CNET-060J

Scripting for Windows Administrators

Note: This course will be next offered in September, 2007

Course Summary:

This course provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to write and maintain scripts to automate all aspects of system administration for computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system. It covers scripting languages (the syntax necessary to write a script), scripting hosts (the service which will execute the script), scripting libraries (collections of pre-existing functions which scripts can take advantage of to perform complex tasks) and the interfaces built into the Windows operating system (eg. Windows Management Instrumentation - WMI and Active Directory Services Interfaces - ADSI) which scripts must call in order to manipulate the operating system. This course has been designed for system administrators and does not require an extensive background in programming.

Note: Windows Powershell, recently released, will be integrated into this class over the term.

Course Outline

Course Syllabus

Course Schedule:

This class is entirely online and will run for twelve weeks from September 24 to December 14.

Textbook:

Windows 2000 Scripting Guide Microsoft Press 1st Edition ISBN: 0735618674
Bruce Payette, Windows Powershell in Action , Manning Press, First Edition 2007 ISBN: 978-1932394900

Courseware DVD:

All software which you will need for this class is contained on a courseware DVD which I have prepared. This DVD consists of a VMWare session which you can play with the free VMWare Player (included on the DVD). The VMWare Session operating system is Windows Server 2003 configured as a domain controller. This will allow you to test your ADSI scripts against a non-production domain controller -- thereby not risking your company welfare or your job. This DVD also includes preconfigured links to relevant help files and web resourses.

Please check the following link a week or two before classes begin. Courseware Order Form

Comments From Former Students (in other classes -- this is a first time class):

"I really enjoyed taking your class and will be coming in for the ASP .NET class as well in Summer 2005"

"I think this class consolidated and extended what I learnt from DeAnza, plus ADO.net access to MS SQL... Thanks for being my teacher."

"Thank you for offering such a wonderful course on the internet. It's always an enjoyable experience to have your course, both Perl and this one. Although I took the easy labs, yet they were challenging enough for me to learn a lot. Now I still keep reading other C# books, and try to get some background knowledge for other alternative labs. I think this course should run 2 quarters. I hope I have chance to take your C# web or other course online in the future. Thank you."

"...it's really exciting to work on these labs. I'm almost done with lab3E -- It's so cool to practice the DataTable features !! I have learned a lot ..."

PS -- Thank YOU for being a kind, competent and wonderfully attentive instructor. I like how you help out with questions (even as a student, like in COIN 92!)

Proceed to Foothill Registration

Instructions for Requesting Late Adds (Only Relevant Starting on the First Day of the Term)

  1. Go to FoothillGlobalAccess and click on Request to Add for my course (CNET-060J).
  2. Wait a little while for me to grant your add code (could be a few hours).
  3. Then go to here, login and enter the reg code.