Windows Networking Trends

Microsoft is leaping into a new era in which local networking and Internet access is integrated unlike ever before. Windows Server 2003 is Microsoft's next step toward a goal of end-to-end communication structures that enable companies and individuals to electronically communicate easily, efficiently , and securely. Windows Server 2003 is built on technology from Windows 2000, which in turn was built on technology from Windows NT. The Windows Server 2003 family embraces serveral types of servers, including the following:

• Windows Server 2003, Web Edition: A server system optimized for Web serving and hosting. This edition supports up to four processors and 2GB of RAM per computer.

• Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition: A server designed to replace Windows 2000 Server. It can be used as a member server or as a domain controller on small to medium- sized networks. The Standard Edition supports up to four processors and 4GB of RAM per computer. It is also the subject of this book.

• Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition: You can think of the version as Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition with lots of bells and whistles. This souped-up version allows you to use up to eight CPUs (processors) and up to 32GB of RAM on a single server (which helps improve performance). Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition supports up to eight-node clustering (combining two or more computers in such a way that they all share the workload to support a single, large application or network service).

• Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition: This is a high-end Windows operating system that supports even more CPUs and RAM than Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition (up to 64 CPUs and 64GB of RAM). It has the same features as the Enterprise Edition, plus more. Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition can support more than 10,000 simultaneous users in certain situations and up to eight-node clustering.

There are also versions of Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows Server, Datacenter Edition designed for the Intel 64-bit Itanium CPU.

Although these versions vary, they're more alike than different. Therefore, this book can help you master the basics for any of these types of Windows Server 2003 products.

Based on the capabilities of Windows Server 2003, we see the following trends emerging for Windows networking in this millennium :

• Use of Active Directory: Active Directory is Microsoft's name for the directory services supported by Windows Server 2003. Active Directory makes it easier for users to identify and access network resources and for applications to use such resources directly and automatically. Currently, you can't see much evidence of this capability, but it will change the way we use Windows - and networks - in the future.

• Access to dynamic disk storage: Windows Server 2003 supports a variety of sophisticated directory-sharing technologies. Dynamic disk storage enables network administrators to define collections of files and directories gathered from multiple servers around a network and present them to users as if the files and directories reside on a single network drive. This makes creating, identifying, and accessing collections of shared files easier.

• Consistent naming services: Part of locating resources on a network is knowing their names (or how to find them). Windows Server 2003 uses a single enhanced method to translate human-intelligible names for network resources into computer-intelligible network addresses, which makes managing and interacting with network resources far simpler.

• Web-based management console: In Windows Server 2003, a single Microsoft Management Console (MMC) plays host to management tools (called MMC snap-ins ) for all system services, resources, and facilities. This console makes the Windows Server 2003 interface simpler and its many capabilities more visually consistent and therefore easier to learn and manage. In fact, this capability works on any computer with a suitable Web browser (and an administrative password).

• Simplified Web content creation and delivery: One of the primary goals of the Windows Server 2003 family is to bring high-end, high-profit Web services and applications to end users (that is, customers) in an efficient manner. Through the use of optimized Web tools, new programming language structures, and content development architectures, Windows Server 2003 is poised to revolutionize how enterprise Web sites are created, deployed, and maintained .

As all these capabilities are used, the trends in Windows networking should be clear:

• Easier, more straightforward access to network resources

• Simplified administration and management of such resources

• More sophisticated tools and technologies to describe, deliver, and control network resources

Get used to it!