September 1st, 2010 
admin Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed is the most comprehensive and realistic guide to planning, design, prototyping, implementation, migration, administration, and support. Based on the authors’ unsurpassed experience working with Windows Server 2008 R2 since its earliest alpha releases, it offers indispensable guidance drawn from hundreds of production environments.  Microsoft MVP Rand Morimoto and his colleagues systematically introduce Windows Server 2008 R2 to IT professionals, identifyin
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(out of 7 reviews)
List Price: $ 59.99
Price: $ 33.78
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Review by Peter A. Denny for Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
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As usual we are always expected to know the new stuff and support it but no one wants to ever pay for training so what to do? I did a lot of scouring for a good server 08R2 book and it was slim pickings. Most books were out of date (R1) or simply geared toward studying for a test which does me little good in defining an AD upgrade road map and figuring out what to define for app server standards. I finally found this on amazon and relying on reviews and the TOC i opted to get it. Its a fantastic resource but huge so expect to be doing some serious reading. What I loved is that right off they talk about what is new in R2. This is a big help. Lets get features out of the way immediately. The rest of the book is structured logically but is easy to jump around in since life does not follow a table of contents. I strongly recommed this if you support windows servers in a real world environment. If you are looking to take an MCSE test, then stick to the exam cram for those since this will be way over kill for you more than likely. A+ to the authors.
Review by Brian Donovan for Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
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I’m glad I bought this book, we just completed our migration to Active Directory 2008 R2 (as well as Exchange 2010) this weekend using this book (and the Exchange Server 2010 Unleashed book) and by mid-day Saturday here, we are successfully done and heading home!
We used this Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed book in our planning process to get our Active Directory (2003 native mode) environment upgraded to 2008 R2. We wanted to take advantage of fine grain password policies as well as some of the new group policy functions. We knew that we needed need to go to AD 2008 R2 for our Exchange 2010 upgrade, we could have left AD on 2003 Native Mode, but we had the opportunity to buy new hardware, so we slipped into our Exchange migration budget funds to cover new servers for our AD migration as well.
The migration went smoothly, no problems at all, and in fact it went smoother than we ever anticipated. Very pleased with this book and the guidance it provided us!
Review by Scot Wucher for Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
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Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed is a superior, comprehensive reference book making it a true must have for every system administrator. First, the book itself is huge, totaling 1680 pages. I also appreciate the hardcover and obvious quality; I know my investment will last for years.
The content is even more amazing. It didn’t find one subject not explored. Where other books only touch on certain topics, such as direct access, this reference book dives into each topic in great detail. Additionally I found all the material to be current and accurate. Unleashed gives some highly detailed coverage to migration, so if you are looking to migrate your 2k or 2003 servers, you will want to read the first few chapters at minimum.
Due to the large size, you will also probably want to select the chapters that apply to your specific environment and focus on those. One thing nice about this book is it does permit the reader to skip around among the chapters. Like I said, it is an impressive book and for the price, you are not going to find a book with a higher quality of content.
Review by Michael Christ for Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
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These books are getting bigger and bigger every year. This one is great that it’s hardcover, at over 1500 pages, I’ve had soft cover books fall apart on me quickly. This book on Windows 2008 R2 covers everything, from DirectAcces (GREAT coverage!!!) to migrating to Windows 2008 R2 to Remote Desktop Services to Clustering and more. I haven’t gotten through the entire book yet, but what I’ve jumped to so far has been solid!
Review by Omar E. Machado for Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed
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A must read if you are a systems engineer/administrator. The book covers everything from migration, in-place/parallel upgrade, etc. You won’t regret it.