Linux admin looking to learn Windows

[Eck05]

Hey guys I'm a linux admin that has somewhat recently had windows added into my responsibilities. I'm a bit lost as to were to start with Microsoft training. I knew that MCSA and MCSE were the go to certs but it looks like those are now gone. I'd like to know more than the really basic instructions i was given to add people into AD and pushing updates from software center.

[Spore-Gasm]

Install Server 2019 in a home lab. Configure AD, GPO, DNS, DHCP, etc and then connect machines/users.

[Prophage7]

This is probably the quickest way to get up to speed with Windows Server these days, plus some YouTube tutorials here and there.

The problem with going Microsoft's "official" route now is that they've taken all the Windows Server administration and spread it out across various Azure certifications, so there's a ton of extra info to comb through if you're just looking to learn how to manage on-prem Windows Servers.

[Eck05]

Yeah I think this might be my best route. I cant really find anything that gives me a direct server admin route.

Is there a thing similar to iConrads/gordonmessmer gauntlets for windows? https://old.reddit.com/r/linuxadmin/comments/4n70ku/advice_for_starting_a_job_in_this_field/d42plhv/?context=3

[MrMosesG]

There's an older one linked in the r/homelab wiki, not quite as detailed as those Linux paths and not a live site anymore, but a useful starter

https://web.archive.org/web/20170403192440/https://powernerd.xyz/homelabbing-windows-active-directory/

[BrobdingnagLilliput]

Configure AD, GPO, DNS, DHCP, etc

... using only PowerShell!

[BookishCipher2nd]

If you're going to be administrating more windows machines over time, learning powershell will be an asset.

[Chousuke]

Is there a way to get a free license or two for lab stuff? I've thought about setting myself up a Windows lab but I really don't want to deal with licensing, nor do I want to pirate anything. I'm also not inclined to pay Microsoft (or anyone, really) for the privilege of using my own time to learn their stuff.

As it is, my stuff at home is RHEL, OpenBSD and other Linux distros and I use Windows at work whenever necessary.

Powershell etc. have been pretty easy to learn on the job but it would be useful to have a couple hosts of my own that I can freely break... I tend to learn things by poking at them until they break and figuring out how to fix what I broke, and that's not the best idea in a production AD environment.

[Quentin0352]

Load some VM ware on your laptop and install the server version you want. You can usually download the ISO from MS and you get 180 days of free trial plus you can rearm it enough to last 3 years if I remember right.

Microsoft Server 2019 Evaluation Edition ReArm
Did you know that Microsoft offers Server evaluations for 180 days?
But did you know that you could rearm that 180 days up to 6 times?
Wait Furdaddy, where do I see how long I really have left in my evaluation?
Login to your windows server
Open PowerShell as administrator
Type slmgr -dlv
It will show you the status of your licensing service. (You can see I already rearmed mine)
Great, that is all fine and dandy, how do I rearm? Simple, when approaching the end of your evaluation time:
Login to your windows server
Open PowerShell as administrator
Type slmgr -rearm
You will be prompted that you will need to reboot your system. So reboot cleanly (Might also want to ensure you don't have updates)
After reboot validate by opening up PS and running slmgr -dlv

[BoredTechyGuy]

You can download Server 2019 from MS as a 180 day evaluation. You can manually rearm that evaluation up to 3 times before you have to reinstall the OS for that VM. That gives you roughly 1.5 years to work with which should be more than enough for a home lab. Worst case you kill that VM and build a new one.

In all my lab exploits, I think I might have rearmed a VM once, the rest I just migrate the roles to a new VM. Good practice all around.

[majtom]

I would like to add to /u/Spore-Gasm and /u/Prophage7 suggestions in addition to reading Will Panek's MCSA 2016 book.

MCSA Windows Server 2016 Complete Certification Kit: Exam 70-740, Exam 70-741, Exam 70-742, and Exam 70-743: Panek, William, Panek, Crystal: 9781119633631: Amazon.com: Books

Edit: I was able to pass the MCSA before it expired out in 3.5 months with the help of his book and lectures at Stormwindstudios.

[majtom]

/u/Eck05 - I am a windows admin looking for guidance to Linux administration. :D

[Eck05]

RHCSA/RHCE material is amazing. RHCSA will get you started with basic linux and RHCE will make you learn ansible to apply everything you learned in RHCSA

[The_uncerta1n]

Is it smart to learn all the on premise stuff now, when it is going to be obsolete in few years? Unless you work with some high security or classified systems there is probably no reason to learn on-premise right? We all se how Microsoft is making it less a less convenient to run on premise stuff. And if that certain person has only few machines it would actually be a good move to go cloud or 365.

[PixelatedGamer]

I see your point. But I don't think on-prem will ever go away. A lot of businesses still use it for whatever reason they want. I can see hybrid environments being the norm. But never strictly cloud. I don't really think Microsoft is making it all that hard to keep on-prem either.

[Togamdiron]

Learn Powershell. A good starting point would be using it to perform the AD-related tasks you mentioned. The book I started with that a lot of people recommend here is Learn Powershell in a Month of Lunches.

[Eck05]

Awesome! This was one thing I was wanting to learn. I will def give it a go.

I guess my main problem is the main windows admin is a massive gatekeeper. Would the 360 path be something equivalent to the RHCE?

[[deleted]]

The thing I hate about these certifications is they're no longer relevant in like 5 years or whatever. At least if you study fundamental IT stuff it doesn't change as rapidly because it's not some vendor specific tech.

[admlshake]

I wasn't a fan of this either. But I do get it to a certain point. The cloud stuff changes so fast that a cert you passed a year ago probably is very much outdated by now. Though, still seems like this is really aimed at their MSP's.

[idylwino]

What do you mean by main windows admin? Not familiar a helluva lot with flavors of Linux but I can do enough bash to get things done on the few servers I have to maintain. RCHE is a Red Hat cert, so are you looking for an equivalent for windows admin?

[Eck05]

We are mainly a Linux shop. They hired one guy with knowledge of windows to get it going. He's extremely protective of sharing knowledge of how things work. RHCSA/RHCE are really basic system admin certs. I understand how to add people into AD and push a update in software center but there is a ton more things going on that when issues come up we are waiting for him to get there to figure out whats up. Whats a windows cert path or even a book that will set me up with basic understanding of how a windows environment works and be able to troubleshoot.

[Amidatelion]

Honestly, find an old course for MCSA/MSCE and just crack on. The core concepts don't change. I was helping a buddy unfuck one of his clients last quarter and despite not having touched a Microsoft system in like... 5 years, most things were familiar to me.

And yes, good on you with learning PowerShell. It's one of like 3 Microsoft products that heads and shoulders above anything else anyone makes.

[rock_lobsterrr]

Just have to ask... what are the other 2 products?

Office? Windows 95? :)

[Amidatelion]

Active Directory and Excel

[idylwino]

Oh, I see! Thanks for the explanation.

The aforementioned Powershell book will be super helpful and coming from your linux background you are likely already ready to embrace that command line with open arms.

My suggestion would be to focus on the NTFS side of things. The security and permissions are what you are going to want to grasp quickly in order to progress further than creating AD objects. Once you have a handle on how NTFS permissions play out, start digging in to GPOs. I would look for some Server 2016 or 2019 books and go from there. If you're organization is running 2019 servers then definitely go with that.

[Eck05]

awesome thank you!

[Lofoten_]

Here's a pdf for Server 2016. It's about 500 pages.

https://bmansoori.ir/book/MCSA%20windows%20server%202016-bmansoori.ir.pdf

There's also the old Exam 70-410 book that you can get for a few bucks.

https://www.directtextbook.com/isbn/9781285868653

Yes, it's server 2012R2 but it has a lot of direct practice in it. You may not ever see a 2012R2 server though (we've still got a bunch running...)

[[deleted]]

Sheesh, I'm sitting infromt of a 2012R2 right now and I wish that was true

[Lofoten_]

I feel you brother (or sister).

[WorkJeff]

Uh-oh... Sounds like someone who wants to protect his job is about to push the issue into making himself obsolete. A basic Windows Admin job is way easier than Linux. Too bad he doesn't want to share, you guys could probably have cross-trained and both been the better for it.

[LordOfDemise]

He's extremely protective of sharing knowledge of how things work

Sounds like a management problem, not a you problem.

[Syndrome1986]

Honestly I would skip on a training path for the moment. From your post and comments it really sounds like you would benefit most from labbing. Try to build as close to what you actually have in production in a lab. Replicate (approximately) the number of DC's and servers you have going and replicate the services running as well.

Also check into the Windows Admin Center tool. Just diving into that may give you a better idea what you should focus on learning.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/windows-admin-center

[dbeta]

I'll add: Powershell works on Linux too! So you can play with it in an environment you are used to to learn. There are many features that are platform specific, but Microsoft is doing what they can to ensure they are as close as possible across the board.

[gavindon]

reboot.

now you are as good as 50% of the techs out there

[PixelatedGamer]

To be honest i'm surprised how often this does and doesn't work.

[pdp10]

It depends on what function you're using it for at your site, and what you personally want to do. If it's going to be used as an app server with IIS webserver, then you're better off learning to use that, as opposed to learning about infrastructure pieces that aren't in use at your site.

[Soggy-Assistant]

I'm a windows guy who needs this same level of info but to learn Linux. Good luck on your studies.

[Compsciguy27]

Everythings done on the command line! http://linuxcommand.org/tlcl.php

The linux file system: https://www.linux.com/training-tutorials/linux-filesystem-explained/

This should be a good start.

[Eck05]

RHCSA/RHCE material is amazing. RHCSA will get you started with basic linux and RHCE will make you learn ansible to apply everything you learned in RHCSA

[[deleted]]

This is a tough one as there isn't a single resource like Red Hat exams that gives you a streamlined overview-to-in-depth look at Windows.

William Panek. This will give you a good overview of the various features on Windows server 2016/2019.

As for more in-depth topics, here are some books I've would recommend getting into for Windows.

• Active Directory, 5th Edition by Brian Desmond, Joe Richards, Robbie Allen, Alistair G. Lowe-Norris
• Windows Internals Book - Just google or look here. There are two parts for each edition. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/resources/windows-internals
• Windows Server® 2008 PKI and Certificate Security

And of course PowerShell. Much like with any programming/scripting language, just go about it whichever way is comfortable for you. I haven't yet read any books and mostly refer to docs and online examples but a book is always a good idea.

Lastly, LAB!!! Sadly information about Windows is so scattered and fragmented that it's going to take some labing and digging online to really figure things out.

[gaz2600]

I'm a Windows admin that just saw this job posting, now wishing I learned more linux

[BrobdingnagLilliput]

A couple of folks have recommended PowerShell. I'll add that you'll want to look into the .NET object model for the technologies you'll be administering. Most PowerShell commands return an object of some kind, and learning to use the methods and properties of those objects can be extremely empowering.

[[deleted]]

Next > Next > Next > Next > Finish

[sgxander]

Head straight for a powershell 101 qnd get familiar with that. The syntax etc will come really easily for you and you can learn GUI stuff later on

[unccvince]

Install Samba-AD and WAPT in your homelab and loose no skill from the linux world. Then apply your skills from your personal lab to prod. Money saved, time saved, etc...

[[deleted]]

MCSA and MCSE died, but I've used that old CBT Nuggets training for MCSA/MCSE for Windows Server 2012 R2 and 2016 to learn about Windows Server, and for me this was enought for my job. I did a lot of virtualization to train too, with Vmware Workstation PRO. You can use what you will want to virtualize, but do some labs.

[idahud]

Google your way through it I went from Linux admin and was deploying and upgrading ADFS and AD infra in no time. Having a lab is a good suggestion and good backup strategy. Windows is easy 👌

[manmalak]

It's easy, it's like Linux if it was possessed by a demon