Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Migrate from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008


ProVal Technologies Outsourced NOC Services



Windows Server 2008 is the next generation of Microsoft’s Windows based server code named Longhorn. It’s having some advance features then previous Windows Server 2003.

Virtualization:  Microsoft embedding virtualization technology in Server 2008. Microsoft's Hyper-V hypervisor-based virtualization technology will be a relatively low-cost and low-risk then other virtualization software like VMware.   

Server Core:     This is very helpful for those administrators, Working in the Linux environment and don’t like to install large, feature-packed operating system to run a particular specialized server.  Server 2008 offers a Server Core installation, which provides the minimum installation required to carry out a specific server role, such as for a DHCP, DNS or print server. Less applications and services provide a smaller attack surface and make it secure.  No GUI allow hear, everything is done from the command line. 

IIS: IIS 7, the Web server bundled with Server 2008, is a big upgrade from the previous version. "There are significant changes in terms of security and the overall implementation which make this version very attractive. 

Role-based installation:  This feature is just enhanced and comprehensive form in Windows Server 2008.  The concept is that rather than configuring a full server install for a particular role by uninstalling unnecessary components (and installing needed extras), you simply specify the role the server is to play, and Windows will install what's necessary. 

Read Only Domain Controllers (RODC):  It's hardly news that branch offices often lack skilled IT staff to administer their servers, but they also face another, less talked about problem. While corporate data centers are often physically secured, servers at branch offices rarely have the same physical security protecting them. This makes them a convenient launch pad for attacks back to the main corporate servers. RODC provides a way to make an Active Directory database read-only. Thus, any mischief carried out at the branch office cannot propagate its way back to poison the Active Directory system as a whole. It also reduces traffic on WAN links.