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Around the Corner: Windows Server 2008
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Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is now RTM (Release to Manufacturing), which means it's out of beta and will be shipping soon, in fact, the worldwide release of Windows Server 2008 is scheduled on February 27th. With this newest server operating system from Microsoft, the question many of our customers have asked is whether Windows Server 2008 will inherit the "quirks" of Windows Vista, and whether or not the upgrade is worth it. In this article, I will take the unique approach of presenting some technical challenges facing mid-sized enterprises and then describe how Windows Server 2008 may be able to help.
We're not even ready for Vista, much less Windows Server 2008
Windows Server 2008 is a more stable and streamlined operating system compared to Windows Vista. With an updated kernel and a layered architecture, Windows Server 2008 is able to avoid many of the pitfalls of Windows Vista.
Our business requires us to have fast and reliable access to large files
Windows Server 2008 includes SMB 2.0, a revamped version of the SMB 1.0 protocol. When transferring files between two computers running Windows Server 2008 or Vista, SMB 2.0 allows for file transfers that are sometimes 10 times faster than SMB 1.0. When using Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, there won't be an improvement because Windows Server 2008 will automatically negotiate all file transfers using SMB 1.0 for backwards compatibility.
When it comes to storing large amounts of data, a corruption in the file system can cause significant amounts of downtime. Windows Server 2008 has a self-healing file system that detects errors and repairs them without having to take the server down to run chkdsk.
We have branch offices where security is an increasing concern
Windows Server 2008 introduces the Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC). It allows all the benefits of a regular domain controller in a branch office, such as providing local network authentication, but it holds a read-only replica of the Active Directory database. Since the information contained is read-only, the threat of a local AD change affecting the rest of the enterprise is eliminated.
Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption provides an extra layer of security for the remote office by securing data on a server that may be in a high-risk area for theft. In case of physical theft, the data would be inaccessible without the proper login credentials.
Our terminal servers are very slow in the morning for first logins
The way session creation is handled has been overhauled in Windows Server 2008 to where it's no longer a serial process. This has significantly increased performance during several concurrent logins.
In addition to this, Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services introduces seamless windowing, which are very similar to the Citrix Presentation Server environment. This means that when Terminal Services is in application mode, the published applications will appear as if they're running natively on the local computer rather than in a full desktop environment.
Upgrading our server infrastructure is a very expensive and time-consuming process
Right now server virtualization is the hot topic in the IT industry. For purposes of server consolidation, virtualization allows multiple virtual servers to run, in parallel, on one physical server. Rather than replacing 10 physical servers after their lifecycle, it's much preferred replacing one robust server that holds 10 virtual servers from a logistical and cost perspective. In addition to server consolidation, virtualization has the potential to provide the groundwork for a robust business continuity solution.
Microsoft's efforts to align itself with industry demands have resulted in Windows Server 2008 providing built-in virtualization. This technology has been dubbed Hyper-V by Microsoft and provides a robust micro-kernel hypervisor to provide virtualization features similar to Citrix Xen and VMware.
Testing of Hyper-V has shown some instabilities (blue screens) in the beta community, so immediate adoption is not recommended at this time; however, do not be surprised if Microsoft catches up to VMware and Xen within the next few years.
We are too often scheduling downtime for Windows updates on servers
Windows Server 2008 introduces deployment roles, much like Exchange Server 2007. Services are layered on top of a stripped-down "core", which doesn't even include a graphical user interface (UNIX, anyone?). With this new architecture, Microsoft has turned the tables on its usual mantra of bloat to one of minimalism with the option to add on services as needed. What this means is no more reboots on Domain Controllers for Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, or IIS security updates, because those applications are never installed.
What's the best strategy for implementing Windows Server 2008?
Please contact me directly for a free, one-on-one consult regarding the benefits of Windows Server 2008.
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