Books: Group Policy and Creating the Secure Managed Desktop by Jeremy Moskowitz

One of the first things we discover when we are searching about for answers on any Group Policy related issues is the name Jeremy Moskowitz. Jeremy is a Group Policy MVP, runs GPAnswers.com, and does a lot of in-person training on Group Policy. He knows his stuff!

Keeping up to date on the changes in Group Policy (GP) from RTM/Gold products through Service Packs can be a challenge. Structuring our OUs and GPs appropriately can also be a challenge, especially for the new GP structures introduced with Windows Vista and now Server 2008.

There are two fantastic book resources by Jeremy Moskowitz available to us:

1. Group Policy: Fundamentals, Security, and Troubleshooting
2. Creating the Secure Managed Desktop Using Group Policy, SoftGrid, Microsoft Deployment, and Other Management Tools

A nice touch for those who order from his Web site is they come autographed.

Given that we are currently in a major learning mode for Small Business Server 2008 and Essential Business Server 2008, picking these books up to facilitate our knowledge building on the new Group Policy structures is a good idea.

They are well written with a plethora of real world examples. Whenever a new edition of the books is available we make a point of picking them up. They are really that good.

For us, providing a secure and properly structured Group Policy setup is mandatory for our clients. Thus we make a point of learning the GP guidelines that are available to us.

From securing Terminal Servers to setting up OUs with computers or users with specific GPs defined for them, we need to understand how the various policy settings affect those OUs and any OUs nested within them. Jeremy's books provide one of the better ways to do so.

Also, the GPAnswers.com Web site is another great resource. There is a user community of very helpful folks to work with when it comes to Group Policy related questions and issues. Check it out, it will be well worth your time.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

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