Configure a Multi-Subnet Enterprise with Mobile Clients

Subnets provide a network administrator with a powerful tool for managing traffic on their networks. The ability to work with subnets and DHCP servers is a crucial skill for a network administrator. Combined, subnets with DHCP provide many network benefits, including:

• Enhanced network performance and speed.
• Reduced network congestion.
• Enhanced network security.
• Controlled network growth.
• Easier administration.

A network administrator needs to be able to configure subnets for not only local users but also mobile users. Given the number of remote users in today’s workforce, the ability to configure subnets for mobile users is a critical skill for IT workers. This hands-on lab will give you valuable experience in building a network enterprise and managing remote access to your enterprise.

A good network enterprise also contains fail safes to protect data and user connectivity. When servicing both local and remote clients, a network must provide shared filespaces, or distributed file systems (DFS). A distributed file system (DFS) is a set of services for managing shared files across a network. Your local and remote users will likely need to work with the same files, and a DFS provides shared access to files. Moreover, DFS provides a means of backing up data on the network and protecting your files.

Clients will also require reliable access to the network, which can be accomplished by configuring DHCP failover relationships. DHCP failover allows two different servers to control the same pool of IP addresses. DCHP failover is a powerful tool, as it lets you both manage high network traffic and provide a backup server should one DHCP server fail. Understanding DCHP failover is a must for today’s network administrators. You will learn how to configure both of these services in this lab.

Understand the scenario: You are a network administrator. You need to configure your network to allow secure access by mobile clients.

Understand the environment: You have two subnets that are connected by a router.

Configure a DirectAccess server:

The first step in creating a network enterprise with mobile clients is to configure the access server. In this first step, you will:

• Create an Active Directory security group with users.
• Install DirectAcces and VPN on the remote server.
• Configure DirectAccess.

Verify DirectAccess from a client:

Once you have configured the remote access server, you will test the connection between the server and its clients.

Configure DFS:

In this step, you will create a DFS for your network. You will learn the steps to install a DFS and create several shared files on your network enterprise.

Configure DHCP failover:

For this step, you will configure DHCP server roles. Specifically, you will create a DHCP failover relationship between DCHP servers. To create a DHCP failover relationship, you will first install DHCP server roles, including scope, and then create a DHCP failover relationship between two servers.

Summary:

Any large network will require multiple subnets and DHCP servers to operate efficiently. For modern applications, networks will also likely have mobile clients. In this virtual lab, you will gain real-world experience configuring networks for mobile users. Maintaining these subnets and servers on your enterprise will be a large part of any career in network administration.

Furthermore, keeping data safe and maintaining network connectivity is crucial to network client productivity. Many tools exist for creating a resilient network enterprise. In this lab, you will gain valuable experience working with two of them: DFS and DCHP failover.

In the “Configure a Multi-Subnet Enterprise with Mobile Clients” virtual lab, you will accomplish the following:

• Create and configure a DirectAccess server.
• Configure server access for mobile users.
• Protect the data on the server by creating a DFS.
• Protect network access by configuring DHCP failover.