Windows Server 2003

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Windows Server 2003 has now been released. According to early indications, it offers significant performance, productivity, and security improvements over previous Windows server operating systems. Windows Server 2003 contains core technologies that build on the strengths of Windows 2000 Server. It is a multipurpose operating system that has been designed to take care of a wide range of different server functions. It has been built to work well in either a centralized or a distributed fashion. For example, it can be deployed as a simple file and print server, Web server, Web application server, or mail server. Additionally, it has been optimized to run well as a terminal server, a remote access or virtual private network (VPN) server, or a streaming media server. When it comes to directory services, the Domain Name System (DNS), the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS), Windows Server 2003 will also be found to perform well.

What has been improved?

• Availability. The Windows Server 2003 family has enhanced clustering support to provide improved availability. The clustering installation and setup of .NET Server is easier than before, and enhanced network features offer greater failover capabilities and higher rates of system uptime. Server clusters for up to eight nodes are supported by Windows Server 2003. If one node becomes unavailable because of failure or maintenance, another node provides failover capabilities. The Network Load Balancing (NLB) of Windows 2000 Server has been improved to better balance incoming Internet Protocol (IP) traffic across nodes in a cluster.

• Scalability. Like Windows 2000 Server, the Windows Server 2003 family can operate within a scale-up architecture using simultaneous multiprocessing (SMP) or a scaled-out model using clustering. According to initial tests, Windows Server 2003 delivers up to 140 percent better performance in the file system compared with the Windows 2000 Server and significantly better performance in AD (Active Directory), Web server, and terminal server components and networking services. It scales from single-processor solutions all the way up to 32-way systems and supports both 32-bit and 64-bit processors.

• Security. Bill Gates recently staked the company's reputation on a commitment to provide reliable, secure, and dependable computing. As a result, a lot of work has gone into heightening the level of security offered by Windows Server 2003. Developers spent hundreds of thousands of hours attempting to identify every possible fail point or exploitable weakness. Though this may prove to be as fruitless an endeavor as a camel trying to get through the eye of a needle, Windows Server 2003 does represent several important upgrades in security. The common language runtime is a software engine that reduces the number of bugs and security holes caused by common programming mistakes. Fewer vulnerabilities, therefore, are available for attackers to exploit. The common language runtime also verifies that applications can run without error and checks for security permissions, making sure that code performs only appropriate operations. Another security plus is Internet Information Services 6.0, which is now configured for increased Web server security with fault tolerance, requesting queuing, application health monitoring, automatic application recycling, and caching.

• Active Directory. The AD has been improved in Windows Server 2003 to make it more versatile, dependable, and economical to use. A beefed up version of AD offers such upgrades as: (1) removal of the group size limitation of 5000 objects per group; (2) elimination of the need for a global catalog at each site; (3) ability to load directory content from media (tapes, CDs, or DVDs); (4) support for the inetOrgPerson class (a popular means of identifying users); and (5) better replication conflict solutions for multivalued attributes when replicating between domain controllers. One caveat, however. Just as for a migration from NT to Windows 2000, all Windows 2000 domain controllers must be upgraded to Windows Server 2003 before the new features can be made available. Windows Server 2003 can still be installed, but when it detects the presence of any Windows 2000 domain controllers on the network, it shuts off its own AD features and runs in the usual Windows 2000 AD mode. So, are the changes worth waiting for? According to the Gartner Group, these are all good AD changes, but for the most part they will have a relatively minor impact on an enterprise. However, if an enterprise is planning on deploying Windows AD in the immediate future, it may be best to wait a few months and deploy the Windows Server 2003 version rather than going back and upgrading all the domain controllers later.

• Management Services. Windows Server 2003 contains several new management automation tools including Microsoft Software Update Services (SUS) and server configuration wizards to automate deployment. The Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) enables organizations to set group policy and better utilize the AD service. Note, though, that GPMC is a separate component from Windows Server 2003.

• Storage Management. Microsoft's efforts to forge alliances with all the leading storage vendors can be seen in Windows Server 2003. The new server operating system introduces enhanced features for storage management, making it far simpler to manage disks and volumes, to backup and restore data, and to connect to Storage Area Networks (SANs) and Network Attached Storage (NAS). These features include snapshots, various ways for users to recover lost files, and the ability to conduct complete backups in minutes (see Chapter 11).

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