It's about that time where I sit down and share some knowledge...this time on Server Core 2008. If you've been to my blog anytime over the last year you will see that I've spent a considerable amount of time working on Server Core. It now seems that I've hit critical mass and must bring all of this information together into one article.

What does a Directory Service MVP do when performing health checks on his domain controllers? Find out and feel free to add your own contributions to this article.

For some linking Group Policies to either the Site, Domain, or Organizational Units may not be enough. If you have a Group Policy that you would like to apply to a specific group of people then read on...

One of the most fundamental tasks administrators are responsible for is backups. Unbelievably, Microsoft did not include a built-in mechanism for backing up and restoring group policies. There is a tool from Microsoft that will perform those tasks and many more. Read on to see exactly how to perform these tasks.

One of your domain controllers just died...time to get out your disaster recovery plan! How do you remove a DC that you can't run DCPROMO on? Get some popcorn and your favorite beverage because I’m going to show you how it’s done.

Operation Master Roles can be one of the most confusing topics in an Active Directory environment. These five roles are installed on the first domain controller in an Active Directory forest and it is your responsibility to determine where they should go after that. You also must know how to seize a role if one of these servers fails.

Windows Server 2003 brings several new features to companies that are using Active Directory. What most people fail to realize is that not all of those features are available by default. Read on and let Brian McCann teach you exactly what you need to do to raise either the domain or functional level of your Active Directory.