Microsoft Press introduced a great technique to get more readers: Giving away free books, as simple as that. And this time with a great proposal: Introducing Windows Server 2008 R2.

Even though it is a short book (200 pages) you’ll see that there are several topics that you might be interested in. Here are the chapters involved:

• Chapter 1    What’s New in Windows Server R2
• Chapter 2    Installation and Configuration: Adding R2 to Your World
• Chapter 3    Hyper-V: Scaling and Migrating Virtual Machines
• Chapter 4    Remote Desktop Services and VDI: Centralizing Desktop and Application Management
• Chapter 5    Active Directory: Improving and Automating Identity and Access   
  Chapter 6    The File Services Role
• Chapter 7    IIS 7.5: Improving the Web Application Platform
• Chapter 8    DirectAccess and Network Policy Server
• Chapter 9    Other Features and Enhancements

You will find several information about important improvements introduced in this version, like: Hyper-V R2 (Live Migration and storage hot add feature); VDI; IIS 7.5; BranchCache and DirectAccess.

Enjoy!

Continuing with their 25th Anniversary Microsoft Press prepared for us their final release for free E-Books (yes, these two and you won’t be getting this exciting offers anymore):

“Office Communications Server 2007 R2: Resource Kit”

If you are not very familiar with the communications suite, here’s a short topic review that is included in almost 900 pages:

• Overview and server roles
• Key deployment scenarios: VoIP, basic IM, conferencing, voice mail, etc.
• Planning and Deployment
• General administration and monitoring
• Backup and restore
• Troubleshooting.

And as for previous released, the offer also includes the developers e-book:

“Programming for Unified Communications with Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 R2”

Remember that these downloads are available for a short period of time.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Remember that these books are available as a free download for a limited period of time. 

Microsoft Press released two new e-books to continue celebrating their 25th anniversary:

Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services Resource Kit

On this book you’ll find detailed information about what’s new in Windows Server 2008 regarding Terminal Services and common scenarios to use a Terminal Services ecosystem.

As an always requested topic regarding to Terminal Services, you’ll see how the applications publications works within these environments, using Terminal Services RemoteApps (TS RemoteApps).

Some of the topics:

• Planning and installing Terminal Server environment.
• Creating and maintaining user work environment.
• Installing and Publishing Applications.
• Terminal Services ecosystem management.

Also, on the devs side again, you can find this another “best practices” book:

“The Practical Guide to Defect Prevention”. Techniques to meet the demand for more reliable software.

Enjoy and don’t forget to share the links.

Cheers!

Windows Small Business Server 2008 Administrator’s Companion

But you should know that this book is going to be available for download for a short period of time: April 15 to April 22. So you better hurry up and get yourself a copy!

The SBS platform that was introduced with Windows Server 2003 is oriented to small-medium organizations (between 5 and 75 computers) and gives you all the possibilities and solutions that you may need to use on your organization within a single server: Active Directory, Exchange Server, Internet Information Services (IIS), Sharepoint, SQL, Terminal Services, etc. Avoiding, this way, to consider the implementation of several servers and their hardware and licensing costs.

Also, on the devs side, you can find this book also available:

Microsoft® Visual Basic® 2008 Express Edition: Build a Program Now!

Enjoy!

Windows Vista Resource Kit, 2nd Edition

On this book you’ll find:

• Windows Vista Deployment
• Desktop Management
• Desktop Maintenance
• All you need to know about Networking on Windows Vista
• Troubleshooting

It’s quite interesting actually, on this book you’ll find several topics that can be quite useful as an IT Pro or a common user: Regarding to Vista Deployment you can find everything you need to know about deployments using Windows Deployment Services (WDS) or Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT), preparing Windows PE boot environment, etc.

Also take a look at the networking section that will explain the improvements that were made on this OS (firewall, IPSec, etc); troubleshooting hardware, devices and common errors.

Remember that these free eBooks will be available for a short period of time, so don’t waste any more time and get it!

Adding now another free eBook: Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

Enjoy!

Cheers

Windows Server 2008 Server Core Administrator’s Pocket Consultant

On this book you’ll find:

• Introduction to Server Core
• Deploying Server Core
• Initial Configurations
• Installing Roles and Features
• Local and Remote Management
• Detailed description of all roles available:
  • Active Directory and DNS
  • Hyper-V
  • DHCP
  • File and Print Services
  • Web Server
  • Others
• Maintaining Server Core

Did you give Windows Server Core a chance already? On the obvious security reasons that you can find to install it; you’ll see other benefits like having a small footprint operating system, licensing price, great performance to take advantage all the features on the mentioned roles, including Hyper-V clustering.

You can start on this book to get a nice introduction and to know all the possibilities with Server Core.

And again, on the devs side (but it is also quite useful for IT guys) you’ll find a SQL Server 2005 book:

SQL Server 2005 Integration Services Step-by-Step

For another free eBook (“Virtualization Solutions”) still available, click here.

Enjoy!

Cheers!

You can still access the “Virtualization Solutions” free eBook from MS Press on this link.

I’ll keep you updated whenever this offers appears!

More very interesting reading MS Press books available for free.

On the IT side, you can find "Understanding IPv6". Great book to get to know this (still not commonly used) networking and security protocol.

• IPv6 Protocol for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
• IPv6 addressing and headers
• Neighbor Discovery
• Address Autoconfiguration
• IPv6 name resolution
• ISATAP
• Teredo
• Deploying IPv6
• Setting up a lab with IPv6

On the devs side, "Best Practices Writing Secure Code for Windows Vista".

Enjoy.

Cheers!

Well this is for sure a must reading book for you. And the best thing, it’s here for free! You can get the PDF (~14mb) at this link (link updated):

“Virtualization Solutions from the Desktop to the Datacenter”

Chapter 1: Microsoft’s Virtualization Solution
Introduction to the virtualization world, benefits and how to implement it.

Chapter 2: Server Virtualization – Hyper-V
Start to know about the hyper visor released by Microsoft from Windows Server 2008 platform. How it works, benefits and different scenarios.

Chapter 3: Managing Virtualization – VMM 2008
The latest centralized platform from System Center, Virtual Machine Manager 2008. Where you can manage different type of servers: Virtual Server, VMWare and Hyper-V.

Chapter 4: Application Virtualization – App-V
How App-V works (former known as SoftGrid) and how it can be delivered to users.

Chapter 5: Presentation Virtualization – Terminal Services
How Terminal Services complements the different virtualization solutions and their benefits.

Chapter 6: Desktop Virtualization – MED-V and VDI
Explaining Microsoft Enterprise Desktop Virtualization (MED-V) and Microsoft Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).

Chapter 7: User State Virtualization
Complementing Romaing Profiles, Folder Redirection, Offline Files, Group Policies with virtualization and how to implement it on an organization.

Chapter 8: Building a Virtualization Infrastructure
Getting to know Microsoft Virtualtion Solutions Accelerators, Microsoft System Center and Virtualization Licensing.

Enjoy it!

Cheers