Windows 2000 Active Directory Survival Guide

Windows 2000® is enjoying an even higher profile than Windows 95, making it one
of the most anticipated software products of the last decade. Ask any NT
Administrator "Why?" and you may hear some not-so-kind references to
Microsoft's current network operating system and it's dreadful implementation of
domains and trusts. At the heart of this new operating system lies rescue from
administrative nightmare, a new approach to systems management which provides
robust security and scalability. Enter Windows 2000 Active Directory. The catch
is that core of the system is so vastly different from that of its predecessor it is sure
to cause a stampede of NT administrators to bookstores everywhere. In fact the
changes are so vast that Microsoft is going to offer it as a complete Microsoft
Official Curriculum (MOC) course in the future and Microsoft Certified Trainers
(MCT) are to be made to sit the course before teaching it (no other course has
this prerequisite). So network administrators get a break from NT 4.0 domains
but face new challenges in learning Active Directory. Active Directory, the heart
of Windows 2000 Server, will prove to be the most difficult of the myriad of new
features to master (The lack of qualified Novell NDS professionals offers insight
into this.) This equates the need for education on this subject, which in turn
translates into the need for this book. This book draws on years of experience
from the author whose work with enterprise networking and large-scale NT
implementations make him the perfect candidate for authoring this publication. It is
a solid and informative book, teaching not only the main points of the technology
but also the inner workings. Windows 2000® Active Directory Survival offers
real-world insight into this new technology. It takes the user step-by-step through
a successful planning and implementation of Active Directory. In addition the
book utilizes contrasting views of prior releases of Windows NT to further
reinforce the concepts of this new technology to the audience.

Table of contents

An Overview of Windows 2000 Active Directory Services.

Active Directory Architecture.

Preparing for an Active Directory Implementation.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol.

Understanding DNS Architecture.

Naming Strategies for Windows 2000 Active Directory.

Building the Network.

Directory Traffic Considerations and Management.

Using Microsoft Management Console.

Installing and Configuring DNS.

Installing Active Directory and Using Management Tools.

Implementing Administrative Control Over Directory Objects.

Forests and Trees.

Customizing Active Directory Using the Schema.

Active Directory Management.

Group Policy and the Active Directory.

Coexistence Issues.

Upgrade Issues.

References.

Bibliography.

Table of Figures.

What's on the CD-ROM.

Index.