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The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide Review by Jase T. Wolfe
Start to Finish and Beyond
Often I pick up an "administrator's guide" and find myself staring at 300 pages of screenshots explaining how to insert the CD-ROM for installation and resize the task bar for better time/date viewing, written by someone who appears to be learning the topic while writing the text. Rarely do I encounter a resource such as this book that not only intelligently covers the basics but successfully tackles advanced topics as well, leaving the reader's intelligence un-insulted and providing a reference guide that will serve you well long after your initial read.
The foundational information is here, from planning out the network on paper to installing and configuring the basic domain services. The deployment information is here, from server deployment to remote OS installations. General administration, including AD design, IP addressing, DNS, replication, user and group management, and group policies are all thoroughly discussed. More complex systems, such as VPN, security certificates, disaster recovery, terminal services, and indexing are also presented with just as much detail and knowledge as all other topics. Beyond what you would otherwise expect from this style of book are advanced topics that are typically not covered and therefore overlooked by many administrators. Such things as extending the AD schema, real-world security issues and solutions, clustering services, message queuing services, and a very extensive commands and utilities section are demystified, easily adding them to your skill list and making them a real possibility for inclusion in your environment.
The title also provides an introduction to Microsoft SMS, Microsoft MOM, and the Windows Script Host (WSH). These sections are there to inform you of their role within a network, not to provide a learning guide or reference for the technologies.
Those that have never administered a network before in their life, and are looking to this title as a student textbook should look elsewhere. Time is not spent covering the rudimentary basics that qualified IT professionals already have. Although a Windows background is very helpful, administrators of non-Windows networks looking to crossover will find this title inclusive of the background information they need to understand the Windows environment and to apply their current network administration knowledge. Every intrinsic Windows 2003 topic, from planning and deployment to management of core services, are covered in a logical and educated manner, providing you the information quickly and efficiently. Sections and appendices are well labeled and organized to make this not only an educational guide, but a desktop reference that will last you thru the life of the product. This is a must have for Windows 2003 administrators.