Linux interview questions part 1

What is the Minix?

Minix is the UNIX clone written by Andrew Tanenbaum at VU University, in Amsterdam when universities were no longer allowed access to the UNIX source code. MINIX also inspired the creation of the Linux kernel.

What does POSIX stand for?

POSIX stands for Portable Operating System Interface for Computer Environments. It is the standard for ensuring compatibility between UNIX versions.
Who posted the source code of Linux kernel on the Internet and invited other programmers to modify and enhance it.?
In 1991 Linus Torvalds, a 21-year-old student at the University of Helsinki Finland posted the source code of Linux kernel on the Internet and invited other programmers to modify and enhance it.

Are Linux and UNIX are same ?

Linux kernel was built to work like UNIX but doesn’t use any of the UNIX code—this is why Linux is not UNIX. A kernel is the core of any operating system.

Who initiated the GNU Project?

GNU project was initiated by Richard Stallman on 27 September 1983 at MIT. Main motive of this project was to give freedom and control in use of software's. GNU software guarantees these freedom-rights legally via its license. Users are free to run the software, share it, copy it, distribute it, study it and modify it.

Under which licenses Linux kernel released?

The Linux kernel is released under the GNU General Public License version 2 (GPLv2), and is developed by contributors worldwide.

What does GPL mean?

GPL stands for General Public License and it was created to protect the intent of the GNU project.

Linux was originally created to run on what platform?

Linux was originally created to run on the Intel x86 platform.
Name the Linux services which provides network printing.
CUPS provide network printing between Linux systems. It can be used with Samba service to extend network printing to windows systems.
Which Linux service is used to provide network file storage ?
NFS service is used to provide file sharing.
Which Linux service is used as a database server ?
MySQL and PostgreSQL are Linux database server.
Which Linux service is used to turn a Linux system in proxy server ?
Squid service can be used to turn any Linux system into an in proxy server.
Which components of Linux provides pre-written code that a developer can use ?
Linux libraries contain pre-written code that a developer can reuse in their applications.
Your company purchased 5 new laptops. Laptop have Intel core i3 processor and Window 8 installed. Your network admin wants to install RHEL on them, but is concerned that it cannot be done because they already have Window 8 installed. Can this be done ?
Yes you can install any operating system as long as the hardware is compatible. Hardware and operating systems are modular. Computer hardware is not tied in any way to a particular OS. Every OS have some minimum hardware requirements, if your hardware meets with that requirements, you can install that OS.
You are a network administrator, your company wants you to download the source code of latest Linux kernel for the developer team. Can you do this?
Source code of Linux kernel is available under the GPL license. Under the GPL, you are free to download the Linux source code and modify it.
Your company have less funds but need a reliable file server set up? Which OS and file server service can you use ?
Use Linux operating with NFS file service.
You have purchased new laptop and want to resell old one, but you don't want to violate any licensing for OS. What can you do to avoid violating a software license?
You can install Linux OS. All major software's for Linux are available under the GPL, those you can use without violating any software license.

Hyper -V interview questions

Q.  What is virtual machine technology?

A.  

Virtual machine technology applies to both server and client hardware. Virtual machine technology enables multiple operating systems to run concurrently on a single machine. In particular, Hyper-V, a key feature of Windows Server 2008 R2, enables one or more operating systems to run simultaneously on the same physical system. Today, many operating systems are supported by Virtual PC 2007, Virtual Server 2005, and Hyper-V.

Q.  What is virtual machine technology used for?

A.  

Virtual machine technology serves a variety of purposes. It enables hardware consolidation, because multiple operating systems can run on one computer. Key applications for virtual machine technology include cross-platform integration as well as the following:

• Server consolidation. If several servers run applications that consume only a fraction of the available resources, virtual machine technology can be used to enable them to run side by side on a single server, even if they require different versions of the operating system or middleware.
• Consolidation for development and testing environments. Each virtual machine acts as a separate environment, which reduces risk and enables developers to quickly recreate different operating system configurations or compare versions of applications designed for different operating systems. In addition, a developer can test early development versions of an application in a virtual machine without fear of destabilizing the system for other users.
• Legacy application re-hosting. Legacy operating systems and applications can run on new hardware along with more recent operating systems and applications.
• Simplify disaster and recovery. Virtual machine technology can be used as part of a disaster and recovery plan that requires application portability and flexibility across hardware platforms.
• Moving to a dynamic datacenter. Hyper-V, along with systems management solutions, helps you to now create a dynamic IT environment that not only enables you to react to problems more efficiently but also to create a proactive and self-managing IT management solution.

Q.  What is Microsoft's strategy for virtualization?

A.  

Our goal is to help customers make their IT systems more self-managing and dynamic so that they can gain more control of their IT systems, and enable their businesses to respond faster and stay ahead of the competition. We're doing this by:

• Providing a complete set of virtualization products that span from the desktop to the datacenter
• Helping manage all IT assets—both physical and virtual—from a single platform

We are making broad investments—in the areas of the platform, management, applications, interoperability, and licensing, and working to enable customers to take advantage of their existing platform investments, utilize their existing support skills and infrastructure, and to reduce costs associated with implementing virtualized environments.

HYPER-V

Q.  What is Hyper-V?

A.  

Hyper-V, previously codenamed Viridian, is a hypervisor-based technology that is a key feature of Windows Server 2008 R2. It provides a scalable, reliable, and highly available virtualization platform. It is part of Microsoft's ongoing effort to provide our customers and partners with the best operating system platform for virtualization.

Q.  What is Windows hypervisor?

A.  

A core component of Hyper-V, Windows hypervisor is a thin layer of software between the hardware and the OS that allows multiple operating systems to run, unmodified, on a host computer at the same time. It provides simple partitioning functionality and is responsible for maintaining strong isolation between partitions. It has an inherently secure architecture with minimal attack surface, as it does not contain any third-party device drivers.

Q.  What benefits does Hyper-V offer customers?

A.  

Hyper-V provides customers an ideal platform for key virtualization scenarios, such as production server consolidation, business continuity management, software test and development, and development of a dynamic datacenter.
Hyper-V provides key functionality, which an ideal virtualization platform should provide—scalability, high performance, reliability, security, flexibility, and manageability. It provides scalability and high performance by supporting features like guest multi-processing support and 64-bit guest and host support; reliability and security through its hypervisor architecture; flexibility and manageability by supporting features like quick migration of virtual machines from one physical host to another, and integration with System Center Virtual Machine Manager.

Q.  Will Microsoft continue to support Linux operating systems with Hyper-V?

A.  

Yes, Microsoft provides integration components and technical support for customers running select Linux distributions as guest operating systems within Hyper-V. Please check the Supported Guest Operating Systems page for more information and updates.

Q.  Can you provide a brief overview of Hyper-V's feature set?

A.  

Some of the capabilities of Hyper-V include x64 host and guest support, ability to run guest machines in a multi-processor environment, large memory allocation per virtual machine, integrated virtual switch support, and ability to migrate virtual machines across hosts with minimal downtime. With the R2 release of Hyper-V, Live Migration, new processor support, and dynamic virtual machine capabilities were added.

Q.  How will customers migrate to Hyper-V?

A.  

Customers who invest in the .vhd file format—the format used by Virtual Server, as well as a multitude of vendor licensees—will have a clear path forward to Hyper-V. Customers can leverage V2V capabilities in System Center Virtual Machine Manager to conveniently migrate from Virtual Server or VMware to Hyper-V or work with Microsoft's partners who provide migration solutions.

Q.  Are there tools available to assist in planning for Hyper-V migration?

A.  

Yes, the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit helps you plan for Hyper-V migration by determining which of your physical servers are underutilized and, therefore, good candidates for server virtualization. 

HYPER-V — WINDOWS SERVER 2008 R2 SPECIFIC

Q.  How do users access the Hyper-V?

A.  

Users can go to Server Manager and install the Hyper-V role. After the Hyper-V role is enabled, Hyper-V Manager will become available as a part of Administrative Tools. From the Hyper-V Manager users can easily create and configure virtual machines.

Q.  Does Microsoft provide technical support for Hyper-V?

A.  

Yes, technical support for Hyper-V is part of the support for Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information on support, please refer to the Windows Server 2008 R2 Support page.

Q.  What is the expected performance of Hyper-V? How does it compare to Virtual Server? How does it compare to ESX server?

A.  

We are not publishing performance numbers currently. Based on independent reports and benchmarks from partners like QLogic, we believe that we have a competitive virtualization offering.

Q.  What is the list of guests that will be supported on Hyper-V? When can we expect support for key operating systems like Windows Vista, Windows XP, Linux, etc.?

A.  

Microsoft supports a number of guest OS environments including Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Novell SUSE.

Q.  What are the differences between Hyper-V and Virtual Server?

A.  

Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 is the current server virtualization solution from Microsoft and is based on a hosted virtualization platform. Hyper-V, a key feature of Windows Server 2008 R2, is a hypervisor-based virtualization platform that will enable customers to not only consolidate a vast array of workloads but also enable moving toward a dynamic IT environment. Core feature set differences include support for 64 guest virtual machines, SMP support, performance improvements, and other key features in Hyper-V.

LICENSING INFORMATION

Q.  How do I know which Windows Server 2008 R2 features or services I am allowed to run on the host without requiring CALs?

A.  

When using Windows Server 2008 R2 and Hyper-V to run virtual machines with older versions of Windows Server, Windows Server 2008 CALs will not be required in certain scenarios.

• When the Host OS is only running services related to virtualization, such as Hyper-V and Failover Clustering, then Windows Server 2008 CALs are not required.
• If the Guest OS is Windows Server 2008, or if the Windows Server 2008 host, installs other services, then Windows Server 2008 CALs would still be required.

Q.  What are the licensing considerations in a virtual machine environment?

A.  

It is important to understand your licensing rights and obligations when running Microsoft Windows Server and/or other Microsoft applications in a virtual machine environment.

In addition, it's good to understand the licensing terms offered by independent software vendors (ISVs) for any software provided by those vendors. For more information on licensing considerations in these cases, you should consult with your ISV.

Q.  Does running Windows NT in a virtual machine mean that Microsoft is extending its support for the product?

A.  

No. While you may receive benefit from moving the applications from physical hardware to virtual machines, running applications in a virtual environment does not extend their support life cycles. For more information about the support life-cycle timeframes.

 

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Q.  What are the system requirements for Hyper-V?

A.  

In addition to the systems requirement for Windows Server 2008 R2, the two key requirements for the Hyper-V platform are the need to ensure that the server is a 64-bit environment and supports hardware-assisted virtualization (Intel VT or AMD-V) technology.

Q.  How many virtual machines can run per processor?

A.  

The number of virtual machines running per host depends on many factors, including physical memory, processor, and workload running in the guest. With Hyper-V, you define the amount of memory available to a virtual machine, and that memory allocation can be altered to reflect the needs of the virtual machine.

Q.  Does Hyper-V support 64-bit processors?

A.  

Hyper-V runs on a 64-bit (x64) server platform and requires support of either AMD64 or Intel IA-32e/EM64T (x64) processors with hardware-assisted virtualization support. Note that Hyper-V does not support Itanium (IA-64) processors. For the virtual machines, Hyper-V supports both 32-bit and 64-bit systems as guest OSes.

Q.  Does Hyper-V support symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) in the virtual machine environment?

A.  

Hyper-V supports both uniprocessor and multiprocessor configurations in the virtual machine environment.

SETUP AND REQUIREMENTS

Q.  What are the prerequisites to install and use Hyper-V?

A.  

In addition to the system requirements for Windows Server 2008 R2 as described in the release notes, a 64-bit system with hardware-assisted virtualization enabled and data execution prevention (DEP) is required. It is also recommended to ensure that you have a clean install of x64 edition of Windows Server 2008 R2 to be able to use the Hyper-V technology.

Vmware top questions

VMWare Top Interview Questions with Answers

1) Explain about your production environment? How many cluster’s, ESX, Data Centers, H/w etc ?
2) How does VMotion works? What’s the port number used for it?
ANS--> TCP port 8000

3) Prerequisites for VMotion?
Ans-->
1)ESX Servers must be configured with VMkenerl ports enabled for vmotion and on the same network segment
2)ESX Servers must be managed by the same Virtual Center server
3)ESX Must have compatible CPUs
4)ESX Servers muct have consisten Networks and NEtwroks labels
5)The VMs must be stored on shared storage - iSCSI or FC SAN or NAS/NFS
6)The VMs can not use localcd/floppy or internal only vrtual switches on the ESX server

Check out http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35u2/vi3_35_25_u2_admin_guide.pdf for more information

4) How does HA works? Port number? How many host failure allowed and why?
ANS--> Maximum allowed host failures within a HA cluster is 4. What happens if 4 hosts have failed and a 5th one also fails.
I have still enough free resources to start up the virtual machines on the remaining hosts. Will HA start these virtual machines from the 5th failed host on the remaining hosts?
ANS) That depends. If you have admission control enabled, if there are any resource constraints some VM's may not restart. If you have admission control disabled, the VM's will get restarted on any host left in the cluster. However, that doesn't mean they will be functional. Make sure you have enough port groups configured on your vSwitch for your Virtual Machine port group to accommodate

Host Firewalls. On ESX/ESXi hosts, VMware HA needs and automatically opens the following firewall ports.
Incoming port: TCP/UDP 8042-8045
Outgoing port: TCP/UDP 2050-2250

5) What are active host / primary host in HA? Explain it?
ANS-->
When you add a host to a VMware HA cluster, an agent is uploaded to the host and configured to communicate
with other agents in the cluster. The first five hosts added to the cluster are designated as primary hosts, and
all subsequent hosts are designated as secondary hosts. The primary hosts maintain and replicate all cluster
state and are used to initiate failover actions. If a primary host is removed from the cluster, VMware HA
promotes another host to primary status.
Any host that joins the cluster must communicate with an existing primary host to complete its configuration
(except when you are adding the first host to the cluster). At least one primary host must be functional for
VMware HA to operate correctly. If all primary hosts are unavailable (not responding), no hosts can be
successfully configured for VMware HA.

One of the primary hosts is also designated as the active primary host and its responsibilities include:
n Deciding where to restart virtual machines.
n Keeping track of failed restart attempts.
n Determining when it is appropriate to keep trying to restart a virtual machine.
If the active primary host fails, another primary host replaces it.

6) Prerequisites for HA ?
First, for clusters enabled for VMware HA, all virtual machines and their configuration files must
reside on shared storage (Fibre Channel SAN, iSCSI SAN, or SAN iSCI NAS), because you need to
be able to power on the virtual machine on any host in the cluster.
Second, VMware HA monitors heartbeat between hosts on the console network for failure
detection. So, to have reliable failure detection for HA clusters, the console network should have
redundant network paths. That way, if a host's first network connection fails, the second
connection can broadcast heartbeats to other hosts.
Last, if you want to use DRS with HA for load balancing, the hosts in your cluster must be part of
a VMotion network. If the hosts are not in the VMotion network, however, DRS can still make
initial placement recommendations.

7) How do DRS works? Which technology used? What are the priority counts to migrate the VM’s?
8) How does snap shot’s works?
9) What are the files will be created while creating a VM and after powering on the VM?
10) If the VMDK header file corrupt what will happen? How do you troubleshoot?
11) Prerequisites VC, Update manager?
12) Have you ever patched the ESX host? What are the steps involved in that?
13) Have you ever installed an ESX host? What are the pre and post conversion steps involved in that? What would be the portions listed? What would be the max size of it?
14) I turned on Maintenance mode in an ESX host, all the VM’s has been migrated to another host, but only one VM failed to migrate? What are the possible reasons?
15) How will you turn start / stop a VM through command prompt?
16) I have upgraded a VM from 4 to 8 GB RAM; it’s getting failed at 90% of powering on? How do you troubleshoot?
17) Storage team provided the new LUN ID to you? How will you configure the LUN in VC? What would be the block size (say for 500 GB volume size)?
18) I want to add a new VLAN to the production network? What are the steps involved in that? And how do you enable it?
19) Explain about VCB? What it the minimum priority (*) to consolidate a machine?
20) How VDR works?
21) What’s the difference between Top and ESXTOP command?
22) How will you check the network bandwidth utilization in an ESXS host through command prompt?
23) How will you generate a report for list of ESX, VM’s, RAM and CPU used in your Vsphere environment?
24) What the difference between connecting the ESX host through VC and Vsphere? What are the services involved in that? What are the port numbers’s used?
25) How does FT works? Prerequisites? Port used?
26) Can I VMotion between 2 different data centers? Why?
27) Can I deploy a VM by template in different data centers ?
28) I want to increase the system partition size (windows 2003 server- Guest OS) of a VM? How will you do it without any interruption to the end user?
29) Which port number used while 2 ESX transfer the data in between?
30) Unable to connect to a VC through Vsphere client? What could be the reason? How do you troubleshoot?
31) Have you ever upgraded the ESX 3.5 to 4.0? How did you do it?
32) What are the Vsphere 4.0, VC 4.0, ESX 4.0, VM 7.0 special features?
33) What is AAM? Where is it used? How do you start or stop through command prompt?
ANS) VMware-aam = HA.
VMware purchased the HA technology from Legato, who originally coined it as "Automated Availability Manager".

34) Have you ever called VMWare support? Etc

35) Explain about Vsphere Licensing? License server?

36) How will you change the service console IP?
Note: ESX 4.0 Update 2 introduces a new tool that simplifies the process of creating or restoring networking in the ESX service console. For more information, see Configuring or restoring networking from the ESX service console using console-setup (1022078).

Changing settings from the physical or remote console connection
Changing the IP for the Service Console must be done from the physical console or through a remote console session. If you make changes through a network connection such as SSH, network connectivity to the Service Console disconnects because the Service Console's network interface changes.

1.Run this command to set the IP address:

[root@server root]# esxcfg-vswif -i -n vswif0

where is the IP address and is the subnet mask.

Note: In this example, vswif0 is the Service Console adapter that is the interface to which you are applying the IP address change.


2.Open the /etc/hosts file with a text editor and modify it so that it reflects the correct IP address and hostname.
3.To change the default gateway address and the hostname, edit the /etc/sysconfig/network file and change the GATEWAY and HOSTNAME parameters to the proper values.
4.For the changes to take place, restart the network service with the command:

[root@server root]# service network restart

Note: If you are required to edit the hostname, then you must reboot the host.

Note: This command breaks any current network connections to the Service Console, but virtual machines continue to have network connection. If the ESX host is managed by VirtualCenter or vCenter Server, you may have to remove and re-add the host to the inventory. For more information, see ESX not working properly in VirtualCenter after IP address change (1005633).
Note: Making changes to IP and DNS server settings can have a negative impact on the normal operation of ESX/ESXi, particularly in HA clustered environments. For more information, see Identifying issues with and setting up name resolution on ESX/ESXi Server (1003735).

Note: If the changed IP does not persist across a reboot, try deleting and recreating the Service Console vswif management interface. For more information, see Recreating Service Console networking from the command line (1000266).
Changing the hostname without rebooting
To dynamically change the hostname, run the command:

[root@server root]# hostname newname

Note: This command creates a temporary hostname change. This change is lost when the system is rebooted.

Changing the DNS server settings
To change the DNS server settings, update the nameserver IPs and search domain in the /etc/resolv.conf file.

Changing settings in VMware vSphere or Infrastructure Client
To change the hostname, domain, DNS servers, and default gateway in VMware vSphere or Infrastructure Client:

1.Highlight the ESX host and click the Configuration tab.
2.Click DNS and Routing.
3.Click Properties.
4.To change the hostname, domain, and DNS servers, click the DNS Configuration tab and enter the appropriate values.

Note: Disable VMware High Availability if you do not want virtual machines to failover during the hostname IP change.

5.To change the default gateway, click the Routing tab and enter the appropriate value.
6.Reboot the ESX host for the changes to take effect .
7.Reconnect the ESX host to vCenter Server with the new IP address.
Generating new certificates for the ESX host
The ESX host generates certificates the first time the system is started. Under certain circumstances, it might be required to force the host to generate new certificates. Typically new certificates only need to be generated if the hostname has been changed or the certificates have been deleted accidentally.

Each time you restart the vmware-hostd process, the mgmt-vmware script searches for existing certificate files ( rui.crt and rui.key). If the files cannot be found, new certificate files are generated.

To generate new certificates:

1.Put the host into Maintenance Mode.
2.In the directory /etc/vmware/ssl, back up any existing certificates by renaming them with these commands:

[root@server root]# mv /etc/vmware/ssl/rui.crt /etc/vmware/ssl/orig.rui.crt
[root@server root]# mv /etc/vmware/ssl/rui.key /etc/vmware/ssl/orig.rui.key

Note: If you are regenerating certificates because you accidentally deleted them, you do not have to rename them.

3.Reboot your host to allow it to begin using the new certificate, or restart the host services:

a.Restart hostd, using this command:

service mgmt-vmware restart

b.Restart vmkauthd, using this command:

service vmware-vmkauthd restart

4.Exit Maintenance Mode.
5.Confirm that the ESX host successfully generated new certificates by running this command and comparing the time stamps of the new certificate files with orig.rui.crt and orig.rui.key:

[root@server root]# ls -la /etc/vmware/ssl/rui*
Notes:

•Disable VMware High Availability if you do not want virtual machines to failover during the hostname IP change. If you are using vSphere 4.x you can just disable host monitoring in the HA settings.
•For related information, see Verifying ESX Server host networking configuration on the service console (1003796).
•You may be required to regenerate your SSL certificate. For more information, see Replacing or Regenerating an SSL Certificate for the Management Interface (1843).
•You are required to edit files on an ESX host. For more information, see Editing files on an ESX host using vi or nano (1020302).
•For information on replacing VirtualCenter Server ceritificates, see:
?Replacing VirtualCenter Server Certificates in Virtual Infrastructure 3
?Replacing VirtualCenter Server Certificates in vSphere 4
•The iSCSI Qualified Name used for iSCSI storage configuration is based on the hostname of the ESX host. If you change the hostname of the ESX host, ensure to review your iSCSI software initiator configuration. For more information on iSCSI troubleshooting, see Configuring and troubleshooting basic software iSCSI setup (1008083).
•For more information on changing the hostname, see Changing the name of an ESX host (1010821).

37) What’s the difference between ESX and ESXi?
38) What’s the difference between ESX 3.5 and ESX 4.0?

39) P2V Prt Number and Log file location?
TCP/IP Ports Required by VMware Converter
Table lists the ports Converter uses in the conversion process.
If your VirtualCenter Servers or ESX Servers are configured to listen on port 905, you will have to make
adjustments accordingly.
Communication Paths | Port
Converter application to remote physical machine | 445 and 139
Converter application to VirtualCenter Server | 902
Converter application to ESX Server 3.x | 902
Physical machine to VirtualCenter Server | 902
Physical machine to ESX Server 3.x | 902
Log File Locations:
UFAD logs:
%WINDIR%\Temp\vmware-temp\vmware-converter*
%WINDIR%\vmware-temp\vmware-converter* (in Windows NT)
Client logs:
%TEMP%\vmware-temp\vmware-client*

Send these in to support using File > Export Logs. For Converter Boot CD, map a network drive using the
network configuration tool (see Chapter 5, “Using the Converter Boot CD for Local Cold Cloning,” on page 37)
and use File > Export Logs.

40) Micro vMotion
41)
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Q: How is VMware more stable than, say, a new physical server?

A: The idealized hardware provided by VMware provides a consistent virtual hardware environment that increases that stability of your virtual machines independent of the underlying physical hardware.


Q: Is any installation method better than any other?

A: No. Whichever installation method you're comfortable with and that produces a good build is the one for you.

Q: I'm having problems with my installation. What should I do?

A: Ensure that the hardware you're loading ESX Server on is supported. The same goes for the configuration. If you are certain the hardware and configuration are supported, then run the vm-support script mentioned previously.

Q: Why does this chapter include only the graphical installer method?

A: It's the recommended installation method from VMware and one that many in the x86-world are the most comfortable with. If you wish to try it another way, VMware offers a very complete installation document covering the various installation methodologies.
Q: When I copy my virtual machine and try to run it on my network, I get hostname already exists and IP address already exists errors. I thought I could simply copy my virtual machine. What is the problem?

A: You can copy your virtual machine, which is why you're running into this problem. The copy is an exact copy. Thus, you need to change the hostname, IP address, and even the computer's SID (if it has one).

Q: Can I move my Gold Master to my other ESX Servers?

A: Yes, it's a recommended time-saver. If your ESX Servers share a LUN, that too is a way to access your Gold Master or your VMlibrary for that matter.

Q: Are there any limitations to the number of virtual machines I can run on my ESX Server?

A: Yes. Each ESX Server allows for only 80 virtual CPUs and 200 registered virtual machines.

Q: Can I take a virtual machine running on VMware Workstation or GSX and run it in ESX?

A: It depends. The process is not as simple as cutting and pasting. There is a specific import process required for migrating virtual machines from either Workstation or GSX into ESX. Access the following link for the exact instructions: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/mobility_guide.pdf.
Q: Do you need to tweak the settings of your virtual machines after you've built them?

A: No. VMware has configured the defaults of your build to suit most server loads. However, depending on the profile of your server and the resource intensiveness of the service it's providing, you may want to consider tweaking some of the default settings to better ensure service stability and reliability.

Q: Are there more advanced features than the ones detailed in this chapter?

A: Yes… a lot more.

Q: Is clustering more stable in VMware?

A: We find that the idealized hardware, in combination with VMware's improvements in clustering support, has made virtual clustering very stable.

Q: Can you Vmotion a cluster?

A: That depends on the cluster type and how it is configured. Clusters using Raw Device Mapping in virtual mode can be moved with Vmotion according to VMware documentation.
Q: Does VMware support NIC teaming?

A: Yes, and it's a very good idea to configure your ESX Server, especially if it's for production, with teamed NICs. This will provide hardware fault tolerance in case one NIC fails.

Q: How many physical NICs do I need on my ESX Server?

A: That depends on the number of virtual machines and the network traffic they produce. You should have a minimum of two: one for your Service Console and one dedicated to your virtual machines.

Q: If I'm building a cluster using Microsoft Clustering Service, what's the best configuration for my heartbeat NIC?

A:For a Cluster in a Box, create a VMnet that your nodes of your cluster can attach their heartbeat NICs.

Q: Can you attach virtual machines on any ESX Server to a VMnet?

A: No. Only virtual machines on the ESX Server that the VMnet resides can attach to it.
Q: Why should you pay for a p-to-v toll when there are a number of ways to do it for free?

A: If you don't have the time or inclination to learn the manual process or need the assurance of a vendor for your physical-to-virtual migrations, then a tool that comes with support is a very reasonable option.

Q: What takes the longest in the p-to-v process?

A: Transferring the data of the physical server into either an image file or the virtual server itself. That's why tweaking your network settings for optimal throughput is essential when p-to-v'ing a server.

Q: Can you create complete backups of your physical servers and then recover them into virtuals?

A: I've used NTBackup to back up Windows 2000 Professional and Windows XP, and created virtuals out of .bkf files. It works but there's a bit of futzing around with the virtual once it is running. Try it.

Q: What's the most essential part of creating a smooth migration plan?

A: Practice. No matter what the tool or process, practice it and learn its gotchas and the workarounds. No matter what method you use, there will be times when it won't go as planned. Practicing your p-to-v process on a number of physical platforms and disk configurations allows you to become more adept once you're doing it for real.
Q: Will my software vendor support my application in a VMware environment?

A: You'll need to contact your specific software or applications vendor to find out; however, an increasing number of software vendors support virtualized environments. Once you've migrated your application from a physical to virtual environment it's very easy to migrate back to a physical environment for vendor support. An excellent document provided by VMware can be found at the following link: www.vmware.com/pdf/ms_support_statement.pdf.

Q: What are the best enablers to help ensure our server consolidation is a success?

A: Engaging with the lines of business and application owners not only assists in attaining an actionable schedule, but also develops a highly collaborative environment that facilitates buy-in and support for your project. In addition it will be difficult to incorporate rationalization into your project unless you are working directly with the business or application owners.

Q: What tools do you recommend for a server consolidation or virtualization project?

A: It's imperative to have a robust and comprehensive tool for capacity planning, including historical data. This tool can be utilized in every phase of your project. Other tools to support the project include modeling tools used in test consolidation scenarios. Finally, you'll need to evaluate and document tools and processes for each technology you wish to consolidate. The migration tools will need to support all the platforms you wish to use in your migration scenarios.
Q: What is the VMlibrary?

A: The VMlibrary (/vmlib) is simply a directory on your ESX Server that lets you organize the tools and files you need to manage and maintain your virtual infrastructure,

Q: Can ISOs be shared between ESX Servers?

A: If you place your VMlibrary on a LUN that's shared amongst your ESX Servers, you can share your ISO images or anything else you place in your VMlibrary.

Q: Why is Vmotion so cool?

A: Try it…and then imagine the possibilities and applications. You'll be a convert soon enough.

Q: You mentioned that additional ISVs were creating management capabilities for virtual infrastructures in their products. Which ones?

A: Look at HP Insight Manager, Dell OpenManage, IBM Director, BMC's Patrol product line, Computer Associates' Unicenter, and many others.
Q: I can't add a new virtual hard drive to my virtual machine. What should I do?

A: You may not have the appropriate permissions to add virtual hardware to the VM, or the VM may be powered on and won't allow the addition of virtual hardware while powered on.

Q: I just created a new virtual machine and attached to an existing disk. Every time I power on the VM, I get a blue screen. What could the problem be?

A: Make sure the OS type that you selected when you created the VM matches the OS type installed on the virtual disk. For example, if you selected Windows 2003 Standard for the VM when you created it, but the existing virtual disk has Windows 2000 Standard installed, you'll probably encounter issues.

Q: I followed the directions for Active Directory authentication, and I still can't log in using an account and password in AD. What should I do?

A: Check the time on your ESX Server and Active Directory and make sure they're synced up. Kerberos is very sensitive to being out of sync and could reject credentials if the time is not within specific limits. You can also review the System event logs for clues.
Q: What is the most important aspect of deploying ESX Server and virtual machines?

A: The ability to provide service at least as good as that which you had with physical servers. With adherence to best practices, you should easily be able to provide this and exceed it by a phenomenal degree.

Q: ISOs have been mentioned in several of the chapters. Why are they so important?

A: Good administrators strive to never leave their chairs, cubes, or offices. If they do, they may just run into a user (we're kidding, of course). Having a library of ISOs can help you in this endeavor. In addition, they run a lot faster than regular CDs.

Q: What will happen if I deploy systems management software on the ESX Server itself?

A: If you're going to do this, make sure you allocate enough memory so that the application doesn't impact the performance of your ESX Server and thus your virtual machines. Also, use a system management package that is supported and test your installation on your ESX Server thoroughly. If you notice a degradation of performance, contact the systems management software vendor. The major vendors have instructions and best practices for deploying their products onto ESX Server.

Q: What is the most important best practice to follow?

A: The one that ensures your smooth evolution into a virtual infrastructure education. Learn every aspect of a virtual environment to the best of your ability. Be passionate about it and you'll reap the rewards. See the recommended reading list, troll the VMware Web site regularly, as well as other Web sites dedicated to virtualization such as p2v.net, vmguru.com, and virtual-strategy.com.
Q: Which version of VMware ESX Server supports Boot from SAN?

A: ESX Server 2.5 supports Boot from SAN but has the following limitations: ESX server had to be installed in boot from SAN mode, the HBA can only be used by the Service Console, LUN masking should be used to restrict other ESX servers from the boot LUN, the HBA of the boot LUN must be a QLogic HBA, and the boot LUN must be the lowest numbered LUN controlled by the storage processor.

Q: Where are log files for VMware ESX Server written to?

A: /var/logs/vmware

Q: What do you do if you forget the root password of the Service Console?

A: You will need to boot into single-user mode from the Service Console by selecting linux from the LILO boot menu and appending -s to your boot choice. This will boot the console into single-user mode and will allow you to use the passwd command to change the root user password.

Q: Why do I still see processes for my virtual machine when running the ps command on the Service Console even though my virtual machine is powered down?

A: If there is still a virtual console session running for your VM, you will still see processes associated with it for mouse, keyboard, and screen (MKS) even though it is powered off.

Q: I accidently unmounted the VMFS volume on my ESX Server. How can I re-mount the volume without re-booting

A: You can type mount t vmfs vmfs /vmfs
Q: What software is qualified for use with VMware 2.5.1?

A: Please see http://vmware.com/pdf/esx_backup_guide.pdf for an up-to-date list of software that's compatible with ESX.

Q: What SANs are compatible with ESX Server?

A: Please see http://vmware.com/pdf/esx_SAN_guide.pdf for details on ESX-to-SAN server compatibility.

Q: What are the certified backup tools for ESX?

A: Please see http://vmware.com/support/esx25/doc/backup_tools_links.html.

Q: Can I back up my entire virtual machine from the Service Console?

A: Yes, but it is not advised. The console services should be left alone to manage the entire virtual machine infrastructure. It's best that backups be performed by separating the applications and data from the operating systems because backups can become quite large very quickly. You should consider a backup of the environments that change frequently (data and applications) with an agent specifically designed to perform this function. A backup of those virtual disks that change infrequently and need VMFS formats should be backed up from the Service Console. These console-based backups should be performed in a powered-down or suspended approach (preferred), or a suspended environment using redo logs as an alternative. All backups performed from a systems console mode must be restored in an all-or-nothing approach. Recovery for a single file or directory can only be accomplished via a backup agent or from a backup to a SAN environment using a variety of different recovery/restoral techniques.
Q: I'm not able to connect to the Service Console over the network. What could the issue be?

A: You may have allocated the Service Console NIC to the VMkernel. Use vmkpcidivyi to reassign the NIC to the Service Console.

Q: I have a virtual machine that did not start up correctly, but now I can't power it down from the MUI or Virtual Center. How can I get this VM to shut down?

A: You can use the vmware-cmd utility to force a hard power down. The following syntax should work:

vmware-cmd /path-to-vm/vm-directory/vm.vmx stop hard

Q: I find using commands to be very difficult. Why can't I use X Windows on the Service Console?

A: You actually could run the X Windows system on the Service Console, but it will eat up valuable resources that are needed by the system to manage all the processes related to Virtualization. VMware specifically says not to run X Windows on the Service Console. So, it's best to just buck up and deal with it.

Q: Is there a way to mount the vmfs volumes if they accidentally get unmounted without having to reboot?

A: Yes. You can run mountt vmfs vmfs /vmfs.

Q: How do I check the speed and duplex setting of the Service Console NIC? Also, how do I change it if needed?

A: You'll need to cat out the eth0.info file for your type of adapter. This file can be found at /proc/net/type-of-nic/eth0.info. To give you an example, our server has an Intel Pro 100 Nic for the Service Console, so for us to find the speed and duplex information we would type: cat /proc/net/PRO_LAN_Adapters/eth0.info.
Q: How long has Xen been around?

A: Since 2004, and they're located in Palo Alto, California. Hmm…what other virtualization company is in Palo Alto?

Q: What is a hypervisor?

A: In VMware parlance, it's the virtualization layer.

Q: Why did VMware limit its beta of ESX Server 3.0 to so few?

A: Good question…We don't know, and we hope that VMware's future beta programs are opened up to a larger audience.

Q: If I can't get a SAN, will local storage with a RAID device be sufficient?

A: Absolutely. You won't get some of the cooler tools like VMotion, but being virtual on local storage is better than remaining physical.

15 vmware questions and answers

HI all,

These are some   interview questions that will help you.I am not the author for all the questions.I found these questions from different blogs and websites.So thank you so much to their respective authors.

 

 

How VMWare Kernel different from other kernels?

VMWare kernel is a proprietary kernel that means that it is a registered kernel by VMWare Company and it is not based on any other kernel architecture or any other operating system. VMWare consists of a kernel that requires an operating system to boot it. A service console is being provided when VMWare kernel is booted.

What are the features provided by VMWare for easy access?

VMWare provides several features to make it easy for the user to access and maintain it. The features are as follows:
• VMWare provides web browser interface
• It provides easy to use wizard to configure the settings
• It provides tools to easily create hosts and maintain it from one place
• It provides easy maintenance of Virtual machines
• It provides easy graphics to configure the VMWare settings for security

What are the features of VMWare Player?

VMWare player is a stand-alone player that comes with the installation of VMWare also. The features that make it more popular are as follows:

• Creation of virtual machines can be done with easy install options. The creation and installation can be done directly to the system.
• VMWare Player can run any virtual machine and it can be used by anyone, anywhere. It allows quick and easy access, to take the advantage of security, portability and flexibility to manage the virtual machines.
• VMWare player allows sharing of virtual machines with other computers or users.

What are the different components used in VMWare infrastructure?

The different and major components used in VMWare infrastructure is as follows:
1. VMWare infrastructure consists of the lowest layer which acts as a ESX server host.
2. VMWare infrastructure also use the virtual centre server that keep tracks of all the VM related images and manage it from one point.
3. VMWare infrastructure (VI) client: this allows the client to interact with user's applications that are running on VMWare.
4. Web browser is used to access the virtual machines.
5. License server is used to create a server that provides licensing to the applications
6. Database servers are used to maintain a database.

Vmware interview questions

HI all,

These are some   interview questions that will help you.I am not the author for all the questions.I found these questions from different blogs and websites.So thank you so much to their respective authors.

VMWare Interview | Set 1 (MTS-2)

VMWare interview for MTS-2 position.
I Telephonic round
1. Given an array of strings. Find the maximum prefix among all the strings.
Ans: First told about tries. Then went for trivial answer saying compare all the zeroth indices then first indices.
2. Similar to kadane’s algorithm
3. I forgot this Q.
4. Monty Hall puzzle.
Ans: Told the ans as 1/2 after taking 5 mins. Tried to prove using probabilites but could not able to.
I F2F round
1. Given an unsorted array, find the max j-i such that j > i and a[j] > a[i] in O(N).
Ans: Told trivial solution in O(n2). Then used DP but still O(n2). Then told using sorting approach in O(n2).
Could not able to solve even after giving 45 mins of time as it is not trivial answer.
2. Given a rectangular cake and 3 persons have to share it. First person took a rectangular cut. How will you cut such that remaining two people
will get the same amount?
Ans: First told horizontal cut where interviewer surprised with the answer and asked for different solution.
Then told cut along a line such that it touches center of mass of both the rectangles.
3. Asusual about current work and why VMWare.
II F2F round
1. Given k-sorted lists. How will you sort the list in to the new whole array?
Ans: Standard Q. Then asked about time complexity.
2. What if they are not sorted lists.
Ans: Sort the individual arrays first. Then told about heap solution which is not effective. But he is happy with the approaches
3. Lots of questions on C++. As I worked on C++ in current company.
…………a. What is the use of friend functions and classes? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Where do we use them?
…………b. What is virtual destructor?
…………c. Why virtual constructors do not exist ?
Forgot the remaining.
4. He is the same person who interviewed me for telephonic. So asked once again about Monty Hall Puzzle.
Ans: Proved this time with probabilites.
5. http://www.allinterview.com/showanswers/15001.html
Ans: Simple Question
III F2F round
1. About routing protocols.
2. How to counter count to infinity problem?
Ans: Told several approaches and he is expecting poission reverse which I could not tell.
IV F2F round
This is with the manager. This is like rapid fire where interviewer keeps on asking me questions which has either one or two line answers.
1. What are the protocols that you know in transport layer?
2. What is the difference between UDP and TCP?
3. What is the connection end point in TCP ?
4. What is the systemcall which creates a seperate connection? (Indirect question about Accept system call)
5. Which system call is used to poll among fds? (select or epoll_wait)
6. Why virtual functions?
7. If you already have a memory, how will use that memory to allocate a new buffer? (placement new)
8. 2-D dynamic array allocation syntax?
9. Arp protocol and why it is used?
10. Why ICMP is used?
11. What are the protocols that you know at MAC layer ?
12. Virtual base classes and why it is used?
Some other questions which I forgot.
After one day HR interview was scheduled.
Typical HR questions. At that time only he told that they are going to give offer. Did not negotiate at all as they offered me decent.

Exchange 2013 interview questions

1. What’s New in Exchange Server 2013?
Below are the new features in Exchange Server 2013

1. New Unified Management console called Exchange Admin Center
2. Server Roles architecture changed to two Server Roles – Mailbox Server Role and Client Access Server Role
3. Public Folders are now in Mailbox Databases which can be replicated to other mailbox databases
4. Site Mailbox introduced to allow the user to access the SharePoint sites and emails from Outlook 2013, using the same client interface
5. Exchange 2013 Offers greater integration with SharePoint 2013 and Lync 2013
6. Brand new Outlook Web App optimized for tablets and mobile devices and also for desktops and laptops
7. Unified Messaging in Exchange 2013 comes with same voice mail features in Exchange 2010, but the architecture change to have only two server roles made all the UM related components, services and functionality are now available in Mailbox Server Role
8. Users can Move Mailboxes in batches where it has an option to send mailbox move reports as emails
9. Lot of enhancement in the Database Availability Group like Managed Availability and Managed Store etc
10. Exchange work load is a new feature in Exchange 2013 defined for the purpose of Exchange System Resource Management
11. Exchange 2013 is completely rewritten so deploying and keeping exchange 2013 to up to date is now easier
12. Data Loss Preventions is a new feature which allows to protective the company sensitive data and inform user of internal compliance policies

2. What is Exchange Admin Center?
Exchange Admin Center is the new web based Exchange Management Console for Exchange Server 2013, it allows for ease of use and is optimized for management of On-Premises, Online and hybrid Exchange deployments. EAC replaces Exchange Management Console and Exchange Control Panel, but ECP is still the url for Exchange Admin Center
New features in Exchange Admin Center

1. List View – More than 20,000 objects can be viewed in EAC, where legacy ECP allows only 500 objects
2. Add/Remove columns for recipients
3. Public folders can be managed from Exchange Admin Center
4. Long running process will be notified in the notification bar
5. Role Based Access Control user editor can be done from EAC
6. Unified Messaging tools like call statistics, and user call logs can be accessed from EAC

3. Explain the Exchange 2013 Architecture?
Legacy versions of Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2010 released with 5 server roles, ie, Mailbox, Client Access, Hub Transport, Unified Messaging and Edge Transport server. Server role architecture has been changed in Exchange 2013 which released with only two server roles.
Mailbox Server role – It holds the same function of Mailbox, the client access protocols, Hub Transport and Unified Messaging server role in Exchange 2010
Client Access Server role – work as the client access server role in Exchange 2010, Exchange 2010 work as  only stateless server, where it doesn’t do any data rendering,  and nothing will  be stored or queued in Client Access Server role. CAS offers all usual client access protocols: HTTP, POP and IMAP, and SMTP
4. Why Exchange 2013 architecture has been changed with two server roles?
Exchange 2007 and 2010 were architect with certain technology constraint that existed at that time, where CPU performance was the Key constraint when Exchange 2007 was released and to alleviate the situation Server roles were introduced. However server roles in Exchange 2007 and Exchange 2010 are tightly coupled
Nowadays, CPU horse power is less expensive and it is not a constrain factor, with that constraint lifted, primary goal for Exchange 2013 is simplicity of scale, hardware utilization and failure isolation. So Microsoft reduced the number of server roles to two as Client Access Server Role and Mailbox Server Role
5. What are the benefits on the architecture change by having two server roles in Exchange 2013?
Having two server roles with Mailbox Server includes all the traditional components fount in Exchange 2010: the client access protocols, transport service, mailbox databases and unified messaging and the Client Access Server role to provide authentication, limited redirection and proxy services. New architecture provides the below benefits

1. The Client Access Server and Mailbox Server become “Loosely Coupled”. All process and activity for a specific mailbox occurs on the mailbox server that holds the active database copy, eliminating concerns of version compatibility between CAS and Mailbox Server
2. Version Upgrade flexibility – Client Access server can be upgraded independently and in any order.
3. Session affinity to client access server role is not required – In Exchange 2013, Client access and mailbox components available on the same mailbox server, because the client access server simply proxies all connections to a specific mailbox server, no session affinity is required
4. Only two namespace is required for Exchange 2013

6. What is change related to MAPI access using outlook in Exchange 2013?
Two server role architects changed the outlook client connectivity behaviour; RPC is no longer a supported direct access protocol. This means that all the outlook connectivity must take place using RPC over HTTP knows as Outlook Anywhere. Because of this behaviour, there is no need to have RPC client access service on CAS which reduces two name spaces that required for site-resilient solution.
7. Explain the change in outlook client connection behaviour when compared with Exchange 2010?
Outlook clients no longer connect to a server FQDN as they have done in all previous versions of Exchange. Outlook uses Autodiscover to create a new connection point comprised of mailbox GUID, @ symbol, and the domain portion of the user’s primary SMTP address. This change results in a near elimination of the unwelcome message of “Your administrator has made a change to your mailbox. Please restart.” Only Outlook 2007 and higher versions are supported with Exchange 2013.
8. What is Managed Store in Exchange 2013?
Managed store is the name of the newly rewritten information store process, Microsoft.Exchange.Store.Service.exe and Microsoft.Exchange.Store.worker.exe, it is integrated with Microsoft Exchange replication server to provide higher availability through improve resiliency. Also the Managed store has been architected to enable more granular management of resource consumption and faster root cause analysis though improved diagnostics.
Managed Store works with replication service to manage mailbox databases, which continues to ESE as DB engine, Exchange 2013 includes change the mailbox database schema that provides many optimization over previous versions of Exchange and Replication Services is responsible for all availability related to Mailbox Servers. This change provides faster database failover and better disk failure handling.
9. What is a Site Mailbox?
Site Mailbox is a new type of mailbox in Exchange 2013, where it improves collaboration and user productivity by allowing access to both documents in a SharePoint site and email messages in outlook 2013 using the same client interface.
10. What happened to Public Folders in Exchange 2013?
Special type mailbox called Public folder mailbox introduced in Exchange Server 2013, which will store both the hierarchy and public folder content. This provides an advantage of the existing high availability and storage technologies of the mailbox store. Legacy Public folder database concept not in exchange 2013 and Public Folder replication now user the continuous replication model as like Mailbox Database.
11. How the Mail flow Occur in Exchange Server 2013?
Due the architectural change, Mail flow in Exchange 2013 occurs via Transport Pipeline, it is collection of Transport services, connections, components and queues that work together to route the messages to the categorizer in the transport service on a mailbox server inside the organization.
Messages from outside organization enter the transport pipeline through a receive connector in the Front End Transport service on a client access server and then routed to the Transport Service on a Mailbox Server and the Mailbox Transport Delivery Service deliver the email to local mailbox database
Message from inside organization enter the Transport Service on a Mailbox Server in following ways, receive connector, Pick Up or Replay Directory, Mailbox Transport Service or Agent Submission. Those emails can be relayed to Front End transport service on Client Access Server using the Transport Service on Mailbox Server and sent outside
12. Explain the New Transport Pipeline in Short?
Front End Transport Service in Client Access Server acts as a stateless proxy for all inbound and outbound external SMTP traffic for Exchange 2013 organization. It won’t inspect message content, only communicates with the Transport Service on a Mailbox Server, and doesn’t queue any messages locally.
Transport Service in Mailbox server is identical to Hub Transport server, it handles all SMTP mail flow for the organization, perform message categorization, and performs content inspection. It won’t communicate directly with Mailbox Database that task will be handled by Mailbox Transport Service. So the Transport Service routes messages between the mailbox transport service, the transport service and the front end transport service.
Mailbox Transport Service running on Mailbox server consists of two separate services: the Mailbox Transport Submission Service and Mailbox Transport Delivery Service.
Mailbox Transport Delivery Service receives emails from Transport Service on the local or different mailbox server and connects to the local mailbox databases using Exchange RPC to deliver the message
Mailbox Transport Submission Service connects to local mailbox database using RPC to retrieve messages and submits the messages over SMTP to the Transport Service on the local Mailbox server or other Mailbox Servers.
13. What are the enhancements in Batch Mailbox Move on Exchange 2013?
Below are the enhancements on Exchange 2013 Batch Mailbox Moves,

• Multiple mailboxes move in large batches.
• Email notification during move with reporting.
• Automatic retry and automatic prioritization of moves.
• Primary and personal archive mailboxes can be moved together or separately.
• Option for manual move request finalization, which allows you to review a move before you complete it.

14. What are new options included in Exchange 2013 related with High Availability and Site Resilience?
Managed Availability – Internal Monitoring and recovery are integrated to prevent failures, proactively restore services, and initiate failovers automatically or alert admin to take action.
Managed Store – Integrated with Microsoft Exchange Replication Service to provide higher availability
Multiple Databases per disk – Exchange 2013 supports multiple databases both active and passive on same disk.
Automatic Reseed – If a disk fails, database copy stored on that disk is copied from the active database copy to a spare disk on the same server.
Automatic recovery from storage failures
Lagged copies can now care themselves to a certain using automatic log play down
Single copy alert task is removed and included in the managed availability component
DAG networks can be automatically configuration by the system bases on the configuration settings, DAG now can distinguish between MAPI and Replication networks and configure DAG network automatically.
15. What are the features discontinued in Exchange 2013 when compared with Exchange 2010?
Below are few features that are discontinued in Exchange 2013

• Hub Transport Server Role and Unified Messaging Server
• Exchange Management Console and Exchange Control Panel
• Outlook 2003 support and RPC over TCP method of Mailbox access is removed
• S/MIME, Search folders and Spell check in OWA removed
• Linked Connectors are removed
• Anti-spam agents can be management only from Exchange Management Shell
• Connection filtering agent removed
• Managed Folder are removed
• Tools like Exchange Best Practice Analyzer, Mail flow troubleshooter, performance monitor, performance troubleshooter and routing log viewer are removed

16. What are the features discontinued in Exchange 2013 when compared with Exchange 2007?
Below are few features discontinued in Exchange 2013 that are available in Exchange Server 2007

• Storage Groups and Public Folder Databases
• Exchange WebDAV API and ESE streaming backup API
• High Availability concepts CCR, LCR, SCR & SCC are not available
• Export-Mailbox / Import-Mailbox Cmdlets and Move-Mailbox cmdlets set
• Managed folders

17. What’s New in Outlook Web App 2013?
Lot of new feature available in Outlook Web App 2013 below are few new features

• Apps can be accessed from Outlook Web App
• Contacts can be linked to see all the data in a single view
• Ability to connect to user’s linkedIn account and add the contacts automatically to OWA
• Multiple calendars can be viewed in a Merged view
• Streamlined user interface for tablets and smartphones which supports use of touch

18. Inform the features that are not available on OWA 2013?
Below are the features that are available in previous versions but not available on Exchange Server 2013 Outlook Web APP

• Shared Mail folders access is not available
• Distribution list moderation cannot be done from OWA
• S/MIME support
• Reading pane at the bottom of the window
• Ability to reply to email messages sent as attachments
• Search folders in not available

19. What are the prerequisites required to Install Exchange Server 2013?
Below prerequisites are required to install Exchange Server 2013
Operating System:

• Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 or later
• Windows Server 2012

Additional Prerequisites:

• Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 (pre install in Windows Server 2012)
• Windows Management Framework 3.0
• Microsoft Unified Communications Managed API 4.0, Core Runtime 64-bit
• Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Pack 64 bit
• Microsoft Office 2010 Filter Pack SP1 64 bit
• ADDS and few windows features

Domain Controller:

• Forest functional level has to Windows Server 2003
• Schema Master run on Windows Server 2003 SP2 or later

20. On which Operating System Database Availability Group is supported?
DAG is supported on Windows Server 2012 Standard or Datacenter Editions or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Enterprise Edition. Windows Server 2008 R2 Sp1 standard edition won’t support DAG
21. On what conditions Exchange 2013 can coexists with previous version of Exchange servers?
Exchange 2003 and Earlier versions: Not Supported
Exchange 2007: Exchange 2007 SP3 with Update Rollup 10 on all Exchange 2007 servers and Exchange 2013 CU2 and later can coexist
Exchange 2010: Exchange 2010 SP3 on all Exchange 2010 Servers and Exchange 2013 CU2 or later can coexist
22. What are the Editions available in Exchange Server 2013?
Exchange 2013 available in two editions: Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition
Standard Edition allows only 5 databases to mounted (including active and passive copy) and Enterprise Edition allows 50 databases on RTM version of Exchange and 100 databases on CU2 and later versions. Recovery Database will not be counted on this.
23. What will happen to Exchange 2013 RTM version when 120 days trial period expires?
Exchange 2013 functionality will not loss when trial period expires, so you can maintain lab without having to reinstall the trial version.
24. What the supportable clients that can access Exchange 2013 Mailbox?
Exchange 2013 mailbox can be access by the following clients

• Outlook 2013
• Outlook 2010 SP1 with Outlook 2010 November 2012 update
• Outlook 2007 SP3 with Outlook 2007 November 2010 update
• Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition
• Outlook for Mac 2011