Title Inside Windows 2000 Server Author William Boswell Publisher New Riders Publication Date December 1999 ISBN ISBN 1-56205-929-7 Price $49.99 (U.S.)

In the book, Boswell takes the operating system apart piece by piece for us. This is a great help. For example, I was having a hard time understanding the security additions within Win2K. The book handles this in Chapter 6, and I loved it. First, you get an overview of Kerberos, then you get this great illustration about a spy transaction that closely resembles Kerberos. Then Boswell goes through the vocabulary involved and every last vestige of the process. Your head will spin when you’re done, but you’ll have the understanding you need (although, like me, you may need to read it more than once).

Even though this book isn't an exam-prep book, I still recommend it for that purpose. You can use this book in conjunction with an exam's objectives to ensure you have a thorough understanding of every topic. For instance, you may find reference to Remote Installation Service (RIS). By simply following through the installation section in Chapter 2, you’ll learn what RIS is, how to set it up step-by-step, and subsequently, how to answer those tricky test questions.

Another Win2K exam subject involves the new remote access procedures and protocols like IPSec and L2TP, as well as some of the tools you need to use with Active Directory, such as ntdsutil and secedit. You can learn about all of this and more, including Resource Kit utilities, in the book.

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Of course, one book can’t contain every detail about Win2K. You’ll probably want other references to get a full education on design issues. One of the great things the author does though is save you time in your search for additional information on a topic. This proved true for me in learning about Terminal Services. Even though the book doesn’t cover every feature in Win2K on Terminal Services, you get a good overview and leads for another book on the subject. The author does the same for NT architecture. This allows you to follow up your interest on a particular subject.

The book’s intended audience is slated for intermediate to advanced members of the IT field, but I disagree; this is a book for all levels. How else can you move into the higher levels of understanding without a book like this to give you the edge? It will help in your work and in your certification pursuits. Just don’t try to read it from cover to cover; immerse yourself deliberately—but deeply—for full effect.