Active Directory

This work provides system and network administrators, IT professionals, technical project managers, and programmers with a clear, detailed look at Active Directory for both Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003. The upgraded Active Directory that ships with Windows Server 2003 has over 100 new and enhanced features and once again, O'Reilly has the answers to puzzling questions. While Microsoft's documentation serves as an important reference, Active Directory, 2nd Edition is a guide to help the curious (and weary) understand the big picture. In addition to the technical details for implementing Active Directory, several new and significantly enhanced chapters describe the numerous features that have been updated or added in Windows Server 2003 along with coverage of new programmatic interfaces that are available to manage it. After reading the book you will be familiar with the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), multi-master replication, Domain Name System (DNS), Group Policy, and the Active Directory Schema, among many other topics.

Table of Contents:
Preface Part I. Active Directory Basics 1. A Brief Introduction Evolution of the Microsoft NOS Windows NT Versus Active Directory Windows 2000 Versus Windows Server 2003 2. Active Directory Fundamentals How Objects Are Stored and Identified Building Blocks 3. Naming Contexts and Application Partitions Domain Naming Context Configuration Naming Context Schema Naming Context Application Partitions 4. Active Directory Schema Structure of the Schema Attributes (attributeSchema Objects) Attribute Syntax Classes (classSchema Objects) 5. Site Topology and Replication Site Topology Data Replication 6. Active Directory and DNS DNS Fundamentals DC Locator Resource Records Used by Active Directory Delegation Options Active Directory Integrated DNS Using Application Partitions for DNS 7. Profiles and Group Policy Primer A Profile Primer Capabilities of GPOs Summary Part II. Designing an Active Directory Infrastructure 8. Designing the Namespace The Complexities of a Design Where to Start Overview of the Design Process Domain Namespace Design Design of the Internal Domain Structure Other Design Considerations Design Examples Designing for the Real World 9. Creating a Site Topology Intrasite and Intersite Topologies Designing Sites and Links for Replication Examples 10. Designing Organization-Wide Group Policies How GPOs Work Managing Group Policies Using GPOs to Help Design the Organizational Unit Structure Debugging Group Policies 11. Active Directory Security: Permissions and Auditing Using the GUI to Examine Permissions Using the GUI to Examine Auditing Designing Permission Schemes Designing Auditing Schemes Real-World Examples 12. Designing and Implementing Schema Extensions Nominating Responsible People in Your rganization Thinking of Changing the Schema Creating Schema Extensions Wreaking Havoc with Your Schema 13. Backup, Recovery, and Maintenance Backing Up Active Directory Restoring a Domain Controller Restoring Active Directory FSMO Recovery DIT Maintenance 14. Upgrading to Windows Server 2003 New Features in Windows Server 2003 Differences With Windows 2000 Functional Levels Explained Preparing for ADPrep Upgrade Process Post-Upgrade Tasks 15. Migrating from Windows NT The Principles of Upgrading Windows NT Domains 16. Integrating Microsoft Exchange Quick Word about Exchange Server 2003 Preparing Active Directory for Exchange 2000 Exchange 5.5 and the Active Directory Connector 17. Interoperability, Integration, and Future Direction Microsoft's Directory Strategy Interoperating with Other Directories Integrating Applications and Services Part III. Scripting Active Directory with ADSI, ADO, and WMI 18. Scripting with ADSI What Are All These Buzzwords? Writing and Running Scripts ADSI Simple Manipulation of ADSI Objects Further Information 19. IADs and the Property Cache The IADs Properties Manipulating the Property Cache Checking for Errors in VBScript 20. Using ADO for Searching The First Search Other Ways of Connecting and Retrieving Results Understanding Search Filters Optimizing Searches Advanced Search Function-SearchAD 21. Users and Groups Creating a Simple User Account Creating a Full-Featured User Account Creating Many User Accounts Modifying Many User Accounts Account Unlocker Utility Creating a Group Adding Members to a Group Evaluating Group Membership 22. Manipulating Persistent and Dynamic Objects The Interface Methods and Properties Creating and Manipulating Shares with ADSI Enumerating Sessions and Resources Manipulating Print Queues and Print Jobs 23. Permissions and Auditing How to Create an ACE Using ADSI A Simple ADSI Example A Complex ACE Example Creating Security Descriptors Listing ACEs to a File for All Objects in an OU and Below 24. Extending the Schema and the Active Directory Snap-Ins Modifying the Schema with ADSI Customizing the Active Directory Administrative Snap-ins 25. Using ADSI and ADO from ASP or VB VBScript Limitations and Solutions How to Avoid Problems When Using ADSI and ASP Combining VBScript and HTML Binding to Objects Via Authentication Incorporating Searches into ASP Migrating Your ADSI Scripts from VBScript to VB 26. Scripting with WMI Origins of WMI WMI Architecture Getting Started with WMI Scripting WMI Tools Manipulating Services Querying the Event Logs Querying AD with WMI Monitoring Trusts Monitoring Replication 27. Manipulating DNS DNS Provider Overview Manipulating DNS Server Configuration Creating and Manipulating Zones Creating and Manipulating Resource Records 28. Getting Started with VB.NET and System.DirectoryServices The .NET Framework Using VB.NET Overview of System.DirectoryServices DirectoryEntry Basics Searching with DirectorySearcher Manipulating Objects Index