Appendix B: Recommended Web Sites

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By now you should have the insight and information you need as you implement and begin managing your network using Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003. As you venture forth into the exciting world of systems management using SMS 2003 as your management tool of choice, it will be important for you to stay on top of the product and to continue to develop your knowledge. The following Internet sites can help you in this regard.

http://www.microsoft.com/smserver

This site is, of course, Microsoft’s own Web site dedicated to SMS in all its versions. At this site you’ll find the latest information about SMS, including updates and service packs, downloadable products, patches, and so on, as well as links to deployment and technology white papers (several of which have been referenced throughout this book). This site also offers information about SMS 2003 training options.

Links for all of the SMS documentation that we referenced in this book can be found on this site, including

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Concepts, Planning, and Deployment Guide

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Operations Guide

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Release Notes

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Frequently Asked Questions

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 ToolKit

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Troubleshooting Flowcharts

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Status Message Database

• Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 Deployment Readiness Wizard (DRW) Procedures for Resolving Test Failures (sometimes referred to as the DRW FAQ)

This site is frequently updated, so be sure to include it as a favorite and check back often.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/ and http://www.microsoft.com/ windowsserver2003

These Microsoft Web sites host links to technical white papers supporting Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 technology, as well as links to other Windows support sites. For example, you can find the following white papers by navigating to http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/howitworks . These white papers can help you draw distinctions between Windows 2000 and SMS 2003 and can help you clarify how the two products work together:

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Centralized Management

• Introduction to IntelliMirror

• Introduction to Microsoft Windows Management Services

• Introduction to Microsoft Windows 2000 Group Policy

You can find similar white papers supporting Windows Server 2003 at http:// www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/techinfo/overview.

http://www.microsoft.com/sql

This Microsoft Web site hosts links to technical white papers supporting Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 technology, as well as links to other support sites, training materials, and so on. For example, you can find the following SQL Server 2000-related white papers by navigating to http://www.microsoft.com/sql/techinfo/administration/2000. These white papers can help you understand how to better maintain the SMS 2003 site database and keep your SQL Server installation running at optimum levels:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Operations Guide

• Microsoft SQL Server Performance Tuning Guides

• Backup and Restore Strategies with Microsoft SQL Server 2000

  http://www.myitforum.com

MyITforum.com is, in my opinion, the Internet's premier knowledge and information forum for IT professionals focusing on SMS and Windows management. This Web site gives IT administrators the opportunity to gain better insight about what they do by learning from and sharing information with other IT experts throughout the world. Through the Web site, myITforum.com users and contributors can provide tips, share insights, and download utilities and tools to assist in managing IT enterprises.

MyITforum.com is managed by Rod Trent, author of the best-selling books SMS Installer (McGraw-Hill Osborne Media, 2000) and Admin911: SMS (McGraw-Hill Osborne Media, 2000). Rod Trent is a leading authority on Microsoft SMS and an annual presenter and keynote presenter at the annual Microsoft Management Summits. MyITforum also provides hands-on training, events, and conferences.

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