Advanced Windows Small Business Server 2003 Best Practices

The following review was written by Robert Crane of CIAOPs.  Robert is a leading member of the Sydney SBS Group.  Robert can be contacted directly on [email protected] if you have any feedback for him.

If you spend anytime online with the members of the SBS community you’ll know there are some real experts out there, experienced with every facet of the product. For many people running IT businesses focused on SBS it is almost impossible to keep up to date with these experts and their recommendations but now you can !

Harry Brelsford new Advanced Windows Small Business Server 2003 Best Practices Book combines the knowledge of all these expert into an old world technology book that you can actually sit down and read. This book is not designed for end users it is really aimed at the IT consultant who is implementing SBS for customers. But more than that I believe the book it aimed at those consultants who want to “do more” with SBS and provide real value for their clients.

The book deals with advanced topics including Sharepoint, Remote Web Workplace, Understanding hardware and more. The book also includes a chapter written by our own Australian SBS MVP Wayne Small that looks at Advanced Mobility options and SBS. The book covers a lot of ground and each chapter has a vast amount of highly relevant information about improving the implementation of SBS. The authors come from the “real world” and most run SBS focused consulting businesses so they are more than well qualified to speak about these topics. In the books you’ll find ways to do things better, install options you never knew existed and generally improve any installation of SBS to the point where a potential customer just can’t say no. Being written by so many talented authors the book delivers on its promises and should be a mandatory addition to any SBS consultants books shelf ( along with Harry’s other books of course ).

The only disappointing factor in the book was the fact that it didn’t delve into the world or virtual machines. Microsoft’s virtual PC, and server as well as VMWare’s offering provide excellent ways to test and demo all sorts of software not just SBS. In my experience every consultant supporting a variety of software on any platform ( but especially SBS ) should be using these technologies extensively.

There are few other places around where you will get so much information, from so many experienced people in topics directly related to SBS. This book is not really designed for those consultants new to SBS ( they should read Harry’s other books first ) but is aimed at those professionals already familiar with SBS who want to take the product to higher levels. After reading this book there is little doubt you will have increased not only your knowledge of SBS but also your marketability to customers. Benefit from the experience of the best in field and take SBS to a new level.