Since its release in April 2003, the Windows Server 2003 operating system has undergone several updates and enhancements. However, unlike earlier versions of the Windows operating systems in which the updates were built into the Service Packs, with Windows Server 2003, Microsoft has released the updates as Feature Packs and most recently as the Windows 2003 R2 update. In addition to changes in how Windows 2003 would be designed, implemented, and supported with these new additions, there have been tips, tricks, and lessons learned from post-product release implementations that take advantage of these new enhancements to Windows. When my co-authors and I set out to revise this book, we wanted to provide a fresh perspective on planning, designing, implementing, migrating, and supporting a Windows Server 2003 environment based on the latest best practices. We went through every page of this book and chose to rewrite sections in which new product features, functions, or lessons learned suggested a revision was advisable. We found that Windows 2003 R2 was more than just a handful of new Windows components, but in many ways changed the way an organization would design, implement, and support their Windows 2003 environment now that the R2 enhancements are available. So, you'll find notes, comments, and tips throughout this third edition on the various components and tools now available in these updates. The three of us (Rand, Mike, and Alex) have been working with Windows "Whistler" since within two weeks after Windows 2000 was released to manufacturing in December 1999. We have planned, designed, implemented, and supported hundreds, if not thousands, of implementations of Windows Server 2003. This book was written based on years of experience with Windows Server 2003. This book is organized into 11 parts, each part focusing on core Windows Server 2003 areas, with several chapters making up each part. The parts of the book are as follows: Part I: Windows Server 2003 Overview This part provides an introduction to Windows Server 2003, not only from the perspective of a general technology overview, but also to note what is truly new in Windows Server 2003 that made it compelling enough for organizations to implement the technology in beta in a production environment. We also cover basic planning, prototype testing, and migration techniques, as well as provide a full chapter on the installation of Windows Server 2003. Part II: Windows Server 2003 Active Directory This part covers Active Directory planning and design. If you have already designed and implemented your Active Directory, you will likely not read through this section of the book in detail. However, you might want to look through the best practices at the end of each chapter because we highlight some of the tips and tricks new to Windows Server 2003 that are different from Windows 2000. You might find that limitations or restrictions you faced when designing and implementing Windows 2000 and Active Directory have now been revised. Topics such as domain rename, inter-forest trusts, and forest-to-forest migration capabilities might be of interest. Part III: Networking Services This part covers DNS, DHCP, domain controllers, and IIS from the perspective of planning, integrating, migrating, and coexistence. Again, just like in Part II, you might find the notes, tips, and best practices to have valuable information on features that are new in Windows Server 2003; they might have you reading these chapters to understand what's new and different that you can leverage after a migration to Windows Server 2003. Part IV: Security Security is on everyone's mind these days, so it was a major enhancement to Windows Server 2003. We actually dedicated four chapters of the book to security, breaking the information into server-level security such as the Encrypting File System (EFS) and Software Update server; transport-level security such as IPSec and NAT Traversal; Windows .NET Passports for single sign-on authentication; and security policies and security tools that focus on Group Policies for Active Directory security implementation and enforcement. Part V: Migrating to Windows Server 2003 This part is dedicated to migrations. We provide a chapter specifically on migrating from Windows NT 4.0 to Windows Server 2003, as well as a chapter specifically on migrating from Windows 2000 to Windows Server 2003. These chapters are loaded with tips, tricks, and cautions on migration steps and best practices. Part VI: Windows Server 2003 Administration and Management In this part, seven chapters focus on the administration of a Windows Server 2003 environment. This is where the importance of a newly written book (as opposed to a modified Windows 2000 book) is of value to you, the reader. The administration and management of users, domains, sites, and organizations have been greatly enhanced in Windows Server 2003. Although you can continue to perform tasks the way you did in Windows 2000, because of significant changes in replication, background transaction processing, secured communications, and management tools, there are better ways to work with Windows Server 2003. These chapters drill down into specialty areas helpful to administrators of varying levels of responsibility. Part VII: Remote and Mobile Technologies Mobility is a key improvement in Windows Server 2003, so this part focuses on enhancements made to Routing and Remote Access Services (RRAS) as well as Windows Terminal Services. Instead of just providing a remote node connection, Windows Server 2003 provides true end-to-end secured anytime/anywhere access functionality. The chapters in this part highlight best practices on implementing and leveraging these technologies. Part VIII: Desktop Administration Another major enhancement in Windows Server 2003 is the variety of new tools provided to support better desktop administration, so this part is focused on desktop administration. The chapters in this part go in depth on Group Policies, the Group Policy Management Console, and desktop administration tools in Windows Server 2003. Part IX: Fault Tolerance Technologies As networks have become the backbone for information and communications, Windows Server 2003 must be reliable, and sure enough, Microsoft included several new enhancements in fault-tolerant technologies. The four chapters in this part address file-level fault tolerance in Distributed File System (DFS), clustering, network load balancing, backup and restore procedures, and Automated System Recovery (ASR). When these new technologies are implemented in a networking environment, an organization can truly achieve enterprise-level reliability and recoverability. Part X: Problem Solving, Debugging, and Optimization This part of the book covers performance optimization, capacity analysis, logging, and debugging to help optimize and problem-solve a Windows Server 2003 networking environment. Part XI: Integrated Windows Application Services Based on suggestions from book reviews and online comments, we have added a new part to this edition that covers the Feature Pack add-in Windows Sharepoint Services and the Windows Media Services component.
The chapters in this book that underwent the most significant changes since the second edition of the book include Chapter 1 This chapter was revised to reference all the new capabilities built in to Windows 2003 R2 and the best practices at implementing R2. Chapter 3 This chapter was revised to address the installation of the Windows 2003 service packs as well as the Windows 2003 R2 update. Chapter 4 This chapter was revised to highlight all the revisions and changes made in the new Active Directory Federated Forest function introduced in Windows 2003 R2. Chapter 5 This chapter was revised to address new design considerations for Active Directory Federated Forests (ADFS) and Active Directory in Application Mode (ADAM) capabilities new to Windows 2003 R2. Chapter 8 This chapter underwent significant revisions to support discussions around Windows 2003 R2's Unix supportability specific to NFS, ID Mgmt for Unix, Subsystem for Unix, and SNIS. Chapter 12 This chapter was revised to highlight the new security functions added to Windows 2003 R2. Chapter 13 This chapter was also revised to highlight the new security functions added to Windows 2003 R2. Chapter 16 This chapter was revised to highlight updated tips and tricks in migrating from Windows NT to Windows 2003 R2 that are slightly different than pre-R2 migration strategies. Chapter 17 This chapter was also revised to highlight updated tips and tricks in migrating from Windows 2000 to Windows 2003 R2 that are slightly different than pre-R2 migration strategies. Chapter 19 This chapter had an entire section added at the end of the chapter to cover the new Print Management Component new to Windows 2003 R2 that helps organizations better manage printers throughout the enterprise. Chapter 25 This chapter was significantly updated to highlight the updates to the MOM 2005 Management Packs for Windows 2003 and the Windows 2003 R2 update. Chapter 30 This chapter underwent significant revisions to address two major enhancements added to Windows 2003 R2: the File Server Resource Manager tool and the new Distributed File System Replication functionality. Chapter 34 This chapter was revised to highlight the updates to Windows 2003 R2 relative to enterprise logging, as well as updates to tips and tricks in debugging Windows 2003. Chapter 35 This chapter was revised to address new tips and tricks in conducting capacity analysis and performance optimization of a Windows 2003 R2 environment using new tools such as the Server Performance Analyzer tool. Chapter 36 This chapter was completely revised to note the new changes in Windows SharePoint Services SP2 that was included as part of the Windows 2003 R2 update.
It is our hope that the real-world experience we have had in working with Windows Server 2003 and our commitment to revising this book to update it with current tips, tricks, and best practices has allowed us to relay to you information that will be valuable in your planning, implementation, migration, and support of a Windows Server 2003 enterprise environment. |
