE
#1

Principles of
System
Administration
Understanding
the Principles
of System
Administration

System administration practices, worldwide, vary from the haphazard to the state of the art. There is a
variety of reasons for this. Most recently, the Internet has grown considerably, operating systems have
grown more and more complex, but the number of technically adept system administrators has not grown
in proportion. In the past, system administration has been a job which has not been carried out by
dedicated professionals, but by interested computer users, as a necessary chore in getting their work done.
The focus on making computers easy to use has distracted many vendors from the belief that their
computers should also be easy to manage. It is only over the gradual course of time that this has changed,
though even today, system administrators are a barely visible race, until something goes wrong.

What is a System Administrator?

A system administrator (sysadmin) is an information technology professional who supports a multiuser

computing environment and ensures continuous, optimal performance of IT services and support systems.

Sysadmins are responsible for ensuring the uptime of their companies' computers, servers and internet --
basically "keeping the lights on" to limit work disruptions. This includes system maintenance and
configuration, such as installing and troubleshooting hardware and software and assessing new
technologies for their companies.

Nevertheless, system administrator job responsibilities vary greatly among employers. In larger
organizations, the title may be used to describe any administrator who is responsible for a specialized IT
system, such as the one that supports servers.

Depending upon an organization's specialty, information system administrator job titles may include a
data center administrator, computer network administrator, virtualization administrator, server
administrator or database administrator.

4
Role of the System Administrator

The duties of a system administrator are wide-ranging and vary widely from one organization to
another. Sysadmins are usually charged with installing, supporting, and maintaining servers or other
computer systems, and planning for and responding to service outages and other problems. Other duties
may include scripting or light programming, project management for systems-related projects.

System administrator is responsible for following things:

▪ User administration (setup and maintaining account)
▪ Maintaining system
▪ Verify that peripherals are working properly
▪ Quickly arrange repair for hardware in occasion of hardware failure
▪ Monitor system performance
▪ Create file systems
▪ Install software
▪ Create a backup and recover policy
▪ Monitor network communication
▪ Update system as soon as new version of OS and application software comes out
▪ Implement the policies for the use of the computer system and network
▪ Setup security policies for users. A sysadmin must have a strong grasp of computer security (e.g.
firewalls and intrusion detection systems)
▪ Documentation in form of internal wiki
▪ Password and identity management

Cloud Computing and Sysadmin

Cloud computing is nothing, but a large number of computers connected through the Internet/Wan.
Cloud computing is now part of technology and sysadmin must lean:

▪ Automation software such as puppet, chef, etc.

▪ Cloud infrastructure such as AWS, Openstack etc.
▪ Network services in cloud such as Content delivery networks (Akamai, CloudFront etc) and DNS
servers.
▪ Source control
▪ Designing best practices for backups, and whole infrastructure.

What is so special about the system administrator account?

The root account has full (unrestricted) access, so he/she can do anything with system. For example, root
can remove critical system files. In addition, there is no way you can recover file except using tape
backup or disk based backup systems.

5
System Administrator Skills

Due to the wide range of job responsibilities for system administration in various organizations, job skill
competencies are often broad, as are salary ranges. Typically, job descriptions in this field call for a
minimum of a bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering or a related field.

In general, sysadmins must be comfortable working with application and file servers, desktops, routers,
wide area networks, databases, information security systems cybersecurity protocols and storage.

Sysadmins also should be skilled at problem-solving in multiple operating systems, such as Linux,
Microsoft and others. Additionally, they should be familiar with tasks related to scripting, automation
and programming. Increasingly, virtualization and cloud computing skills have also become essential to
the job.

The sysadmin's tasks generally include provisioning, configuring and managing system performance, as
well as the software that runs on the web servers and the computer hardware that supports it. For this
reason, a sysadmin should feel comfortable installing and troubleshooting IT resources, establishing and
managing user accounts, upgrading and patching software, and performing backup and recovery tasks.

However, the ability to troubleshoot, manage firewalls and provide technical support aren't the only skills
required for sysadmins. Soft skills (people skills) are just as necessary as hard skills for sysadmins
because they interact with people in so many areas of IT and business. When IT services are slow or
down entirely, a system administrator must be able to work under pressure, read a situation as it unfolds
and quickly decide on a response that yields the best result for all involved.

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6
The Challenges of System Administration

System administration is not just about installing operating systems. It is about planning and designing an
efficient community of computers so that real users will be able to get their jobs done. That means:

▪ Designing a network which is logical and efficient.

▪ Deploying large numbers of machines which can be easily upgraded later.
▪ Deciding what services are needed.
▪ Planning and implementing adequate security.
▪ Providing a comfortable environment for users.
▪ Developing ways of fixing errors and problems which occur.
▪ Keeping track of, and understanding how to use, the enormous amount of knowledge which
increases every year.

Some system administrators are responsible for both the hardware of the network and the computers
which it connects, i.e. the cables as well as the computers. Some are only responsible for the computers.
Either way, an understanding of how data flow from machine to machine is essential, as is an
understanding of how each machine affects every other.

7
Understanding
the Windows
Administration
Tools

Windows administration is more than just creating user accounts or running defrag once in a while. It’s
more than clearing out caches and making sure there aren’t any viruses. To become a pro at administering
Windows, you need to know about all of the tools available to you, how they work, and how to use them.
There’s so much going on under the hood that you just can’t see by pulling out Task Manager.

Windows Administration Tools

Administrative Tools is the collective name for several advanced tools in Windows that are used mainly by
system administrators. The programs can be used to schedule a test of your computer's memory, manage
advanced aspects of users and groups, format hard drives, configure Windows services, change how the
operating system starts, and much, much more.

How to Access Administrative Tools

Since it's a Control Panel applet, it can be accessed via Control Panel. To find it, first, open Control Panel
and then choose Administrative Tools.

8
Computer Management
Computer Management is an MMC snap-in used as a central location to manage local or remote
computers. It includes Task Scheduler, Event Viewer, Local Users and Groups, Device Manager, Disk
Management, and more, all in a single location. This makes it really easy to manage all the important
aspects of a computer.

Task Scheduler
Task Scheduler is an MMC snap-in used to schedule a task or program to run automatically on a
specific date and time. Some non-Windows programs may use Task Scheduler to set up things
like a disk cleanup or defrag tool to run automatically.

Event Viewer
Event Viewer is an MMC snap-in used to view information about certain actions in Windows,
called events. It can sometimes be used to identify a problem that has occurred in Windows,
especially when an issue has occurred, but no clear error message was received. Events are stored
in event logs. A number of Windows event logs exist, including Application, Security, System,
Setup, and Forwarded Events. Application specific and custom event logs exist in Event Viewer as
well, logging events that occur with and are specific to certain programs.

Performance (Performance Monitor and Resource Monitor)

Performance Monitor is an MMC snap-in that's used to view real-time, or previously recorded,
computer performance data. Advanced information about your CPU, RAM, hard drive, and
network are just a few of the things you can view via this tool. Resource Monitor is a tool used to
view details about current CPU, memory, disk, and network activity that individual processes are
utilizing.

Device Manager
The Device Manager in Windows provides a central and organized view of all the Microsoft
Windows recognized hardware installed on a computer.

Disk Management
When you need to create or delete partitions, initialize a new disk, or even stripe a partition
across multiple disks, this is the utility that you’ll need to use. It’s also very useful for figuring out
why a USB drive isn’t showing up on your computer – you’ll open up Disk Management and
check to see whether the drive or partition is showing up at all.

Services
Services is an MMC snap-in used to manage the various Windows services existing that help
your computer start, and then keep running, as you expect. The Services tool is most often used
to change the startup type for a particular service, which changes when or how the service is
executed. Choices include Automatic (Delayed Start), Automatic, Manual, and Disabled.

9
iSCSI Initiator

The iSCSI Initiator link in Administrative Tools starts the iSCSI Initiator
Configuration Tool. This program is used to manage the communication between
networked iSCSI storage devices. Since iSCSI devices are typically found in an
enterprise or large business environments, you typically only see the iSCSI
Initiator tool used with Server versions of Windows.

Local Security Policy

Local Security Policy is an MMC snap-in used to manage Group Policy security
settings. One example of using Local Security Policy would be requiring a
minimum password length for user passwords, enforcing a maximum password
age, or making sure any new password meets a certain level of complexity. Pretty
much any detailed restriction you can imagine can be set with Local Security
Policy.

Memory Diagnostics Tool

Memory Diagnostics Tool is the name of the shortcut in Administrative Tools in

Windows Vista that starts Windows Memory Diagnostic on the next reboot. This
utility tests your computer's memory to identify defects, which may ultimately
require you to replace your RAM.

It was renamed Windows Memory Diagnostic in later versions of Windows.

Print Management

Print Management is an MMC snap-in used as a central location to manage local

and network printer settings, installed printer drivers, current print jobs, and
much more.

Basic printer management is still best performed from Devices and Printers
(Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista) or Printers and Faxes (Windows XP).

System Configuration

The System Configuration link starts System Configuration, a tool used to help
troubleshoot some kinds of Windows startup problems.

It's included within Administrative Tools in Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7,

and Windows Vista. In Windows 7, the tool can be used to manage the programs
that launch when Windows starts up.

10
 System Information

The System Information link opens the System Information program, a tool that
displays incredibly detailed data about the hardware, drivers, and most parts of
your computer. It's included within Administrative Tools in Windows 10 and
Windows 8. The System Information tool is included with Windows 7, Windows
Vista, and Windows XP as well but just not within Administrative Tools; execute
msinfo32 to start it in those earlier versions of Windows.

Windows Firewall With Advanced Security

Windows Firewall with Advanced Security is an MMC snap-in used for advanced
configuration of the software firewall included with Windows.

Basic firewall management is best performed via the Windows Firewall applet in
Control Panel. Some versions of windows call this Windows Defender Firewall
with Advanced Security.

Windows PowerShell ISE

Windows PowerShell ISE starts Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting

Environment (ISE), a graphical host environment for PowerShell.

PowerShell is a powerful command-line utility and scripting language that

administrators can use to control various aspects of local and remote Windows
systems.

Other Tools

Sysinternals Suite

The Sysinternals Suite is used for troubleshooting problems and investigating security breaches on
computers running Microsoft operating systems. There are more than 40 tools in six categories:

▪ File and disk tools

▪ Networking tools
▪ Process tools
▪ Security tools
▪ System information tools
▪ Miscellaneous tools

Download Source: https://download.sysinternals.com/files/SysinternalsSuite.zip

11
#3

Server
Operating
Systems
Understanding
Server OS
Market Share

A server operating system, also called a Server OS, is an operating system specifically designed to run on
servers. A server operating system is an advanced operating system designed to run on servers. It has the
necessary features and subsystems to operate in a client-server architecture and serve clients' requests.

The Server OS, is a software layer on top of which other software programs, or applications, can run on the
server hardware. This is like how a desktop OS, mobile device OS, or embedded device OS enables software
programs and applications to run on those respective devices.

A server OS is designed from the ground up to provide features suitable for multi-user, business-critical
applications. It provides the central interface for managing users, implementing security, and other
administrative processes. The focus of a server operating system is usually security, stability, and
cooperation.

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13
UNIX Operating System
UNIX is a multi-user and multi-tasking operating system. It's widely used in the client-server
environment. UNIX server operating system is implemented with a high-level C programming
language that supports multiple platforms, making it suitable for many hardware architectures.

UNIX is designed for multi-user environments and has built-in TCP/IP, demonstrating superior
stability and security. But it is very costly, and there are many different versions of UNIX operating
systems from different vendors, so there is no standard UNIX server operating system.

Linux Operating System

Linux server operating system is a UNIX-like operating system with all the functions of UNIX. Linux
is the dominant operating system on servers and supercomputers. It is reported that more than
96.4% of the world's top 1 million servers use Linux operating system as their server OS.

Linux is free and open-source and supports multi-user, multi-process, multi-threaded operations.
However, to adopt a Linux server operating system, enterprises need to make sure they have
comprehensive technical expertise, including installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Windows Operating System

Windows operating system was developed in the mid-1980s for daily personal use and professional
servers. It provides services to multiple users and supports the management and control of data
storage, applications, and business networks.

Windows server OS is an operating system applicable to the cloud, which supports virtual memory
management and has an intuitive GUI. Moreover, it is more user-friendly than most Linux-based
operating systems and is easy to install and use. But Windows server operating system is paid. And it
faces more security threats, which requires timely download of the latest security patches to protect
the system from these security threats and to ensure ongoing security.

NetWare Operating System

NetWare server operating system was widely used in early LANs. It supports multi-processor and
high-capacity physical memory management. It also has superb file sharing and printing capabilities
and provides high scalability for corporate networks through open standards and file protocols.
However, the NetWare server OS has very obvious drawbacks. It requires expensive investment and
challenging installation, and many applications don't support the system.

14
 Server operating systems facilitate the implementation of various server platforms, such as:

▪ Web servers. A web server hosts programs and data and responds to client requests for web pages or
other web-based services. Common web servers are Apache, Microsoft Internet Information Services
(IIS), and Nginx.
▪ Mail servers. A mail server allows users to forward and receive emails for and from their business and
controls individual email accounts based on a specific domain.
▪ File servers. File sharing involves a joint storage point for a business to store documents or data - a
network drive.
▪ Database servers. Some server operating systems include database integration, which facilitates
dynamic web page building based on the database contents.
▪ Application servers. Server operating systems must be able to run business-critical applications,
whether that's a self-hosted CRM or a SaaS. A server OS usually functions as a shared environment for
various collaborative applications.
▪ Print servers. Another feature that server operating systems facilitate is print sharing, allowing
multiple machines to use a single printer.

Common Server Operating Systems

There is an abundance of operating systems available today. According to some statistics, roughly 80% of
all servers use some variation of Linux, while about 20% of servers use Windows. The major types of
Server Operating Systems are open source, dominated by Linux, and closed source, dominated by
Microsoft and its Windows Server Operating System software. Red Hat is the leading provider of open-
source Linux Server Operating System software.

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15
The Server Operating System Market is relatively consolidated as seen with the major vendors having
significant Server Operating System Market Share. Major shifts in the industry take years or decades.

Images retrieved from https://global-uploads.webflow.com/5d71c5b5ed21579fe7c3535a/5e4b3d5264f7f563d8331ac3_server-

operating-system-market-size-2016-2020.png

The chart on the right shows the Server

OS market share of global shipments
for enterprise Server Operating Systems
in 2018. Microsoft Server was the
market leader with a 48% share of the
total server Operating System
shipments while 34% of the shipments
were for Red Hat's Linux based Server
OS. Red Hat is far and away the leading
Linux distribution within the Linux
Server OS market. While Red Hat and
Microsoft are the most popular
operating systems in the server OS
market, the "Other" section contains
additional well-known products and
brands. They include Apple's OS X
Server to manage Mac computers and
iOS devices on a network, and many
Linux kernel based operating systems
Images retrieved from https://global-
such as Ubuntu and Chrome OS for uploads.webflow.com/5d71c5b5ed21579fe7c3535a/5e4b3d5264f7f54d7b3
servers. 31ac2_server-operating-system-market-share-2018.png

The growth in the datacenter market is one of the biggest drivers for the growth of the Server Operating
System market. Both consumers and businesses are increasing their use of streaming services, cloud
computing and other data-intensive functions. This demand has collectively spurred greater investment
in server and cloud infrastructure ecosystems that can handle next-generation data workloads. The
growth also means that Server Operating System Market Share can be disrupted more easily than before.

16
Best Server OS for Businesses
Small

The best OS choice for a small business server depends on the budget, server type, and the
maintenance team's expertise.

If you have a budget that can handle a server OS purchase, a good OS choice is the Windows Server
Essentials (formerly Windows Small Business Server). It is a good solution for companies under 25
users and a small maintenance team.

The OS features a familiar interface and broad third-party app support at a reasonable price. It
facilitates connectivity and includes email clients, remote access, support for mobile devices, file and
printer sharing, backup and restore, and other features.

If you prefer a free and stable production OS, choose a free Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu
Server or Debian.

Medium

For a medium-sized business, it's essential to choose an OS that allows your business to grow.
However, you don't want heavy investments you may not need.

Because of their scalability, Linux distributions are possibly the best choice for a medium-sized
business. An example is Ubuntu Server, a free, stable, easy-to-install OS with a trusted name. Since it
is open-source, it features extensive customizability, allowing you to tailor the OS to your business
needs.

Saving money on an OS means a bigger budget for scaling and implementing security features.

Other solutions that come with a price tag, but are cost-effective, are RHEL and Windows Server
Standard Edition.

Large

Choosing an OS for a large business depends on the server type and its function. For example, a
Windows Server in an Active Directory domain is a good choice for a file server, authentication
server, or email server. On the other hand, both Windows and Linux are good choices for a web
server.

For example, the Windows Server Datacenter Edition is a good choice for a highly virtualized
datacenter or a cloud environment. The OS allows for an unlimited number of Windows server
instances on a server, both in physical and virtual environments.

On the other hand, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is an open-source operating system. It is
designed for extensive workloads in large data centers, but also for single-server environments. SLES
is subscription-based and provides access to patches, fixes, and security updates through the SLES
customer portal.

17
Understanding
Windows
Server
Editions

Microsoft Windows Server OS (operating system) is a series of enterprise-class server operating systems
designed to share services with multiple users and provide extensive administrative control of data
storage, applications and corporate networks.

Development for Windows Server started in the early 1980s when Microsoft produced two operating
system lines: MS-DOS and Windows NT. Microsoft engineer David Cutler developed the kernel of
Windows NT with the intent to provide speed, security and reliability that large organizations require in a
server operating system.

Key features in later versions of Windows Server include Active Directory, which automates the
management of user data, security and distributed resources, and enables interoperation with other
directories; and Server Manager, which is a utility to administer server roles and make configuration
changes to local or remote machines.

18
License and Windows Server Activation
There are certain licensing characteristics based on the Windows Server edition you decide to deploy.
These are discussed in the following table.

Hardware Requirements
The hardware requirements for Windows Server depend on the services that the server is hosting, the load
on the server, and how responsive you want the server to be. The services and features of each role put a
unique load on network, disk I/O, processor, and memory resources. The following table displays the
absolute minimum required for a Server Core installation on a physical machine.

Virtualized deployments of Windows Server require the same hardware specifications for physical
deployments. However, during installation, you'll need to allocate extra memory to the VM, which you can
then deallocate after installation, or you'll need to create an installation partition during the boot process.

OTHER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the previously listed requirements, there are various other hardware requirements to
consider, depending on your specific organizational needs and installation scenarios:

▪ Greater disk space is needed for network installations or for computers with more than 16 GB of
RAM.
▪ Storage and network adapters must be PCI Express compliant.
▪ A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is needed to implement several security features.

19
#3

Virtual
Laboratory
Environment
Preparation, Setup and Configuration
Understanding
Oracle
VirtualBox

To start setting up your virtual laboratory environment, various tools should be downloaded, installed, and
configured. Alternatively, you can download resources from your MS Teams > General Channel > Class
Materials > Files > Tools folder.

Installing Oracle VirtualBox

VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for

enterprise as well as home use. Download the latest available version of
VirtualBox from https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads.

Below are the needed resources:

▪ VirtualBox Platform Package (Windows)
▪ VirtualBox Extension Pack

Install VirtualBox on Windows 7,8,8.1 & Windows 10. Click on downloaded VirtualBox.exe file, and a file
will execute.

After installation, you can start Oracle VM VirtualBox

as follows:
▪ On a Windows host, in the Programs menu, click on the
item in the VirtualBox group. On some Windows
platforms, you can also enter VirtualBox in the search box
of the Start menu.
▪ On a Mac OS X host, in the Finder, double-click on the
VirtualBox item in the Applications folder. You may want
to drag this item onto your Dock.
▪ On a Linux or Oracle Solaris host, depending on your
desktop environment, an Oracle VM VirtualBox item may
have been placed in either the System or System Tools
group of your Applications menu. Alternatively, you can
enter VirtualBox in a terminal window.

21
Creating Your First Virtual Machine
Click New in the VirtualBox Manager window. A wizard is shown, to guide you through setting up a new
virtual machine (VM).

On the following pages, the wizard will ask you for the bare
minimum of information that is needed to create a VM, in
particular:

The Name of the VM you choose is shown in the machine

list of the VirtualBox Manager window and is also used for
the VM's files on disk. Be sure to assign each VM an
informative name that describes the OS and software
running on the VM. For example, Windows 10 with Visio.

The Machine Folder is the location where VMs are stored on

your computer. The default folder location is shown.

For Operating System Type, select the OS that you want to install. The supported OSes are grouped. If you
want to install something very unusual that is not listed, select Other. Depending on your selection, Oracle
VM VirtualBox will enable or disable certain VM settings that your guest OS may require. This is
particularly important for 64-bit guests. It is therefore recommended to always set it to the correct value.
On the next page, select the Memory (RAM) that Oracle VM VirtualBox should allocate every time the
virtual machine is started. The amount of memory given here will be taken away from your host machine
and presented to the guest OS, which will report this size as the virtual computer's installed RAM.

Next, you must specify a Virtual Hard Disk for your VM. The wizard displays the following window:

At this screen, you have the following options:

To create a new, empty virtual hard disk, click the

Create button. If you are using Oracle VM
VirtualBox for the first time, you will want to create
a new disk image. Click the Create button.

This displays another window, the Create Virtual

Hard Disk Wizard. This wizard helps you to create a
new disk image file in the new virtual machine's
folder. Oracle VM VirtualBox supports the following
types of image files:

A dynamically allocated file only grows in size

when the guest actually stores data on its virtual
hard disk. A fixed-size file immediately occupies the
file specified, even if only a fraction of that virtual
hard disk space is actually in use.

22
How to Import OVA Files in VirtualBox
An OVA file (Open Virtual Appliances) is a package that contains files used to describe a virtual machine. It
includes a descriptor file (.OVF), optional manifest (.MF), certificate files, and other related files. All this
data is saved in the Open Virtualization Format, which is a standard format used to package and distribute
software run in virtual machines.

When you have VirtualBox running, locate “File” in the top menu and click on it, then select “Import
Appliance.” VirtualBox refers to virtual machines as appliances.

A new window will pop open with a field to select your .ova file. Browse to the file you’d like to import.
VirtualBox will take a few seconds to read the information on the file.

The window will shift to a table that lets you choose the settings for your soon-to-be-imported appliance.
From here, you can set key features of the virtual machine, like the amount of available memory. When
you’re ready, click on the “Import” button and let VirtualBox run the import process. It can take a few
minutes for VirtualBox to complete the import process depending on the file size. After the process
completes, your VM will be ready to use.

23
Configure VirtualBox Networking
In Oracle VirtualBox there are six networking modes supported, namely:

▪ Not attached. In this mode, Oracle VM VirtualBox reports to the guest that a network card is
present, but that there is no connection. This is as if no Ethernet cable was plugged into the
card. Using this mode, it is possible to pull the virtual Ethernet cable and disrupt the connection,
which can be useful to inform a guest operating system that no network connection is available
and enforce a reconfiguration.

▪ Network Address Translation (NAT). If all you want is to browse the Web, download files, and
view email inside the guest, then this default mode should be sufficient for you, and you can skip
the rest of this section. Please note that there are certain limitations when using Windows file
sharing.

▪ NAT Network. A NAT network is a type of internal network that allows outbound connections.

▪ Bridged networking. This is for more advanced networking needs, such as network simulations
and running servers in a guest. When enabled, Oracle VM VirtualBox connects to one of your
installed network cards and exchanges network packets directly, circumventing your host
operating system's network stack.

▪ Internal networking. This can be used to create a different kind of software-based network
which is visible to selected virtual machines, but not to applications running on the host or to the
outside world.

▪ Host-only networking. This can be used to create a network containing the host and a set of
virtual machines, without the need for the host's physical network interface. Instead, a virtual
network interface, similar to a loopback interface, is created on the host, providing connectivity
among virtual machines and the host.

▪ Generic networking. Rarely used modes which share the same generic network interface, by
allowing the user to select a driver which can be included with Oracle VM VirtualBox or be
distributed in an extension pack.

VirtualBox Host-only Networking Mode Configuration

Host-only networking performs the combined functions of bridged and internal networking modes. In
bridge mode, a virtual machine can communicate with the host machine and other virtual machines
because they share the same physical interface of the host machine. Similarly, in the case of internal
networking mode, virtual machines can only talk to each other but cannot communicate with the host
machine and any other machine outside of their set as they are not connected to any physical interface.

24
Step 1. We need to create a Host-only network adapter. For this, go to the “File” option in the VirtualBox
menu bar and select the “Host Network Manager”.

Step 2. In the new pop-up window, select the green icon corresponding to “Create Host-Only
Network”. A new adapter, “VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter #”, will be created. If DHCP Server
option is “Enabled”, configure the newly added “VirtualBox Host-Only Ethernet Adapter” under the
“Properties > DHCP Server” and uncheck the “Enable Server” option. Finally, click on the “Apply”
button.

After creating the virtual adapter (Host-only Ethernet Adapter), you can use it with the virtual
machine’s network adapter configuration.

25
Install VirtualBox Guest Additions
The Guest Additions are designed to be installed inside a virtual machine after the guest operating
system has been installed. They consist of device drivers and system applications that optimize the guest
operating system for better performance and usability.

The Guest Additions offer the following features:

▪ Mouse pointer integration. This feature provides you with seamless mouse support. You will only
have one mouse pointer and pressing the Host key is no longer required to free the mouse from being
captured by the guest OS. To make this work, a special mouse driver is installed in the guest that
communicates with the physical mouse driver on your host and moves the guest mouse pointer
accordingly.
▪ Shared folders. These provide an easy way to exchange files between the host and the guest. Much
like ordinary Windows network shares, you can tell Oracle VM VirtualBox to treat a certain host
directory as a shared folder, and Oracle VM VirtualBox will make it available to the guest operating
system as a network share, irrespective of whether the guest actually has a network.
▪ Better video support. While the virtual graphics card which Oracle VM VirtualBox emulates for any
guest operating system provides all the basic features, the custom video drivers that are installed with
the Guest Additions provide you with extra high and non-standard video modes, as well as
accelerated video performance.
▪ Seamless windows. With this feature, the individual windows that are displayed on the desktop of the
virtual machine can be mapped on the host's desktop, as if the underlying application was actually
running on the host.
▪ Generic host/guest communication channels. The Guest Additions enable you to control and monitor
guest execution. The guest properties provide a generic string-based mechanism to exchange data
bits between a guest and a host, some of which have special meanings for controlling and monitoring
the guest.
▪ Time synchronization. With the Guest Additions installed, Oracle VM VirtualBox can ensure that the
guest's system time is better synchronized with that of the host.
▪ Shared clipboard. With the Guest Additions installed, the clipboard of the guest operating system can
optionally be shared with your host operating system.
▪ Automated logins. Also called credentials passing.

Installing VirtualBox Guest Additions

In the Devices menu in the virtual machine's menu

bar, Oracle VM VirtualBox has a menu item Insert
Guest Additions CD Image, which mounts the Guest
Additions ISO file inside your virtual machine. A
Windows guest should then automatically start the
Guest Additions installer, which installs the Guest
Additions on your Windows guest.

For other guest operating systems, or if automatic

start of software on a CD is disabled, you need to do a
manual start of the installer.

26
Setting Up
Virtual
Laboratory
Environment

To start setting up your virtual laboratory environment, various tools should be downloaded, installed, and
configured. Alternatively, you can download resources from your MS Teams > General Channel > Class
Materials > Files > Tools > Virtual Machines folder. Resources that needs to be downloaded is of type ISO
File or an OVA File.

Oracle VirtualBox
Manager

OPNSense Firewall
(em0)
Network Adapter 1
(Bridge Adapter or NAT)

OPNSense Firewall
(em1)
192.168.5.1/24
Network Adapter 2
(Host-Only Ethernet Adapter #2)

Ubuntu Desktop Windows 10/11

192.168.5.X/24 Desktop
Network Adapter 1 192.168.5.X/24
(Host-Only Ethernet Adapter #2) Network Adapter 1
(Host-Only Ethernet Adapter #2)

Windows Server
192.168.5.5/24
Network Adapter 1
27
(Host-Only Ethernet Adapter #2)
Setting Up OPNSense Firewall
OPNsense is an open source, easy-to-use and
easy-to-build FreeBSD based firewall and routing
platform. OPNsense includes most of the features
available in expensive commercial firewalls, and
more in many cases. It brings the rich feature set
of commercial offerings with the benefits of open
and verifiable sources.

After downloading the OVA files, you need to import the file in Oracle VirtualBox Manager (Refer to the
previous section “How to Import OVA Files in VirtualBox”.

Manage OPNSense OVA Import

Double-click the OVA File to display “Import Virtual Appliance” window. Under the “Virtual System”
settings, you can configure the name (1) of the virtual machine and base folder (3) where you want to
save your virtual machine. Click on “Finish” button to start the import process and patiently wait until
completed.

28
Manage OPNSense VM Network Interfaces
Now you can setup the network adapters of your OPNSense Firewall virtual machine. In VirtualBox
Manager, select the OPNSense Virtual Machine > Select Settings > Select Network to manage the
Network Settings of the virtual machine.

On Adapter 1, select “Enable Network Adapter” option. Next on the “Attach To” section, select ‘Bridge
Adapter’ from the drop-down list. Next on the “Name” section, choose an interface (Ethernet or
Wireless Ethernet) that has access to the internet. Under Advanced Settings, “Promiscuous Mode”
settings “Deny” option must be selected. Next on the “MAC Address” settings, click on the “Refresh”
icon to reset the default MAC Address.

On Adapter 2, select “Enable Network Adapter” option. Next on the “Attach To” section, select ‘Host-
only Adapter’ from the drop-down list. Next on the “Name” section, choose an interface (VirtualBox
Host-Only Ethernet Adapter) that has DHCP Server Disabled (refer to Configure VirtualBox
Networking). Under Advanced Settings, “Promiscuous Mode” settings “Deny” option must be selected.
Next on the “MAC Address” settings, click on the “Refresh” icon to reset the default MAC Address.

Once completed, click on the “OK” button to save the network settings. Now you are ready to
run/start and configure the OPNSense Firewall virtual machine.
29
Configure OPNSense Virtual Machine Interface
Start your OPNSense Virtual Machine. Once
initialization is completed, you will be
presented with the following information as
shown in the illustration.

Next, you need to login to your OPNSense

using the following credentials (login: root |
password: opnsense) to configure the
“Interface Assignment” and “Interface IP
Address”.

Assign Interface Configuration

1. Select OPTION 1
2. Select the interface to be configured accordingly:

▪ WAN interface em0

▪ Select LAN interface em1

3. Configure VLAN = N
4. Enter WAN Interface name = em0 (corresponds to VirtualBox Adapter 1 Bridge Adapter)
5. Enter LAN Interface Name = em1 (corresponds to VirtualBox Adapter 2 Host-Only Adapter)
6. (Skip Optional Interface) = press Enter Key
7. Complete Configuration = Y
Set Interface IP Address
1. Select Option = 2
2. Enter Interface to configure, select LAN (1)
3. Configure IPv4 address LAN Interface via DHCP? = N
4. Enter New LAN IPv4 Address = 192.168.5.1
5. Enter New LAN IPv4 Subnet masks = 24
6. (Skip IPv4 Upstream Gateway Address) = press Enter Key
7. Configure IPv6 address interface via WAN tracking? = Y
8. Enable the DHCP Server on LAN? = Y
9. Enter Start Address IPv4 Client address range = 192.168.5.100
10. Enter End Address IPv4 Client address range = 192.168.5.110
11. Change web GUI protocol from HTTPS to HTTP? = N
12. Generate new self-signed web GUI certificate? = N
13. Restore web GUI access defaults? = N
14. Wait until the process is completed and reload the service by selecting option 11.

Once completed, you can now setup other configurations of your OPNSense Firewall through its Web
Interface from other virtual machines (Ubuntu Virtual Machine). For now, you can skip the next
configuration until the next virtual machine (Ubuntu) is available.

30
OPNSense Web Configurations

In one of your available virtual machines (Ubuntu), open a web browser and navigate to OPNSense Web
Interface using the LAN IP address (192.168.5.1) that was assigned. At first, you will be prompt with a
potential warning. Click on the “Advanced” button to continue and then click on “Accept the Risk and
Continue” button to proceed. Once completed, you will be asked to login into OPNSense Web Interface, use
the following default credentials:

Web GUI Username: root

Web GUI Password : opnsense

Note: If OPNSense Web is not accessible, you need to reload your OPNSense services by selecting OPTION
11 Reload All Services from your OPNSense virtual machine commandline.

Once logged in, you may now proceed with the necessary OPNSense web configurations.

31
32
33
Next, proceed with setting up OPNSense DHCP (LAN).
34
OPNSense Firewall basic settings is now properly configured. Verify network settings of your
workstation. 35
In Ubuntu workstation, check the network settings information as shown on the illustration
below.

In Windows workstation, check the network settings information as shown on the illustration
below.

36
Setting Up Windows Server Virtual Machine

Windows Server introduces advanced multi-layer

security, hybrid capabilities with Azure, and a flexible
application platform.

After downloading the OVA files, you need to import the

file in Oracle VirtualBox Manager (Refer to the previous
section “How to Import OVA Files in VirtualBox”.

Manage Windows Server OVA Import

Double-click the OVA File to display “Import Virtual Appliance” window. Under the “Virtual System”
settings, you can configure the name (1) of the virtual machine and base folder (3) where you want to
save your virtual machine. Click on “Finish” button to start the import process and patiently wait until
completed.

Next, configure the Windows Server virtual machine network settings.

37
Manage Windows Server VM Network Interfaces
Now you can setup the network adapters of your Windows Server virtual machine. In VirtualBox
Manager, select the Windows Server Virtual Machine > Select Settings > Select Network to manage
the Network Settings of the virtual machine.

On Adapter 1, select “Enable Network Adapter” option. Next on the “Attach To” section, select ‘Host-
only Adapter’ from the drop-down list. Next on the “Name” section, choose an interface “VirtualBox
Host-Only Ethernet Adapter” that has DHCP Server disabled. Under Advanced Settings, “Promiscuous
Mode” settings “Deny” option must be selected. Next on the “MAC Address” settings, click on the
“Refresh” icon to reset the default MAC Address.

Once completed, click on the “OK” button to save the network settings. Now you are ready to
run/start your Windows Server virtual machine. Use the default “User Login Credentials – LOCAL
DEFAULT” listed in the Virtual Machine’s Description.

38
Setting Up Windows 10/11 Virtual Machine

Get a Windows development environment to start building

Windows applications quickly by using a virtual machine with
the latest versions of Windows, the developer tools, SDKs, and
samples ready to go (https://developer.microsoft.com/en-
us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines/)

After downloading the OVA files, you need to import the file in
Oracle VirtualBox Manager (Refer to the previous section
“How to Import OVA Files in VirtualBox”.

Manage Windows Workstation OVA Import

Double-click the OVA File to display “Import Virtual Appliance” window. Under the “Virtual System”
settings, you can configure the name (1) of the virtual machine and base folder (3) where you want to
save your virtual machine. Click on “Finish” button to start the import process and patiently wait until
completed.

Next, configure the Windows virtual machine network settings.

39
Manage Windows Workstation VM Network Interfaces
Now you can setup the network adapters of your Windows virtual machine. In VirtualBox Manager,
select the Windows 10/11 Workstation Virtual Machine > Select Settings > Select Network to manage
the Network Settings of the virtual machine.

On Adapter 1, select “Enable Network Adapter” option. Next on the “Attach To” section, select ‘Host-
only Adapter’ from the drop-down list. Next on the “Name” section, choose an interface “VirtualBox
Host-Only Ethernet Adapter” that has DHCP Server disabled. Under Advanced Settings, “Promiscuous
Mode” settings “Deny” option must be selected. Next on the “MAC Address” settings, click on the
“Refresh” icon to reset the default MAC Address.

Once completed, click on the “OK” button to save the network settings. Now you are ready to
run/start your Windows 10/11 Workstation virtual machine. Use the default “User Login
Credentials” listed in the Virtual Machine’s Description.

40
Setting Up Ubuntu Virtual Machine
Ubuntu is a Linux distribution based on Debian
and composed mostly of free and open-source
software.

After downloading the OVA files, you need to

import the file in Oracle VirtualBox Manager
(Refer to the previous section “How to Import
OVA Files in VirtualBox”.

Manage Ubuntu OVA Import

Double-click the OVA File to display “Import Virtual Appliance” window. Under the “Virtual System”
settings, you can configure the name (1) of the virtual machine and base folder (3) where you want to
save your virtual machine. Click on “Finish” button to start the import process and patiently wait until
completed.

41
Manage Ubuntu VM Network Interfaces
Now you can setup the network adapters of your Ubuntu virtual machine. In VirtualBox Manager,
select the Ubuntu Virtual Machine > Select Settings > Select Network to manage the Network Settings
of the virtual machine.

On Adapter 1, select “Enable Network Adapter” option. Next on the “Attach To” section, select ‘Host-
only Adapter’ from the drop-down list. Next on the “Name” section, choose an interface “VirtualBox
Host-Only Ethernet Adapter” that has DHCP Server disabled. Under Advanced Settings, “Promiscuous
Mode” settings “Deny” option must be selected. Next on the “MAC Address” settings, click on the
“Refresh” icon to reset the default MAC Address.

Once completed, click on the “OK” button to save the network settings. Now you are ready to
run/start your Ubuntu virtual machine. Next, run your Ubuntu virtual machine to configure
OPNSense through its web interface (refer to OPNSense Web Configurations). Use the default “User
Login Credentials” listed in the Virtual Machine’s Description.
42
Setting
Windows
Server
Configurations

After we are done with the Windows Server installation, there are initial configurations that are useful in
every Server installations.

Creating New Administrator Account

First step will be creation of the new Administrative account.

Many times, attacks on your Server will assume that you use
“Administrator” as your main admin account. So, we want to
use something else.

• Type in into search – Control Panel , select Control Panel

• In the top right corner view will be set as “Category”,
change that to “Large icons”
• In Administrative Tools | Computer Management | new
Window will open, select under System Tools – Local
Users and Groups | expand it, and select Users | Under
Action Menu, select “New User”
• Under Username enter desired name for your user, you
can also specify full name if you wish. You can also enter
Description, this is useful, especially if you will have
different account for many services. See example

Username: NUAdmin
Fullname: NU Administrator
Description: Main Administrator
account for Windows Server.

• Select and input strong password, uncheck “User must

change password at next login” option and check
“password never expires” option. When you are done –
click on Create button.

Example Password: p@$$w0rd

43
Once user account NUAdmin is created, you must assign its Accounts Membership. Right click on it and
select Properties. On the User Properties, select “Member Of” tab and click on Add button.

Next, on the Select Groups dialog, Type into “Enter the object names…” field – Administrators | then click
on “Check Names”. Confirm with OK if everything is OK. Once completed click on the Apply button and OK
button to close User Properties dialog.

After completing the above steps, NUAdmin will now be your main Administrator account. You have the
option to disable the DEFAULT Administrator account (leave this enabled for the meantime).

44
Windows Server Network Settings
Servers should have fixed IP addresses. It is requirement for many services (Active Directory, High
Availability) and you should make that a practice in every LAB or production you do. Our IP address will
be based on the generated network address of OPNSense Firewall (Virtual Router).

On your OPNSense Virtual Machine, identify the

network address. Example is shown in the figure.

Network Address : 192.168.5.x

Router Address (em1) : 192.168.5.1/24
WAN Address (em0) : X.X.X.X/X

Note: WAN network address must be the same

with your HOST machine assigned network
address (Use ipconfig to verify the IP address of
your HOST machine). LAN Network IP must not be
the same as to your WAN IP.

To set fixed IP, head to Control Panel | Network

and Sharing Center | Left click on your network
adapter located in the central screen under “View
your active networks” in Connections part. Click
on Properties when new windows opens. Select
Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click
on Properties.

Select “Use the following IP address” and enter IP

addresses you have in your local range. These are
my settings:

IP Address : 192.168.5.5
Subnet Mask : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway : 192.168.5.1

Also select “Use the following DNS server

addresses:” and enter DNS servers you like (I used
IP Address of the server which will act as our
DNS and an alternate DNS pointing to Google
servers). Click OK when you are done.

Primary DNS : 192.168.5.5

Alternate DNS : 8.8.8.8

45
Windows Server Name Settings
Before you start your lab (or production environment) it would be nice to define server and computer
naming policy.

Control Panel | System | on the main

screen under “Computer name, domain,
and workgroup settings” select “Change
Settings.

Note: Name your machines only with

characters and with less than 15 signs.

Under “Computer Name” tab click on “Change” button. New window will open and under “Computer
name:” enter name you like for your server. After you are done, click on OK. New window will appear
prompting you to reboot. Select OK, and after that – reboot you server and then we can continue.

Example: NUDC

46
Basic Security Settings
First of all, leave your
Windows Firewall always
ON, do not turn it off, learn
what ports your services
need to go through it, set it
up accordingly, but do not
turn firewall down.

Next, we will head to Control

Panel | Administrative Tools
| Local Security Policy

In Local Security Policy, we

will set few things under
Account Policies and Local
Policies

Account Policies Settings

✓ Password Policy
▪ Maximum Password Age to 0 (zero)
▪ Minimum password length to 12 characters.
✓ Account Lockout Policy
▪ Account lockout threshold – 3 invalid logon
attempts
▪ Account lockout duration and reset account
lockout is set to 30 minutes. (You can set how
you like it. If somebody tries to brute force your
Windows Server password, after three misses,
that IP address will be unable to try logon for 30
minutes.)

Local Policies Settings

✓ Security Options - Here we will set Interactive logon:
Don’t display last signed-in. So, go to Local Policies |
Security Options | Interactive logon: Don’t display
last signed-in and Enable it. When you reboot (or
log-out) next time, your login screen will no longer
display the last user as shown in the figure.

47
 SUMMARY

▪ A system administrator (sysadmin) is an information

technology professional who supports a multiuser computing
environment and ensures continuous, optimal performance of
IT services and support systems.
▪ The duties of a system administrator are wide-ranging and
vary widely from one organization to another. Sysadmins are
usually charged with installing, supporting, and maintaining
servers or other computer systems, and planning for and
responding to service outages and other problems. Other
duties may include scripting or light programming, project
management for systems-related projects.
▪ In general, sysadmins must be comfortable working with
application and file servers, desktops, routers, wide area
networks, databases, information security systems
cybersecurity protocols and storage.
▪ A server operating system, also called a Server OS, is an
operating system specifically designed to run on servers.
▪ The Server OS, is a software layer on top of which other
software programs, or applications, can run on the server
hardware. This is similar to how a desktop OS, mobile device
OS, or embedded device OS enables software programs and
applications to run on those respective devices.
▪ The Server Operating System helps enable and facilitate
typical server roles such as Web server, mail server, file server,
database server, application server and print server.
▪ Administrative Tools is the collective name for several
advanced tools in Windows that are used mainly by system
administrators. The programs can be used to schedule a test
of your computer's memory, manage advanced aspects of
users and groups, format hard drives, configure Windows
services, change how the operating system starts, and much,
much more.
▪ The Sysinternals Suite is used for troubleshooting problems
and investigating security breaches on computers running
Microsoft operating systems.

48
 KEY TERMS

▪ System Administrator (Sysadmin)

▪ Server Operating System
▪ Red Hat
▪ Microsoft
▪ Windows Server 2019 Essentials
▪ Windows Server 2019 Standard
▪ Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
▪ Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2019
▪ Client Access License
▪ Administrative Tools
▪ Sysinternals Suite
 REFERENCES

Online Resources
▪ Vivek Gite, 2021, “What is The Role Of the System
Administrator?”, https://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/what-is-
the-role-of-the-system-administrator/

▪ Tim Fisher, 2020, “Administrative Tools”,

https://www.lifewire.com/administrative-tools-2625804

▪ Lowell Heddings, 2019, “Understanding Windows

Administration Tools”,
https://www.howtogeek.com/school/using-windows-
admin-tools-like-a-pro/lesson1/

▪ Katie Terrell Hanna, “System Administrator (Sysadmin)”,

https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/definition/syste
m-administrator

▪ T4, 2021, “Server Operating System Market Share”,

Website, https://www.t4.ai/industry/server-operating-
system-market-share

▪ Sonia Cuff, 2021, “Latest Windows Server training on MS

Learn”, Website,
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/itops-talk-
blog/latest-windows-server-training-on-ms-learn/ba-
p/2093132

▪ Zeljko Medic, 2020, “Server Basics 01: How to install

Windows Server 2019”, Website,
https://www.informaticar.net/server-basics-01-how-to-
install-windows-server-2019/

▪ Tom Walat, “Microsoft Windows Server OS (operating

system)”, Website,
https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definit
ion/Microsoft-Windows-Server-OS-operating-system

▪ Bosko Marijan, “Server Operating Systems: Server OS

Types & How to Choose”, Website,
https://phoenixnap.com/kb/server-operating-system

▪ Howard, “Server Operating System Explained”, Website,

https://community.fs.com/blog/server-operating-system-
explained.html

Reference Books

▪ Mark Burgess, 2000, “Principles of Network and System

Administration”, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, ISBN 0-471-
82303-1

50