RTM’d today: MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-640): Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory (2nd Edition)

We’re happy to announce that  MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-640): Configuring Windows Server 2008 Active Directory (2nd Edition), by Dan Holme, Nelson Ruest, Danielle Ruest, and Jason Kellington, shipped to the printer today!

See below for the book's contents and an excerpt from its introduction. You can preorder the book here and here.

Contents at a Glance

Introduction
CHAPTER 1 Creating an Active Directory Domain
CHAPTER 2 Administering Active Directory Domain Services
CHAPTER 3 Administering User Accounts
CHAPTER 4 Managing Groups
CHAPTER 5 Configuring Computer Accounts
CHAPTER 6 Implementing a Group Policy Infrastructure
CHAPTER 7 Managing Enterprise Security and Configuration with Group Policy Settings
CHAPTER 8 Improving the Security of Authentication in an AD DS Domain
CHAPTER 9 Integrating Domain Name System with AD DS
CHAPTER 10 Administering Domain Controllers
CHAPTER 11 Managing Sites and Active Directory Replication
CHAPTER 12 Managing Multiple Domains and Forests
CHAPTER 13 Directory Business Continuity
CHAPTER 14 Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services
CHAPTER 15 Active Directory Certificate Services and Public Key Infrastructures
CHAPTER 16 Active Directory Rights Management Services
CHAPTER 17 Active Directory Federation Services
Answers
Index

Introduction (excerpt)

This training kit is designed for IT professionals who support or plan to support Microsoft
Active Directory (AD) on Windows Server 2008 R2 and who also plan to take the Microsoft
Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) 70-640 examination. It is assumed that you have
a solid foundation-level understanding of Microsoft Windows client and server operating
systems and common Internet technologies. The MCTS exam, and this book, assume that you
have at least one year of experience administering AD technologies.

The material covered in this training kit and on exam 70-640 builds on your understanding
and experience to help you implement AD technologies in distributed environments, which
can include complex network services and multiple locations and domain controllers.
The topics in this training kit cover what you need to know for the exam, as described on
the Skills Measured tab for the exam, which is available at https://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/exam.aspx?ID=70-640&locale=en-us#tab2.

By using this training kit, you will learn how to do the following:

■ Deploy Active Directory Domain Services, Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services, Active Directory Certificate Services, Active Directory Federation Services, and Active Directory Rights Management Services in a forest or domain.
■ Upgrade existing domain controllers, domains, and forests to Windows Server 2008 R2.
■ Efficiently administer and automate the administration of users, groups, and computers.
■ Manage the configuration and security of a domain by using Group Policy, fine-grained password policies, directory services auditing, and the Security Configuration Wizard.
■ Implement effective name resolution with the domain name system (DNS) on Windows Server 2008 R2.
■ Plan, configure, and support the replication of Active Directory data within and between sites.
■ Add, remove, maintain, and back up domain controllers.
■ Enable authentication between domains and forests.
■ Implement new capabilities and functionality offered by Windows Server 2008 R2.

Refer to the objective mapping page in the front of this book to see where in the book each exam objective is covered.