Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant (Pocket Administrator)

One of the best Windows 2000 references yet published, Microsoft Windows 2000 Administrator's Pocket Consultant is a professional-level how-to guide for all versions of Windows 2000. Designed with the mobile expert in mind, the cover of the book has a tough, plastic-coated surface (like that of a playing card) and rounded corners (though it won't quite lie flat without weights). Its contents are similarly hard-boiled. Concepts are explained in expertly written and carefully organized prose, while succinct procedures tell you how to meet requirements and numerous tables list options and their effects. There aren't many screen shots, but that's okay because this is a reference for people who don't need them.

Coverage is wide-ranging and includes everything a power user or system administrator would want to know about the configuration, expansion, and efficient administration of Windows 2000 systems and networks. If you're not sure how to best go about an incremental backup or the installation of a Domain Name Service (DNS) server under Windows 2000, you'll find what you need here. If you know a bit about Windows NT (or even Unix) in a networking context, you can extract all you need to know about Windows 2000's unique operational features. Similarly--even though it wasn't designed for the purpose--this book makes a great study aid for the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) tests on Windows 2000. --David Wall

Topics covered: Administration of Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and Server editions, including network setup and configuration, users, groups, Active Directory, file systems, disk shares, RAID arrays, data backup and recovery, print shares, TCP/IP, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS), and DNS.