Introduction

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W elcome to Windows Server 2003 For Dummies , the book that helps anyone who's unfamiliar with Windows Server 2003 (or networks in general) find his or her way around a Windows Server 2003-based network. In a wired world, networks provide the links that tie all users together. Even if you're not using a network already, you probably will use one someday! This book tells you what's going on, in basic, straightforward terms.

Although a few fortunate individuals may be acquainted with Windows Server 2003 and networks already, a lot more of us are not only unfamiliar with networking but also downright scared of it. To those who may be worried about the prospect of facing new and difficult technologies, we say, "Don't worry. Be happy." Using a network is not beyond anyone's wits or abilities it's mostly a matter of using a language that ordinary people can understand.

Ordinary folks are why this book talks about using Windows Server 2003 and networks in simple and deliberately irreverent terms. Nothing is too highfalutin to be mocked, nor too arcane to state in plain English. And when we do have to get technical, we'll warn you and make sure to define our terms to boot.

This books aims to help you meet your needs. You'll find everything you need to know about Windows Server 2003 and networking in here, so you'll be able to find your way around without having to learn lots of jargon or obtain an advanced degree in computer science along the way. We want you to enjoy yourself. If networking really is a big deal, it's important that you be able to get the most out of it. We really want to help!

About This Book

This book is designed so you can pick it up and start reading at any point like you might read a reference book. In Parts I and II, networking basics are covered: concepts and terminology in Part I, and the design and deployment of network hardware in Part II. In Parts III through V, you'll find ample coverage of Windows Server 2003 and related networking topics. Part III covers installation and configuration of Windows Server 2003, whereas Part IV covers its maintenance and management. Part V completes this picture with chapters on a variety of troubleshooting topics.

Each chapter is divided into freestanding sections in which each one relates to the chapter's major theme. For example, the chapter on installing network interface cards, or NICs, contains the following collection of information:

  • A description of a NIC and how it works

  • The various PC buses for which NICs are available

  • How to begin the installation process by documenting your current configuration

  • How to insert a NIC into a PC

  • How to configure a NIC after it's installed in your PC

  • What to do when Plug and Play fails to live up to its promises

  • Troubleshooting techniques to try when NIC installation doesn't work on the first (or second) try

You don't have to memorize the contents of this book. Each section supplies just the facts you need to make networking with Windows Server 2003 easy to use. On some occasions, however, you may want to work directly from the book to make sure you keep things straight.

How to Use This Book

This book works like a reference, so start with a topic that interests you. You can use the table of contents to identify general areas of interest or broad topics. The index, however, is your best tool for identifying detailed concepts, related topics, or particular Windows 2003 capabilities, tools, or controls.

After you find what you need, you can close the book and tackle whatever task you've set for yourself without having to grapple with unrelated details.

If you've never worked on a network before, it's a good idea to read Parts I and II in their entirety. Likewise, if you're new to Windows Server 2003, you might want to read all of Parts III and IV. Otherwise, dig in wherever your fancy moves you!

When you need to type something at the keyboard, you'll see text that looks like this: TYPE THIS . You're expected to enter this text at the keyboard, and then press the Enter key. Because typing stuff can sometimes be confusing, we always try to describe what it is you're typing and why you need to type it.

This book occasionally suggests that you consult the Windows Server 2003 online help, printed manuals, and Resource Kit and even Microsoft's TechNet CD for additional information. In most cases, though, you find everything you need to know about a particular topic right here except for some of the bizarre details that abound in Windows Server 2003.

If there's a topic we don't cover in this book that you need to know more about, we suggest you look for a book on that subject in the For Dummies series, published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. In addition, a whole world of Web information about Windows Server 2003 is available on the Internet, and the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/default.mspx is not a bad place to start looking for such information.

Foolish Assumptions

We're going to climb out on a limb and make some potentially foolish assumptions about you, our gentle reader. You have or are thinking about getting a computer, a network, and at least one copy of Windows Server 2003. You know what you want to do with these things. You might even be able to handle all these things yourself, if somebody could only show you how. Our goal with this book is to decrease your need for such a somebody, but we don't recommend telling him or her that out loud at least, not until you've finished this book!

How This Book Is Organized

The book is divided into six major parts, each of which consists of two to seven chapters. Each chapter covers a major topic and is divided into sections, which discuss some particular issue or concern related to that topic. That's how things in this book are organized, but how you read it is up to you. Choose a topic, a section, a chapter, or a part whatever strikes your fancy or suits your needs and start reading.

Part I: Laying the Network Foundation

Part I covers networking concepts and terminology, including the basics of networked communications and what makes networks work usually, some magical combination of hardware and software. Look here for discussions about networking terms and concepts, such as client, server, protocol, and topology. If you're not familiar with networks, this part should come in handy. If you're already a seasoned networker , you can skip this part (and Part II).

Part II: Hooking Up the Hardware

Part II covers everything you need to know to build or extend a network or simply to understand what's really happening on an existing network. It starts with coverage of network design and layout principles, and continues with a discussion of how to install and configure NICs in a PC. After that, it examines the wiring that links network devices and talks about how multiple networks can interconnect. Part II concludes with a review of all the software components you're likely to encounter on a Windows 2003-based network and why you need them.

Part III: Servers, Start Your Engines!

Part III tackles Windows Server 2003 head on, starting with its installation and configuration. It covers the issues involved in installing and configuring network hardware specifically for Windows Server 2003. It also covers how to install and manage print servers and services on a Windows 2003-based network, how to handle Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) addresses, and how to set up and manage directory services, domains, and trust relationships in a Windows 2003-based environment. Part III is where you figure out how to put the basic pieces of a network together using Windows Server 2003.

Part IV: Running Your Network

Part IV picks up where Part III leaves off that is, it talks about living with and managing a Windows 2003-based network after the initial installation and configuration phase is complete. It begins with a discussion of how to manage users and groups on a Windows 2003-based network, including details on profiles, policies, and local and global groups. Next, it covers how Windows 2003 controls access to NTFS files and directories, and how to manage network-accessible file system resources called shares.

After a network's users, groups, and data assets are in place, rebuilding such a setup from scratch can be a real pain. That's where a backup comes in handy, so Part IV covers the ins and outs of backing up and restoring a Windows Server 2003 machine, plus other aspects of fault tolerance. After that, a review of network security principles and practices should help to prepare you to protect your data from accidental loss and from would-be hackers and crackers.

Part V: Troubleshooting

Part V takes a long, hard look at the common causes of trouble on Windows 2003-based networks and explores those areas that are most likely to fall prey to trouble. It begins with a look at some key Windows 2003 tools for troubleshooting systems, and then continues on to explore tips, tricks, and techniques for troubleshooting a Windows 2003-based network. Part V concludes by exploring the handling of problems with Active Directory.

Part VI: The Part of Tens

Part VI follows the grand tradition of For Dummies books, all of which include "The Part of Tens." Here, you'll find lists of information, tips, tricks, and suggestions, all organized into short and convenient chapters. This supplemental information is designed to be both helpful and informative and is supplied at no extra charge.

Icons Used in This Book

The icons used in this book point you to important (and not so important) topics in the text.

KEY CONCEPT 

This icon lets you know that you're about to encounter information that's important to understand if you really want to get what's going on with networking or with Windows Server 2003. It may be painful at times, but you have to slog through it.

REMEMBER 

Oh gee, we're getting so old that we can't recall what this one means. Maybe you should check one out and see whether it's worth watching for!

TECHNICAL STUFF 

This icon lets you know that you're about to be swamped in technical details. We include this information because we love it, not because we think you have to master it to use Windows Server 2003 or networks. If you aspire to nerdhood, you probably want to read it; if you're already a nerd, you'll want to write us about stuff we left out or other information we should put in!

Tip 

This icon signals that helpful advice is at hand. We also use it when we offer insights that we hope make networking or using Windows Server 2003 more interesting or easier. For example, whenever we include a shortcut that improves your productivity, it's usually marked with the Tip icon.

Warning 

This icon means what it says you'd better be careful with the information it conveys. Nine times out of ten, it's warning you not to do something that can have nasty or painful consequences, as in accidentally wiping out the contents of an entire hard drive. Whoops!

Where to Go from Here

With this book at your side, you should be ready to wrestle with Windows Server 2003 and the networks it connects to. Find a subject, turn to its page, and you'll be ready to jam. Feel free to mark up this book, fill in the blanks, dog-ear the pages, and do anything else that might make a librarian queasy. The important things are to make good use of it and to enjoy yourself while you're at it.

Tip 

Please check out the Web page at http://www.dummies.com. Be sure to take the opportunity to register your purchase online or to send the authors e-mail with feedback about your reading experience.

team lib


Windows Server 2003 for Dummies
Windows Server 2003 for Dummies
ISBN: 0764516337
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 195

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