Microsoft® Windows® Administrator's Automation Toolkit [Paperback]

Don Jones (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0735621667 | ISBN-13: 978-0735621664 | Publication Date: June 22, 2005

Get the detailed guidance, tips, and tools you need to automate Windows system administration—including 120 full working scripts with command-line controls on the CD! Windows automation expert Don Jones shows you how to run the scripts as written or customize them for your unique requirements. You’ll learn how to reconfigure multiple services on a computer, shut down multiple remote computers, add users to Active Directory® directory service, automate security configurations, work with Internet Information Services 6.0, and perform other key computer and network management tasks. You’ll also explore advanced scripting tools. The CD features all 120 timesaving scripts, plus a bonus eBook to further your scripting expertise.

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press (June 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735621667
• ISBN-13: 978-0735621664
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,248,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Don Jones is the founder of ScriptingAnswers.com and the lead scripting guru at SAPIEN Technologies. He's the author or more than twenty books on information technology, including Managing Windows with VBScript and WMI, Advanced VBScript for Windows Administrators, and Windows PowerShell: TFM. Don has written and spoken extensively about scripting and automation for years, including columns in REDMOND Magazine, MCPMag.com, Microsoft TechNet Magazine, and more, as well as a series of scripting-related Webinars for Microsoft TechNet. Don is a multiple recipient of Microsoft's MVP Award, and one of the industry's strongest advocates for Windows administrative automation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A fair kickoff point for the subject, July 11, 2005

By 

Jase T. Wolfe - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Microsoft® Windows® Administrator's Automation Toolkit (Paperback)

Windows automation books come in two styles - Recipe Book, where the reader needs only a remedial knowledge of scripting and has been given hundreds of task-based scripts, and Development Guide, where the reader is only given the tools and training to create the task-based scripts instead. This title falls closer to the first than the last.

Although the reader is presented with a quick overview of scripting concepts, you are not assumed to know how to script but have enough technical ability to look at the scripts and understand the gist of what you are reading and make small changes if needed. All scripts presented in the book (and found on the accompanying CD) are written in VBScript (sorry jscript users) and for the most part wrapped in the WSF XML format.

The first 35 pages which make up Part One are overviews of the principals of automation, general syntax and usage of the Windows Script Host, security thru digital certificates, and networking and remote considerations. From there, the remainder of the book presents the toolbox scripts in a fairly straightforward manner, with each task section listing a description of the task, how you would do it manually, example usage of the provided script, the usage syntax of the script, a general overview of the part of the script that accomplishes the task, troubleshooting for the particular task, and a "go here to learn more" section. A very broad array of toolbox topics for Windows administration are presented, including both client and server settings and management, hardware and software inventorying, password management, services and processes management, file and disk management, as well as network-specific services management and some IIS 6 tasks.

The included CD contains all the scripts and script components presented in the book with a companion help file, a PDF version of the book, a PDF version of a different Microsoft scripting book titled "Microsoft Windows Scripting Self-Paced Learning Guide", and a video presentation of "VBScript Essentials for Windows Administrators", which is an overview of how to script VBScript (sorry jscript users - no luck). A quick watch of the videos reminded me why I hate video learning, what with only fair sound quality and a small display size. Readers seriously interested in learning how to script are much better served reading "Microsoft Windows 2000 Scripting Guide" (ISBN 0735618674).

It is unfortunate that half-stars are not permitted; I would rather have given the title 3.5 stars. This title is not a resource to teach you the tools you need to fully script and automate administration on your network. As a toolbox, the provided scripts are very useful but fall short of being a very complete resource. The tasks the author has opted to include are indeed found in common use, but the true abilities of the underlying technology is really only lightly touched upon. Administrators already advanced in the area of task automation will not find this title useful. Beginning to intermediate administrators can gain value from this, but it most likely will not be your last purchase on this topic.

2.0 out of 5 stars average, March 28, 2010

By 

LoQ - See all my reviews

This review is from: Microsoft® Windows® Administrator's Automation Toolkit (Paperback)

The book has a lot of example of automation but it is not really clear and to the point. But, overall it is a good book to have :p

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Microsoft Windows Administrator's Automation Toolkit review, May 13, 2007

By 

Julian McEvoy - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Microsoft® Windows® Administrator's Automation Toolkit (Paperback)

I found the content to be light on. Most of this suff is well documented on the web and most admins would find it in minutes. Took me about 30 minutes to go through and doubt I will ever open it again.