If you are a systems administrator, network administrator, or consultant who is planning to install Windows 2000 Professional on your users' computers, first read Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Installation and Configuration Handbook. In a methodical and thorough manner, the author covers exactly the topics suggested by the title. His style is straightforward and his explanations are clear.
The Introduction covers the expected list of new features, although this author manages to hit the right level. He assumes the reader is familiar with Windows NT, but provides enough information about the old and new versions of changed features that even someone new to Microsoft’s operating systems will clearly understand.
As is appropriate for rolling out a large number of copies of Windows 2000, the author begins Part 1, Chapter 1, with pre-installation planning -- both for new installations and for upgrades. Then he covers a basic installation and discusses the issues that come up during the installation process. Because most administrators will be installing over the network, that topic deservedly gets its own chapter. Chapter 4 talks about how you would configure a Windows 2000 Professional installation and covers new features such as multiple monitor support. Chapter 5, on files systems, takes the same approach and looks at the new NTFS features, including encryption, mountable volumes, and converting from one file system to another.
The section that discusses automated or scripted installations may be of most interest, and of most use, to systems administrators. This section covers topics such as Uniqueness Database Files (UDF) and the OEM directories and what they are used for. The author also talks about various deployment tools -- both those that come with Windows 2000 and other tools, such as Microsoft’s SMS. Although the chapter covers most of the options, I wish there was more detail -- it’s already 22 pages -- but perhaps more could have been said about troubleshooting deployments.
In Part II of the book, the author continues to concentrate on new features as he covers hardware technology, hardware profiles, and printing. The first two topics are new, but not much has changed with printing. Part III, "Administering Windows 2000 Professional," is thorough and technically accurate (which is more than I can say for some other books that were rushed out to hit the shelves the same time as the product). In one way, this very thoroughness works against the book because topics such as configuring regional settings or setting the wallpaper tend to get as much detail as some of the newer features like the add/remove hardware option. However, I feel that it's better to have this information and not need it rather than to skip certain topics, especially if you are an administrator moving from operating systems other than Windows NT.
The author gives certain critical new areas of administration more attention; for example, Active Directory Services, although he points out that this book covers the Professional, not the Server, edition of Windows 2000 and avoids getting too deep into Active Directory. Still, he gives a good overview of the AD and domain models and supplies enough information for you to know how your clients fit into the directory structure.
Disk management, backup recovery strategies, and removable storage all receive the same thorough treatment in Part IV of the book. The chapter on Certificate Manager explores new ground for most NT administrators, as does the chapter on Component Services, which address COM+ and distributed transactions. Part V is dedicated to networking topics, including setting up IIS, which may be overkill on a Professional installation. But again, at least the information is there if you need it. IPSec and Internet Connection Sharing may be the most useful sections here because these topics will be new to most administrators.
In summary, this book is one of the better Windows 2000 books I have seen. It is truly written about Windows 2000, rather than being a modified Windows NT 4.0 book. The author does not talk down to the reader. On the back cover it says that the intended level is intermediate to advanced and I would agree with that. Because the author assumes the reader has some knowledge of Windows NT, operating systems, and networking, he is able to place more emphasis on the new features of Windows 2000, which is as it should be. This is one of the better values in Windows 2000 books for the professional user.
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Installation and Configuration Handbook
Author: Jim Boyce
Publisher: QUE
Date published: 02/2000
ISBN 0-7897-2133-3
$39.99
598 pages