Windows NT/2000 ADSI Scripting for System Administration (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Microsoft Windows scripting support has taken off recently, and Thomas Eck has done a lot of useful work at the cutting edge of this technology. In Windows NT/2000 ADSI Scripting for System Administration, he documents the Active Directory Service Interfaces (ADSI) as they apply to systems administrators interested in using Component Object Model (COM) objects written in Visual Basic to automate administrative tasks. Because this book is backed by such a considerable development effort, administrators of large Windows NT and Windows 2000 networks will be able to put its ADSI solutions to profitable use immediately.

Though he does provide a conceptual introduction to ADSI and the services implemented in Active Directory, Eck's book is all about code. Code listings appear in quantity. It's one recipe after another, collectively covering hundreds of administration tasks, with minimal commentary on each solution. After all, this is a book for system administrators, and the idea is that they're not so much reading to become programmers as to see the assortment of tools they can use to solve problems.

Though more explanation of the code wouldn't hurt, administrators will be very pleased with the work Eck has done on their behalf. Typical solutions include scripts that add a user to a group, retrieve a computer's processor type, enumerate the groups a user belongs to, and reset all locked-out user accounts in a domain, plus a pair that start and stop an Internet Information Services (IIS) site. Many more scripts populate the pages of this book and its supporting Web site. --David Wall

Topics covered: Active Directory and the Active Directory Service Interfaces version 2.5 (ADSI 2.5), with emphasis on programs that manipulate users, groups, computers, services, and various resources automatically. Other programs perform administrative work on the Internet Information Services (IIS) metabase, Internet sites, and Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) services. ADSI and VBScript references appear as appendices.

Product Description

Scripting provides system administrators an optimal means of automating tedious and time-consuming application, configuration, and management tasks. In addition you can take advantage of new capabilities offered by VBScript, ADSI and Windows Scripting Host. ADSI is particularly important in light of the upcoming release of Windows 2000, as it provides a means of accessing functionality in the Active Directory Microsoft's highly-publicized directory service. ADSI allows for cross-functionality with directory services in other computing platforms, which is critical since 90% of all enterprise networks comprise multiple platforms. This book will provide system administrators with solutions to automate and simplify the configuration and management of their networks. The author will present expert tips, code development and proven in real-world enterprise environments.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 700 pages
• Publisher: Sams; illustrated edition edition (March 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578702194
• ISBN-13: 978-1578702190
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,295,159 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ADSI/LDAP scripting bible.., March 31, 2000

By A Customer

If you want to automate a lot of your NT server/domain administration tasks using LDAP/ADSI, you seriously want to consider getting this book. There are countless sample scripts that cover most if not all of the tasks you may automate and it opens up new possibilities of automating system management.

While the book may be intended for both system administrators and developers, having a good VB (or any programming) background helps in quickly digesting the material.

Nevertheless, the book is simple awsome and will be an excellent reference for all system scripting needs.

Well done.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have book for any Windows 2000/NT sys admin, April 16, 2000

By A Customer

If you run an NT or Windows 2000 shop and you want to build tailored VB or VBscript routines to manage your system, this is the book to get. The organization is superb and the examples are very clear. You do not need to be a VB wizard to take advantage of the advice. A great book that stands out from the crowd.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heavy on examples, light on theory, June 22, 2000

By	Don Tuer (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews

Basically this book takes the MSDN SDK on ADSI and provides examples of all the methods available for each interface. This provides the reader with many excellent code snippets that can be quickly applied. However it's light on the theory behind the COM calls and how to expand the code for further use. I was able to follow all the code fairly easily because I had already read Simon Robinson's book "Professional ADSI Programming- Active Directory Services Interface". My recommendation for those who really what to get a good understanding of ADSI and Windows 2000 that you read Robinson's book first. While some reviewers criticize Simon's book as being too wordy I found it very helpful. That being said this book will get you going relatively quickly...