Networking - HELP!!! :-)

[Orangeb]

Dear All,

I recently changed my goals totally about what I wanted to get back into, work wise. I figured Counselling wasn’t for me anymore, so seeing as I always was god with computer etc as a kid and growing up, i would go for something basic to start with, like first line IT support, and then take it from there.
The problem is I have gone through YouTube watching courses on basic networking etc, and then Active Directory (I thought learning the original basics, even though it’s gone cloud based now, would be helpful). BUT I keep over thinking the basics - if a server is something physical, what turns it into a Domain controller - it must be software - but so must windows server X or whatever, so where does the DC controller ‘sit’? Ontop of the server, so to speak? So when you put a virtual machine into action, where does that sit? It’s not physical, as there is no physical entity. I’m not explaining it fantastically - I need to be able to draw what I mean.
I am looking for very basic definitions of where things go in a basic network. Does everything go from the server upwards - so the server is the grounding? How does everything on a network look - if a diagram could be drawn?
If anyone could offer some advice, that would be fantastic.
Many thanks for reading,
Matthew

 

[radderfire]

It's probably best to determine which basic networking qualifications are required in order to help get you a job, and then get the learning material to obtain those qualifications.

 

[Tetras]

BUT I keep over thinking the basics - if a server is something physical, what turns it into a Domain controller - it must be software - but so must windows server X or whatever, so where does the DC controller ‘sit’? Ontop of the server, so to speak? So when you put a virtual machine into action, where does that sit? It’s not physical, as there is no physical entity. I’m not explaining it fantastically - I need to be able to draw what I mean.
I am looking for very basic definitions of where things go in a basic network. Does everything go from the server upwards - so the server is the grounding? How does everything on a network look - if a diagram could be drawn?

I'm not into networks, I still use crossover cables, but in the absence of a better explanation.

A domain controller is something that controls a domain and that's it.

The point about: "Is this server physical, virtual, network based?", I mean... it doesn't matter, because the only important point is: do the clients connecting to it consider it acting like a domain controller.

It can be a fairy waving a magic wand if it does the job, the client doesn't care.

In terms of the software, Windows server is an operating system and it comes with certain features, which come with their own software to perform those features.

Is Windows server a domain controller? No. Is it possible for Windows server to act as a domain controller? Yes, with the right software and the necessary configuration.

"Does everything go from the server upwards - so the server is the grounding?" - It is very hard to answer that because you need more context. You can't define these details, if you don't know the structure of the network.

The easiest way I'd try and think of it is: "Which of these parts of the network have X responsibility and which parts of the network depend on that responsibility?".

If you have lots of dependencies between a single physical server and lots of physical clients, then you have one of those classic top-down hierarchies with the server at the top and the clients underneath.

 

[Mercutio]

Modern setups are running quite a few layers of abstraction from the hardware these days.

I think you're probably struggling to get your head around the layers.

1) Hardware, is hardware.
2) There's an OS controlling the hardware. That's your basic "computer".

Beyond that it's all software. Some of the software is emulating hardware.

Server wise, sure, the OS is a server OS. It has some extra tools for file/web serving, network/user control, whatever else.

The OS can happily be running 1 or more virtual machines.
Each of these virtual machines if you look at them from inside the virtual look like 1 & 2. They are "hardware" (the emulated virtual hardware) with an OS on top controlling the hardware.

At this point they're essentially just another "basic computer" which can be tasked with doing whatever. Whatever is controlling the virtual hardware understands what's being asked of it, passing that along through the physical hardware to the rest of the network.


A domain controller on a virtual server is literally just a tool, running on a (virtual) computer. Other machines on the network are "hardened" to give control to it regarding certain policies/privileges/access/etc. They all just talk to a particular machine on a particular network/port which the virtual is recognised as by the rest of the network (even though that machine is just virtual hardware+os).

 

[Orangeb]

These are very helpful explanations, thank you. I guess in some respects ‘you’ gotta just accept that there is “stuff” controlling and or running a virtual machine - maybe its not best to over-think what exactly does that. It’s some form of software, somewhere - maybe in the OS design somewhere. It’s just got so complicated now, rather than when it was more basic in the 90s.

 

[radderfire]

A virtual machine is basically identical to a physical machine except that it has no physical presence, it can replicate everything it needs to present/use by software.

 

[Fr0dders]

I'm 20 years into my career into IT now, and the best advice I can give is what helped me.

If you want to learn, DHCP, Active Directory, DNS, etc.. the best way is to get yourself a home lab. Find yourself an old server on ebay or facebook marketplace or similar and just get something you can have a play around on. Maybe even pick up a few dell desktops to act as your clients on your new network. Start off cheap and easy and just move your keyboard / mouse / monitor around until you're all setup then you can use remote desktop to control them without needing to move them around. Start with physical machines - get a copy of windows server and have a go yourself. You'll learn much more actually running the setup of a domain on your new home lab to understand how you turn a piece of hardware into a domain controller.

if you really get into it - then maybe you could add virtualisation to your home lab- maybe get some more up to date kit, add some proper network switches and start learning Cisco. Once you've learnt the basics of windows, virtualisation etc.. I'd then move onto learning cloud technologies as that's where lots are businesses are going to and moving away from physical hardware on premise. You'll learn way more doing that than you ever will watching youtube videos. If you go for a job interview, talking about the experience on your home lab will stand you in good stead and look good to any would be employers about how seriously you're taking your learning.