Windows IT Library UPDATE--February 18, 2004

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* Book Review
- The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide* New from Windows IT Library
- Working with Containers
- When a Handheld Becomes Information Technology's Problem * New Books in Print
- Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty
- Hacking: The Art of Exploitation* New eBooks
- Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers
- Content Security in the Enterprise--Spam and Beyond
- The Expert's Guide for Exchange 2003: Preparing for, Moving to,and Supporting Exchange Server 2003 * Windows IT Library Top Five
- A+ Certification: How to Pass Your Exams
- Microsoft Windows NT Server Administrator's Bible: Option Pack Edition
- Microsoft Windows NT Secrets: Option Pack Edition
- The Microsoft Outlook E-Mail and Fax Guide
- Undocumented Windows NT==== Sponsor: Windows & .NET Magazine ==== Get 2 Sample Issues of Windows & .NET Magazine!
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==== Book Review ====
The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide
Authors: Robert Williams and Mark Walla
Publisher: Addison-Wesley
Published: April 2003
ISBN: 0201791064
Paperback, 1008 pages
Price: $49.99
Whether you're a full-time systems administrator or simply an ITprofessional whose duties include supporting and managing a Windowsenvironment, you'll be reassured to learn that Windows Server 2003will not put you out of a job. Robert Williams and Mark Walla clearlyexpress that view in "The Ultimate Windows Server 2003 SystemAdministrator's Guide." They state that "features such as the ActiveDirectory and the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) will vastlybroaden" the role of the systems administrator.Williams and Walla also believe that Windows 2003 offers systemsadministrators a much better environment in which to work. The authorssay that Windows 2003 saves you precious time previously spent on"mundane tasks and the management of dozens of disjointed tools, andthe consolidated approach provided by Windows 2003 will free theadministrator to concentrate on more mission-critical activities."Williams and Walla also acknowledge that while many companies willmake the move to Windows 2003, many other companies will remain withWindows 2000 for some time. To cater to that scenario, their bookcovers not only the new features of Windows 2003 (which the authorsdiscuss in depth) but also provides material that will benefit Win2Kadministrators.IT professionals who already have experience with Windowsadministration (e.g., Win2K and Windows NT administrators) are theprimary audience for this book. These readers will soon acquaintthemselves with the major differences found in Windows 2003 fromearlier OSs. However, systems administrators making the transitionfrom other OSs (e.g., UNIX) also will benefit from reading the book.The authors assume that anyone tackling the book will already have athorough understanding of networks and OS fundamentals. To help readers get an immediate feel for Windows 2003 and where itfits in with other technologies (e.g., a Win2K environment), "TheUltimate Windows Server 2003 System Administrator's Guide" begins witha review of the components that comprise the OS. Examples of topicsdiscussed in this part of the book include
-- The different editions of Windows 2003: web edition, standardedition, enterprise edition, and datacenter edition. Two helpfultables provide a quick comparison of the features that have beenincorporated into the different editions of Windows 2003 and list theminimum and recommend system requirements for each edition.
-- The role and significance of the Windows .NET Framework.
-- An overview of the many different responsibilities that aretypically assigned to Windows 2003 systems administrators. Theseresponsibilities have been organized into four major categories: 1)system architecture (e.g., planning, deployment, domain model design);2) user support (e.g., user account management, group policiesmanagement); 3) OS maintenance (e.g., OS and network monitoring,performance tuning, script development); 4) hardware and devices(e.g., device-driver support; file, printer, and application servers). The book's opening chapter also contains a brief but informativediscussion of the history of Windows 2003. The content covered in theremainder of the book includes all the topics you would expect to findin such a book. For example, chapters are devoted to the planning andinstallation of Windows 2003; AD management and use; user accounts andgroups; permissions security, folder sharing, and Microsoft Dfs; andVPNs and IP Security (IPSec). To view a comprehensive description ofthe book's table of contents, visit http://www.awprofessional.com .You also can download the second chapter of the book, "Windows Server2003 Structure and Architecture," from the publisher's Web site. The book's two concluding sections are an appendix and a glossary.The appendix is a useful reference tool for systems administrators, aswell as for more advanced Windows users, because it contains both thedefinitions and discussions of procedures and commands that you'relikely to use regularly. Any options associated with the differentcommands are listed and explained as well. The appendix explains the new command-line tools that ship withWindows 2003, as well as command-line tools that have beensignificantly upgraded. In addition, the appendix also details othercommands that are common to both Windows 2003 and Win2K products. Tomake it easy and convenient to use, the information in the appendixhas been organized into categories of commands and procedures (e.g.,backup, batch, file management, file manipulation, print, search,resource kit support tools). The glossary is a handy way of findingthe definitions of terms that you're unfamiliar with when reading thisbook and when you're consulting other sources of information aboutWindows 2003. Williams and Walla's goal in writing "The Ultimate Windows Server2003 System Administrator's Guide" was to deliver a book thatrepresents an "intermediate reference guide for administrators,leaving out specialized architectural and programming topics." Thebook achieves that goal by providing readers with an understanding ofthe key concepts, components, and features of Windows 2003. But moreimportantly, and from purely a commercial perspective, the book equipsreaders with the technical wherewithal that's required to administerand support the environment for which they are responsible. And at theend of the working day, that's all that really matters. Tony Stevenson
[email protected]
Windows IT Library Guest ReviewerFor more book reviews, visit the Windows IT Library Web site.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/bookreviews==== Announcements ====Try a Sample Issue of Security Administrator!
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http://list.winnetmag.com/cgi-bin3/DM/y/eA0IGRIK0CCK0BFhe0Au==== New from Windows IT Library ====Working with Containers
In this chapter from "Microsoft Content Management Server 2002: AComplete Guide," you'll learn how to manage the Content ManagementServer (CMS) 2002 publishing environment. You'll find informationabout using virtual storage and working with containers. You'll learnabout channels and how to configure, rename, move, copy, and deletethem.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/content/944/16/toc.htmlWhen a Handheld Becomes Information Technology's Problem
After reading this chapter from "PDA Security," you'll know howsecurity and management solutions can work together for betterintegration of the PDA into your business. You'll also be able tocalculate the risks that PDAs create for your business, and you'llunderstand how PDAs can function within your enterpriseinfrastructure.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/content/918/04/toc.html==== New Books in Print ====Hardware Hacking: Have Fun While Voiding Your Warranty
This book has something for everyone--from the beginner hobbyistwith no electronics or coding experience to the self-proclaimed"gadget geek." Take an ordinary piece of equipment and turn it into apersonal work of art. Build upon an existing idea to create somethingbetter.
http://www.syngress.com/catalog/sg_main.cfm?pid=2870Hacking: The Art of Exploitation
This book is for both technical and nontechnical people who areinterested in computer security. It shows how hackers exploit programsand write exploits, instead of only showing how to run other people'sexploits. Unlike many so-called hacking books, this book explains thetechnical aspects of hacking, including stack-based overflows,heap-based overflows, string exploits, return-into-libc exploits,shellcode, and cryptographic attacks on 802.11b.
http://nostarch.com==== New eBooks ====Best Practices for Managing Linux and UNIX Servers
This eBook will educate systems managers about how to best approachthe complex realm of Linux and UNIX management and performancemonitoring. The book will concentrate on core issues such asconfiguration management, accounting, and monitoring performance withan eye toward creating a long-term strategy for sustainable growth.You can download the first chapter at the following URL:
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/ebooks/managingunixlinuxservers/index.cfm?pc=ebkitlThe Expert's Guide for Exchange 2003: Preparing for, Moving to, andSupporting Exchange Server 2003
This eBook will educate Microsoft Exchange Server administratorsand systems managers about how to best approach the migration to andoverall management of an Exchange Server 2003 environment. The bookwill concentrate on core topics such as configuration management,accounting, and monitoring performance with an eye toward migration,consolidation, security, and management. You can download the firstchapter at the following URL:
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/ebooks/exchangeserver2003/index.cfmContent Security in the Enterprise--Spam and Beyond
High-speed Internet access has become ubiquitous across small andlarge enterprises worldwide. Businesses acknowledge that Internetapplications such as email, Web browsing, and Instant Messaging (IM)are an essential medium to communicate with customers, suppliers, andpartners. But with the opportunities that these applications providecome many risks and threats that an organization needs to address. TheeBook "Content Security in the Enterprise--Spam and Beyond" exploresthese risks and discusses ways in which you can reduce or eliminatethem by limiting inappropriate use, eliminating spam, protectingcorporate information assets, and ensuring that these vital Internetapplications are secure and available for authorized businesspurposes. You can download the first chapter at the following URL:
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/ebooks/spam/index.cfm?pc=ebkitl==== Windows IT Library Top Five ====A+ Certification: How to Pass Your Exams
This book walks you through all the skills tested in the ComputingTechnology Industry Association (CompTIA) A+ Core Hardware exam and A+OS Technologies exam.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/documents/book.cfm?documentid=175Microsoft Windows NT Server Administrator's Bible: Option Pack Edition
This book provides specific coverage of the Windows NT 4.0 OptionPack add-ons to help you plan, install, configure, manage, optimize,and connect NT Server 4.0 to the Internet.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/documents/book.cfm?documentid=405Microsoft Windows NT Secrets: Option Pack Edition
Packed with the kind of notes, tips, and workarounds that come onlyfrom years of working day in and day out with a product, this bookwill help you optimize the performance, reliability, and security ofyour network.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/documents/book.cfm?documentid=329The Microsoft Outlook E-Mail and Fax Guide
Written for Microsoft Outlook end users and the administrators whosupport them, this volume explains all the real-world tasks thatyou're likely to encounter when working with Outlook and includes manytimesaving techniques that take you beyond the basics.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/documents/book.cfm?documentid=191Undocumented Windows NT
This book documents what goes on under the covers in Windows NT.Three experts share what they've dug up on NT through years ofhands-on research and programming experience. The authors dissect theWin32 interface, deconstruct the underlying APIs, and decipher theMemory Management architecture to help you understand operations, fixflaws, and enhance performance.
http://www.WindowsITlibrary.com/documents/book.cfm?documentid=356==== Events Central ====
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