In a Windows 2000 Active Directory domain, you have deployed Remote Installation Services (RIS) and now need to authorize the RIS server so that it can respond to client PXE boot requests. Which graphical administrative tool should you use to perform this authorization in Active Directory?

Introduction / Context:
Remote Installation Services (RIS) in Windows 2000 allows administrators to deploy operating systems to client computers that support PXE boot. For security reasons, only authorized RIS servers are allowed to respond to these network based installation requests. Understanding which tool is used to authorize a RIS server in Active Directory is an important part of Windows 2000 deployment and management knowledge for certification exams and real world administration.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The network is based on Windows 2000 Server and Active Directory.
• Remote Installation Services (RIS) has been installed on a member server or domain controller.
• You must authorize this RIS server so that it can answer PXE client requests.
• You want to know which graphical tool is used for the authorization task.

Concept / Approach:
RIS is tightly integrated with Active Directory. Authorizing a RIS server involves enabling remote installation on the computer object that represents the RIS server inside the directory. This is different from authorizing a DHCP server, which is done through the DHCP console. Therefore, to answer the question, you need to recall which console allows you to manage computer objects, their properties and RIS settings. That console is Active Directory Users and Computers, which exposes the Remote Install tab for RIS enabled servers.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify where RIS configuration information is stored. RIS settings are associated with the server's computer object inside Active Directory.Step 2: Determine which console manages computer accounts. Active Directory Users and Computers is the primary tool for creating and modifying user and computer objects.Step 3: Recognize that the DHCP administrative tool is used to authorize DHCP servers in Active Directory, not RIS servers.Step 4: Note that the DNS administrative tool manages DNS zones and records, not RIS configuration.Step 5: Understand that Active Directory Sites and Services is used for site topology, replication and global catalog settings, not for RIS authorization.Step 6: Conclude that to authorize a RIS server you open Active Directory Users and Computers, view the properties of the server computer object and enable it on the Remote Install tab, which is exposed only when RIS is installed.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you open the DHCP console and review its actions, you will see that it manages scopes, options and server authorization for DHCP only. There is no setting to authorize a RIS server. Similarly, DNS Manager focuses purely on zone management. By contrast, Active Directory Users and Computers allows you to right click the server computer account and configure remote installation settings, confirming that it is the correct tool for RIS authorization. Official Microsoft documentation and exam preparation materials also describe this procedure explicitly.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The DHCP administrative tool is used to authorize DHCP servers, not RIS servers. The DNS administrative tool is dedicated to name resolution configuration and does not expose RIS settings. Active Directory Sites and Services is responsible for site, subnet and replication configuration, including global catalog placement, but does not authorize RIS. Only Active Directory Users and Computers associates RIS information with a computer object and allows enabling the server for remote installation.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to assume that all services requiring authorization in Active Directory use the same console as DHCP, because DHCP authorization is a widely known requirement. Another pitfall is to overlook the Remote Install tab on the computer object because it only appears after RIS is installed on the server. Administrators should remember the different roles of each Microsoft Management Console snap in and map each technology to its primary administrative tool.

Final Answer:
The correct tool to authorize a RIS server in Active Directory is Active Directory Users and Computers.