If you’re serious about Active Directory, you should pick up a copy of my new book, Active Directory, 4th Edition. Even if Active Directory is just something you run into from time to time as part of your job, you should still pick up a copy.

I spent about eight months total from start to finish working on this project, and personally, I think it turned out pretty good. If you’re wondering what’s new and improved in this edition, here’s a quick list:

  • Windows Server 2008 coverage:
    • Read Only Domain Controllers (RODCs) - Chapter 7
    • Fine Grained Password Policies (FGPPs) - Chapter 9
    • Auditing and security improvements - Chapter 13
    • Windows Server 2008 upgrade procedures - Chapter 18
    • DNS enhancements (such as GlobalName zones) - Chapter 6
  • Exchange 2007 integration & scripting - Chapter 19 & Chapter 33
  • Windows PowerShell & Active Directory - Chapter 30 & Chapter 31
  • .NET Active Directory programming - Chapter 29
  • New user interface features
  • Lots of new diagrams and figures
  • Script bug fixes and enhancements

There’s a total of seven brand new chapters and three more that got major work. On top of that, there are enhancements across the entire text. I spent a ton of time tweaking things in the hopes I could make them even clearer, and adding screenshots and diagrams where appropriate to further illustrate complex topics.

So, head over to Amazon and grab a copy.

I’ve setup a permanent page on my website, www.briandesmond.com/ad4/ where I’ll post anything related to the book moving forward. Any corrections, updates, etc will be linked there. Where appropriate I’ll also post them to the main blog feed. Likewise, there is a new AD4 tag for any blog posts related to the book.