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What’s New in Windows Server 2008
Now that Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 has been available for a while, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about this product. Lots of people want to know how the Windows Server 2008 compares with the 2003 version. What new features does it have?
With this new version Microsoft has actually made a number of improvements to the Windows Server. Some of the most significant include:
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Built-In Virtualization - With Windows Server 2008, everything needed to support server virtualization is available as an integrated feature of the operating system. Microsoft calls this feature “Hyper-V.”
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Revamped Web Server - Windows Server 2008 comes with Internet Information Server 7.0. This “new and improved” web server offers many enhancements, such as a modular architecture. Because you can now install only those pieces that you actually need, potential attack surface can be reduced.
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Improved Security - As the number of mobile users and corporate partners that must connect to an organization’s network increases, the challenge of protecting the security of that network from outside threats continues to grow. Network Access Protection (NAP) in Windows Server 2008 helps prevent non-compliant computers from accessing an organization’s network.
In fact, Network Access Protection can verify the health of connecting computers and enforce compliance with an organization’s security standards. It can, for example, check a computer that is attempting to access your network to see if it has the latest security hotfixes; if it does not, the fixes can be loaded onto the computer or the computer can be prevented from accessing your network.
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Simplified Administration, Management, and Automation - In the past managing the server required you to navigate between multiple programs and interfaces. With Microsoft Server 2008 the new Server Manager Console allows you to do everything from one place. This means it is now faster and easier to manage a server’s configuration and system information, display server status, identify problems with server role configuration, and manage all the roles installed on the server.
The new Server Manager also interfaces directly with PowerShell, the command-line shell and scripting language that makes automation easier than ever. PowerShell even helps you to write scripts, showing you exactly what commands are behind each button and control, and allowing you to record actions in the user interface and save a script based off of those actions.
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Shared Codebase with Windows Vista - The Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista operating systems share the same hotfixes and Service packs. Because Vista has been out for a while, this means that a lot of the bugs have already been fixed – so Windows Server 2008 is less buggy than the average new Microsoft product. That being said, it’s still a very new product that is just starting to get rolled out by a lot of organizations. The first service pack for the product, “Service Pack 2,” should be available in the next 4 to 7 months.
So, is Windows Server 2008 right for you? The answer, as usual, is “it depends.” If you want to take advantage of virtualization, the newer Internet Information Server, or the ease of protecting your network with Network Access Protection, it is probably worth a look. However, if you are currently running fine with Windows 2003, it might be best to hold out a little bit and ensure that any bugs get shaken out with Service Pack 2. Our standard rule of thumb is that unless there’s an overriding urgent need to do otherwise, it’s usually best to wait for the first official service pack from Microsoft before moving ahead with one of their new products.
Any questions? Give us a call. We’re here for you.
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