Your guide to learning Active Directory the quick and easy way
Whether you're new to Active Directory (AD) or a savvy system administrator looking to brush up on your skills, Active Directory for Dummies will steer you in the right direction. Since its original release, Microsoft's implementation of the lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) for the Windows Server line of networking software has become one of the most popular directory service products in the world. If you're involved with the design and support of Microsoft directory services and/or solutions, you're in the right place.
This comprehensive guide starts by showing you the basics of AD, so you can utilize its structures to simplify your life and secure your digital environment. From there, you'll discover how to exert fine-grained control over groups, assets, security, permissions, and policies on a Windows network and efficiently configure, manage, and update the network. With coverage of security improvements, significant user interface changes, and updates to the AD scripting engine, password policies, accidental object deletion protection, and more, this plain-English book has everything you need to know. You'll learn how to:
- Navigate the functions and structures of AD
- Understand business and technical requirements to determine goals
- Become familiar with physical components like site links, network services, and site topology
- Manage and monitor new features, AD replication, and schema management
- Maintain AD databases
- Avoid common AD mistakes that can undermine network security
With chapters on the ten most important points about AD design, ten online resources, and ten troubleshooting tips, this user-friendly book really is your one-stop guide to setting up, working with, and making the most of Active Directory. Get your copy of Active Directory For Dummies and get to work.
Table of Contents:
Introduction 1
Part I: Getting Started 5
Chapter 1: Understanding Active Directory 7
Chapter 2: Analyzing Requirements for Active Directory 23
Chapter 3: Designing an Active Directory Implementation Plan 41
Part II: Planning and Deploying with Active Directory Domain Services 53
Chapter 4: Playing the Name Game 55
Chapter 5: Creating a Logical Structure 71
Chapter 6: Getting Physical 83
Chapter 7: Ready to Deploy! 103
Part III: New Active Directory Features 127
Chapter 8: AD LDS: Active Directory on a Diet 129
Chapter 9: Federating Active Directory 141
Chapter 10: AD Certificate Services and Rights Management Services 157
Part IV: Managing Active Directory 173
Chapter 11: Managing Users, Groups, and Other Objects 175
Chapter 12: Managing Active Directory Replication 203
Chapter 13: Schema-ing! 219
Chapter 14: Managing Security with Active Directory Domain Services 233
Chapter 15: Maintaining Active Directory 253
Part V: The Part of Tens 271
Chapter 16: The Ten Most Important Active Directory Design Points 273
Chapter 17: Ten Cool Web Sites for Active Directory Info 279
Chapter 18: Ten Troubleshooting Tips for Active Directory 285
Part VI: Appendixes 291
Appendix A: Windows 2008 AD Command Line Tools 293
Appendix B: Glossary 305
Index 315
About the Author :
Steve Clines, MCSE, MCT, has worked as an IT architect and engineer at EDS for over 18 years. He has worked on deployments of more than 100,000 seats for both Active Directory and Microsoft Exchange Server. Steve is the author of MCSE Designing a Windows 2000 Directory Services Infrastructure For Dummies, which is a study guide for the 70-219 MCP exam. He also maintains the Confessions of an IT Geek blog at http://itgeek.steveco.net. Marcia Loughry, MCSE and MCP+I, is a Senior Infrastructure Specialist with a large IT firm in Dallas, Texas. She is president of the Plano, Texas BackOffice User Group (PBUG) and a member of Women in Technology International. Marcia received her MCSE in NT 3.51 in 1997 and completed requirements for the NT 4.0 track in 1998.
Marcia has extensive experience working with Windows NT 3.51 and 4.0 in enterprises of all sizes. She is assigned to some of her firm’s largest customers in designing NT solutions and integrating UNIX and NetWare environments with NT.
