Windows Server 2016: Domain Infrastructure represents a dramatic shift—an additional direction—for my writing as the fourth book in the Tech Artisans series. While many of my previous books have focused primarily on administration techniques, this latest endeavor focuses on providing technology solutions for a wide range of IT professionals. This new direction required a great deal of thought to plan and a lot of hard work to implement. Still, I think the hard work paid off and the result is a good book that will help any technologist learn Windows Server 2016 and related technologies.
Once again, I was fortunate enough to team up with a great group of individuals from around the industry including at Microsoft and Intel. I must say that the editorial team was very patient with me, even as I revised the outline and structure for the umpteenth time, which is great news for readers as the book is much clearer in focus and more detailed in coverage. Indeed, one of the goals was to provide concise yet thorough coverage of Windows Server 2016 and related technologies. (You'll be the judge as to whether this goal was achieved.)
As always, it is gratifying to see techniques I’ve used time and again to solve problems put into a printed book so that others may benefit from them. But no man is an island, and this book couldn’t have been written without help from some very special people throughout the industry, including Liz, Mac, Jeff, Kelly, Mike, Shawn, John, Amy, Paula, Owen, and Carol.
Unfortunately for the writer (but fortunately for readers), writing is only one part of the publishing process. Next came editing and author review. I owe huge Thank Yous to the team at Andover as well as to L & L for their wild enthusiasm and careful work. Good copy editors and proofreaders are hard to find!
Special thanks to my son Will for his extensive contributions to this book, from concept development to completion. He’s made many contributions previously, has been the final technical reviewer of my books for many years, and now I can finally give him the cover credit he’s earned and deserved for so long. As a strong, talented writer and technologist, his technical skills are top-notch and he’s put them to good use in this work as well with essential contributions that helped ensure the accuracy and thoroughness of coverage.
Before closing, I want to say a huge thank you to my wife of 27 years. She’s been there with me through many books, many millions of words, and many thousands of pages, providing support and encouragement and making every place we've lived a home. She’s the foundation of all my work, the rock upon which my words are written. Without her care day in and day out, this work and the others before it would not have been possible.
Hopefully, I haven’t forgotten anyone, but if I have, it was an oversight. Honest. ;-)
—William R. Stanek