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Summary: Make large scale system administration easier.
Review: ADSI Scripting for System Administration provides advanced- to expert-level system administrators, application developers and IT managers with time- and effort-saving approaches to administrative tasks using programmatic methods. A practical guide to meeting real-world needs in large Windows NT and 2000 environments, this book includes: · Proven techniques and code for automating redundant administrative tasks using almost any scripting language-including Visual Basic, VBScript, JavaScript, or any other language supporting OLE automation · Unique solutions for difficult administrative tasks, such as determining which machines are defined in the namespace, yet are no longer participating in domain authentication · Expert advice on how to optimally leverage the Visual Basic IDE and programmatic methods to perform administrative tasks on one or one thousand machines · Ready-to-implement code covering almost every aspect of namespace administration supported by the Microsoft ADSI service providers If you are responsible for administering large scale implementations of Windows NT/2000, Internet Information Servers, or native LDAP directories, ADSI Scripting for System Administration is an essential reference that will help you understand how to make use of ADSI to script administrative workflow processes for your enterprise. With this book and related Web resources, you'll learn how to: · Develop reusable code ADSI in Visual Basic compiled COM objects · Utilize programmatic techniques to establish naming standards within namespaces and enforce process consistency--even in large, decentralized enterprise administration models that span multiple languages and time zones · Minimize the risks introduced to the enterprise by users with privileged accounts through an exercise on creating a delegated administration model using ADSI, COM and Microsoft Transaction Server · Save time, money and frustration by implementing the included Visual Basic code segments to script custom administrative workflow process applications for Windows NT 4.0, Internet Information Server 4.0/5.0, Netscape Directory Server (and other native LDAP server products), Microsoft Exchange Server and Windows 2000 products
Rating: 
Summary: Nearly useless
Review: Avoid this book if you can... The author tries to get away with repeating the same paragraph and example over and over and over, and not have to actually explain anything. You finish the book with a lot of code snippets, which are of very little use unless you either know the subject (in which case you wouldn't have bought this book in the first place), or you are trying to do exactly the kind of work described in the book. This is nothing but a cookbook, and a bad one at that. A seemingly hefty reference closes the book. But a closer examination reveals that it's no more that a quick listing of properties and methods (with little distinction made between the two) of some of the ADSI COM interfaces. The text and reference are exclusively VB oriented, and will frustrate all but the most inexperienced programmer. If you are the kind to cut and paste JavaScript code and then go on to call yourself a programmer, this book is for you. Otherwise, I'd suggest you look elsewhere.
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Summary: Heavy on examples, light on theory
Review: Basically this book takes the MSDN SDK on ADSI and provides examples of all the methods available for each interface. This provides the reader with many excellent code snippets that can be quickly applied. However it's light on the theory behind the COM calls and how to expand the code for further use. I was able to follow all the code fairly easily because I had already read Simon Robinson's book "Professional ADSI Programming- Active Directory Services Interface". My recommendation for those who really what to get a good understanding of ADSI and Windows 2000 that you read Robinson's book first. While some reviewers criticize Simon's book as being too wordy I found it very helpful. That being said this book will get you going relatively quickly...
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Summary: Excellent Source for ADSI Code & Nature of Operation
Review: I am revising this review as I again return to this book. I am constantly surprised just how good this book continues to be. With all of the poorly written and just plain wrong computer books out there, this book continues to be a lifesaver. When I need to find out how to do something in ADSI, I go to the index, within a couple of minutes I have a prototyped, mostly working application. This book is worth every penny I paid for it and then some. This book has so many different examples that I went through and wrote a management application just by taking the code snippets from it and combing them to do what my application had to do. It doesn't explain the differences between NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 implementations. But, it does cover most of the functionality built into ADSI. Also, there are some things that are built into ADSI that are counter-intuitive, but the author goes into a sufficient amout of detail to get you going on your way. It is the best treatment of ADSI I have come across both from an administrators point of view and a developers.
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Summary: An outstanding menu of code snippets to make life easier!
Review: I am revising this review as I again return to this book. I am constantly surprised just how good this book continues to be. With all of the poorly written and just plain wrong computer books out there, this book continues to be a lifesaver. When I need to find out how to do something in ADSI, I go to the index, within a couple of minutes I have a prototyped, mostly working application. This book is worth every penny I paid for it and then some. This book has so many different examples that I went through and wrote a management application just by taking the code snippets from it and combing them to do what my application had to do. It doesn't explain the differences between NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 implementations. But, it does cover most of the functionality built into ADSI. Also, there are some things that are built into ADSI that are counter-intuitive, but the author goes into a sufficient amout of detail to get you going on your way. It is the best treatment of ADSI I have come across both from an administrators point of view and a developers.
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Summary: Eck cuts to the chase
Review: I was hurled headlong into the world of ADSI recently when I was given the assignment to write Windows 2000 server build-scripts. I added several ADSI titles to my bookshelf. The Eck book is outstanding among them as an immediately useful and comprehensive reference. This book is heavy artillery for every W2K developer's arsenal. It is useful in the extreme!
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Summary: Eck cuts to the chase
Review: I was hurled headlong into the world of ADSI recently when I was given the assignment to write Windows 2000 server build-scripts. I added several ADSI titles to my bookshelf. The Eck book is outstanding among them as an immediately useful and comprehensive reference. This book is heavy artillery for every W2K developer's arsenal. It is useful in the extreme!
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Summary: Invaluable resource
Review: I would just like to say how impressed I am with this book. I am up to my ears in VB/Vbscript development of Windows 2000 Active Directory utilities and programs and the book is an invaluable resource. I find the Microsoft help on ADSI to be fragmented, lacking in examples and not easy to use. The book with its many examples in VB and VBScript rather than C++ is very helpful. Highly recommended.
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Summary: A must-have book for any Windows 2000/NT sys admin
Review: If you run an NT or Windows 2000 shop and you want to build tailored VB or VBscript routines to manage your system, this is the book to get. The organization is superb and the examples are very clear. You do not need to be a VB wizard to take advantage of the advice. A great book that stands out from the crowd.
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Summary: ADSI/LDAP scripting bible..
Review: If you want to automate a lot of your NT server/domain administration tasks using LDAP/ADSI, you seriously want to consider getting this book. There are countless sample scripts that cover most if not all of the tasks you may automate and it opens up new possibilities of automating system management. While the book may be intended for both system administrators and developers, having a good VB (or any programming) background helps in quickly digesting the material. Nevertheless, the book is simple awsome and will be an excellent reference for all system scripting needs. Well done.
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