Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed

Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed is the most comprehensive and realistic guide to planning, design, prototyping, implementation, migration, administration, and support. Based on the authors’ unsurpassed experience working with Windows Server 2008 R2 since its earliest alpha releases, it offers indispensable guidance drawn from hundreds of production environments.

Microsoft MVP Rand Morimoto and his colleagues systematically introduce Windows Server 2008 R2 to IT professionals, identifying R2’s most crucial enhancements and walking through every step of installation and configuration. Next, they present comprehensive coverage of every area of Windows Server 2008 R2, including Active Directory, networking services, security, R2 migration from Windows Server 2003 and 2008, administration, fault tolerance, optimization and troubleshooting, core application services, and more. 

The authors thoroughly address major Windows Server 2008 R2 enhancements and present extensive coverage of R2 innovations ranging from Hyper-V virtualization to DirectAccess and the enhancements in Failover Clustering. Every chapter contains tips, tricks, and best practices learned from actual deployments: practical information for using Windows Server 2008 R2 to solve real business problems.

Detailed information on how to...

• Plan and migrate from Windows Server 2003/2008 to Windows Server 2008 R2 and use R2’s new server migration tools
• Manage Active Directory with Active Directory Administrative Center, Best Practice Analyzer, and PowerShell scripts
• Use R2’s updated security tools and templates to lock down servers, clients, and networks
• Maximize availability with Windows Server 2008 R2 clustering, fault tolerance, and replication
• Streamline client management with new Group Policy ADMX settings and management tools
• Improve remote access using DirectAccess, Remote Desktop Services (formerly Terminal Services), and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
• Implement Hyper-V virtualization including the built-in Live Migration technology
• Leverage add-ons such as Windows SharePoint Services, Windows Media Services, and IIS 7.5

Rand H. Morimoto, Ph.D., MVP, MCITP, CISSP, has been in the computer industry for over 30 years and has authored, coauthored, or been a contributing writer for dozens of books on Windows, Security, Exchange, BizTalk, and Remote and Mobile Computing. Rand is the president of Convergent Computing, an IT-consulting firm in the San Francisco Bay area that has been one of the key early adopter program partners with Microsoft, implementing beta versions of Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 7, Exchange Server 2010, and SharePoint 2010 in production environments over 18 months before the initial product releases.

Michael Noel, MCITP, CISSP, MVP, is an internationally recognized technology expert, best-selling author, and well-known public speaker on a broad range of IT topics. He authored multiple major industry books that have been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide. Significant titles include SharePoint 2010 Unleashed, Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Unleashed, SharePoint 2007 Unleashed, Exchange Server 2007 Unleashed, ISA Server 2006 Unleashed, and many more. Currently a partner at Convergent Computing (www.cco.com) in the San Francisco Bay area, Michael’s writing and extensive public speaking experience across six continents leverage his real-world expertise in helping organizations realize business value from Information Technology infrastructure.

Omar Droubi, MCSE, has been in the computer industry since 1992 and during this time has coauthored several of Sams Publishing best-selling books, including Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Unleashed and Windows Server 2008 Unleashed, and Omar has been a contributing writer and technical reviewer on several other books on Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Exchange Server 2000, 2003, and 2007. Omar has been involved in testing, designing, and prototyping Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 infrastructures for the past four years, and has primarily focused on upgrading existing networks and utilizing many of the new roles and features included in the product. Also during this time, Omar has assisted several organizations with the development of technical road maps, planning and executing domain and server consolidation and virtualization projects, and deploying Exchange Server 2007 for organizations of all sizes.

Ross Mistry, MVP, MCITP, is a principal consultant and partner at Convergent Computing, an author, and a Microsoft MVP. With over a decade of experience, Ross focuses on designing and implementing Windows, Active Directory, Hyper-V, Exchange Server, and SQL Server solutions for Fortune 500 organizations located in the Silicon Valley. His specialties include upgrades, migrations, high availability, security, and virtualization. Ross has also taken on the roles of lead author, contributing writer, and technical editor for many best-selling books published by Sams. His recent works include SQL Server 2008 Management and Administration, Exchange Server 2010 Unleashed, and Windows Server 2008 Unleashed. Ross writes technical articles for many sites including TechTarget.com and frequently speaks at international conferences around the world.

Chris Amaris, MCSE, CISSP/ISSAP, CHS III, is the chief technology officer and cofounder of Convergent Computing. He has more than 20 years experience consulting for Fortune 500 companies, leading companies in the technology selection, design, planning, and implementation of complex Information Technology projects. Chris has worked with Microsoft Windows since version 1.0 in 1985. He specializes in messaging, security, performance tuning, systems management, and migration. A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) with an Information System Security Architecture Professional (ISSAP) concentration, Certified Homeland Security (CHS III), Windows 2003 MCSE, Novell CNE, Banyan CBE, and a Certified Project Manager, Chris is also an author, writer, and technical editor for a number of IT books, including Network Security for Government and Corporate Executives, Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Unleashed, and Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Unleashed. Chris presents on messaging, operations management, security, and Information Technology topics worldwide.