I'm very glad I read Jesse Sutela's "Windows 2003 Dcpromo" (September 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 39767). The article will help with my company's Windows Server 2003 deployment and recovery. I haven't yet had a chance to test the Dcpromo advanced mode process in a lab environment, so I have a question: Will the DNS configuration from the source domain controller (DC) be replicated to the target server being promoted when the system state backup files are read by Dcpromo, or will I need to manually configure DNS on the new server after running Dcpromo from media?
—Patrizia Pierani
patrizia.pierani@emersonprocess.com
Thanks for the feedback! Assuming the new DC is hosting the directory partition within which the DNS data is stored, the DNS data will be present on the new DC. However, you'll need to install the DNS service before you can load the Active Directory (AD)integrated zones and have a functioning DNS server.
—Jesse Sutela
Memo to Microsoft: Take Care of Certified Professionals
I received my MCSE certification for Windows NT in 1999, and I'm frustrated with the way Microsoft treats its MCSEs. I do have some hope after reading Mark Smith's Fast Forward: "The Soul of Windows Revisited" (September 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 39749). During the past couple of years, I've completely ignored the rhetoric from Microsoft; I felt that acquiring an MCSE certification had done very little for me and my quest for excellence. I have a steady job, but I like to do side jobs, and the certification showed potential clients that I have the skills to succeed in the project. But Microsoft seems to drop the ball in supporting MCSEs. Would the company consider having a free or reduced-cost support line for MCSEs? Then when we're at client sites pushing Microsoft products and features and we get into a snag while configuring products, we'll have a place to call for immediate assistance.
—Matt Bonar
mattb@wheeling-nisshin.com
Mark Smith deserves kudos for Fast Forward: "The Soul of Windows" (January 2003, http://www.winnetmag.com, InstantDoc ID 27392) and "The Soul of Windows Revisited." His point about Microsoft switching the focus of the advertising message in commercials is right on. Mark requested suggestions about how Microsoft can "improve relations with the Windows administrator community," and I can think of only one thing*a free Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) software subscription for the Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). I have been an MCP since the release of NT 4.0, and I think that certified administrators should have unfettered access to software to set up in a home or work lab for testing, practicing, and gaining "real" experience. (By lab I mean a nonproduction system. I'm not an advocate of the open-source initiative, and I believe Microsoft should be paid for its intellectual property.) A CD-ROM with a key based on a hash that uses the user's MCP ID plus birth date and social security number would deter anyone who tries to give the resource to friends and family. One of the reasons I'm interested in free software is that I've taken about 25 IT exams at a cost of more than $100 per exam. I don't mind paying for exams; I think that charging a fee to take the exams separates the people who are serious about certification from the people who aren't.
—Nick Boardman
nickboardman@cox.net
Windows & .NET Magazine Redesigns Web Site
The Windows & .NET Magazine Web site (http://www.winnetmag.com) has a new look and enhanced functionality. Here are just a few highlights of the new site: Subscribers to multiple print publications can now use one logon for all publications. You'll now get search results in a format that lets you tab through different types of content*articles, news, discussion forums, and FAQs. Also, we've broken the article topic list into a hierarchical structure that lets you browse by broad subject matter or drill down into specific topic areas. Check out the site and send your comments and suggestions to letters@winnetmag.com.
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