Mastering Active Directory For Windows Server 2003, 3rd Edition

Introduction

Even though I have written books revolving around Microsoft products, I have never tried to hide the fact that I started out as a Novell guru (heck—I was even a Novell employee for awhile). When Microsoft first released Windows NT, I was amazed at the number of people who bought into that “New Technology” (NT) marketing line. Their “new technology”—or at least the networking portion of it—had been developed a good 10 years earlier for an IBM product named LanManager. (A search through the Registry of any NT computer for the word “Lanman” will prove this.) So Microsoft was releasing a product based on a 10-year-old networking philosophy and which used a nonroutable communication protocol by default. It didn’t seem all that “new” to me!

Active Directory represents an enormous advance in network administration. It provides a vast set of powerful tools and technologies for managing a network within a native Windows environment. Mastering Active Directory for Windows Server 2003 is the resource you need to take full advantage of all it has to offer. You get a sound introduction to network directory services, then detailed, practical instruction in the work of implementing Active Directory and using all of its tools. This edition has been completely updated to address features new to Active Directory for Windows Server 2003.

Coverage Includes

· Understanding the concept of a network directory service

· Understanding benefits specific to Microsoft’s Active Directory environment

· Developing and executing a roll-out plan

· Securing the Active Directory database

· Installing and configuring DNS under AD

· Creating users, groups, and objects

· Implementing group policies

· Modifying the Active Directory schema

· Controlling Active Directory sites

· Managing replication

· Performing backups and recoveries