Windows Server Engineer Interview Study Guide
Windows Server Fundamentals
Q: What are the main editions of Windows Server (2016/2019/2022)?
A: Standard, Datacenter, Essentials. Datacenter offers unlimited virtualization rights and
advanced features.
Q: Difference between Server Core and Desktop Experience?
A: Core has no GUI, smaller footprint, more secure. Desktop Experience has full GUI,
easier to manage.
Q: How do you check uptime of a Windows Server?
A: Use 'systeminfo | find "System Boot Time"' or PowerShell 'Get-CimInstance
Win32_OperatingSystem'.
Q: What’s new in Windows Server 2019/2022 compared to older versions?
A: Includes Windows Admin Center, Storage Spaces Direct improvements, Secured-core
servers, better Azure integration.
Active Directory
Q: Difference between domain, tree, and forest.
A: Domain = basic AD unit with users/computers. Tree = collection of domains with
contiguous namespace. Forest = top-level container with multiple trees, shared
schema/configuration.
Q: Explain FSMO roles.
A: Schema Master, Domain Naming Master, RID Master, PDC Emulator, Infrastructure
Master.
Q: How do you transfer or seize FSMO roles?
A: Use 'ntdsutil' or PowerShell 'Move-ADDirectoryServerOperationMasterRole'.
Q: What is a Global Catalog?
A: Contains a partial attribute set, helps with universal group membership and search
queries.
Q: How do you troubleshoot AD replication issues?
A: Use 'repadmin /replsummary', 'dcdiag', check Event Viewer for errors.
Group Policy (GPO)
Q: What is a GPO and how does it work?
A: GPOs manage configuration and security settings for users and computers in AD.
Q: Difference between site, domain, and OU-linked GPOs.
A: Site GPOs apply to site members, Domain GPOs apply to entire domain, OU GPOs
apply to specific OUs.
Q: What’s loopback processing?
A: Forces user policies based on computer’s OU. Useful for kiosks, RDS servers.
Q: How do you troubleshoot GPO issues?
A: Use 'gpresult /r', [Link], check replication, verify security/WMI filters.
DNS & DHCP
Q: Role of DNS in Active Directory.
A: AD relies on DNS SRV records for DC location and replication.
Q: Forwarders vs Conditional Forwarders.
A: Forwarder = sends all external queries to another DNS. Conditional = sends queries for
specific domains only.
Q: What is scavenging in DNS?
A: Automatic cleanup of stale DNS records.
Q: DHCP failover modes?
A: Hot Standby = secondary takes over if primary fails. Load Sharing = both share leases.
Security & Permissions
Q: Difference between NTFS and Share permissions.
A: NTFS applies locally and remotely, more granular. Share applies only over network.
Most restrictive applies.
Q: What is delegation of control in AD?
A: Allows assigning limited admin rights on OUs, e.g., reset passwords.
Q: What are Managed Service Accounts?
A: Accounts with automatically managed passwords and SPNs.
Q: How do you enable auditing in Windows Server?
A: Use Group Policy → Advanced Audit Policy Configuration.
High Availability & Disaster Recovery
Q: What is Windows Failover Clustering?
A: Provides HA for services/apps, uses quorum model.
Q: Authoritative vs Non-Authoritative restore.
A: Non-Authoritative = DC updated from others. Authoritative = marked objects overwrite
others.
Q: How do you recover a deleted AD object?
A: Use AD Recycle Bin (if enabled) or authoritative restore.
Q: How do you test DR readiness?
A: Perform regular restore tests and cluster failover drills.
PowerShell & Automation
Q: How to create a new AD user with PowerShell?
A: Use 'New-ADUser' cmdlet with required parameters.
Q: How to get all disabled users in a domain?
A: Run 'Get-ADUser -Filter {Enabled -eq $false}'.
Q: Have you used scripting for automation?
A: Yes, for bulk user creation, password resets, stale object cleanup, reporting.
Azure AD & Hybrid Integration
Q: How do you sync on-prem AD with Azure AD?
A: Use Azure AD Connect.
Q: What are authentication options in Azure AD Connect?
A: Password Hash Sync, Pass-through Authentication, ADFS.
Q: What’s Conditional Access?
A: Applies policies like MFA, device compliance, location restrictions.
Q: Difference between Azure AD and traditional AD.
A: Azure AD = cloud-based identity (OAuth/SAML), no GPO. AD = Kerberos/NTLM,
on-prem.
Troubleshooting Scenarios
Q: User cannot log in to domain.
A: Check account lockout/disable, password expiry, DC availability, DNS, Kerberos time
sync.
Q: GPO not applying.
A: Check gpresult, OU link, security/WMI filters, replication.
Q: DC down.
A: Check replication health, FSMO role impact, restore or promote new DC if needed.
Q: File share is slow.
A: Check network latency, server performance, SMB version, AV scanning.
Behavioral / Situational
Q: Tell me about a major incident you resolved.
A: Explain the situation, actions, tools used, and outcome.
Q: How do you prioritize during an outage?
A: Assess business impact, restore critical services first, communicate with stakeholders.
Q: Have you mentored junior engineers?
A: Share experience guiding, training, or onboarding teammates.
Q: How do you stay updated with Microsoft technologies?
A: Follow Microsoft Learn, blogs, community forums, and test in lab environments.