12/01/2003
December 2003 - Products You Love: The tools and products that readers have chosen.
Plus: Server Migration; Security with URLScan; MCSA/MCSE Lab; more
In-Depth
Your company is not keen on you honing your IT skills on its WAN for good reason. Building a lab is the next best thing. Here's how.
UrlScan is an invaluable security tool for Web sites. Although IIS 6.0 incorporates some of its functionality, it’s still useful for IIS 6.0 sites—and critical for older versions of IIS.
You're the ultimate authority for keeping your network up and running. You've carefully chosen tools that help you most and products you can't live without. Here are your choices for 2003's best of the best.
Migrating servers, users and resources from Windows NT to Windows Server 2003 was a big challenge for our fictional hero. We review a number of third-party tools to help ease his pain.
Book Reviews
Day-to-day admin duties spelled out in detail in 285 short, narrow pages.
Exam Reviews
This MCSE upgrade exam will test your Windows 2003 expertise, especially in the areas of DNS, group policies, trusts and Active Directory maintenance.
This exam covers lots of Windows 2003 ground, including new security, backup and recover, and software updating methods.
Product Reviews
Seeing the whole picture with NetSupport 8.1.
While commercial product boast bells and whistles, Microsoft's free tool gets the job done.
This Ecora suite documents like a dream.
Brooktrout’s TruFax is Windows Server 2003-certified.
Boswell's Q&A
Legal issues aside, here's one way to audit Exchange 5.5 user mailbox usage on the down-low.
Remote Installation Services allows for easy creation of computer names containing MAC addresses.
Forget who has access to which services? Find your way back with the LDAP Browser.
Upgrading from Windows NT 4.0/Exchange 5.5 to Windows Server 2003/Exchange 2003? Simplify your decisionmaking and choose the ADC method.
Call Me Certifiable
How we're being tested—now and in the future.
Certified Mail
Plenty to say about board certs; small tales enjoyed
Editor's Desk
Could WinFS be the salvation?
Mr. Script
Encoding scripts to prevent unauthorized access.
Security Advisor
Microsoft's Small Business Server 2003 is a big leap forward for security.
Tips and Tricks
These features require a little work, but are worth it.
Windows Insider
By trying to think like an Exchange Server, you can learn the ins and outs of the SMTP protocol.
News
MCDST: Another valuable way to validate your skills for a job, or more meaningless certification alphabet soup from Microsoft?
MCP Magazine is lining up an interview with the feisty and always outspoken Microsoft president and CEO Steve Ballmer.
Microsoft's exam for project management experts faces scrutiny of beta testers December 19 to January 9.
Project management-based exam from Microsoft beta testing from Dec. 8 to Jan. 2, 2004.
Why is Microsoft talking up a desktop OS that's two years away from delivery? In some ways, it's by design.
MCSE: Security specialization exam 70-298 to be released December 15.
Exam 70-282, aimed at Small Business Server implementers, now available.