Windows Server 2008 Scenarios
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 is the next generation of the Windows Server operating system that helps information technology (IT) Professionals maximize control over their infrastructure, while providing enhanced availability and management capabilities, leading to a significantly more secure, reliable server environment than ever before. Windows Server 2008 delivers new value to organizations by ensuring that all users regardless of location are able to get the full complement of services from the network. Windows Server 2008 also gives IT Professionals greater control over their corporate server and network infrastructure, allowing them to spend more time adding business value, rather than spending most of their time on administration tasks.
Windows Server 2008 is designed to help the IT professional in these areas: Server Virtualization, Centralized Application Access, Branch Office, Security and Policy Enforcement, Web and Applications Platform, Server Management, and High Availability.
1. Server Virtualization: The virtualization role provides an entirely new deployment and licensing paradigm to enable multiple operating system instances—from both Microsoft and third-party operating system vendors—to run in a virtual infrastructure separated from the hardware by a slim “hypervisor” of virtualization technology. The benefits of virtualization are accomplished using server consolidation. This helps reduce the total number and cost of server ownership by maximizing hardware utilization and consolidating workloads. Improved management capabilities allow IT Professionals to create a “dynamic data center” to move virtual machines without impacting the users and to provide flexible test and development environments.
2. Centralized Application Access: Windows Server 2008 provides secure anywhere access to business applications over the Internet using Terminal Services and Certificate Services. Terminal Services provides secure access to both remote and network-based users to applications that are centralized and secured in the data center. This access removes the need for application servers at distributed locations and provides secure access to terminal services without needing to enable full network access using VPN or other mechanisms.
3. Branch Office: Organizations can improve security, server deployment, system administration, and the efficiency of WAN communications in branch offices where Windows Server 2008 is deployed. Enhancements to branch office features are enabled by Active Directory with Read-Only Domain Controller, delegated/distributed domain administration, restartable Active Directory, and SYSVOL replication using DFS; File Services with SMB 2.0 and read-only DFS members; NetIO; BitLocker™ Drive Encryption; Server Core; and Windows Server Virtualization.
4. Security and Policy Enforcement: Security is greatly enhanced in the Windows Server 2008 operating system through security roles, Network Access Protection, central policy management, and secure wireless and remote access solutions. With Windows Server 2008, IT Professionals can check the health of computers, and enforce application layer data inspection by checking for malware; simplify administrative tasks, such as system updates and application installations; and enable one-to-many management of users and computers throughout the enterprise. The IT staff can also create a Group Policy to control access, use policy-based quality of service to prioritize and manage the sending rate for outgoing network traffic, and filter outgoing and incoming traffic. Group Policy settings can also provide enhanced secure wireless network access to networks. Security and policy-enforcements in Windows Server 2008 are enabled by Network Access Protection, Internet Protocol security (IPsec) improvements, network authentication methods (IEEE 802.1X, VPN, DHCP, RADIUS), a Network Access Protection (NAP) Administration Server, System Health Validator / System Health Agent, a Health Certificate Server, and Group Policy features.
5. Web and Applications Platform: Windows Server 2008 provides a secure, easy-to-manage platform for developing and reliably hosting applications and services to run on the server or over the Web. With Windows Server 2008 enterprises will enjoy more efficient application and services management, quicker deployment and configuration of Web application and services across server farms, and a more secure, streamlined, customized Web platform. Windows Server 2008 provides greater performance and scalability of Web applications and services, and offers fine control and visibility into how and when applications and services utilize key operating system resources. Enhancements in the Web and Application Platform are enabled by Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0, .NET Framework 3.0, Windows Process Activation Service (WAS), Windows Vista™, and Windows Server 2008 operating system resource management features.
6. Server Management: Windows Server 2008 improves the management experience of single and multiple servers across an enterprise. The new Server Manager console in Windows Server 2008 is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that eases the task of managing and securing multiple server roles in an enterprise. Server Manager provides a single source for managing a server's identity and system information, displaying server status, identifying problems with server role configuration, and managing all of the roles installed on the server. Information provided by Server Manager gives IT Professionals the specific information they need to control and manage their environment. Multiple servers can be automated using Windows PowerShell, which consists of a new command-line shell and scripting language designed specifically to automate administration tasks for server roles, such as IIS and Active Directory. Using Windows PowerShell, IT staff can write scripts that automate common tasks. IT Professionals can also use the Windows Remote Shell (WinRS) tool to remotely manage servers, or to obtain management data through Windows Remote Management (WinRM) and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) objects on remote servers. WinRM is a new remote access protocol that is based on the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF) standard Web Services for Management. Server Core provides a minimal installation option for certain server roles, offering a smaller server footprint and attack surface to reduce management and servicing needs.
7. High Availability: Windows Server 2008 provides increased system availability to maximize system uptime and increase productivity. It actively monitors the state of installed roles and displays proactive data about potential failures to help reduce potential downtime. Failover Clustering as part of Windows Server 2008 provides new features that an organization can use to implement a High Availability strategy, making cluster servers a smart business choice for the enterprise. A new management interface provides the IT professional with a simple interface to create, manage, and use clustered servers. New tools reduce cluster configuration setup and maintenance issues. New functionality allows implementation in geographically dispersed environments, allowing the technology to adapt to the customer’s environment. High availability is enabled in Windows Server 2008 by failover clustering, as well as the file and print server roles.
