Rating: 
Summary: Nothing to Master...
Review: I bought the book because of the word "Mastering" in the title. The first five chapters are on X.500, NDS, and NT Domain background. A few hundred more pages guide you with pictures through simple configurations within the mmc. I was expecting more in the way of sysvol, registry, and AD integration into NT Server. I was also hoping for a more detailed guide to AD design and migration... which is probabaly what 98% of Active Directory book buyers want.Next time I'll start with the Windows 2000 Resource Kit first. Most of the answers are there. -=Chris
Rating: 
Summary: It is Too Conceptual
Review: I bought the book because of the word "Mastering" in the title. The first five chapters are on X.500, NDS, and NT Domain background. A few hundred more pages guide you with pictures through simple configurations within the mmc. I was expecting more in the way of sysvol, registry, and AD integration into NT Server. I was also hoping for a more detailed guide to AD design and migration... which is probabaly what 98% of Active Directory book buyers want. Next time I'll start with the Windows 2000 Resource Kit first. Most of the answers are there. -=Chris
Rating: 
Summary: Active Directory for Databasers
Review: I'm in the process of taking Microsoft's MOC classes for MCSE, including 2154 & 1561, the two classes on Active Directory. They aren't bad, but they totally ignore the simple fact that AD is a database! This book was great! DHCP, DNS, and AD itself are all explained in view of their being databases. I'm a laid-off Access trainer, and this was JUST what I needed! BTW, it also included the best intro to LDAP I've come across (I'd already seen it in the courses, but it "clicked" for me with King's explanation). This book isn't specifically for the MCP courses, but it sure gave me a great foundation for those classes. I recommended it to the other students in my classes, and I unreservedly recommend it to you!
Rating:
Summary: Nothing to Master...
Review: In my opinon this book is simply theory and it references to often to things you have read ten pages earlier over and over again. The real important things in here are sort of missing. If you are looking for a handson book avoid this title. It gets frustrating the more pages you have read.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Primer text, not for knowledgeable technicians
Review: Mastering Active Directory provides the framework to understand and set up the Active Directory system. However, it covers Active Directory in more general theoretical terms and does not do a thorough job of detailing how to plan and implement the system. If you are unfamiliar with NDS or other Directory Services, the LDAP protocols and similar then this book is a good place to start. If you are already familiar with such things then you will find this book to be lacking in useful information. My recommendation would be to purchase the book if you are new to the whole Directory concept and read it as a foundational text and then graduate to a more detailed text, such as Windows Active Directory Design and Deployment, before actually implementing Active Directory or attempting to resolve problems with it. For someone who already understands the concepts they should just go ahead and move to the above mentioned book and skip this one.
Rating:
Summary: Good Primer text, not for knowledgeable technicians
Review: Mastering Active Directory provides the framework to understand and set up the Active Directory system. However, it covers Active Directory in more general theoretical terms and does not do a thorough job of detailing how to plan and implement the system. If you are unfamiliar with NDS or other Directory Services, the LDAP protocols and similar then this book is a good place to start. If you are already familiar with such things then you will find this book to be lacking in useful information. My recommendation would be to purchase the book if you are new to the whole Directory concept and read it as a foundational text and then graduate to a more detailed text, such as Windows Active Directory Design and Deployment, before actually implementing Active Directory or attempting to resolve problems with it. For someone who already understands the concepts they should just go ahead and move to the above mentioned book and skip this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor title, but great primer or overview for IT manager
Review: My only substantive criticism of this book is its reluctance to define its audience, and correspondingly, using a title that misrepresents its content. This is a book for a party that has former hands-on experience with a similar technology (e.g., X.500, NDS, LDAP) and needs to manage a Microsoft implementation. Or for a hands-on technician who is new to the technology in general. The author is a former Novell employee and this is the third version of the book, so readers can expect some broad insights and no vendor bigotry. In many sections, one can tell that "Server 2003" was added to the text via "search and replace", but it matters little, and Server 2003 was directly addressed in areas where it matters (i.e., global catalog servers, etc.). Architects and implementers should pass on this one, but managers and consultants should pick it up.
Rating:
Summary: No Mastering found Here
Review: This book came in a set. Like most Sybex books this book is easy to read, however considering all of the possibilities available to the author of a Windows 2000 book, this one falls short its potential. Significantly lacking in any real world advice though the general coverage of Active Directory is okay, the book doesn't provide nearly enough information about details. In addition, because the book is older it doesn't include a lot of information about enhancments and new utilities. There's not enough meaty technical information here to make this a good exam study guide. On the other hand, it may be somewhat valuable to someone who is new to Active Directory and specfically to directory services in general.
Rating:
Summary: No Mastering found Here
Review: This book came in a set. Like most Sybex books this book is easy to read, however considering all of the possibilities available to the author of a Windows 2000 book, this one falls short its potential. Significantly lacking in any real world advice though the general coverage of Active Directory is okay, the book doesn't provide nearly enough information about details. In addition, because the book is older it doesn't include a lot of information about enhancments and new utilities. There's not enough meaty technical information here to make this a good exam study guide. On the other hand, it may be somewhat valuable to someone who is new to Active Directory and specfically to directory services in general.
Rating:
Summary: Right Step ahead in understanding active directory Services
Review: This book explains all the concepts related with implementation of active directory Services.Things are explained clearly and compared with their previous versions for better understanding. It's goood book to begin with.
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