Contributors
The following people contributed their hacks, writing, and inspiration to this book:
Dennis Abbott is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and has been working in the high tech industry for eight years. He has worked with Microsoft Systems Management Server since Version 1.1 and with Windows NT Server since Version 3.51. Dennis discovered the power of Microsoft scripting while building in-house solutions for software distribution that required industry-standard infrastructure and a minimum amount of code. He has coded numerous scripts that combine Windows Management Instrumentation, Active Directory Service Interfaces, and Windows Scripting Host to create simple solutions to complex problems. He currently works for Schneider National in Green Bay, WI, where he bicycles to work through rain, sleet, or snow. Previous employers include Dell Computers and Advanced Micro Devices. He can be reached at speckled_trout@hotmail.com.
Sean Ademy is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and has been in the IT industry for eight years. He is thankful to be lucky enough to be able to turn a hobby into a career. He is a lifelong resident of St. Petersburg, FL, where he currently resides with his wife, Wendy, and son, Kyle. In his spare time, you can usually find Sean cheering for his hometown Tampa Bay Buccaneers, playing one of his guitars, or fishing the waters of Tampa Bay with Wendy. You can reach Sean at seanademy@yahoo.com.
Michael Brainard is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and has worked in the computer industry for the past 10 years. He has worked in Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. During that time he has worked for companies such as Eastman Chemical Company, Cox Communications, MCI, and Motorola. He currently runs his own business, Computing Xperts (CX) (http://www.computingxperts.com), in the South Florida area. He has spent 6 of his 10 years in the computer industry administrating Systems Management Server (SMS), package automation, and scripting, and he spent the other 4 years offering automated solutions utilizing Active Directory and Group Policy. In his current assignment, he is working as a consultant for Mortgage Systems International to design an SMS 2003 hierarchy for an international mortgage company.
Chris Crowe works as a Database Administrator for Trimble in Christchurch, New Zealand. He has a MCP, MCP+I, MCSA, and MCSE, and he has been a Microsoft MVP since 1997, specializing in Internet Information Server (IIS). In early 2000, Chris started a web site called IISFAQ (http://www.IISFAQ.com) as a resource to help him maintain a set of answers to frequently asked questions on the microsoft.public.inetserver.iis newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com. IISFAQ has since grown to be the premier independent IIS resource on the Internet. Chris can be reached via IISFAQ or via email at chris@iisfaq.com.
Matthew Goedtel is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is President and CEO of IT Centric Inc. (http://www.itcentric.biz), an IT solutions and consulting company that offers professional services and technology solutions. Matthew founded IT Centric in 2002, with the vision of forming a leading-edge solutions firm, creating innovative solutions while ensuring cost effectiveness. Prior to IT Centric, he was Senior Systems Architect with National Life of Vermont, where he led the design and migration to Windows 2000, evaluated and redefined single vendor solution for data center server and storage solutions, assisted with the design and implementation of a SAN and enterprise backup solution, and much more. Prior to National Life, he held a Systems Engineer position at Merrill Lynch, developing change and configuration management solutions and assisting in the development and support of a global Windows NT 4.0 infrastructure. Matthew has also worked as a consultant for many leading financial and retail companies throughout his career, providing similar responsibilities.
John Gormly is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and has worked for a leading public accounting firm for the last 15 years. He earned his bachelor's degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Cincinnati. He began his career as an auditor and made the transition in to IT nine years ago, when he was asked to head the IT department for the firm's Cincinnati location. He is now a Regional Technology Director and is responsible for all aspects of technology, including PC support, LAN/WAN infrastructure, telecommunications, project management, training, IT deployments, and personnel management. John has written many training courses for end users, technical articles for newsletters, and presentations specifically for the IT community. He specializes in all Microsoft operating systems and all versions of Microsoft Office. He also maintains certifications in Novell Netware (CNE3, 4, and 5) and is an A+ Certified Technician. John lives in Lebanon, OH, with his wife, Cynthia, and three young sons?John, Jacob, and Joshua. John can be reached at jgormlyjr@yahoo.com.
Harvey Hendricks is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and started working with computers as a hobby that later became an occupation. He bought his first computer in 1982 and taught himself to write basic language programs. Writing programs soon went from being a hobby to an obsession, and when a career change became desirable he returned to college after an 18-year hiatus. There he became a member of a national honor society and earned a degree in Computer Science in 1993. He is employed at a great company in Houston, Texas, where his responsibilities include Microsoft Systems Management Server, Network Associates Inc. Total Virus Defense, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager, Microsoft Software Update Server, RSA SecurID, and SecurPBX. He holds the following certifications: TIAComp A+, Microsoft Certified Professional, and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer. He is active in the martial arts, holding a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a first degree black belt in Torite-jutsu, and he is a member in good standing of Dragon Society International. He rides his Harley Davidson motorcycle every chance he gets and in his spare time also likes riding his dirt bikes, scuba diving, camping, hunting, fishing, and snow skiing.
Don Hite is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com). The eldest of four children, he was born to American parents in the Army hospital at Wurzburg Germany in November 1957. After living in Bad Kissingen, Germany, for the first few years of his life, the Hite family moved back to the United States when Don was still in khaki army diapers. Educated by trade as a commercial maintenance electrician and holding a master electrician's license, Don made the career change from terminating copper conductor cable to terminating Ethernet cable in the early 1990s. Don lives in Raymore, MO, with his wife, Ginny. He has a son, Lee, a stepdaughter, Lisa, and a grandson named Blake.
David Jaffe is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and has been in IT for over six years. He has worked with a wide variety of applications specializing in system management. Dave is the co-owner of SMSExpert.com (http://www.smsexpert.com), the largest provider of SMS third-party tools.
Janis Keim is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is the PC Technical Support Supervisor for State Street, a mutual funds company in Kansas City, MO, and has over 15 years of experience in computer technology. As the SMS administrator for approximately 1,700 workstations, her responsibilities include software packaging, testing, and deployment. She is also responsible for image build creation from start to finish, deployment of new PCs, ePO administration, security-related patch deployment for all workstations, maintenance of the company's entire fire call password process, and management of six support personnel. She is also cofounder of the Kansas City Regional SMS User Group (KCRSMSUG).
Tim Kelly is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is Technology Leader for TSYS (http://www.tsys.com), the world's largest credit card processing company. Tim leads the implementation of Microsoft.NET-based web services and applications. He worked for three years at Microsoft (1998-2001) during the time of the Windows 2000 rollout and assisted multiple enterprise customers with Active Directory implementations. He has worked extensively in e-commerce and the highly available web applications space during the last five years and counts as specialties IIS, MSCS, MS SQL high availability and management, Active Directory, and core network technologies. He is a graduate of the University of Idaho and received a Master's degree in Business from Auburn University. Tim enjoys his family?Lynn, Russell, and Jackson?when he's not jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. His web site is http://www.skydiveopelika.net.
Thomas Lee (http://www.psp.co.uk/tfl/tfl.htm) is Chief Technologist at QA, the UK's largest independent training firm, and has worked with Windows since it was first released. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and subsequently worked on two successful operating system projects (Comshare's Commander II and ICL's VME) before joining Andersen Consulting in 1981, where he was a manager in the London office. He was an independent consultant from 1987 until he joined QA in 2003, where he now lectures, consults, and owns QA's technical portfolio. Thomas is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), Microsoft Valued Professional (MVP) and Microsoft Regional Director (Europe). Thomas lives in a cottage in the English countryside with his wife, Susan, and daughter, Rebecca.
Tim Mintner is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is President and a Systems Architect Consultant for MMH Services (http://www.mmhservices.com). Tim has worked in the IT industry for over 10 years and has designed Microsoft networks for over 50 companies in the Midwest. Tim specializes in Microsoft Infrastructure technologies and has a deep background in Active Directory, SMS, SQL Server, MOM, Exchange, and ISA server. Tim is based in St. Louis, MO, where he runs the Microsoft Infrastructure Professional Users Group (http://www.mipug.org). Tim can often be found answering questions in the forums at myITforum.com. You can reach Tim by emailing him at tmintner@mmhservices.com.
Chris Mosby is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and worked for three years at Bechtel Hanford Inc. (BHI) as a full-time SMS/Virus Protection Administrator. During his tenure at that company, Chris turned SMS into an essential management tool for BHI. His complete redesign of BHI's antivirus system and antivirus policy led to the elimination of 7,356 viruses and to zero network downtime due to virus infection from January 2000 until he left employment at BHI in June 2003. At last report, this antivirus system is still protecting the BHI network and was able to fend off thousands of additional virus infections during the global outbreaks of Blaster, Mimail, Welchia, and Swen viruses during the period of August and September 2003. His other accomplishments include beta-testing the current version of SMS Installer for Microsoft, designing and implementing the initial SMS 2.0 system of Bechtel National's Waste Treatment Plant Project, obtaining his Symantec Product Specialist Certification in Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition 7.5/7.6, and coauthoring Configuring Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition (Syngress). Chris is also the creator of SMS Admin gear (http://www.cafeshops.com/smsadmin). Chris now works as the SMS Administrator for a large regional bank and lives in Tupelo, MS, with the love of his life, his wife Debbie. He can be contacted at mozbe@yahoo.com.
Marcus Oh is a team leader for the Windows Core Technologies Group at Cox Communications, Inc. (http://www.cox.com), specializing in Systems Management. He lives happily with his wife, Joanna, in Alpharetta, GA. In his spare time, Marcus writes articles for myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com), maintains geek status by reading a mound of technical articles and white papers, and helps his wife with her web site (http://www.webcritter.net). He can be reached at marcus@webcritter.net.
Rob Olson is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is the founder of DudeWorks Software (http://www.dudeworks.com), which develops add-on solutions for SMS and many other Windows systems-management tools and solutions and provides custom systems-management programming solutions. Rob also serves as a senior software distribution engineer for a major financial company in the United States, supporting over 50,000 (and growing) SMS clients. He can be reached at rob@dudeworks.com.
Marcin Policht has been contributing to a number of popular technology web sites, such as myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com), ServerWatch (http://www.ServerWatch.com), and Database Journal (http://databasejournal.com) for several years. While he focuses on engineering and administration of large Windows deployments (primarily in financial institutions) involving a variety of Windows-based products, such as SMS, SQL, IIS, Exchange, and Citrix, he is also interested in programming and scripting topics. This interest is best exemplified by his book WMI Essentials for Automating Windows Management (SAMS), published in 2001. He also cowrote Windows 2003 Server Bible (Wiley) and Mastering Active Directory for Windows Server 2003 (Sybex). Marcin has also been actively involved as a technical trainer in the field of certifications. One of the first recipients of Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 MCSE and MCSA, he has also worked with Microsoft on setting criteria for Windows 2000 Clustering exam.
Brian Rogers is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is currently a consultant with Collective Technologies Inc. (http://www.colltech.com), providing SMS 2.0 and 2003 analysis, proof of concepts, implementations, and upgrades, with focus on patch management. His previous experience includes over five years with Systems Management Server, beginning with SMS 1.2 and continuing through to SMS 2003; over two years as an MCT, teaching SMS 1.2 and 2.0; and over three years as an SMS 2.0 Administrator.
Janet Ryding is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com), based in the UK, and has more than 10 years of experience in the IT industry. Working mainly with Windows NT/2000, Citrix, and the standard BackOffice products, she provides network consultation to a variety of large multinational organizations and has worked in the past for Ford Motor Company, the Ministry of Defense, and the National Health Service. Janet holds an MCSE in NT4 and 2000, the Citrix CCA and CCSP certifications, and Cisco's CCNA. Janet is currently working on a variety of projects and is looking to move into more project management roles. She can be reached at pn1995@yahoo.co.uk.
Peter Rysavy is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is currently the webmaster and network administrator at a small private business college. He spends his day taking care of the academic network and labs, administering an Exchange email system and the college intranet, supporting the campus-wide wireless network, and maintaining the college web site. In his spare time, Peter is actively involved in the Tablet PC community, evangelizing the platform, contributing news stories, interacting with users, and writing about Tablet PCs on his web site, Tabula PC (http://www.kstati.com/tabula).
Hans Schefske is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and has over eight years experience engineering and designing the architecture and implementation of Microsoft client/server-based network solutions. Consulting and leading projects in the IT industry, he has provided technical expertise in the areas of designing and implementing infrastructures for large enterprise-level companies such as Nabisco, Prudential, AIG, Simpson, Thatcher and Bartlett, Novartis, and Hoffman LaRoche Pharmaceuticals. In 2003, Hans was awarded a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for SMS for his outstanding technical skills and willingness to share knowledge with his peers. As a technical author at myITforum.com, he provides technical information, tools, scripts, and utilities for IT professionals and administrators to better assist them in managing their Microsoft-based solutions. Hans is currently a Senior Active Directory and SMS consultant at a large telecommunications company based in Atlanta, GA.
Pat Sklodowski is a contributor to myITforum.com.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer with over eight years of industry experience. His specialties include Windows NT/2000, Active Directory, SMS, Exchange, and scripting. Pat is currently working as a Senior Engineer with a global provider of engineering solutions and specialized staffing. He is responsible for developing new initiatives, architectural solutions, technical project-management, and ongoing support. Pat can be reached at psklodow@yahoo.com.
Donnie Taylor is a columnist for several web sites, including myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com), and is currently the Systems Management Administrator for Central Technology Services. His duties include the installation, maintenance, and administration of SMS, MOM, SQL, and various management applications. He has been with Central Technology Services for four years. Donnie lives with his wife and two daughters in Jefferson City, MO. He met his wife while attending Southwest Missouri State University, where he pursued degrees in CIS/MIS, English, and Anthropology. Donnie enjoys PC and console gaming, exploring his Cherokee heritage, and spending time with his family.
Dan Thomson is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and an influential member of the IT staff at a local college, where he assists with many aspects of supporting the computing systems. Some of Dan's responsibilities include maintaining antivirus software, OS imaging, group policies, software deployments, and SMS. Dan is always happy to share whenever he can and can be found participating in many online forums and newsgroups. Dan enjoys spending time with his wife and 10-month-old daughter.
Richard Threlkeld is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and was employed as a contractor for Motorola, where he eventually worked his way up to manage the SMS infrastructure for all of Motorola's Boynton Beach facilities, including packaging, software deployments, site maintenance, client support, and reporting. Along with his local SMS responsibilities, Richard also helped develop packages for Motorola's Global Packaging Team which distributed software and security updates to workstations and servers worldwide. In late 2002, Richard moved to San Diego, CA, to work for QUALCOMM Inc. (http://www.qualcomm.com). Richard currently heads the SMS Infrastructure for the QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies division, which spans locations worldwide, and deals with other Active Directory and engineering issues. Outside of work, Richard takes part in different SMS forums and user communities, where he is regularly found assisting other administrators with issues in their environments. Richard is also a Microsoft MVP for SMS because of his community involvement.
Rod Trent, manager of myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com), is the leading expert on Microsoft Systems Management Server. He has over 18 years of IT experience, 8 of which have been dedicated to SMS. He is the author of such books as Microsoft SMS Installer, Admin911:SMS, and IIS 5.0: A Beginner's Guide and has written thousands of articles on technology topics. myITforum.com is the central location for third-party SMS support, as well as the online gathering place for IT professionals and the IT community. Rod speaks at least three times a year at various conferences and is a principal in NetImpress, Inc. (http://www.netimpress.com).
Chuck Young is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and began his IT career during his time in the Air National Guard, when he converted an old Banyan Vines network to an NT environment. After pursuing a degree in Computer Science and holding several jobs in the computer industry, Chuck now finds himself working almost exclusively with Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS). Often mistaken for SMSMAN, Chuck is just a dedicated perfectionist that will not settle for less than 80%; his philosophy is "Why give 100% at anything? It doesn't leave anything for the fun stuff!" Chuck can be reached at chuck.young@acs-inc.com.
Oren Zippori is a columnist on myITforum.com (http://www.myitforum.com) and is currently working for Team Computers, a gold-certified Support Center for Microsoft. Oren specializes in system-management products and has also been involved in Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000 migrations. Oren also manages an open forum for Microsoft in Israel that supports SMS and MOM products. Oren spends his free time scuba diving, mountain climbing, and playing snooker. He knows how to enjoy a good fiction book and likes to write short stories for fun. You can reach him at orenzp@hotmail.com
