Active Directory: Designing, Deploying, and Running Active Directory

Articulate and technically astute, the author comes across as a trusted advisor, providing an expert's view of designing the layout of your company's Active Directory schema. In realistic terms, he shows you how AD can coexist with Unix directories. The book not only provides a collection of screen shots (though there are hands-on tutorials for specific tasks) but also a nicely in-depth tour of what Internet directories are and what advantages Active Directory offers. Case studies on sample domains and organization units (OUs) for sample companies, including a model global corporation, will help you cope with the design of even the most complex directories. Hints for limiting "domains" and favoring the more flexible "organizational units" (OUs) will also help you think in Windows 2000 terms.

Later sections of the book delve into Active Directory Services Interface (ASDI) scripting using Windows Script Host (WSH), Visual Basic, and even ASPs for browser-based administration. The tips and sample scripts for a variety of common administrative tasks, such as adding new users, changing passwords, and the like, assume very little programming background. This focus on the practical side of administration rounds out an extremely useful and technically savvy guide to Windows 2000 that can definitely simplify the life of any administrator, manager, or developer upgrading to the latest Windows. --Richard Dragan

Product Description
To help you take full advantage of Active Directory, this fourth edition of this bestselling book gives you a thorough grounding in Microsoft's network directory service. With Active Directory, you'll learn how to design, manage, and maintain an AD infrastructure, whether it's for a small business network or a multinational enterprise with thousands of resources, services, and users. This detailed and highly accurate volume covers Active Directory from its origins in Windows 2000 through Windows Server 2008. But unlike typical dry references, Active Directory presents concepts in an easy-to-understand, narrative style. With this book, you will: Get a complete review of all the new Windows 2008 features Learn how Active Directory works with Exchange and PowerShell Take advantage of the updated scripting and programming chapters to automate AD tasks Learn how to be more efficient with command-line tools Grasp concepts easily with the help of numerous screenshots and diagrams

Ideal for administrators, IT professionals, project managers, and programmers alike, Active Directory is not only for people getting started with AD, it's also for experienced users who need to stay up-to-date with the latest AD features in Windows Server 2008. It is no wonder this guide is the bestselling AD resource available.