Welcome to Microsoft Subnet's Pearson Education page -- your access to free and exclusive chapters of new and classic Pearson Education books about Microsoft technologies. We'll also have regular book giveaways, so check this page often.
EXCLUSIVE FREE BOOK CHAPTERS
Welcome to Microsoft Subnet's Pearson Education page -- your access to free and exclusive chapters of new and classic Pearson Education books about Microsoft technologies. Every month we hold book giveaway competitions so check this page often. To enter to win this month's book giveaway click here.
We are currently giving away 15 copies of the following title:
| Excerpt from Exchange Server 2007 How-To: Real Solutions for Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Administrators. | |
By J. Peter Bruzzese Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-33048-2 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-33048-3 | |
Chapter 1: Introduction to Exchange 2007 SP1
In this chapter
An Overview of Exchange 2007 SP1
Choose Your Exchange Server Roles
Determine Your Server Type: Server 2003 or 2008
Choose Your Exchange 2007 Version
Choose the Right Hardware for the Role
Ensure the Needed Software Is Installed First
Ensure Components Are Installed Per Server Role
Plan Your Exchange Storage Architecture
Exchange 2007 SP1 is the latest in messaging servers from Microsoft. It’s new, it’s impressive, and it’s different. With those differences, messaging administrators have much to concern themselves with because the new features come with an entirely new set of interfaces. Yes, there is more than one interface. Exchange 2007 has the Exchange Management Console (EMC), shown in Figure 1.1, which is the GUI console. It also has the Exchange Management Shell (EMS), shown in Figure 1.2, which is the command-line interface (CLI). Before you say, “I’ll stick with the GUI,” it’s important to mention that there are some things that can be done only in the CLI. Not to worry, we will get you through it.
| Excerpt from Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services Unleashed. | |
Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-33001-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-33001-8 | |
Chapter 2: Multidimensional Space
In This Chapter
Describing Multidimensional Space
Dimension Attributes
Cells
Measures
Aggregation Functions
Subcubes
Working with relational databases, we’re used to a two-dimensional space—the table, with its records (rows) and fields (columns). We use the term cube to describe a multidimensional space, but it’s not a cube in the geometrical sense of the word. A geometrical cube has only three dimensions. A multidimensional data space can have any number of dimensions; and those dimensions don’t have to be the same (or even similar) size.
One of the most important differences between geometric space and data space is that a geometric line is made up of an infinite number of contiguous points along it, but our multidimensional space is discrete and contains a discrete number of values on each dimension.
| Excerpt from Sams Teach Yourself SharePoint 2007 in 10 Minutes. by Michael Noel and Colin Spence | |
Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-33036-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-33036- | |
Lesson 2: Accessing SharePoint Sites
In this lesson you will learn about the browsers that are most compatible with SharePoint, learn some tips about configuring IE 7.0 for optimal use with SharePoint, how to create a network location for a SharePoint site, and some tips for quickly navigating to SharePoint sites of interest.
SharePoint supports access from other browsers, but IE 6.0 or 7.0 for Windows are recommended because Microsoft rates these browsers as “Level 1 Web Browsers” that will provide the most complete user experience due to their support of ActiveX controls. So users of these browsers are essentially guaranteed that all of the tools available in SharePoint will work reliably.
Microsoft rates a number of other browsers as Level 2 Web Browsers which may provide a different user experience based on their design and lesser support for ActiveX. The following browsers are supported, some with limitations:
Firefox 1.5 (Windows, Linux/UNIX, Macintosh OSX)
Mozilla 1.7 (Windows)
NetScape Navigator 7.2 (Linux/UNIX)
NetScape Navigator 8.1 (Windows)
Safari (Macintosh OSX)
| Excerpt from Windows PowerShell 2.0 Unleashed. by Tyson Kopczynski, Pete Handley, and Marco Shaw | |
Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-32988-3 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32988-3 | |
Chapter 2: Basic PowerShell Concepts
In This Chapter
- Getting Started
- Understanding the Command-Line Interface (CLI)
- Understanding Cmdlets
- Getting Help
- Understanding Variables
- Understanding Aliases
Creating Your First Script
This chapter brings you up to speed on the technical basics of PowerShell and how to use it, with a focus on the new capabilities offered in PowerShell 2.0 CTP2. You learn how to download and install PowerShell, work with the PowerShell command-line interface (CLI), use cmdlets, access the help features of PowerShell 2.0, and write a basic script. This chapter isn't intended to be a complete getting-started guide; instead, it covers the important concepts you need to understand for later chapters.
READ THE FULL CHAPTER. Also, subscribe to author Tyson Kopczynski's blog.
| Excerpt from Windows Small Business Server 2008 Unleashed Check out author Eriq Neale's blog written exclusively for Microsoft Subnet. Buy a discounted copy of the book | |
Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-32957-3 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32957-9 | |
Chapter 2: Planning for the SBS 2008 Deployment
In This Chapter
Knowing the Client Base
Planning the Network
Planning the Storage Layout
Deploying Small Business Server 2008 into a client network is more involved than simply installing the software on a server and plugging it into the network. As such, when planning for an SBS 2008 installation, hardware requirements are not the only factors that need to be addressed. Merely running the SBS 2008 installation process and providing the correct network settings will not guarantee a successful deployment for a business.
There are two general categories of people who install SBS 2008—those who install it for their own use, and those who install on behalf of others. No matter which category you fall into, there are a number of preparatory steps you need to take prior to inserting the installation media and powering on the new server. This chapter covers the basic hardware guidelines for running an effective SBS 2008 server, as well as the other factors that need to be addressed prior to implementation.
Read the author's guest blog Buy a discounted copy of the book | |
Published by Que ISBN-10: 0-7897-3777-9 ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3777-9 | |
Chapter 8: Accessing and Sharing Network Resources
In this chapter
Accessing Shared Network Resources
Mapping a Network Folder to a Local Drive Letter
Creating a Network Location for a Remote Folder
Accessing a Shared Printer
Sharing Resources with the Network
Many home and small office networks exist for no other reason than to share a broadband Internet connection. The administrators of those networks attach a broadband modem to a router, configure the router, run some ethernet cable (or set up wireless connections), and then they never think about the network again.
There’s nothing wrong with this scenario, of course, but there’s something that just feels, well, incomplete about such a network. Sharing an Internet connection is a must for any modern network, but networking should be about sharing so much more: disk drives, folders, documents, music, photos, videos, recorded TV shows, printers, scanners, CD and DVD burners, projectors, and more.
This expanded view of networking is about working, playing, and connecting with your fellow network users. It is, in short, about sharing, and sharing is the subject of this chapter. You learn how to access those network resources that others have shared, and you learn how to share your own resources with the network.
Excerpt from Project Management for Mere Mortals Read the author's guest blog. Buy a discounted copy of the book. | |
Published by Addison-Wesley Professional ISBN-10: 0-321-42345-3 ISBN-13: 978-0-321-42345-0 | |
Topics Covered in This Chapter
All About Execution
Creating the Baselines
Getting into a Rhythm
Quality Audits
Teaming
Politics
Summary
Case Study
This chapter is all about what has to be done when you execute your project. It seems pretty straightforward that your team will be performing the tasks of the project. But you will be amazed by all the activities that need to be done while those tasks are being performed. One of the activities that you might not be familiar with is the concept of quality audits. I introduce that concept in this chapter and talk about what gets audited. I also cover the subject of how many quality audits you might consider on your project. I finish that topic with the timings of quality audits.
First, though, you have to set up a baseline. I talk about each type of baseline and then cover how to use them and the purpose of baselining in general. Next comes the idea of getting into a rhythm on your project.
In "Teaming" I talk about another element to use to develop the project team: training. Team members will not perform effectively if they are not trained to do the job properly. I cover the different types of training that might be needed.
In "Politics" I talk about obstacles to executive communication. You might run into a couple executive types you have dealt with before: the Mad Hatter and the Executive Ostrich.
In the case study, Chris spends most of her week getting ready for the meeting with June. She still has to complete the budget and the schedule to properly brief June. She gets caught up in a lot of meetings, though, and has a lot of details to work through to finish in time.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Unleashed
Excerpt from Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4.0 Unleashed . ISBN-10: 0-672-32970-0 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32970-8 |
In This Chapter
Actions
Activities
History
Notes
Attachments
Run Workflow
Advanced Find
Form Assistant
Record Merge
Send Direct E-mail
Resource Center
Microsoft Dynamics CRM has a number of common features. By "common," we mean that, when working with most of the entities, they have the same functionality included in this chapter.
As an example, Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Opportunities, and Cases all have functionality on their main form that includes the following:
Actions
Activities
History
Notes
Attachments
Workflows
Because they are so similar (regardless of which entity you're working with), we have grouped these functions in this chapter to consolidate the description of their functionality.
The Resource Center is included with this chapter because all users of the application use it in the same manner.
 Excerpt from Essential PowerShell. | |
| ISBN-10: 0-672-32966-2 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32966-1 | |
In this chapter:
What Is Windows PowerShell?
Downloading and Installing PowerShell Community Extensions
Testing the WPS Extensions
Downloading and Installing the PowerShellPlus
Testing the WPS IDE
This chapter introduces Windows PowerShell and helps you set up your environment. In addition, the chapter provides a few easy examples that demonstrate how to use PowerShell.
Sams Teach Yourself Windows Server 2008 in 24 Hours By Joe Habraken | |
Published May 11, 2008 by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-33012-1 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-33012-4 | |
Read Joe Habraken's blog, written exclusively for Microsoft Subnet.
Chapter excerpt:
What You'll Learn in This Hour:
Introducing Windows Server 2008
Improvements and Additions to Windows Server 2008
The Different Flavors of Windows Server 2008
In this hour, you are introduced to the latest version of Microsoft's network operating system (NOS) platform: Microsoft Windows Server 2008. You'll learn about the features that Windows Server 2008 has inherited from its predecessors and some of the new features provided by this NOS. We also look at the different editions of Windows Server 2008.
Introducing Windows Server 2008
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the latest version of Microsoft's server network operating system. Windows Server 2008 builds on the features found in Windows Server 2003 and also offers a number of enhancements. Windows Server 2008 was part of the development cycle that produced Microsoft's Windows Vista desktop operating system.
During the development cycle, Longhorn, now known as Windows Server 2008, incorporated the best of what was found in the Windows Server 2003 environment and also adapted some of the new bells and whistles that are also found in the Windows Vista operating system. Windows Server 2008 also provides a number of improvements over Windows Server 2003, while still providing a scalable enterprise networking platform that can be easily expanded as a company or organization grows.
READ the rest of the chapter excerpt, Hour 1: Introducing Microsoft Windows Server 2008.
WSS and MOSS 3.0 Development (Video Training): 10 Solutions Every SharePoint Developer Should Know How to Createby Scot Hillier | |
Published Jun 9, 2008 by Sams. ISBN-10: 0-672-32986-7 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32986-9 | |
Read Scot Hillier's blog
See two free excerpts from the training video, hosted by Microsoft Subnet.
About this video:
Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) and the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) have become critical platforms for developing Information Worker solutions. While there are many books that cover the fundamentals of these platforms, there are very few resources that show developers how to create the most-commonly requested solutions. The goal of this training DVD is to create a video resource that shows SharePoint developers how to create the 'top-ten' solutions that are part of nearly every SharePoint roll out.
| Excerpt from System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed. By Kerrie Meyler, Cameron Fuller, John Joyner, and Andy Dominey | |
Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-32955-7 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32955-5 | |
Read author Kerrie Meyler's blog on Microsoft Subnet.
In This Chapter
Overview
Services
Communications
Does OpsMgr Do It?
Layer
Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 (OpsMgr) is a monitoring and operations management system, implemented using one or more computers that perform their assigned roles as components of a management group. The components cooperate over several secure communication channels to achieve management information workflow and present information to operators and administrators. The most important data collected is the health of the managed objects; this health status is arrived at via models that affect the tactical placement of software probes called monitors.
This chapter endeavors to make these terms and relationships clear so that the job of deploying and supporting OpsMgr 2007 becomes easier and more effective. Those readers tempted to skip this chapter covering OpsMgr internals, definitions, and concepts are probably asking themselves, "What practical use can I expect to get from reading this chapter?" Some administrators avoid looking under the hood deliberately, and that's totally OK. For those individuals, we do recommend reading at least the "Management Group Defined" section of this chapter.
Excerpt from *Administrator's Guide to Microsoft Office 2007 Servers: Forms Server 2007, Groove Server 2007, Live Communications Server 2007, PerformancePoint Server 2007, Project Portfolio Server 2007, Project Server 2007, SharePoint Server 2007 for Search. | |
By By J. Peter Bruzzese and Ronald Barrett Published by Sams IISBN-10: 0-672-32949-2 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32949-4 | |
Read the author J. Peter Bruzzese's blog on Microsoft Subnet
IN THIS CHAPTER
Working with the Groove Client
The Groove Client Possibilities
Groove Accounts and Identities
The World of Groove Development
The Ten Habits of Highly Successful Groovers
Groove in a Nutshell
There are usually three sides to every deployment: the installation, the configuration, and the client. In the previous two chapters, we discussed the installation and configuration of your Groove Manager, Relay, and Data Bridge servers. In the event you need these servers in-house, you should have no difficulty establishing your server base, ensuring network functionality (by opening the correct ports through firewalls and so forth), or maintaining a connection between your Groove environment and your Active Directory (AD) environment, which are distinct. For most Groove setups, you are complete.
However, there are branches that come off of the base we've given you. This chapter explains how to use your Groove client and what else your Groove structure can be used for, and finishes the discussion about Groove with a solid explanation of how to use the Groove client.
Excerpt from Windows Server 2008 Unleashed By Rand Morimoto, Michael Noel, Omar Droubi, Ross Mistry, and Chris Amaris Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-32930-1 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32930-2 |
Plus, read the guest blogs of authors Ross Mistry, and Chris Amaris.
In This Chapter
- Initial Configuration Tasks
- Managing Windows Server 2008 Roles and Features
- Server Manager
- Server Manager Diagnostics Page
- Server Manager Configuration Page
- Server Manager Storage Page
- Auditing the Environment
- Managing Windows Server 2008 Remotely
- Using Common Practices for Securing and Managing Windows Server 2008
- Keeping Up with Service Packs and Updates
- Maintaining Windows Server 2008
Windows Server systems are the heart of the IT infrastructure that supports businesses. These servers need to be managed and maintained to keep the businesses running optimally. Server management and maintenance help maximize investment in infrastructure and productivity. They also keep the IT infrastructure running effectively and efficiently to boost availability and reliability.
Windows Server 2008 brings many new tools and features to help keep the servers managed and maintained. These tools include the new Server Manager, better auditing, improved configuration of servers through the roles and features, better remote management, and a slew of other capabilities. Many formerly manual tasks are automated in Windows 2008 using the enhanced Task Scheduler. These include tasks such as defragmentation and backup.
Server management entails many different tasks; they include, but are not limited to, administering and supervising servers based on functional roles, proactively monitoring the network environment, keeping track of activity, and implementing solid change-control practices. These management functions for Windows 2008 can be performed both locally and remotely.
As systems' workloads, capacities, and usage change in the environment, the systems need to be maintained so that they operate as efficiently as possible. Without such maintenance, systems become more susceptible to causing slower response times and decreased reliability. Efforts to maintain those systems should be made periodically to avoid any inefficiency. This chapter covers best practices on ways an organization can maintain and manage its Windows 2008 environment.
Excerpt from MCTS 70-620 Exam Cram: Microsoft Windows Vista, Configuring | |
By Patrick Regan Published by Exam Cram ISBN-10: 0-7897-3688-8 ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3688-8 | |
In this chapter:
Use the Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor and Task Manager to identify bottlenecks.
Run Chkdsk to verify the integrity of the drive.
Run Disk Defragmenter to optimize your drive.
Configure the paging file for optimum performance.
Describe, enable, and configure ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive.
Run multiple troubleshooting tools, including the Memory Diagnostic tool, Network Diagnostic tool, Startup Repair tool, System Configuration tool, and the Problems Reports and Solutions tool.
Troubleshoot various computer problems in Safe mode.
Use Event Viewer to view errors and warnings when troubleshooting a problem.
Hardware, memory, and performance diagnostics are the heart of the Windows Vista self-correcting architecture. Hardware diagnostics can detect error conditions and either repair the problem automatically or guide the user through a recovery process. With potential disk failures, hardware diagnostics guide users through the backup procedure to minimize downtime and data loss.
READ MORE. Plus, read author Patrick Regan's blog.
| Excerpt from SQL Server 2005 Management and Administration. | |
By Ross Mistry, Chris Amaris, Alec Minty, and Rand Morimoto Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-32956-5 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32956-2 | |
What's New for Maintenance with Service Pack 2
With SQL Server Service Pack 2, many new improved features and fixes have bolstered the maintenance plan creation experience. These changes include the following:
The Maintenance Plan designer supports multiple subplans within a maintenance plan and the functionality to create independent schedules for each subplan. Multiple Schedules is a highly anticipated feature that can be leveraged to set separate schedules for items such as backups, updating statistics, and executing SQL Server jobs.
Upon the launch of SQL Server 2005, the installation of SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) was warranted if organizations wanted to run maintenance plans. This has since changed. Integration Services is no longer required because maintenance plans are now a fully supported feature within the Database Engine.
For increased administration, maintenance plans now support multiserver environments and logging maintenance plan information to remote servers. You can now configure maintenance plans for all target servers from one central master server.
READ MORE and check out the authors' blogs. Read Chris Amaris's blog here and catch up with Ross Mistry and his blog here.
In This Chapter
Roles of Key MOM Files and Databases
Backing Up and Restoring the SQL Server Databases
Backing Up Management Packs
Backing Up Reports
Backing Up SQL Reporting Services Encryption Keys
Disaster Recovery Planning
All production systems should have backup and recovery procedures in place, and a Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) infrastructure is no exception. Out-of-the-box, MOM 2005 does not include a backup process. If the OnePoint database becomes damaged through corruption or a hardware failure and you are without a database backup, you will have to reinstall the management group and re-create the database. This creates all kinds of headaches.
READ MORE. Check out author Kerrie Meyler's blog.
| Excerpt from Why Software Sucks...and What You Can Do About It. | |
By David S. Platt Published by Addison Wesley Professional ISBN-10: 0-321-46675-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-321-46675-4 | |
In this chapter
"That'll never sell," I sneered at the title in the bookstore. "Who would publicly buy a book that proclaimed to all the world that he's a dummy? It'd be like buying condoms labeled 'extra small.' "
We all know how that one turned out, don't we? DOS for Dummies and its companion, Windows for Dummies, became the best-selling computer books of all time. The concept has spread to fields far beyond computing, with titles as disparate as Wine for Dummies, Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies, and Breast Cancer for Dummies. The series has sold more than 100 million copies, according to Getting Your Book Published for Dummies, which I bought to help me find a publisher for the volume you are now reading.1
Computers make users feel dumb. Literate, educated people can't make that infuriating beige box do what they want it to do, and instead of marching on Microsoft with torches and pitchforks and hanging Bill Gates in effigy, they blame themselves and say, "Gee, I must be dumb." In a society where nothing is ever the fault of the person doing it, where people sue a restaurant when they spill their own coffee, getting users to blame themselves for anything is a magnificent accomplishment, albeit probably not the main one the software vendor intended. Why do programmers design applications that make people feel this way, and why do people meekly accept this abuse from their computers?
READ MORE. Check out the David Platt's blog.
By Michael Noel and Colin Spence Published by Sams ISBN-10: 0-672-32947-6 ISBN-13: 978-0-672-32947-0 | |
In this chapter
- Understanding Scalability for SharePoint
- Scaling Logical SharePoint Components
- Utilizing and Understanding Clustering for SharePoint
- Choosing the Right Clustering Technology for SharePoint
- Understanding Microsoft Cluster Service Clustering for SharePoint's SQL Database
- Scaling SQL Server with High Availability Alternatives
- Choosing the Appropriate SQL Server High Availability Alternative
- Scaling Across a SharePoint Farm
- Justifying and Deploying Business Portals
- Addressing Common Business Issues with SharePoint Features
- Deploying a Team Collaboration Solution with SharePoint
- Deploying a Corporate Intranet Solution with SharePoint
- Deploying a Customer Extranet Solution with SharePoint
- Best Practices
Any enterprise platform needs to be able to adjust, grow, and scale out to fit the needs of a changing organization. SharePoint is no exception to this rule, and the creators focused on the ability to scale certain components within SharePoint to be able to adjust to the unique conditions that exist in various environments.
READ MORE. Check out the authors' blogs: Michael Noel and Colin Spence