Building an Enterprise Active Directory (It-Notes from the Field) [Hardcover]

Microsoft Corporation (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2000 | Series: It-Notes from the Field

Based on the real-world experiences of Microsoft Consulting Services and Microsoft Certified Solution Providers, this book outlines best practices and procedures for building a Windows 2000 Active Directory-based architecture in an enterprise environment. Using examples and scenarios drawn from actual implementations within third-party companies, readers gain insight on how to effectively plan, design, and deploy an Active Directory service for their own organizations -- and help maximize the productivity of their networks.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Active Directory is probably the single most attractive feature of the Windows 2000 family of operating systems, so it's not surprising it's being implemented by lots of Windows 2000 adopters. Building Enterprise Active Directory Services: Notes from the Field takes a practical, consultant's-eye view of designing and implementing a reliable Active Directory system to fit business needs. In absolute terms, it tells you what you need to know, and how to work with that knowledge to create a system to please customers. Traffic metrics, cost issues, migration from Windows NT 4, and integration with other systems (notably Microsoft Exchange Server and Novell NetWare NDS) are all covered in this book. This is the best Active Directory book to date.

Perhaps most valuable for most readers is a true-life case study involving Compaq Corporation, which (as an advance user of Windows 2000) implemented a company-wide Active Directory system spanning what used to be three large Windows NT 4 environments. The case study details Compaq's needs, and then explains how the company chose its Active Directory topology, established network links among geographically separate sites, and organized its domains. It's a fascinating read, and essential material for anyone working on a project of similar scope. --David Wall

Topics covered: Windows 2000 and its Active Directory feature, geared toward consultants, system administrators, and other professionals charged with making big Active Directory systems work. To this end, the book covers topology design, traffic planning, tree-and-forest relationships, migration, integration, and security. A factual case study about Compaq's implementation includes lots of practical details.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 499 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (February 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735608601
• ISBN-13: 978-0735608603
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,700,810 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enterprise Active Directory Services, Notes From the Field, May 11, 2000

By 

Ryan Rager - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building an Enterprise Active Directory (It-Notes from the Field) (Hardcover)

I bought this book based on reviews and my experience with it's 'cousin', "Exchange Server 5.5 Notes From the Field". It was more than worth the money spent! After having taken some of the MCP classes on Windows 2000 AD, this built on those skills with real world scenarios and the bandwidth analysis figures for most every kind of network traffic in Windows 2000 will make it a handy reference in the near future. One thing worth noting outside the technical references of this book are the discussions about project management skills and being able to facilitate the numerous teams required to make the migration to AD happen. Other topics covered are: NDS/LDAP integration, AD scpriting, UNIX/DNS migration/co-existance and Exchange Server integration with the ADC.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the money!, March 23, 2000

By 

Lourens van Dyk - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building an Enterprise Active Directory (It-Notes from the Field) (Hardcover)

This is a must-have book for anyone involved in planning and designing AD. It is so good to finally get a book that brings all the bucket loads of technical information together with the real world. After reading this book you'll have a much better understanding of AD and how it relates to your environment. The Compaq case study is especially outstanding. The authors are writting from experience not just giving their version of all the technical information about AD that's out there. This book is definetly well worth the money.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent strategic book, March 17, 2001

By 

Kevin Tsai "kekezinho" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building an Enterprise Active Directory (It-Notes from the Field) (Hardcover)

One of the most important thing to remember about the Notes From The Field series books is that they are high-level - very strategic. This book is not a how-to step-by-step. For that, you'll need another source. The Administrator's Handbook is really good. That said, this is a really good book if you're planning an AD deployment, especially if your organization is plagued with growth in many directions and many disparate systems.

What's really great about this book is that it is scenario based. Most of the scenarios are fictitious, but there is an amazing inside look of how Compaq deployed AD after acquiring Tandem and DEC. Also, what I found valuable was separate sections on integrating other systems: NT4 domains, Unix DNS, and Novell NDS. As with all Notes From The Field series, this books provides valuable metrics - how to size the AD database, how much replication traffic to expect, etc. These metrics allow us to gauge bandwidth requirements BEFORE deployment.

Altogether, this book will give you an excellent perspective on assessing what is the best strategy on your migration, what impacts you're going to face, and most importantly, the risks you are taking during the migration. From here, you will have enough information on how to plan your migration. Good luck!