* “How To Cheat At Windows System Administration Using Command Line Scripts”
Before jumping into this week’s topic, let me correct something from last week’s newsletter. Mr. Mar-Elia, of SDM Software, is named Darren, not Daniel as I called him last week. While he’s not averse to changing his name, or so he tells me (good publicity is, evidently, worth the price), the confusion is entirely mine. Mea culpa.
In our never-ending quest to find simpler ways for you to go about managing your networks, I want to point out a recent book – another one that belongs on your desk. It’s a recent addition to the “How To Cheat At” series from Syngress Publishing, called “How To Cheat At Windows System Administration Using Command Line Scripts.”
Back in the day, when Windows was but a gleam in Bill Gates’ eye, we managed computers and networks through script files. For DOS and Microsoft networks these were called “batch” files – a file (with a .BAT extension) consisting of a collection of DOS tools and utilities designed to provide some service. They might be used to stop or start a process, to move data from one place to another or to report on a condition or situation. A good administrator had dozens and dozens of batch files in the tool box.
Windows and the graphical user interface got us away from using command line tools, though. In particular, Microsoft became enamored of “wizards,” graphical tools that took the details of a task and hid them behind a point and click interface. As author Pawan Bhardwaj says: “With every new version of Windows, Microsoft tries to ease administrators’ jobs by adding more layers of GUI or configuration wizards. Although these ‘wizards’ are interactive and make the administrator’s job easier, they are not always the most convenient and most efficient way to accomplish everyday administration tasks.” I think he’s too polite. The wizards mask the complexity of the system and leave managers totally in the dark when something goes wrong.
Some of you might be surprised to learn that there are non-graphical ways to not only accomplish the same tasks as the wizards but also to handle most day-to-day chores. This book will show you how. A look at the chapter synopses shows what you’ll learn:
* Learn the Basics of the Command Shell – Learn how to access the command shell and customize its properties.
* Work with the Command Line Using a Nonadministrative Account – Change command input and output from the standard keyboard and the command shell window, and see how to handle errors.
* Master the Task Scheduler Service – Schedule tasks to run at predetermined times, and use different subcommands of the “schtasks” utility to create, change, delete, query, run, or end a task.
* Manage Files, Folders, and Floppy Disks – Learn the commands related to file and folder management, including Tree, MD (Mkdir), and RD (Rmdir).
* Cover Maintenance of File Systems and Hard Disks – Understand how to best use utilities such as Fsutil, Chkdsk, and Defrag as well as Format, Convert, and Compact.
* Use Diskpart to Manage Hard Disk Partitions – Use Diskpart to perform disk-related tasks, such as creating and deleting partitions and volumes, and creating, maintaining, and managing fault-tolerant volumes.
* Query, Add, Delete, and Save Registry Entries – See how to maintain the Windows operating system, including services, drivers, and the Windows Registry.
* Monitor and Manage Event Logs, Processes, and Logs – Learn how to view system services and applications using the TaskList command and how to terminate nonresponsive processes using TaskKill.
* Manage Printers and Print Jobs – Use the command line to view and configure installed printers and also to manage printer drivers and print queues.
* Manage Active Directory – Learn how to search for Active Directory objects, add and remove objects from the directory database, and modify an object’s properties.
* Perform Network Troubleshooting.
Now some of you will already know some of these things. There might even be a few of you who are familiar with most of them. But I’ll wager that there are very few network managers who can’t learn at least a few new tricks from this book. The cover price is $39.95, but a bit of searching should turn it up for well under $30. That makes it a good investment.
