Got Enough Horsepower?

Before you install Windows Server 2003 (whether you are just upgrading or performing a new installation), you need to know Microsoft's minimum hardware requirements. If your server doesn't match these requirements at the barest minimum, your installation can halt midway and leave you stuck in the mud.

Microsoft goes easy on its minimum requirements, so we provide some more realistic numbers to match real-world needs. If you follow Microsoft's numbers, you can expect to end up with a doo-dah server that lacks the zip-a-dee part. Table 9-1 shows a comparison between Microsoft's numbers and our real-world numbers .

 

Table 9-1: Minimum Requirements: Microsoft versus For Dummies

Item	Microsoft Says	Real World Says
Processor	133 MHz	550 MHz or better
RAM	128MB	256MB or better
Monitor	VGA	SVGA or better
NIC	None [*]	One (at least 32 bit)
CD-ROM	None	CD-ROM (12X or better) or DVD
Hard disk	1.5GB+	4GB or better
Floppy disk	3.5	3.5 high density
[*] Note: A NIC is required for direct network access. If a NIC is not present at the time of installation, you can install it later.

You can squeak by with Microsoft's minimum requirements, but many of your server's capabilities end up terribly slow or intractable. For example, even though Windows Server 2003 supports low-resolution monitors , you should use a higher-resolution monitor (SVGA or better) because of the Windows Server 2003 graphical user interface (GUI). In many cases, more (disk space, RAM, processor power, and so on) is better. Buy as much as your budget allows so you don't need to upgrade too soon.

Tip 

Take a trip to Microsoft's Web site, particularly the Windows Server 2003 pages at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/. There you can find white papers and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that answer common questions to many issues, such as licensing, minimum requirements, and upgrades. If you don't find enough answers there, head to http://www.ntfaq.com for a searchable Windows FAQ site it includes Windows 2003 information.

Windows 2003 utilities aplenty

No single operating system can do everything that users want. Programmers and others adept at computing typically develop small scripts or programs to perform functions that the basic operating system doesn't include. Utilities for Windows 2003 abound because of its popularity. You can find many of these utilities, especially installation tools, on the Internet at popular Windows 2003 and NT Web sites, such as http://windowsnt.about.com or http://www.bhs.com.

In some cases, the same tool used on Windows 9x, NT, or 2000 will work on Windows Server 2003. However, this is not always the case. You should test applications on Windows 2003 before you actually use them in situations where data loss is possible.

Microsoft sells a Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit that you can purchase on the Internet or at a bookstore. The package includes utilities for installation, file management, troubleshooting, and planning.

 

Another important item to check is whether your server appears on Microsoft's HCL. Microsoft's test lab spends its time testing products for compatibility with Windows 2003. Obtaining Microsoft lab certification means that an organization can display Microsoft's logo on its product or products. Similarly, Microsoft places listings for certified products in its HCL.

Selecting a network server from the ones listed in the HCL helps ensure the smoothest installation possible, because you know Microsoft has already tested and certified that product. Certifying products for the HCL is an ongoing task at Microsoft, and the company maintains an updated HCL for all of its current operating system releases on its Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/hwdq/hcl/.

If you're unsure about the compatibility of an entire system or a specific component, you can either look it up on the HCL or employ the automatic system compatibility checker right off the CD. Just insert the CD into a system with an existing Windows OS (if the Welcome screen does not appear automatically, run setup.exe from the root of the CD). Choose the Check System Compatibility option, and then choose the Check My system Automatically option. The test wizard loads and prompts you whether or not to download updated files. If you have Internet access, this tool can always update itself with the latest and greatest HCL before scanning your system. If any problems or incompatibilities are found, a list of problems will be displayed.