Windows System Administration Fundamentals: A Practical Guide to Servers, Active Directory, Security, Networking, and PowerShell

By: Haagenrud, Thom

Learn how to build, manage, secure, and troubleshoot professional Windows environments.

Windows administration is more than clicking through settings. A reliable Windows environment depends on understanding how servers, identities, policies, permissions, networks, services, and security controls work together. A server accepts requests. An identity makes the request. A policy defines what should happen. Permissions decide whether access is allowed. Logs provide the evidence needed to understand what happened.

Windows System Administration Fundamentals provides a practical foundation for managing modern Windows environments using professional administration principles. This book teaches you how to design, configure, operate, and troubleshoot Windows Server systems through structured workflows and hands-on practice.

You will learn how to: Build a safe Windows Server laboratory environmentInstall and configure Windows Server systemsUnderstand Server Core and Desktop Experience deployment choicesManage server roles, features, and servicesConfigure remote administration and management toolsCreate and manage users, groups, computers, and organizational unitsDeploy Active Directory Domain ServicesUnderstand domains, forests, domain controllers, sites, and replicationConfigure DNS as the foundation of Windows identity servicesDesign and apply Group Policy effectivelyManage file servers, NTFS permissions, SMB shares, quotas, and encryptionTroubleshoot networking problems involving IP addressing, DNS, DHCP, routing, and firewallsApply security baselines and protect privileged accountsAutomate administration tasks using PowerShellEstablish monitoring, patching, backup, and recovery practicesThe book also emphasizes safe experimentation. Exercises are designed around isolated laboratory environments where administrators can install roles, test configurations, collect evidence, and recover without affecting production systems.

No previous enterprise administration experience is required. The book starts with the fundamentals and gradually builds toward professional administration practices.

If you want to understand how Windows environments are designed, managed, secured, automated, and maintained, Windows System Administration Fundamentals provides the practical foundation.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HGS1W5V2
• ISBN13: 9798170146017
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 174 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"