Lesson 1WS-FS01 — action 4: implement file server resource manager (FSRM) quotas and file screening to control growth and improve performanceImplement FSRM quotas and file screening to control growth and enforce data policies. You will design templates, apply them to shares, configure notifications, and monitor capacity trends for proactive action.
Plan quota thresholds and notification rulesCreate FSRM quota and template definitionsConfigure file screening and allowed typesApply policies to key shares and foldersReview reports and adjust thresholdsLesson 2WS-APP01 — action 5: set antivirus exclusions for web and temp folders, schedule scans off-hours with validation stepsDefine antivirus exclusions for IIS content, logs, and temp paths to reduce I/O overhead while preserving security. You will schedule scans for off-hours, validate exclusions, and document incident response steps.
Identify IIS content, log, and temp directoriesDefine real-time and on-access scan exclusionsSchedule full and quick scans during off-hoursValidate exclusions with performance baselinesDocument security review and exception handlingLesson 3WS-DB01 — action 2: analyze and optimize indexes, update statistics, and implement maintenance plans (rebuild/reorganize) with measurementAnalyse index usage and statistics to maintain optimal query performance. You will remove unused indexes, tune key and include columns, schedule rebuild or reorganise tasks, and measure impact on workloads.
Review index usage and missing index reportsIdentify redundant or unused indexesTune composite keys and included columnsUpdate statistics with appropriate samplingSchedule index rebuild and reorganize jobsLesson 4WS-APP01 — action 3: configure HTTP compression, TLS settings, and keep-alive; test compatibility and performance impactConfigure IIS HTTP compression, TLS, and keep-alive to balance performance, compatibility, and security. You will test browser and application behaviour, measure CPU and latency, and document safe rollback steps.
Plan baseline metrics and rollback stepsConfigure static and dynamic HTTP compressionTune TLS protocol and cipher suite settingsAdjust keep-alive timeouts and connection limitsTest client compatibility and performance impactLesson 5WS-FS01 — action 3: layout storage and use QoS or storage tiering; exclude high-IO antivirus scans and schedule maintenanceOptimise file server storage layout and QoS to handle mixed workloads. You will design volumes, apply storage tiering where available, tune antivirus for high-IO paths, and schedule maintenance with minimal downtime.
Assess workload I/O patterns and hot dataDesign volume layout and disk provisioningConfigure storage QoS and tiering policiesExclude high-IO paths from heavy AV scansSchedule defrag, chkdsk, and firmware updatesLesson 6WS-FS01 — action 5: tune SMB signing, encryption, and auditing with risk assessment and validationAdjust SMB signing, encryption, and auditing to balance security and performance. You will assess compliance needs, tune policies for servers and clients, validate overhead, and document accepted risks.
Review security and compliance requirementsConfigure SMB signing policies by scopeEnable SMB encryption where justifiedTune file access and object auditing levelsMeasure performance overhead and adjustLesson 7WS-DB01 — action 3: collect and act on wait statistics and rework problematic queries or add indexes; validate via wait stats and query run-timesUse SQL Server wait statistics to spot bottlenecks and guide tuning. You will capture waits, correlate with queries, adjust indexes or code, and validate improvements using repeatable measurements.
Capture baseline wait statistics snapshotsIdentify top waits and categorize by typeMap waits to specific queries and workloadsRefactor queries or add supporting indexesRecheck waits and query durations post-fixLesson 8WS-DB01 — action 4: tune storage layout (separate data, log, tempdb; disk type choice, I/O alignment) and measure I/O latency improvementsDesign SQL Server storage layout to separate data, logs, and tempdb on appropriate disk types. You will align I/O, monitor latency, and validate improvements using consistent performance baselines.
Inventory current LUNs and disk characteristicsSeparate data, log, and tempdb file locationsAlign block sizes and NTFS allocation unitsMonitor read and write latency per volumeCompare pre and post-change performanceLesson 9WS-APP01 — action 2: enable and tune IIS caching and output caching; measure before/afterEnable and tune IIS kernel and user-mode caching to reduce backend load. You will configure output caching rules, vary-by parameters, and cache durations, then compare baseline and post-change performance.
Capture baseline response time and CPU usageEnable kernel-mode caching where applicableConfigure output cache profiles and rulesTune vary-by headers and cache durationsMeasure hit ratio and backend load reductionLesson 10WS-DB01 — action 5: configure SQL Server file autogrowth settings, tempdb configuration, and set proper backup/maintenance schedules with rollback planConfigure SQL Server file autogrowth, tempdb layout, and maintenance schedules to avoid fragmentation and downtime. You will size files proactively, plan backups, and define a tested rollback and recovery plan.
Review current file sizes and autogrowth settingsRight-size data, log, and tempdb file countsSet fixed-size autogrowth incrementsDesign backup and index maintenance windowsTest restore and document rollback proceduresLesson 11WS-APP01 (IIS) — action 1: tune application pool settings (recycling, max worker processes) with when-to-apply, risks, and validationTune IIS application pool settings to balance stability and resource usage. You will adjust recycling, idle timeouts, and worker process counts, then validate impact on memory, CPU, and user experience.
Review current app pool configurationPlan recycling schedules and conditionsAdjust idle timeouts and rapid-fail settingsTune max worker processes and CPU limitsMonitor logs, memory, and user impactLesson 12WS-DB01 (SQL Server) — action 1: review and configure max server memory and min server memory with risk and validationConfigure SQL Server max and min server memory to prevent OS starvation and ensure predictable performance. You will analyse current usage, set safe values, monitor impact, and define rollback and escalation paths.
Collect current memory and page file metricsDetermine max server memory target rangeSet min server memory and observe behaviorMonitor buffer cache, PLE, and OS pressureDocument rollback and change approval stepsLesson 13WS-APP01 — action 4: apply application-level diagnostics (eliminate long-running requests, optimize code, async operations) and validate via request execution time countersApply application-level diagnostics on IIS sites to find slow requests and inefficient code. You will use logs and tracing, optimise long-running operations, introduce async patterns, and validate improvements.
Enable detailed IIS and application loggingIdentify slow URLs and long-running requestsProfile code paths and external dependenciesImplement async and batching where suitableTrack request time and error rate changesLesson 14WS-FS01 — action 2: design and apply NTFS and share-level caching, offline files policy, and folder redirection trade-offsDesign NTFS and share permissions with caching, Offline Files, and folder redirection in mind. You will evaluate user experience, WAN impact, and conflict risks, then apply policies and validate synchronisation behaviour.
Review current NTFS and share permissionsPlan Offline Files and caching behaviorDesign folder redirection structure and pathsEvaluate WAN, laptop, and conflict scenariosApply GPOs and validate client synchronizationLesson 15WS-FS01 (File Server) — action 1: optimize SMB settings and enable SMB Multichannel/Multithread where applicable with validationOptimise SMB settings on the file server to improve throughput and resiliency. You will enable SMB Multichannel and multithread features where supported, validate NIC configuration, and test failover behaviour.
Review SMB protocol version and featuresEnable SMB Multichannel and RSS supportValidate NIC teaming and RDMA capabilitiesTune SMB client and server registry optionsTest throughput and failover path behavior
