Exam Highlights

Before taking the exam, review the key topics and terms that are presented in this chapter. You need to know this information.

Key Points

• Learn to recognize quickly the skill level of the user you are helping. This helps you get the right information from the user and helps you create solutions that the user is comfortable implementing.

• Always identify the scope of a problem. Is it isolated to a single application? A single computer? Is it a network problem? What type of network is involved—peer- to-peer or domain?

• Always try one possible solution at a time. If the solution does not work, undo the solution before moving on to the next one. This takes extra time, but helps ensure the stability of the user’s system and gives you a better idea of what worked and what did not.

Key Terms

Active Directory A single point of administration database that contains information about a network’s users, workstations, servers, printers, and other resources. Active Directory (found on a domain controller) determines who can access what and to what degree. Active Directory is essential to maintaining, organizing, and securing the resources on a larger network. It allows network administrators to centrally manage resources, and it is extensible—meaning that it can be configured to grow and be personalized for any company.

basic input/output system (BIOS) A computer’s BIOS program determines in what order the computer searches for system files on startup, it manages communication between the operating system and the attached devices on boot up, and it is an integral part of the computer.

device driver A software component that permits a computer system to communicate with a device. In most cases, the driver also manipulates the hardware to transmit the data to the device. Device drivers that are incompatible, corrupt, outdated, or the wrong version for the hardware can cause errors that are difficult to diagnose.

service level agreement (SLA) An agreement between parties (such as a call center and the company that hires it) that defines how long a call should take, how much should be spent on each incident, and which reports and documents must be maintained. The SLA also defines penalties for not meeting those requirements.