Windows® Small Business Server 2008 Administrator's Companion (Pro - Administrator's Companion) [Kindle Edition]

This is an interesting book since it's aimed at two very different audiences. The first is a business owner who would like to know a bit more about SBS 2008 based networking and what goes on under the hood. The other is of course an IT consultant who support such networks for a fee. Make no mistake, SBS is now getting close to where a moderately IT savvy business owner or employee can do most of the day to day work themselves and only call in the "experts" when necessary.
For the first audience (business owner) this book is excellent. The how and the why is covered every step of the way and the importance of planning first is underlined throughout. Most technical concepts are explained in good depth. Some discussions might go a tad too deep but then again, if you want to run your own server you should know what's going on. Choosing server hardware, disk types and hardware RAID, UPS, spare parts and even backup power generators are all covered as is installation, including installation in a virtual environment.
Migration from SBS 2003 is covered (there's even a short sidebar on Jeff Middleton's swing migration) with in depth coverage of the "official Microsoft method". This is certainly something that I hope the average business owner will call in an IT person to plan and execute as there are many steps where things can go wrong. All the initial steps of configuration are covered as well as DFS, FSRM, directory quotas, file screening, printers, and connecting clients, RWW, WSUS and Backup & Recovery (even the excellent product DPM 2007 is mentioned). Planning for disaster recovery is explained thoroughly, including the DR benefits of running SBS in Hyper V.
Advanced topics include the role based approach in Windows Server 2008, Exchange 2007 configuration (including the difference between direct email delivery and using a Smart Host) and using email contacts. Wireless security is explained in detail as is the Windows Firewall and Group Policy. Using Group Policy Preferences (new in Win 2008/SBS 2008) for setting up drive letters is detailed as are the new Reports and configuring Alerts. Customizing the Companyweb SharePoint site including adding TSWebAccess links is covered as is installing and configuring the second server in the Premium edition. SQL Server 2008 Standard Edition for Small Businesses is also detailed along with using the second server as a Terminal Server with TSWebAccess and TSGateway
For the second type of audience the coverage is lighter. For anyone who's kept up with SBS 2008 through the various blogs and the Techlibrary on Technet there's not an enormous amount of new stuff in this book. That said there are some gems, such as a PowerShell script to control which Standard Users are able to logon to which client computers. Two factor authentication, including Scorpion Software's RWWGuard with AuthAnvil for RWW was also an eye opener. The authors effectively share their real world knowledge and experience of SBS throughout the book which is very beneficial.
Overall this book was a pleasure to read, it's well laid out and covers both target audiences well.

The book has content written for two different audiences. Both a business owner wondering how to build a computer network as well as a consultant needing to know the specifics of the SBS products. Both will benefit from the knowledge obtained within this title.

The only complaint would be about the consistency of technical depth. While the book at times does an excellent job of explaining technical content, at other times it lacks the reasoning behind certain advice. In example: In an early chapter the author writes about the differences between KBps and kbps; however, the author does not explain the primary difference between a switch and a hub and the benefits. "Get a switch instead."

The book, although written for a small business, references many elements and topics that don't necessarily fit the SBS market. Although the information is beneficial, it may overwhelm a novice business owner looking for tips on how to maintain their IT infrastructure. Several of these references include discussions about data center, generators, and multiple server environments. Virtualization and DFS also fall into this realm. The book was completely lacking coverage of IPv6.

The book does an exceptional job expressing the importance of preplanning the project. An often overlooked aspect, the author drives this point to the reader. In every chapter of the book there is a listing of thoughts and considerations that should be made prior to installing the software product or initializing a specific feature.

If you've looked around for books on Windows Server 2008 then you know you have choice. I've done the searches, not just for 2008, but for 2000 and 2003 before it. But for any version I look out especially for the Administrators Companions, they form the core of my reference material and have helped on numerous occasions in the past. So I would really recommend starting with this one and then supplementing it with the Resource kits as and when you need them.