Microsoft Windows Server training in Geneva: on-premise and hybrid administration with Azure
Windows Server remains the most widely deployed server operating system in European organisations, with a historical estate on Windows Server 2016, 2019 and 2022, and a gradual ramp-up on Windows Server 2025. The ITTA Microsoft Windows Server catalogue, delivered in Geneva and Lausanne, covers both classic administration skills (Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, GPO, files and printing, Hyper-V virtualisation) and hybrid administration with Azure through the AZ-800 and AZ-801 certifications. It is aimed at systems administrators, infrastructure engineers and IT technicians operating a Windows Server estate.
Why train on Windows Server in 2026?
Despite cloud pressure, most organisations still keep a significant part of their infrastructure on Windows Server: Active Directory domain controllers, file servers, business application servers, IIS, Remote Desktop Services, MS SQL Server. The strong trend is hybridisation: connecting these servers to Microsoft Azure through Azure Arc, Azure AD Connect (now Microsoft Entra Connect), Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery, Azure File Sync. Mastering Windows Server in its current versions and orchestrating this hybridisation has become essential for infrastructure profiles.
Foundation path: Windows Server administration
The foundation block covers four major chapters historically structured under the former MCSA curriculum: Installation, Storage, and Compute with Windows Server (installation, disk management, hyperconverged storage, Hyper-V, Windows containers), Networking with Windows Server (DNS, DHCP, routing, remote access, IPAM, Network Policy Server), Identity with Windows Server (Active Directory Domain Services, GPO, ADCS, ADFS), and Windows Server Administration which consolidates the whole through a cross-cutting approach. These courses suit administrators in role looking to solidify their foundations or IT technicians stepping up to a systems role.
AZ-800 and AZ-801: the Windows Server Hybrid certification
The Microsoft Certified: Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate path consolidates server skills with a hybrid Azure approach. It is prepared through two exams and two associated training courses:
- AZ-800 – Administer Windows Server Hybrid Core Infrastructure: hybrid identity (AD DS + Microsoft Entra Connect), management via Windows Admin Center, Azure Arc integration, server deployment and management (PowerShell, Group Policy, Windows Admin Center), hybrid server governance.
- AZ-801 – Configure Windows Server Hybrid Advanced Services: advanced security (Windows Defender, hardening, Azure Security Center), hybrid file services (Azure File Sync, DFS), monitoring with Azure Monitor, backup and recovery (Azure Backup, Azure Site Recovery), workload migration and modernisation.
Both courses are aimed at systems administrators with operational experience on Windows Server (equivalent to AZ-104 Azure Administrator or three years of field experience).
Active Directory, GPO and enterprise identity
Identity remains the foundation of any Microsoft infrastructure: user and machine authentication, resource authorisation, security policy enforcement through GPO, federation with cloud services. Windows Server training goes in depth on designing a forest and domains, setting up replication, managing FSMO roles, hardening Active Directory (Tier model, LAPS, Protected Users), and synchronising with Microsoft Entra ID for organisations moving to Microsoft 365. This foundation is essential before addressing advanced security topics (privileged access management, defence in depth, Kerberos attacks such as Golden Ticket).
Hyper-V, virtualisation and hyperconvergence
Hyper-V is the native virtualisation role of Windows Server. For organisations not operating VMware (or looking for an alternative), Hyper-V offers a robust platform to host Windows and Linux virtual machines, with high availability through Failover Clusters, dynamic memory, snapshots, replication, and Storage Spaces Direct for hyperconvergence. Windows Server training covers this aspect, complementing the dedicated virtualisation catalogue on the ITTA domain side.
Key skills built across this catalogue
- Install and configure a Windows Server 2019 / 2022 / 2025 server
- Design and administer an Active Directory forest and its GPO
- Set up the network services of a domain (DNS, DHCP, IPAM)
- Deploy a robust file and print infrastructure
- Implement Hyper-V and high availability through clustering
- Hybridise infrastructure with Azure Arc, Azure File Sync, Azure Backup
- Prepare the AZ-800 and AZ-801 exams for the Windows Server Hybrid certification
ITTA catalogue around Microsoft and the server ecosystem
Featured Windows Server courses
Learning formats
Windows Server training sessions take place in Geneva and Lausanne on-site, and also in synchronous remote mode. Labs use Microsoft environments (virtual machines in Azure or locally) reproducing real business cases: Active Directory domain deployment, Hyper-V cluster configuration, Azure File Sync setup. Sessions are aimed at profiles with a base in systems or networking; for beginners, ITTA recommends starting with administration fundamentals before tackling the AZ-800 and AZ-801 exams.
Frequently asked questions on Windows Server
Should you migrate to Windows Server 2025? Windows Server 2025 was released in late 2024 with notable new features: native Hotpatching, Active Directory improvements, deeper Azure Arc integration, extended NVMe SSD support, SMB over QUIC. Migration is not urgent for most organisations still on 2019 or 2022 (supported until 2029 and 2031 respectively in extended support). The right time to migrate depends on hardware refresh cycles and continuity constraints.
What is the difference between AZ-800/801 and the former MCSA? The old MCSA Windows Server 2016 path (exams 70-740, 70-741, 70-742) was retired in early 2021. The new Microsoft Certified Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate path (AZ-800 + AZ-801) replaces it, with a deliberate focus on Azure hybridisation. Technical foundations (AD, DNS, DHCP, Hyper-V) remain the same, but the approach changes: everything is now thought of as hybrid with the cloud.
How does Windows Server compare with Linux? Both systems coexist in most organisations: Windows Server for Microsoft services (AD, historic Exchange, IIS, SQL Server, SharePoint), Linux for application workloads, web services, containers. A modern systems administrator benefits from mastering both, and ITTA offers complementary Linux training.
Active Directory: hardening and privileged access management
Active Directory remains a prime target for attackers in Microsoft environments. Beyond standard administration training, mature organisations invest in hardening: Tier model (Tier 0 / Tier 1 / Tier 2), Local Administrator Password Solution (LAPS), Protected Users group, Just Enough Administration (JEA), advanced auditing, monitoring through Microsoft Defender for Identity (formerly Azure ATP). These topics are addressed within AZ-800 and AZ-801 training and complemented by dedicated cybersecurity courses in the ITTA catalogue. For organisations that have suffered an incident or want to bring themselves up to standard, ITTA offers short modules focused on Active Directory hardening and defence in depth.
