Also the context can be a little confusing as the author(s) reference to material that hasn't been covered yet or is due to appear on the next few pages. Beware of completely useless trivia that could throw you of the topic.

Examples are general very useful - DNS is another area sure to be tested and Mark's example of Split-brain DNS infrastructure is very useful for those looking to setup a testing environment at home (or at work if lucky to get your hands on 3-8 spare PC's to play with!) However detailed knowledge does not seem to be present in this book and it is not for experienced admins who are looking for that one stop book to cover all. Several chapters are easy enough that anyone who has covered basic IT support issues and had exposure to general AD support (account, group maintainence etc) can skip through so dont let the sheer size and weight of this book fool you. 1753+ pages makes for a heck of a door stop but if you're prepared to slog it through chapter after chapter then this is the book for you.

I'd recommend this book if your starting out on the road to MCSE status, but only as a backup for additional reference material. The quickest way I learnt was through hands-on configuration of a series of 2k3 servers in a test environment - with the book as a basic guide.


A must for all IT professionals and students alike   March 1, 2005
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Don't let the size of this book intimidate you. 1700 pages is certainly a lot to get through. However, the chapters are arranged in a mostly logical order and the information contained within is complete.

Mark's writing style is nothing short of exceptional. He injects just the right amount of humour in to what can, at times, be a dull subject, yet remains professional at all times.

I am about 1/3 of the way through this excellent work and have already managed to pass my 1st 2 core MCPs using the knowledge I have gained. Although the book is not a direct exam related book, there is more than enough information here to at least get a Windows 2003 MCSA qualification. The key is that this book will give you a complete understanding of Server 2003.

The fact that this book deals with 'real life' scenarios rather than the sometimes quirky outlook that Microsoft takes in its exam questions gives this book extra value. As it stands, it is giving me some very important training but I know that as soon as I gain the qualification I am after, this book will become a live manual on my desk, being referenced on a regular basis. In this respect, I would also recommend taking some 'mock' exams to get a feel for the way Microsoft like to do things before laying your hard earned cash on the Microsoft counter.

As for the value for money of Mastering Windows Server 2003, I would certainly be willing to pay the full RRP of 45.99, let alone the vastly reduced Amazon price.

As a final point, I have E-mailed Mark on several occasions with queries relating to his book and have always received a prompt and concise reply.

I just hope I can finish the book before he releases the Longhorn version!! ;-)


Excellent, but a lack of continuity in places   June 23, 2004
 15 out of 15 found this review helpful

I bought this to get to grips with Server 2003, both to do MCSE exams, and to get some hands-on. It's really good, but in places the fact that it has different authors shows up. For example, Chapter 9's User Accounts section completely ignores the earlier chapters examples on how machines were set up. Chapter 5's section on RIS looked like it would be good to install, till I realised that I had to do AD first (Ch. 8), and DNS (Ch.7). Having a couple of spare pc's and a crossover cable is handy too.
The protected PDF is annoying, you can't even copy and paste from it, which I like to do when I find a good tip.
Overall, very easy to read (I even managed a solid 5 hours on a train journey, and not many techie books can do that!), and goes right back to explain basics - so, plenty of bits that more experienced readers can skip.
Great for an overview of the whole product, but you may want to partner it with an ExamCram if studying too.


Server 2003   September 29, 2003
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

Im only at page 200 of the 1700 pages, however I find this book very interesting and resourceful - in terms of filling numerous gaps in my technical knowledge, not just in Server 2003 but in all aspects of Networking and Windows.

I would definately recommend it as it seems to cover anything any everything you might expect it to. A pitty that the CD included has a password proteced PDF document which doesn't allow you to read it without having the cd in the drive (which is quite an inconvenience). Quite strange that there is no protection on copying the cd though?!?!