This document discusses managing hardware devices in a Windows Server 2003 environment. It covers understanding device drivers, using Device Manager to manage drivers and hardware resources, resolving resource conflicts, optimizing processor and memory usage, and configuring driver signing options and virtual memory settings. Activities guide exploring these concepts, like installing devices, viewing resource settings, and configuring driver signing levels and virtual memory.

1. Managing a Microsoft Windows
Server 2003 Environment
Chapter 2:
Managing Hardware
Devices

2. 2
Objectives
• Understand the importance of managing hardware
• Understand the purpose of device drivers
• Configure hardware resource settings and resolve
resource setting conflicts

3. 3
Objectives (continued)
• Configure driver signing options
• Optimize server processor and memory usage
• Create and configure hardware profiles
• Configure server power options

4. 4
Introduction to Managing
Hardware
• Managing and maintaining hardware is a primary
responsibility of a network administrator
• A wide variety of internal and external hardware
components available
• Key concepts to be discussed
• Hardware compatibility
• Device drivers
• Device Manager

5. 5
Hardware Compatibility
• Server hardware must meet minimum system
requirements for Windows Server 2003
• Microsoft maintains information about compatible
hardware
• Previous Windows versions: Hardware Compatibility
List
• Windows Server 2003: Windows Server Catalog

6. 6
Windows Server Catalog Web
Site

7. 7
Understanding Device Drivers
• A device driver is a software interface between an
operating system and a hardware device
• Generally want to use the specific recommended
driver for a device
• Affects stability and performance
• Driver updates are frequent and usually available
from manufacturer
• Driver signing is used to verify that a driver has
been tested

8. 8
Device Manager
• Primary tool for managing device drivers
• Allows administrator to view and modify hardware
device properties
• Should be used soon after Windows Server 2003
installation to verify device detection and
functioning
• Accessible from Control Panel or Computer
Management tool

9. 9
Accessing Device Manager
• Control Panel 
System 
Hardware Tab
• Computer
Management 
System Tools 
Device Manager

10. 10
Device Manager (continued)
• Displays non-functioning devices
• Yellow exclamation point
• Displays manually disabled devices
• Red x
• Allows you to update drivers
• Download driver and install through Device Manager
• Use Hardware Update Wizard

11. 11
The Hardware Update Wizard

12. 12
Activity 2-1: Exploring Device
Manager
• Objective is to explore the use of Device Manager
• View properties of existing hardware
• Explore different views of information
• Start  My Computer  Properties  Hardware
Tab  Device Manager
• Follow directions in book to complete exercise

13. 13
Adding New Devices
• Two main categories of devices
• Plug and Play
• Legacy
• Plug and Play devices typically installed and
configured automatically
• Legacy devices typically configured manually

14. 14
Plug and Play Devices
• Windows Server 2003 is Plug and Play compliant
• New hardware is usually Plug and Play
• Installed devices detected automatically
• Detected devices configured automatically
• May need to locate or update device driver

15. 15
Activity 2-2: Installing a Plug
and Play Hardware Device
• Objective:
• Uninstall device using Device Manager
• Reinstall using Add Hardware Wizard
• Start  Run, type devmgmt.msc
• New method for accessing device manager
• Follow instructions in book to complete uninstall
• Check uninstall completed
• Reinstall using Add Hardware Wizard

16. 16
Legacy Devices
• Many older devices not Plug and Play
• Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus devices
not Plug and Play
• May or may not be detected by Windows Server
2003
• Typically must be configured manually
• Add Hardware Wizard used to install and/or
configure

17. 17
Hardware Resource Settings
• Four main types of resources
• Direct Memory Access (DMA) channels
• Input/Output (I/O) ranges
• Memory address ranges
• Interrupt request (IRQ) lines
• Resource settings configured from Resources tab of
properties of hardware device in Device Manager

18. 18
Hardware Resource Settings
(continued)
• Manually configured resource settings may have
conflicts
• Resource conflicts can cause device malfunction
• Conflicts determined using Device Manager
• Resources tab for a device

19. 19
Resources Tab for Network
Adapter Card
• Conflict list 

20. 20
Direct Memory Access
Channels
• Allow hardware devices to access system memory
(RAM) directly
• Information transfer bypasses CPU
• Common devices
• Hard and floppy disk controllers
• Sound cards
• CD-ROM drives
• DMA channel used by a device can be determined
from Device Manager

21. 21
Input/Output Ranges
• Small dedicated memory areas
• Allocated specifically for data transfer between
computer and hardware device
• Type of device dictates size of memory area
• I/O ports can be determined from Device Manager

22. 22
Interrupt Request Lines
• Used to gain attention of the system processor to
handle some event
• Traditionally, each device had dedicated line
• Trend is toward sharing lines, Windows Server
2003 supports sharing among some Plug and Play
devices
• IRQ lines can be viewed and managed from Device
Manager

23. 23
Memory Addresses
• Used for communication between a hardware
device and the operating system
• Devices configured with dedicated, unique memory
address ranges
• Windows Server 2003 will automatically allocate
memory addresses for Plug and Play devices
• For legacy devices, address ranges usually specified
in documentation

24. 24
Activity 2-3: Viewing Resource
Settings Using Device Manager
• Objective is to use Device Manager to explore
hardware resource settings
• Open Device Manager in one of the ways described
in earlier activities
• Observe the resources on a display adapter,
keyboard, and communications port
• Configure settings and observe properties on
communications port according to explanation in
book

25. 25
Troubleshooting Resource
Setting Conflicts
• Manual configuration of devices can lead to
resource conflicts (overlaps and duplication of
assignments)
• Two methods for checking for resource conflicts
• Resources tab in properties of device using Device
Manager
• System Information tool
• To open, type msinfo32.exe in Run command

26. 26
Troubleshooting Resource
Setting Conflicts (continued)
• System Information tool
• Reporting rather configuration
• Hardware Resources section displays summary info
• Conflicts display conflicts
• Forced Hardware allows identification of manually
configured devices
• Components displays resource settings plus driver info
• Problem Devices shows devices with known problems

27. 27
Viewing Problem Devices using
the System Information tool

28. 28
Configuring Device Driver Signing
• Every built-in driver in Windows Server 2003 is
digitally signed by Microsoft
• Signing ensures compatibility, quality, authenticity,
verified to work with hardware
• Three possible driver signing verification options
• Ignore: install any driver whether signed or not
• Warn: show warning if attempt is made to install
unsigned driver
• Block: don’t allow installation of unsigned driver

29. 29
Configuring Driver Signing Options

30. 30
Activity 2-4: Configuring
Driver Signing Options
• Objective is to explore and configure settings for
device drivers using Device Manager
• Start  My Computer  Properties  Hardware
tab  Driver Signing
• Explore help topics on driver signing
• Complete assignment to explore and configure
settings using Device Manager

31. 31
Activity 2-5: Using the File
Signature Verification Utility
• Objective is to use the File Signature Verification
utility to ensure that all installed system files and
device drivers have been digitally signed
• Start  Run  sigverif.exe  Advanced 
Logging
• Scan files and log results following directions
• View log

32. 32
Advanced File Signature
Verification Settings

33. 33
Roll Back Driver Feature
• Common for vendors to release new or updated
drivers for hardware devices
• Fix known issues, take advantage of updated features
• Driver updates sometimes result in system stability
problems
• When update causes problems, roll back allows
going back to a previous version

34. 34
Activity 2-6: Using the Roll
Back Driver Feature
• Objective is to use Roll Back Driver feature to
return to a previous version of a device driver
• Start  My Computer  Properties  Hardware
 Device Manager
• Follow directions to change to a new driver and
then roll back to previous driver for display adapter

35. 35
The Driver Tab in the
Properties of a Display Adapter

36. 36
Configuring Processor and
Memory Settings
• Three basic areas to configure for optimal
performance
• Processor scheduling and memory usage
• Virtual memory
• Memory for network performance

37. 37
Processor Scheduling
• Allows you to configure how processor resources
are allocated to programs
• Default is Background services (all running
applications receive equal processor time)
• Can set to Programs (foreground application
receives priority processor time)

38. 38
Processor Scheduling
(continued)
• Memory usage options used to configure amount of
system memory allocated to executing programs
versus other server functions
• Default is System cache option
• Computer is acting as network server
• Running programs that require considerable memory
• Programs option
• Computer is acting as workstation
• Running programs at console

39. 39
Virtual Memory
• Disk storage used to expand RAM capacity
• Slower than RAM
• Uses paging technique
• Blocks (pages) of information moved from RAM to
virtual memory on disk
• On Pentium, pages are 4KB
• Paged out when not in use, reloaded into RAM when
needed

40. 40
Virtual Memory (continued)
• Area allocated is called paging file
• Default amount allocated when operating system
installed but should be tuned by administrator
• Name of paging file is pagefile.sys
• Location of paging file important
• Two important parameters: initial and maximum
size

41. 41
Activity 2-7: Viewing and
Configuring Virtual Memory
Settings
• Objective is to explore and configure virtual
memory settings
• Move the paging file to a new drive
• Start  My Computer  Properties  Advanced
tab
• Follow instructions to move the paging file

42. 42
Memory for Network
Performance
• Memory used for both server functions and network
connectivity functions
• Server functions use RAM and memory
• Network connectivity uses only memory
• If performance is poor, may need to tune network
memory parameters

43. 43
Configuring Server Memory
for Network Optimization

44. 44
Hardware Profiles
• Set of instructions defining which devices to start
and drivers to load when computer starts
• Profile 1 created when Windows Server 2003
installed, every device enabled
• Portable computers change set of hardware device
available at different times
• Can create additional profiles to match situation

45. 45
Activity 2-8: Creating a
Hardware Profile
• Objective is to create a new hardware profile for a
set of hardware devices
• Start  My Computer  Properties  Hardware
tab  Hardware Profiles
• Follow directions to create a new profile with no
CD-ROM drive or floppy drive
• Test that devices are disabled when using new
profile

46. 46
Configuring Power Options
• Default power scheme is Always On (monitor off
after 20 minutes, hard disks never off)
• Can select other predefined schemes or create custom
scheme
• Standby mode
• Components shut down and memory is not written to
disk (if power goes out, memory information is lost)
• Power supply and CPU remain active

47. 47
Configuring Power Options
(continued)
• Hibernate mode
• Memory contents saved before shutting down disks
• Can restart with previous applications running
• Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
• Battery backup device
• Best fault-tolerance method to prevent damage with
power loss
• Can only sustain power for a limited time

48. 48
Activity 2-9: Defining a Power
Scheme
• Objective is to configure a new power scheme
• Start  Control Panel  Power Options
• Follow directions to create a power scheme to
supplied specifications
• Also explore configuring UPS (uninterruptible
power supply) to provide battery backup for critical
equipment

49. 49
Summary
• Device drivers
• Driver signing
• Driver roll back
• Device Manager tool
• Primary tool for device management
• Plug and play versus legacy devices
• Installation and configuration

50. 50
Summary (continued)
• Hardware Resource Settings
• Direct Memory Access (DMA) channels
• Input/Output (I/O) ranges
• Memory address ranges
• Interrupt request (IRQ) lines
• Processor Scheduling and Memory Usage
• Virtual memory
• Network memory
• Hardware Profiles
• Power Options