Chapter 1. Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2003
THE CHAPTERS IN THIS BOOK ARE LAID out roughly in the order you would perform a production Windows Server 2003 deployment. Let's start off with setting up a server. This chapter covers the following topics:
- Feature comparison of the various Windows Server 2003 versions
- Hardware recommendations for Windows Server 2003, Standard and Enterprise Editions
- Comprehensive pre-deployment checklist
- Overview of setup operations to highlight critical decision points
- Detailed steps for a server installation
- Analysis of boot sequence to use for troubleshooting
- Tips for correcting common setup problems
Chapter 2, "Performing Upgrades and Automated Installations," finishes up the deployment topics. Chapter 3, "Adding Hardware," contains information about modifying a system after installation.Before installing or upgrading production servers, you should read the chapters covering IP-based services in Windows Server 2003, especially name resolution and DNS. If you are deploying servers within a domain, or you plan on upgrading an existing domain, you should get familiar with the requirements of Active Directory (AD) and network access security.