Server administration and network administration used to be segregated pretty clearly in most organizations, but over time those lines have blurred. There are numerous networking configurations and tasks that now need to be accomplished by Windows Server administrators, without needing to involve a networking team, so it is important that you have a good understanding of how your infrastructure connects together. Familiarity with the tools laid out in this chapter will provide you with the ability to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot the majority of Microsoft-centric networks.
Our introduction to software-defined networking may be a partially confusing section if you have never encountered this idea before, but hopefully it will prompt you to dig a little deeper and prepare yourself for dealing with this in the future. Whether you're ready or not, the cloud is...