Learning Windows Server 2003 (Paperback)

by Jonathan Hassell (Author)
Key Phrases: terminal services, system console, security templates, Windows Server, Active Directory, Click Next (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Getting Microsoft Windows Server 2003 up and running, either as a standalone or as part of a multi-site, multi-server network is a formidable task for anyone. O'Reilly's no-nonsense guide, "Learning Windows Server 2003, 2nd Edition," gives you just what you need to get the job done. It provides you with the nuts and bolts for installing, configuring, securing, and managing Windows Server 2003-plus, it has been completely updated for Service Pack 1 and release R2.

"Learning Windows Server 2003, 2nd Edition" includes just enough theory for you to understand how the different features and systems work in this latest version of Windows. You'll come away with a firm understanding of what's happening under the hood of the system, but without feeling like you're taking a graduate course in OS theory. After its high-level overview, the book offers complete discussions and treatments of all of Server 2003's major components. You'll learn how to:

install Windows Server 2003

create and manage user accounts (with particular attention to Active Directory)

manage access to system resources, such as printers and files

configure and manage its numerous major subsystems

The book also features step-by-step procedures and discussions of complex concepts such as patch management, Active Directory replication, DFS namespaces and replication, network access quarantining, server clustering, Group Policy and other security tools, and IIS6 web server.

Whether you're an experienced system administrator or one who's just beginning, you'll turn to this practical guide again and again when you need to understand the massive product that is Windows Server 2003.

About the Author
Jonathan Hassell is an author, consultant, and speaker residing in Charlotte, North Carolina. Jonathan's previous published works include _RADIUS_ for O'Reilly Media and _Hardening Windows_ for Apress. His work is seen regularly in popular periodicals such as Windows IT Pro Magazine, SecurityFocus, PC Pro, and Microsoft TechNet Magazine, and he speaks around the world on topics including networking, security, and Windows administration.

Product Details

• Paperback: 742 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.; 2 edition (February 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596101236
• ISBN-13: 978-0596101237
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #214,663 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This item is part of The O'Reilly Learning Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Presumes significant experience, July 6, 2007

By	John Wismar (Collierville, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't know if "Learning..." was the right title for this book. It assumes the reader has a fair amount of server administration experience, and therefore leaves many terms and concepts undefined. (Personally, I'm a software developer, but haven't done this type of system administration, so I'm a newbie in this field.)

What this book provides is a fairly comprehensive tour of the various configuration programs and dialogs that are provided by Windows Server 2003. If you are an experienced SysAdmin, and want to find out how to locate a specific configuration option, this may well be a valuable book for you. Because I need to find out why various options are important, I did not find this book very helpful.

An example may be in order, and this one jumped out at me. There's a page that describes how to add an ISAPI filter to IIS. Click this button to add, click this other button to remove, click this third button to move it up the list, etc. There was no discussion about what an ISAPI filter is, and why I might want to add one.

So again, if you already know what you're doing, but need a tour of Windows Server 2003 configuration, this book will help you. I'm going to look for another book.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely deep and comprehensive, January 14, 2005

By	Jack D. Herrington "engineer and author" (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Learning Windows Server 2003 (Paperback)

This book is classic O'Reilly, well written and researched, heavy of the expository text and very light on graphics and screenshots. All of the key topics are covered, file and print sharing, active directory, IIS, .NET, VPN, the fundamentals of security, and even clustering.

One thing that struck me about this book was how much of it seems to come directly out of the author's experience. For example the security policy coverage is a blend of the straight technical material and practical advice on how good network security can be tailored to find the right balance of security and convenience. It's these practical insights that distinguish this book from just a straight feature review.

Certainly an easy buy for anyone doing administration work on Windows Server 2003.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars VERY VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!, August 26, 2006

By	John R. Vacca "Tech Write Independent Reviewer" (Pomeroy, Ohio) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Are you a beginner to intermediate system administrator? If you are, then this book is for you! Author Jonathan Hassell, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how Windows Server 2003 and its follow-up release, R2, works and the different ways to administer machines running that operating system.

Hassell, begins by providing a very general overview of Windows Server 2003 from Microsoft's approach to its design and packaging and the different versions that are available, to an overview of the features in this release that are new or otherwise improved. Then, the author provides a detailed guide to installing Windows Server 2003 in a variety of different environments. Next, he discusses the basic file and print services built into Windows Server 2003. The author then covers the domain name system, or DNS. He continues by providing a complete guide to the technical potion of Active Directory, including its logical and physical structure, hierarchical components, scalability, and replication. Then, the author introduces you to GP and its structure and operation. Next, he ensures that you are well versed in locking down your systems to protect both your own computers and the Internet community as a whole. The author continues with a discussion of the revamping of IIS. Then, the author covers the .NET Framework services introduced in the IIS revision. Next, he provides a guide to Terminal Services, including an overview from the server administration's perspective and a similar overview from a typical user's point of view. The author then covers the standard networking architecture of the operating system, including addressing and routing issues. He continues by covering windows clustering services. Finally, he discusses the other elements of Windows Server 2003 not covered elsewhere, including the Indexing Service and the Microsoft Message Queue.

This most excellent book has step-by-step procedures and discussions of complex concepts such as Active Directory replication, DFS namespaces and replication, network access quarantining, and server clustering. More importantly, if you're a GUI aficionado, within this book, you'll still find everything you're accustomed to.