Pop Quiz
Credential Caching (Exam 70-642)
Question: Which are the respective forest and domain functional levels required for credential caching and fine-grained password policies when using Windows Server 2008?
a. Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008
b. Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2003
c. Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008
d. Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003
Answer
D. Windows Server 2003 forest and Windows
Server 2003 domain functional levels are required at a minimum.
There are few additional benefits in Windows 2008 when raising the forest and domain functional levels from 2003 to 2008.
Credential caching is the storage of user or computer credentials of approximately 10 passwords per security principal that can be configured on read-only domain controllers. The availability of fine-grained passwords, or the ability to define more than one password policy per domain, is a new feature available when Windows 2008 DCs are present.
Tip: Before using fine-grained passwords, you must run adprep found in Windows 2008 to extend the schema.
About the Author
Andy Barkl, CCNP, CCDP, CISSP, MCT, MVP, MCDST, MCSE: Security, MCSA: Security, MCSA: Messaging A+, CTT+, i-Net+, Network+, Security+, Server+, CNA, has over 20 years of experience in the IT field. He's the owner of MCT & Associates LLC, a technical training and consulting firm in Phoenix, Arizona. He enjoys dividing his time between teaching in the classroom, writing from his office and consulting on Cisco and Windows deployments. He's also the online editor for MCPMag.com, TCPMag.com, CertCities.com, and a contributing author and editor for Sybex and Cisco Press. He hosts a multitude of exam preparation chats monthly on MCPmag.com and CertCities.com.