[Cold Warrior]

I've just been assigned the sysad for our small LAN. We have approximately 40 Windows XP pro machines with a standard software baseline and a number of other apps. Users are created and managed via active directory, and their entire profile is stored on the server in order to facilitate a roaming profile.

I'm looking for good, simple resources that will help me manage this workload, particularly when it comes to getting the machines to upgrade software versions of their many applications or other tasks I might have to do.

I'm not certified in any way, and the boss knows it. I'm just the most computer literate person around by far, so the task has fallen to me.

[ghporter]

Congratulations on your appointment-due to your being the least incompetent person around! I've been there. What have you found with Google? Discounting what you've already decided won't help you will make it easier for us to provide support.

As for me, I know what AD is. Never touched the stuff myself.

[Sherman Homan]

It makes my teeth hurt, but it is very well written and organized. Right from the horse's mouth:
Active Directory Services and Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 Domains (Part 1)

[Cold Warrior]

Thanks.

There's a lot of learning I have to do, including learning enough to be able to ask intelligent questions.

[mduell]

Group Policy Objects

Learn them, live them, love them.

[Sherman Homan]

This will help you sleep:

Networking Articles & Tutorials: Windows Vista / 2008 / 2003 / XP