Post-Installation Stress Disorder

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After you finish the basic installation, you've simply defined a basic server. You need to dress it up with things such as users, groups, domain controllers, Active Directory, applications, services, and printers, as we describe in Chapters 11 through 18. But, before you get excited and flip to those chapters, we want to mention two more issues.

Activation

In an effort to curb pirating of software, Microsoft has implemented an installation control feature (first debuted in Windows XP) called Activation. After the initial installation of a product, such as Windows Server 2003, Microsoft grants you a 30-day period within you must contact Microsoft and activate that product. If you fail to activate the product, on day 31, the product will no longer function. In fact, the only activity you can perform from that point on is to perform the Activation. After a product has been activated, it functions normally.

The activation process requires that a 50-digit code be generated for your computer system. This code is unique to your system and is used to associate your product key with your computer system. If any other computer attempts to activate the same product key on a different computer. Microsoft will think you've pirated their software or at least attempted to install it on another system without purchasing another package. The gotcha to Activation is this computer ID, which is generated by pulling unique IDs from 10 different parts of your computer, including your motherboard, CPU, and hard drives . If you change six of these parts, the system thinks you've changed computers, and your activated status will be terminated . You have to re-contact Microsoft and explain that you've only upgraded your existing system and that you're not just installing the product onto a completely new second system. Can we say major headaches ahead?

Activation can occur over the Internet, in which case it takes only a few seconds. Activation can occur also over a phone line, whereby you must read off the 50-digit computer ID to the customer service representative and he or she will read you a long confirmation key you have to type in.

To activate your system, you can click on the reminder pop-up bubble that appears over your notification area (previously known as the icon tray or system tray ), which is right beside the clock. Until you activate, the operating system will remind you every day or every time you log on about activating. You can initiate the activation process also by launching the Activation Wizard found in the Start menu. It appears in the top-level menu initially; after you activate, it appears only in the All Programs Accessories System Tools section.

Windows 2003 Service Packs

A service pack is a release of updates and patches for a software product. Microsoft is famous for releasing service packs to repair its software. This reveals the fact that Microsoft is concerned enough about its user community to maintain a product but not concerned enough to get it right the first time. Be that as it may, Windows 2003 will probably have a service pack released about three months after the release of Windows Server 2003.

Microsoft has integrated two capabilities into Windows 2003 to ease the burden of maintaining an up-to-date version. First, the Windows Update tool can be configured to regularly check for new updates and prompt you to download and install them. Second, service packs can be slipstreamed into the distribution files so that an initial setup will result in the service pack being automagically applied. In other words, service packs can be applied to a distribution point so that new systems automatically get installations with the service pack applied. After service packs are available for Windows 2003, you can read the accompanying documentation to learn exactly how to slipstream them.

Windows 2003 service packs will not entangle you in the Catch-22 of installing files from the original distribution CD after a service pack is applied. In other words, adding new services will not require the reapplication of service packs, and the application of service packs will not require the reinstallation of services from the distribution CD.

Microsoft advertises the releases of its service packs, thus making it much easier for the typical user to locate, download, and apply these jewels . You'll usually find a link on the product-specific Web Page at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/.

Automated System Recovery

Automated System Recovery (ASR) is partially designed to replace the function of the previous ERD repair process (remember that from Windows NT?). ASR can be used to restore a system back to its stored configuration settings in the event of a complete system failure. The only drawback to ASR is that it restores files found on only the system partition. Therefore, if you have applications or user data files on other partitions, ASR will not offer you a safety net for these items.

To use the ASR restore process, you must first create an ASR backup set. Creating an ASR backup set is accomplished from the Welcome tab of the Backup utility (Start All Programs Accessories System Tools Backup). The ASR backup set will consist of a single floppy and one or more backup tapes (depending on the amount of data stored on your system partition). To restore a failed system, you must boot to the original setup program either from a bootable CD or using the setup boot floppies, and then press F2 when prompted to initiate the ASR repair process. You'll then be prompted for the floppy and your backup tapes.

If you want to protect all your data, you have two options. You can use the full backup capabilities (which includes the System State) of the native Backup utility. Or you could spend the money for a quality third-party backup solution that offers restoration from tape after simply booting from a floppy instead of requiring that the entire operating system be reinstalled before a restoration can be performed.

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Windows Server 2003 for Dummies
Windows Server 2003 for Dummies
ISBN: 0764516337
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 195

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