Inside Server 2008: An Overview

No matter what company you are with, it is important to maintain the integrity of your IT and your systems. Do you know what to expect if you upgrade to Server 2008 R2 Enterprise? You can be assured that a lot of the new features of Windows Server 2008 are designed to help you and your business be more cost effective. When it comes to maintaining corporate network, or for securing Server Core and PowerShell amongst its many features, you can obtain these by simply using the platform.

While having been made available some years ago, Windows Server 2008 is optimized to function on 32 and 64-bit processors, these include Intel or AMD processors. These certainly include multi-core processors, a far more advanced upgrade from the Server 2003 days.

What do people mostly talk about in Windows Server 2008? For some time, virtualization was becoming a staple in IT functions.  Initially, this was not available in the launch edition of Server 2008, but it is something that goes hand in hand with the Hyper-V hypervisor.  Being fully compatible with the latest hardware, Server 2008 is simple to install and work with. The installation process is much simpler than previous versions, asking for a country and license number and then what appears is a dialogue box that displays the different editions.

Of course, before you can expect to be logged in on your latest servers, you need to come up with a very strong password. Ideally, one contains numbers, letters and also punctuation marks. After you are logged in, you will then be presented with the Initial Configuration Tasks. This screen has all the links to the different utilities that are required for launching a new server. These include the time zone, IP address and giving it a name.

Make sure that your firewall settings are configured. As a precaution, the default firewall configuration inhibits most connections that are incoming. There are few exceptions, but you will know which channels to allow and prohibit based on the needs of your system.

Windows Server users will also discover that the Windows Add or Remove Programs within the control panel has been updated. The Add Server Role is a wizard that you can use to add and set-up complicated apps such as the Active Directory, Network Policy and your Access Services feature. Additionally, there are 18 graphical user interface roles for servers that you can install using this same wizard.

There you have it! Find out for yourself the many ways that you can boost your IT when you start using Server 2008 R2 Enterprise. Be sure to maintain the best practices of your team and in this way, you can take the fullest advantage of Windows Server 2008.

Optimizing Your Use of Server 2008

It’s clear that you have your reasons for picking up Server R2 Standard 2008. If you want to make the most out of the platform, it is important that you be able to use all its features extensively. Here are some tips for optimizing your use of the Server 2008.

In earlier versions of the program, you use the Add/Remove Windows Components option of the app to take away certain OS components. In Windows Server 2008 R2, you configure these OS elements as Windows features which you can switch on or off. Here’s what you can do to add certain features:

First, remember to launch the server manager using the Start button, by which you can then find the Administrative Tools and Server Manager respectively. When you’re there, click on Features on the left and then select Add Features on the features pane.

Second, when you are on the Features Wizard, you may then be able to view the Before You Begin Page. Simply read the introductory copy and then choose Next. You can also Skip this altogether. When you are on the Select features page, you can then select the features that you intend to install. If there are certain additional features, you may need to click the Add Required features. This closes the dialog box and then adds the functions to the server. After you’re done selecting the features you need you can then click Next, followed by Install.

Third, it is important to note that the Fast Logon Optimization function is prepared for domain and workgroup members by default. Essentially, this setting lets policy be applied to your PC at a different time from when the PC starts and the person using it logs on. The good thing about this is, you might reduce the delay time for the dialog box for logon to show up and the amount of time for the desktop’s immediate availability. Essentially, the user will be able to log on and work right away before the latest policy settings are implemented.

This should tell you that Fast Logon Optimization should only be enabled depending on your working environment. This can be accomplished using Group Policy but you have to use the Always wait for network when the PC starts up.

Just be able to discern what functions of Server R2 Standard 2008 serve you most. We you find these tips useful.







Tags: Server R2 Standard 2008, Server,R2,Standard, 2008,Microsoft, Professional