Learn to automate the top server operating system, Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows PowerShell 2.0 allows you to automate nearly any task for managing Windows Server, going from dozens of clicks to a single command, and repeated tasks to automated tasks. Using screen shots and helpful exercises, this book walks you through the many benefits of automating Windows Server with PowerShell 2.0, such as allowing for scalable, flexible, and rapid deployments and changes; increasing cost effectiveness; providing a timely return on IT investment; lowering labor headcount; creating secure computing environments; and establishing reliable enterprise infrastructures. In addition, real-world examples provide reinforced learning, aimed at ensuring that you work as efficiently and effectively as possible by automating both simple and complex administrative tasks with Powershell 2.0. The power is in your hands! Start working smarter, not harder, by automating Windows Server 2008 R2 tasks with Powershell 2.0.
Not perfect, but damned good. Author Matthew Hester has a great command of both PowerShell and Windows Server 2008 R2 and the book is laid out in an easy and obvious format for the reader. Many readers will not read the entire book, I certainly haven't, but that's not the point of books in this genre. The point is whether or not you can find the information you need with as little searching and fussing as possible.
To that end, Hester provides a very succinct introduction to PowerShell and how to use it, assuming the reader has little to know knowledge to begin with. He then progresses through the more common administration tasks and on to those that are less-used or more complicated. In my opinion, you should always automate routine tasks and Hester does a very good job of explaining how to do this. Where falls short, if anywhere, is in automating tasks that are so infrequent that no administrator could possibly remember the process of the top of their head. My opinion is that these tasks are essential to automate as much as possible, especially in a multi-admin environment where the administrator with the knowledge may be on vacation. But I'm not sure that any book can provide the knowledge needed for this to just any reader.
Overall, a book that will remain on my bookshelf as a reference for several years. And I'm a guaranteed buyer of the next version, With Windows Server 2012 and PowerShell 3.0.