MCSE: Server Infrastructure - Learning Resources

Listed here is the collection of books, videos, online courses and various other articles I have used to aid in my studies in preparation for taking the MCSE: Server Infrastructure exams. In most cases, I have provided a link to the resources, and have also mentioned which exam or technology I primarily applied it to.

This post will be continually updated as I proceed through my studies, and I will reference it often as I post updates to my progress. If you feel I have missed a particularly good resource, please, let me know about it in the comments below. I am always keen to find out what other people are using to enhance their knowledge.

Have a great day!

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Books

• Learn Windows PowerShell 3 in a Month of Lunches - 2nd Edition: Don Jones & Jeffery D. Hicks - PowerShell
• Mastering Windows Server 2012 R2 [Kindle Edition] - All Exams
• Training Guide - Configuring Advanced Windows Server 2012 R2 Services: Orin Thomas - 70-412
• Training Guide: Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 R2: Mitch Tulloch - 70-410
• Training Guide: Administering Windows Server 2012 R2: Orin Thomas - 70-411

Online Courses

• Microsoft Virtual Academy - Windows Server 2012 Training: Technical Overview - General 2012 R2
• KnowledgeNet Live Learning Course: Installing and Configuring Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 - 70-410
• KnowledgeNet Live Learning Course: Administering Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 - 70-411
• KnowledgeNet Live Learning Course: Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases - 70-462
• KnowledgeNet Live Learning Course: Core Solutions of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 - 70-341
• KnowledgeNet Live Learning Course: Designing and Implementing a Server 2012 R2 Infrastructure - 70-412

Podcasts

• PowerScripting Podcast

Blogs Posts

• MSDN Blog - Default Hyper-V Storage Paths in Windows Server 2012
• MSDN Blog - Protecting the pre-OS environment with UEFI
• Scripting Guy Blog - Use the PowerShell Passthru Parameter and Get Back Objects
• Windows Server Blog - Introduction to Windows Server 2012 Dynamic Access Control
• MS File Cabinet Blog - Introduction to SMI-S
• MS File Cabinet Blog - Getting started with SMI-S on Windows Server 2012
• MS File Cabinet Blog - Using the EMC SMI-S provider with Windows Server 2012, 2012R2 and SCVMM
• MSDN Blog - Virtual Disk Service is transitioning to Windows Storage Management API
• MSDN Blog - Virtualizing storage for scale, resiliency, and efficiency
• MSDN Blog - Building the next generation file system for Windows: ReFS
• MS Failover Clustering and NLB Team Blog - How to Configure a Clustered Storage Space in Windows Server 2012
• MSDN Blog - Using GPT Drives
• MS File Cabinet Blog - iSCSI Target Server in Windows Server 2012 R2 for VMM Rapid Provisioning
• MS File Cabinet Blog - Introducing Work Folders on Windows Server 2012 R2
• MSDN Blog - Windows Server 2012 R2 Products and Editions Comparison
• Blog (The Geek Stuff) - RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, RAID 10 Explained with Diagrams
• MSDN Blog - Ben Armstrong’s Virtualization Blog - The v2 WMI namespace in Hyper-V on Windows 8
• TechNet Blog - Ask PFE Platforms - Virtual Domain Controller Cloning in Windows Server 2012

TechNet Articles

• TechNet Article - Add User Principal Name Suffixes
• TechNet Article - Understanding Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Functional Levels
• TechNet Article - AD DS Design Guide
• TechNet Magazine - Export, Compare, and Synchronize Active Directory Schemas
• TechNet Article - Automatic Virtual Machine Activation
• TechNet Article - System Requirements and Installation Information for Windows Server 2012 R2
• TechNet Article - Inventory in Configuration Manager
• TechNet Article - Windows Server Installation Options
• TechNet Article - Windows Deployment Services Cmdlets in Windows PowerShell
• TechNet Article - Add Servers to Server Manager
• TechNet Article - Remote Management with Server Manager
• TechNet Article - Tip: Enable and Use Remote Commands in Windows PowerShell
• TechNet Article - Configure Remote Management in Server Manager
• TechNet Article - Windows PowerShell Scheduled Job Cmdlets
• TechNet Article - Windows PowerShell Core Cmdlets
• TechNet Article - Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Overview
• TechNet Wiki Article - Windows PowerShell Survival Guide
• TechNet Article - What's New in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) - Virtualization that just works
• TechNet Article - Upgrade Domain Controllers to Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2012
• TechNet Article - Determine Domain Controller Upgrade Order
• TechNet Article - Selecting the Forest Root Domain
• TechNet Article - Installing AD DS from Media
• TechNet Article - Install Active Directory Domain Services
• TechNet Article - Run Best Practices Analyzer Scans and Manage Scan Results
• TechNet Article - Locate Active Directory Objects in Active Directory Administrative Center
• TechNet Article - How DNS Works
• TechNet Article - AD CS Step by Step Guide: Two Tier PKI Hierarchy Deployment
• TechNet Article - Planning for Hyper-V Security
• TechNet Article - Planning for Hyper-V Security
• TechNet Article - What's New in Failover Clustering in Windows Server
• TechNet Article - Hyper-V Replica Overview
• TechNet Article - How to Convert Physical Computers to Virtual Machines by Using VMM
• TechNet Article - Configure Hyper-V to Use Scale-Out File Server
• TechNet Article - Configure Memory and Processors
• TechNet Article - Hyper-V Virtual Hard Disk Format Overview
• TechNet Article - Windows Offloaded Data Transfers Overview
• TechNet Artcle - Hyper-V Virtual Fibre Channel Overview
• TechNet Article - Operating System Deployment in Configuration Manager
• TechNet Article - Import-VM
• TechNet Article - Quality of Service (QoS) Overview
• TechNet Article - Plan to Deploy Data Deduplication
• TechNet Article - Server Message Block overview
• TechNet Article - Storage Cmdlets in Windows PowerShell
• TechNet Article - Server for NFS Data Store
• TechNet Article - Install Distributed Scan Server
• TechNet Article - Internet Printing and Resulting Internet Communication in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2
• TechNet Article - Printing with UNIX Clients and Servers Using LPR/LPD
• TechNet Article - Features Removed or Deprecated in Windows Server 2012 R2
• TechNet Article - Assign Delegated Print Administrator and Printer Permission Settings in Windows Server 2012
• TechNet Article - Print and Document Services Architecture
• TechNet Article - Branch Office Direct Printing Overview
• TechNet Article - Branch Office Direct Printing Technical Details
• TechNet Article - Event logging for Branch Office Direct Printing
• TechNet Article - Printer Sharing Technical Details
• TechNet Article - Migrate Print and Document Services to Windows Server 2012
• TechNet Forum - Windows 2012 Server Core Print Server - missing drivers!
• TechNet Article - Supported Windows Guest Operating Systems for Hyper-V in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 8.1
• TechNet Article - Configure a Server Core Server with Sconfig.cmd
• TechNet Article - Install Server Roles and Features on a Server Core Server
• TechNet Article - Manage a Server Core Server
• TechNet Article - File and Storage Services: Migrate the File and Storage Services Role
• TechNet Article - Configure UEFI/GPT-Based Hard Drive Partitions
• TechNet Article - Boot Process and BCDEdit
• TechNet Article - Storage Spaces - Designing for Performance
• TechNet Article - Install and Configure Data Deduplication
• TechNet Blog - Windows Server 2012: Does ReFS replace NTFS? When should I use it?
• TechNet Blog - Windows Server 2012 R2: Which version of the SMB protocol (SMB 1.0, SMB 2.0, SMB 2.1, SMB 3.0 or SMB 3.02) are you using?
• TechNet Article - Group Policy Planning and Deployment Guide
• TechNet Article - UAC Group Policy Settings and Registry Key Settings
• TechNet Article - What's New in Security Auditing
• TechNet Article - AppLocker Overview
• TechNet Article - Use AppLocker and Software Restriction Policies in the Same Domain
• TechNet - Windows Server - Group Policy
• TechNet Article - Check Group Policy Infrastructure Status
• TechNet Article - Preference Item-Level Targeting
• TechNet Article - Group Policy Cmdlets in Windows PowerShell
• TechNet Article - AppLocker Cmdlets in Windows PowerShell
• TechNet Article - DISM Driver Servicing Command-Line Options
• TechNet Article - DISM Image Management Command-Line Options
• TechNet Article - Windows SIM (System Image Manager)
• TechNet Article - Windows Deployment Services Overview
• TechNet Article - Deploy Windows Server Update Services in Your Organization
• TechNet Article - Delegating Administration of Account OUs and Resource OUs
• TechNet Article - Forefront Identity Manager - Configure Self-Service Password Reset
• TechNet Article - Configuring and Managing Fine-Grained Password Policies Using Active Directory Administrative Center
• TechNet Article - Group Managed Service Accounts Overview
• TechNet Article - Service Accounts Step-by-Step Guide
• TechNet Article - Kerberos Constrained Delegation Overview
• TechNet Article - Kerberos Policy
• TechNet Wiki Article - Service Principal Names (SPNs) SetSPN Syntax (Setspn.exe)
• TechNet Article - Understanding Zone Delegation
• TechNet Article - Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) Overview
• TechNet Article - Deploying a GlobalNames Zone
• TechNet Article - Peer Name Resolution Protocol Overview
• TechNet-Article - Add a Resource Record to a Zone
• TechNet Article - Understanding Aging and Scavenging
• TechNet Article - Overview of DNSSEC
• TechNet Article - Install the Schema snap-in
• TechNet Article - Install a Windows Server 2012 Active Directory Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) (Level 200)

Other Misc. Sources

• White Paper - Windows Server 2012 Storage
• Knowledge Base Article - Description of Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1 and Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8
• Knowledgebase Article - DHCP: Spanning Multiple Subnets
• MSDN - Access Control Lists
• White Paper - Windows Imaging File Format (WIM)
• MSDN - Creating an Application Directory Partition
• Knowledge Base Article - Using Ntdsutil.exe to transfer or seize FSMO roles to a domain controller