Windows Server 2008: The Definitive Guide: All You Need to Manage and Administer Windows Server 2008

by Jonathan Hassell

Overview

This practical guide has exactly what you need to work with Windows Server 2008. Inside, you'll find step-by-step procedures for using all of the major components, along with discussions on complex concepts such as Active Directory replication, DFS namespaces and replication, network access protection, the Server Core edition, Windows PowerShell, server clustering, and more. All of this with a more compact presentation and a tighter focus on tasks than you'll find in bulkier references.

Windows Server 2008: The Definitive Guide takes a refreshing approach. You won't find the history of Windows NT, or discussions on the way things used to work. Instead, you get only the information you need to use this server. If you're a beginning or intermediate system administrator, you learn how the system works, and how to administer machines running it. The expert administrators among you discover new concepts and components outside of your realm of expertise.

Simply put, this is the most thorough reference available for Windows Server 2008, with complete guides to:

• Installing the server in a variety of different environments
• File services and the Windows permission structure
• How the domain name system (DNS) works
• Active Directory, including its logical and physical structure, hierarchical components, scalability, and replication
• Group Policy's structure and operation
• Managing security policy with predefined templates and customized policy plans
• Architectural improvements, new features, and daily administration of IIS 7
• Terminal Services from both the administrator's user's point of view
• Networking architecture including DNS, DHCP, VPN, RADIUS server, IAS, and IPSec
• Windows clustering services --- applications, grouping machines, capacity and network planning, user account management
• Windows PowerShell scripting and command-line technology

With Windows Server 2008: The Definitive Guide, you to come away with a firm understanding of what's happening under the hood, but without the sense that you're taking a graduate course in OS theory. If you intend to work with this server, this is the only book you need.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596551377
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	03/17/2008
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	494
File size:	11 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Jonathan Hassell is an author, consultant and speaker on a variety of IT topics. His published works include RADIUS, Hardening Windows, Using Windows Small Business Server 2003, and Learning Windows Server 2003. His work appears regularly in such periodicals as Windows IT Pro magazine, PC Pro and TechNet Magazine. He also speaks worldwide on topics ranging from networking and security to Windows administration.

Table of Contents

Preface     ix
Introducing Windows Server 2008     1
The Biggest Changes     2
Networking Improvements     5
Security Improvements     7
Manageability Improvements     10
Performance and Reliability Upgrades     11
Windows Server 2008 Editions     12
Hardware Requirements     13
The Last Word     14
Installation and Deployment     15
Installing Windows Server 2008     15
Initial Configuration Tasks     19
Deployment     22
The Last Word     37
File Services     38
File and Print Server Features     39
Setting Up File Sharing Services     40
NTFS File and Folder Permissions     55
The File Server Resource Manager     64
Disk-Based Quotas     77
Using Offline Files and Folders     79
Using Previous Versions     82
The Distributed File System     85
Command-Line Utilities     93
The Last Word     96
Domain Name System     97
Nuts and Bolts     97
Zones Versus Domains     98
Resource Records     100
Using Primary and Secondary Nameservers     106
Building a Nameserver     107
Subdomains and Delegation     122
Dynamic DNS     124
Active Directory-Integrated Zones     130
Forwarding     133
The Split DNS Architecture     137
Backup and Recovery     142
Command-Line Utilities     143
The Last Word     146
Active Directory     147
Active Directory Domain Services Objects and Concepts     147
Building an AD DS Structure     158
Understanding Operations Master Roles     182
Understanding Directory Replication     191
Active Directory Troubleshooting and Maintenance     208
The Last Word     213
Group Policy and IntelliMirror     214
An Introduction to Group Policy     214
Group Policy Implementation     215
Local Group Policy     248
Domain Group Policy     252
Deployment Considerations     274
Troubleshooting Group Policy     276
Other Group Policy Management Tools     278
Command-Line Utilities     279
The Last Word      282
Windows Security and Patch Management     283
Understanding Security Considerations     283
Locking Down Windows     286
Using Auditing and the Event Log     298
The Last Word     304
Internet Information Services 7     305
Major Improvements     305
The New Architecture     307
Roles     309
Managing IIS Graphically     311
Managing IIS from the Command Line     320
The Last Word     325
Windows Server 2008 Server Core     326
The Lack of a Shell     326
Realistic Deployment Scenarios     327
No Managed Code     328
Few Third-Party Software Applications     328
Installation     329
Initial Configuration     330
Administering Windows Server 2008 Server Core Machines     336
The Last Word     340
Terminal Services     341
The Remote Desktop Protocol     342
Adding the Terminal Server Role     344
Enabling Remote Desktop     345
On the User's Side     346
Terminal Services Administration     350
Terminal Services RemoteApp      362
Terminal Services Web Access     364
Terminal Services Gateway     364
Command-Line Utilities     365
The Last Word     367
DHCP and Network Access Protection     368
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol     368
Network Access Protection     381
The Last Word     394
An Introduction to Clustering Technologies     395
Network Load-Balancing Clusters     396
Server Clustering     407
Command-Line Utilities     415
The Last Word     418
PowerShell     419
Why PowerShell?     419
Installing PowerShell     420
PowerShell and Security     421
Starting Up PowerShell     422
Cmdlets: The Heart of PowerShell     422
Getting Help with PowerShell     424
Using Data Stores and PowerShell Providers     425
The Pipeline     429
Formating Basics     431
Variables     433
Writing Scripts     435
Objects: .NET, WMI, and COM     437
Advanced PowerShell     440
Learning More About PowerShell     441
The Last Word      442
Hyper-V     443
How It Works     443
Getting Started with Hyper-V     444
Virtualization Strategy     447
The Last Word     449
Index     451