In-Depth Features


Networking Unplugged

What caused this problem the same time daily?

Windows Server 2003 Books: A Pair of Winners

Books by these heavy hitters in the Windows 2003 world may be all you need.

Spam-Fighting Terminology

A list of terms you should know.

The 12 Mighty Chores of Active Directory Administration in Depth

Admininstering Active Directory takes some practice. Here are 12 exercises to keep your AD skills limber.

Active Directory Migration Gets Easier

Microsoft’s recently released Active Directory Migration Tool v2 offers important enhancements over the first version. One of Hewlett-Packard’s top AD experts briefs us on the improvements.

The Treasures of Windows 2000 SP4

Besides amending the EULA to maintain antitrust compliance and adding USB and wireless support, Microsoft rolls up fixes for a slew of performance bugs into its latest service pack.

A Wing and a Prayer

Build a server-based network—including a Web site and e-mail—from scratch for $2,000? For this consultant, that required resourcefulness and some “outside” help.

Wise Counsel

There is another side of the coin for IT employment.

12 Mighty Labors of Active Directory Management

Administering and managing AD encompasses a multitude of activities. Although you can do the job with built-in services and tools, four powerful third-party solutions also want to help.

Attention to Details

These three high-end monitoring tools automate the management of networks with thousands of nodes.

A Different Take

Many people, many stories.

License, Please...

If you were scared off by Microsoft’s licensing program announcements last year, it may be time to take another look.

A Patchwork Quilt

Patch management is no longer a luxury to have a secure network—it’s a necessity. We test six solutions to the problem of knowing whether or not your servers and desktops are up to date.

Windows Management from Afar

Windows Server 2003 offers significant upgrades over Windows 2000 in the area of remote connectivity.

Lifecycle of an E-mail Worm

Dealing with e-mail worms and viruses is becoming a bigger part of every administrator’s job. Learn from one of the industry’s foremost experts how worms enter your network in the first place and compromise your systems.

Palm Reading

It’s a moment every administrator dreads: Your network is crying for help, and you don’t know why. Wouldn’t it be great if, right in your hand, you had a tool that could diagnose the problem? We test four handheld analyzers to see just how they can make your job easier.

The Odd Couple

Can older applications and Windows XP share a network without driving each other crazy?

Safe Waters

How do you dive into the sea of networks in an efficient and secure way? We look at four firewall products—both hardware and software—that will help keep the sharks at bay.

The Process That Wouldn't Die

This IT pro should have known better than to reboot the Primary Domain Controller on Friday the 13th. Read on about his special nightmare.

My First 150 Days With a Tablet PC

Is a powerful, lightweight, pen-enabled computer too much to ask for these days? Four contenders are put through their paces in search for the ultimate in mobile computing.