Inside Active Directory: A System Administrator's Guide (Microsoft Windows Server System Series)

Now that Windows 2000's Active Directory is in the marketplace, the true challenges associated with implementing and managing it have become far clearer. Drawing upon extensive real-world experience, this book identifies those challenges -- and presents today's best solutions. The authors begin by introducing key Active Directory concepts and presenting crucial background for successful planning and implementation. Understand the role of TCP/IP, WINS, DHCP, DNS, and LDAP in the Active Directory environment; walk through planning physical and logical structure; then master user and group management, access control, and group policies. Learn how to secure Active Directory; then maximize its performance in far-flung networks through the effective use of replication. Understand the Active Directory data model and schema, gaining insight for extending Active Directory to accommodate custom directory-enabled applications and administration tools. The book also includes two full chapters on automating administration through scripting.