Crash a Server

Help

I need to train and test new IT staff on their ability to fix and recover server 2003 problems in a test enviroment before letting them loose on real customer servers.

I would like to create boot errors, partiton problems, corrupt AD data bases, corrupt exchange data bases. stop DHCP running etc etc.

Any one have any good suggestions? Its all well and good to have read how to recover servers but I need to have confidence in my staff to recover from various issues. I can easily provide full operating servers from images, so am really looking for a method to kill a server and then monitor the thought processes and technicians abilitys to fault find

Thanks

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hetty

Use a VM and change the boot.ini file to point to the wrong partition, create a system state backup and then open the ntds.dit file and delete the contents, ask them to restore the AD database. Take a backup of the DNS zone file and get them to restore the zone and a maybe the DHCP database file. With no google I would be crapping myself if I got you in a interview!

undomiel

I've discovered that most times having google at hand is more like a confidence booster and a shortcut. For me at least I've usually been able to figure out most problems given enough time, but having access to google did make things easier and it felt safer having google there for your back-up. I think such an interview process without google by your side would be great for figuring out how someone thinks and works under pressure, even if they aren't able to fix the problem without a google consultation.

HeroPsycho

Dismount db...

Open db file with notepad...

Type random gibberish in it.

Mission accomplished.

SWM

Thanks guys and keep the suggestions comming. The techs are experienced on XP/workstations but I need to test the ability on servers with a little more pressure than just one user complaining. i.e a couple of hundred staff and a CEO

Looking for a nice way to BSOD a server during the boot process. Any ideas ??

dynamik

Spill coffee on it. Oh, less damaging? Load bad/incorrect drivers, or corrupt existing ones (see HP's method earlier).

Sie

Give the server to your son / daughter for a week then have them repair that.

Or if you have no children I find from past experience your CEO will do the same

Seems like you have good suggestions above, remove or replace the HAL. Remove a disk from a RAID array (if you use them)

Just use your imagination!!

Thou definetly +1 for using Virtual Machines much less hassle!!

Sounds like a fun task

undomiel

Corrupt the NTLDR. Corrupt winlogon.exe. Poison the DNS server. Corrupt the DHCP database. One that I personally think separates a good tech is troubleshooting memory issues. If you have a stick of bad memory lying around put that one in. Even better is if you have two. And of course I recommend throwing issues at them in combination, not just one at a time.

Edit: Ooooh a really fun one that just popped to mind. How about switching around a number of the default permissions on a WSUS install, setup the GPO incorrectly, and make sure DNS is broken. Of course that may be getting out of scope for what you have in mind but it is just a thought.

Sie

Apparently works in XP not sure on W2K3:

Launch the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters.
Go to Edit, select New | DWORD Value and name the new value CrashOnCtrlScroll.
Double-click the CrashOnCtrlScroll DWORD Value, type 1 in the Value Data textbox, and click OK.
Close the Registry Editor and restart Windows XP.
When you want to cause a BSOD, press and hold down the [Ctrl] key on the right side of your keyboard, and then tap the [ScrollLock] key twice. Now you should see the BSOD.

Source: http://psacake.com/web/jr.asp

How about getting them to create a folder called "Con" (any case will do) or "prn"?

Thiassi

undomiel wrote:

Corrupt the NTLDR. Corrupt winlogon.exe. Poison the DNS server. Corrupt the DHCP database. One that I personally think separates a good tech is troubleshooting memory issues. If you have a stick of bad memory lying around put that one in. Even better is if you have two. And of course I recommend throwing issues at them in combination, not just one at a time.

Edit: Ooooh a really fun one that just popped to mind. How about switching around a number of the default permissions on a WSUS install, setup the GPO incorrectly, and make sure DNS is broken. Of course that may be getting out of scope for what you have in mind but it is just a thought.

You're a sick man.

Gonna have to remember those for future interview tech tests...

undomiel

I could happily spend allllllllll day coming up with diabolical schemes for testing out the new guys. *insert sinister laughter here*

:D:D

dynamik

Don't you mean:

undomiel wrote:

I could happily spend allllllllll day coming up with diabolical schemes for testing out the new guys. *insert sinister laughter here*

Yes, there are emoticons for that.

mshilunga

i would go with Dismount db...Open db file with notepad...Type random gibberish in it.

Mission accomplished.

but then not all of the tech will get it ,,give them time and hope they get it
the ones that have an idea,,,
we all came from and are going one way in IT ,,,,to you it is some thing you know,to them it is prepartion,one day it will be some thing they know and to some one it wil be preparation...

Goldmember

There are a plethora of SERVER destruction/corruption methods in the MS PRESS study guides.

If they tell you how to tweak the boot.ini, then you now know what you can do to untweak it.

Most of this stuff should be common knowledge by now if you are MCSA/MCSE.

SWM

Hi Goldmember

Most of this stuff should be common knowledge by now if you are MCSA/MCSE

Just because I am a MCSE does not mean I know everything !

It also does not mean I stop having the ability to learn or ask questions from my peers.

Yes I have tricks up my sleave and yes I have have plans to test my staff, but I simply wanted advise from this community on other options.

It frustrates me that often people get attacked in forums for asking questions ,

There are a plethora of SERVER destruction/corruption methods in the MS PRESS study guides

I do not have the MS study guides.

I think its a sad day when people not longer believe thay can ask questions due to fear that people will think less of them for it.

Once again thanks to everyone that answered.

sprkymrk

SWM wrote:

Most of this stuff should be common knowledge by now if you are MCSA/MCSE

Just because I am a MCSE does not mean I know everything ! It also does not mean I stop having the ability to learn or ask questions from my peers.

Exactly. The more you learn, the more you know how much you don't know.