Organize your network resources by learning how to design, manage, and maintain Active Directory.

Updated to cover Windows Server 2012, the fifth edition of this bestselling book gives you a thorough grounding in Microsoft’s network directory service by explaining concepts in an easy-to-understand, narrative style.

You’ll negotiate a maze of technologies for deploying a scalable and reliable AD infrastructure, with new chapters on management tools, searching the AD database, authentication and security protocols, and Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS). This book provides real-world scenarios that let you apply what you’ve learned—ideal whether you’re a network administrator for a small business or a multinational enterprise.

Key Topics Covered

• Upgrade Active Directory to Windows Server 2012
• Learn the fundamentals, including how AD stores objects
• Use the AD Administrative Center and other management tools
• Learn to administer AD with Windows PowerShell
• Search and gather AD data, using the LDAP query syntax
• Understand how Group Policy functions
• Design a new Active Directory forest
• Examine the Kerberos security protocol
• Get a detailed look at the AD replication process