MCSE: NT Server 4 Study Guide begins by helping you think through the planning of a network--something that appears in a couple of the Sybex MCSE books. Lots of attention is given to selecting server hardware (particularly storage hardware) and getting NT properly configured at installation. Later chapters address performance tuning, post-installation addition of hardware and non-storage devices, such as modems and printers (shared and otherwise).

NT Server has everything to do with networks, so protocols get plenty of space in these pages. TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI, and AppleTalk are covered to the extent that you need to understand them for the exam. RAS (Remote Access Service) gets its own chapter, which is appropriate because it's a large (and potentially confusing) part of the exam. The authors also give lots of attention to intranet operations, server management, and integrating NT machines with a NetWare-based network.