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Chapter 7 Lesson Notes

I. Implementing, Managing, and Troubleshooting Mobile Computer Hardware

This objective moves quickly from a generic workstation overview to a specific discussion of hardware implementations on mobile computers. It pays particular attention to the PCMCIA slot and card.

This section explains the use of Windows 2000’s built-in power management software features. look at  the differences between the older Advanced Power Management (APM) and the new, more feature-rich Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI). Be sure you understand that the PM schema is determined by the particular computer’s BIOS, not the administrator or user.

Review the first two paragraphs of this objective. Offline Files is the preferred method of exchanging files between server and mobile computer in Windows 2000, not Briefcase as with NT or Windows 9x.

Users do not have to be connected to the network or know where the file is actually stored. Moreover, Windows 2000 provides automatic file synchronization.

You may want to review the principles of client-server technology to understand where the files are stored and how the network changes the dynamic of working with offline files.

Offline files works similarly to the way browser software stores a web page as a temp file and is refreshed manually. Note that this relationship is reiterated in the second Exam Watch on page 366.

Exercise 7-2 on page 357 walks through setting up offline folders. Be sure to review and discuss the Cache Settings on page 358, and how they affect the way the administrator sets up folders for documents and programs. Note how there are both automatic and manual settings for documents. It is easy to start the Synchronize process: Open Windows Explorer, click on Tools, then Synchronize.

The Enable Offline Settings on page 360 of Exercise 7-2 is an important setup feature. Spend a few extra moments reviewing the reasons for these settings, and the pros and cons of their use.

Review the first Exam Watch on page 366 so you understand when to use the Synchronization Manager and when to use Windows Explorer. For this work, setting up Offline Files, Synchronization Manager acts as a setup utility, while Explorer acts as a configuration utility.

Be sure to walk through the Scenario & Solution on page 367 to help yous understand the process and the tools.

This objective provides a good opportunity to discuss the many merits of using Windows Explorer. Although some might prefer the simplicity of My Computer and its folders, it requires far more clicks and fiddling to use. Windows Explorer combines the high functionality of working near the command line level with the ease of use provided by the GUI. Here is some information and some tips from the Microsoft Windows 2000 web site:

http://windows.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/professional/help/:

Windows Explorer displays the hierarchical structure of files, folders, and drives on your computer. It also shows any network drives which have been mapped to drive letters on your computer. You can also view My Network Places, which lists other computers that are connected to your local area network (LAN). Using Windows Explorer, you can copy, move, rename, and search for files and folders. For example, you can open a folder that contains a file you want to copy or move, and then drag it to another folder or even another drive.

There are other places in Windows 2000 where you can view and work with files and folders. My Documents is a convenient place to store documents, graphics, or other files you want to access quickly. When you delete files or folders from your hard disk, Windows 2000 places them in the Recycle Bin, where you can retrieve them, if necessary. Files or folders deleted from a floppy disk or a network drive are permanently deleted and are not sent to the Recycle Bin. For information about My Documents or Recycle Bin, see Related Topics.

The web site offers much more information about the details of using Windows Explorer, and will be a useful resource to students. Mention that you can open Explorer by right-clicking.

A great feature of Windows 2000 is the ability to keep drivers that were installed using NT 4.0 in the upgrade. Be sure to review Digital Signing of drivers, as explained on page 368 and shown in Figure 7-1 on page 369. Not being on the Microsoft HCL does not mean the device is incompatible (see On the Job, page 368). It  is in a peripheral vendor’s best interests to be on the HCL, so the web site should be checked frequently.

The whole issue of installing drivers remains ticklish. See this ZDNet review for another perspective you may wish to share with the class.

www.zdnet.com/products/stories/reviews/0,4161,2443990,00.html

Note that Windows Update is discussed here, on page 370, and the home web site is cited. Although it is not specifically germane to the topic of Driver Signing, you might want to mention how many vendors (including Microsoft) use web sites to post driver updates, bug fixes, and provide other useful software. For example, the Ziff-Davis Net site mentioned in the prior Insider Information provides a number of utility programs that make Windows Explorer more useful at:

http://xlink.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/texis/xlink/xlink/search.html?Uch=&Utype=D&Utext=
windows+explorer&db=zd

Monitoring, configuring, and troubleshooting I/O devices is a big part of an administrator’s job – and an important topic in the cert exam. As the From the Classroom box says,  get as much experience as you can with as many different devices as possible. You should also become confident and comfortable with changing configurations in Device Manager.

Move directly into Exercise 7-3, using Device Manager. Be sure to note the purpose of the exclamation point icon discussed in the Exam Watch on page 374.

Briefly review the five peripherals listed on pages 375-376 and their connections. Note that while it used to be that many peripherals had their own unique port, the USB port has become ubiquitous.

IrDA devices must be enabled by the BIOS, and are not commonly used in networks. Briefly review the last two paragraphs on page 376, stressing the importance of retaining a sufficient number of IRQs.

Note how prevalent USB has become, and discuss its advantages over the older serial technology – especially daisy-chaining peripherals. Most peripherals, even those mentioned earlier. such as the mouse and keyboard, can be connected to the system unit via USB. Any limitations of the device are often due to its overall capabilities.

More on Ports. Some peripherals, called cards, are connected to the system board via the slots. Others are connected via cables to ports on the rear of the system board. Those ports include:

• Serial – commonly used for the modem and mouse

• Parallel – commonly reserved for the printer

• Keyboard – no other device may be connected to the keyboard port

• Monitor – this port is on a card plugged into a slot.

• SCSI – a universal port that permits connecting many devices one to another, called daisy-chaining

• Universal Serial Bus (USB) – daisy-chaining faster, multiple devices

• FireWire – fast, digital devices

Ports are designed to transfer data at the most appropriate speed – usually the faster the better. The USB and FireWire ports were developed specifically for faster data transfer speeds.

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) port may become the new standard for connecting peripherals of many types to computers. Like its older cousin SCSI, USB can connect several devices one to another, called daisy-chaining. A plus is that you can "hot-plug" new peripherals without rebooting.

FireWire is coming of age as the way to "soup up" your PC’s multimedia capabilities. It can connect all kinds of digital devices, including camcorders, cable and satellite dish receivers, stereo components, DVD players, and more FireWire should make your computer both easier and faster to use. Fire Wire is also referred to as IEEE1394, the IEEE standard which defines it

Most software can be improved, and drivers are no exception. New versions are rolled out for updates, fixes, and new features. The process is to view the existing driver, update it with the new one, and then verify that it works properly. Walk through Exercise 7-4 on page 377 to update a NIC driver. Note how easy the wizard makes this process. Note that some drivers can be obtained and installed directly from the Microsoft Update web site.

Use Table 7-1 on page 385 to note the maximum on Windows 2000 Workstation. Windows 2000 only runs on Intel-based processors as discussed in the Exam Watch on page 385. Explain that because of the Windows 2000 kernel, running two processors basically "looks" the same as running one, except, of course, the processing is faster. Note the fact that multitasking is what drives the need for multiple processors, since many applications are vying for each CPU cycle.

More on multitasking. One significant aspect of the operating system is that of multitasking, or the ability to work with a multiple programs open and running at the same time. Some programs run in the background, such as printing or email transmission. Others run side-by-side; you can keep track of all of them on the Windows 98 taskbar, usually at the bottom of your screen.

Windows operating system technology made it possible for applications to open multiple files – two word processing documents, two spreadsheet worksheets, etc. – and it also made it possible to have multiple programs running simultaneously. The ability to have multiple files open within an application, as well as the ability to have multiple applications open, allows the exchange of information between documents using the copy/cut-and-paste operations provided by Windows.

Use Exercise 7-5 on page 385 to show how Windows 2000 configures for multiple processors. This is a good opportunity to show how Windows 2000 graphically represents CPU activity. Review.

Windows 2000 practically installs plug-and-play NICs automatically, without much administration. Network configurations and changes can now be made on the fly, which means no rebooting. Also: TCP/IP should be the first-listed protocol, as order matters.