"Inside Windows Server 2003" by William Boswell is no light read, but it's a resource worth having. Written for IT professionals who have a solid understanding of Windows and must deploy Windows 2003 or evaluate its suitability for their company, this book will answer most of your questions about the latest version of Windows. The questions addressed include, "What exactly is Windows Server 2003, and where does it fit into the Windows family of operating environments?"; "What new features and functionality does Windows Server 2003 possess that my current operating environment doesn't provide?"; "What are the criteria for, and ramifications of, upgrading to Windows Server 2003?"; "Where can my company or organization turn for assistance in planning and implementing a successful upgrade to Windows Server 2003?"; and "What sort of companies will benefit from installing and using Windows Server 2003?"
I can't overstate the importance of the two opening chapters of this book; the subsequent chapters assume that you understand the information in Chapters 1 and 2. Chapter 1, "Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2003," offers a brief comparison of the four versions of Windows 2003: standard edition, enterprise edition, datacenter edition, and web edition. Chapter 1 discusses the strengths and limitations, minimum recommended hardware requirements, and installation and configuration procedures for each version. Chapter 2, "Performing Upgrades and Automated Installations," discusses how to upgrade to Windows 2003 from Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 and how to use scripts and Remote Installation Service (RIS) to automate Windows 2003 installations. After reading the first two chapters, you'll have the knowledge you need to install Windows 2003 on a server.
The book's remaining chapters discuss topics such as how to add servers to your Windows 2003 network, how to add hardware components to your servers, how to deal successfully with name resolution, the stages involved in the integration of Windows 2003 DNS, and Active Directory (AD) installation and configuration. Finally, the book explains how to use Windows 2003's new features to recover from system failures.
All the chapters in "Inside Windows Server 2003" begin with a brief overview of the material that the chapter covers, followed by a list of the new, enhanced, or modified features of a particular aspect of Windows 2003. Each chapter presents the design principles that are applicable to the chapter's topic; examines the relevant processes; and discusses the procedures for installing and configuring that particular portion of the OS. You can efficiently use the book by reading only the "Moving Forward" section that appears at the end of each chapter. Each "Moving Forward" section summarizes that chapter and outlines the topics covered in the next chapter or chapters.
This book provides two major benefits to readers. The first is that you can use the text to help you decide whether your company should move to Windows 2003. The second benefit is that, if your company decides to deploy Windows 2003, the book serves as a detailed reference for the deployment. Installing a new operating environment can be a daunting undertaking, but Boswell asserts that Windows 2003 deployment is worthwhile. "It takes time and money to upgrade a large infrastructure," he writes, "but with Windows Server 2003, you will be rewarded with a system that is fast, handy to manage, and delivers benefits to your users in the form of speed and convenience."
For more information about "Inside Windows Server 2003," visit Addison-Wesley's Web site ( http://www.awprofessional.com ). There, you can read the book's table of contents, preface, and a sample chapter (Chapter 6, "Understanding Active Directory Services").
Author: William Boswell
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
Published: April 2003
ISBN: 0-7357-1158-5
Hardcover, 1376 pages
Price: $53.99