Description:
Many organizations are choosing to deploy Windows 2000 on their networks precisely because of the power and flexibility that Active Directory promises. Windows 2000 Active Directory represents a complete guide to Active Directory services and certain aspects of their use. You might think of this book as the Active Directory equivalent of one of those big guides to Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop: it's big, procedure-rich, and organized around the features of the software, instead of around the engineering considerations that are central to using it. Its focus on the features isn't a shortcoming, but a characteristic. A typical section has to do with Replication Monitor, a diagnostic and observation program that's part of the Windows 2000 Resource Kit. In this section, the author first provides a quick statement of where Replication Monitor is and what it does, then gives steps for using it. These steps could benefit from more illustrations, but they're not bad. The author then goes through options--synchronizing with a replication partner, checking Update Sequence Number (USN), and so on--before listing a replication log and commenting a bit on it. He repeats the strategy for scores of other features, capabilities, and utilities, the result being a detailed document that assumes little on the part of the reader. --David Wall Topics covered: An overview of Active Directory's purpose and architecture, followed by detailed guides to each of its features and capabilities. Coverage deals with replication, security, users and groups, and systems administration issues, such as installation.
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