Learning Windows Server 2003

by Jonathan Hassell

With Windows Server 2003, Microsoft has the right server for a world now dominated by enterprise networks and web-based server applications. A number of significant improvements make this a more reliable server than Windows 2000, and those who switched have seen notable performance gains. Server 2003 is, in fact, a very competitive solution to Unix in terms of cost, performance, and application development productivity.But getting this server up and running, either as a stand-alone or as part of a multi-site, multi-server network, is a formidable task even for the most experienced system administrators. Our no-fluff guide gives you exactly what you all the nuts and bolts for installing, configuring, securing, and managing Server 2003. This focused and practical book clearly documents the complexities of this server, and offers hands-on advice for planning, implementing and growing Windows networks without trying to teach you how to be a system administrator. Learning Windows Server 2003 shows you how to create and manage user accounts (with particular attention to Active Directory), how to manage access to system resources such as printers and files, and how to configure and manage the server s plethora of major subsystems. The book goes into considerable detail This highly instructive book also provides an introduction to clustering services, and thoroughly documents steps that should be taken to ensure the security of the server and its resources. Windows Server 2003 was designed to meet the needs of companies or organizations that rely on one or more internal computer networks, and our comprehensive reference is the ideal companion.

672 pages, Paperback

First published December 27, 2004

Reviews

[Greg Stearns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learning Windows Server is an excellent book for somebody who is warming into the Server environment. It assumes a general comfort in NT class operating systems without demanding too much.

At 616 pages of text and screenshots (not that thick for well spaced illustrated technical material) it covers features unique to the Server OS. It is infinitely more readable than something like Microsoft Press's Inside Out which covers every single bell and whistle. However, this book does gloss over a lot of tasks, even for every day administration. For instance, coverage of Active Directory gives you a general idea of what it does and what you can do with it. However actually implementation is left to the administrator with only general advice.

Printing, File, and Web serving is covered with enough information to get started. There is a chapter on the .net framework for some reason. It does show you some of the administration of .net, however, not coverage of the API which wouldn't really belong in this kind of book.

All in all, this is a great book to get started in the server field, but don't expect to know everything by the end and I would suggest having a good reference book afterward. Possibly the Inside Out book with its searchable ebook on cd.