Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Windows

Microsoft Windows Server 2003

Windows Server 2003 is a versatile Operating System (OS) that has the capability to tackle varied set of server roles, depending on the requirements, in either a centralized or distributed mode. Windows Server 2003 is the fastest, most dependable, most secured Windows OS ever to come out of the Microsoft stable. It delivers dependability by (i) provision of an it infrastructure which delivers core values: improved dependability, better availability, and enhanced scalability. (ii) Taking an application platform with built-in conventional application server functionality on top of extensive OS potentials. (iii) Integrating an information worker infrastructure which assists business information secure and accessible. (iv) Windows Server 2003 supplies tools that ease deployment, management, and administration and maximize efficiency. (v) Windows Server 2003 performs this through provision of flexible tools which aid in matching the design and deployment of the organizational and network requirement. (vi) Assisting the organization manage its network proactively by enforcing policy, automating tasks, and simplifying updates. (vii) Windows Server 2003 gives an extensible application platform for rapidly building solutions which keep staff, partners, systems, and customer connected. Windows Server 2003 performs this by providing an integrated web server and streaming media server that assists the organization rapidly, effortlessly, and firmly create dynamic intranet and Internet web sites. (vii) Besides, there are provisions for built-in services which assist in easily developing, installing and managing XML Web services. (viii) Provision of tools which enable an organization to connect XML Web services to internal applications, suppliers and partners. (ix) Windows Server 2003 offers tools which ease installation, management, and administration and maximize productivity through providing flexible tools that aids match the design and installation to your organizational and network requirements.

Windows Server 2003 Operating System (OS) picks up the most important features of Windows 2000 Server technology and makes it simpler to install, manage and use, the outcome of which is an extremely high productive infrastructure which aids in making the network a strategic asset for an organization. Till March 28, 2005, all Windows Server 2003 OS are delivered with Windows Server Service Pack1 (SP1). Windows Server 2003 SP1 gives improved security, more dependability, and a simplified administration to assist enterprise customers throughout all industries.

Feature enhancements of Windows Server 2003:

Windows Server 2003 comprises all the operational advantages which the customers require presently from a Windows Server Operating System to have enhanced functionality with less, like security, dependability, availability, and scalability. Apart from that, Microsoft has enhanced and extended Windows Server OS to include the advantages of 'Microsoft NET' for linking up people, systems and devices. Windows Server 2003 is a versatile OS which is able to tackle a diverse collection of server roles, depending on the needs of the organization, in either a centralized or in a distributed mode. The various server roles are (i) File and Print server (ii) Web server and Web Application services (iii) Mail server (iv) Terminal server (v) Remote server and Virtual Private Network (VPN) server. (vi) Directory services, Domain Name System (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DCHP) server, and Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS). (vii) Streaming Media Server.

Benefits accruing to the organization running Windows Server 2003:

i) Because of the recognized Windows interface, Windows Server 2003 is simpler to use. New updated wizards have been given which make it easy to set up the particular roles and routine server management tasks such that even server without an independent administrator is simpler to manage. Apart from that, administrators have several novel and enhanced features designed to render it simpler to install the Active Directory. Bigger Active Directory replicas can be installed from backup media and up gradation from the earlier Server OS like the Microsoft Windows NT is simpler with the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) that copies passwords and is completely scriptable. Maintaining Active Directory is simpler with new features, like the capability to rename the domains and redefine schema, helping the administrators the resilience to deal with organizational changes which might happen. Apart from that, cross-forest trusts allow administrators link up Active Directory forests giving autonomy without forfeiting integration. Finally, enhanced deployment tools like Remote Installation Services, assist the administrators instantly make system images and install servers.

A ii) for an organization to have the competitive edge, it is crucial that an efficient and secure networked computing is in place. Windows Server 2003 permits organizations take advantage of the available it investments, and extend those benefits to partners, customers, and suppliers and through installing important features such as cross-forest trusts in the Microsoft Active Directory Services as also Microsoft.NET Passport integration. Identity management in Active Directory runs through the complete network, aiding to guarantee security across the organization. It is simpler to encrypt sensitive data, and software restriction policies can be applied to prevent damage as a result of viruses and other malicious code.

Windows Server 2003 is the ideal option for installing a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and its autoenrolment and autorenewal facilities render it simpler to install smart cards and certificates throughout the enterprises. (iii) Windows Server 2003 provides enhanced scalability from a single-processor to 64-way Itanium 2 systems. On the average, Windows Server 2003 is speedier with up to 140% better file system performance for Active Directory, XML Web services, Terminal Services, and networking (iv) Windows Server 2003 offers lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) through consolidation and the availability of latest technology. Windows Server 2003 offers a lot of technical advances which aids organizations to lower the TCO.

A v) Another benefit of Windows Server 2003 is the ability to create Dynamic Intranet and Internet Websites through IIS 6.0, which is the web server, included in the Windows Server 2003, gives improved security and a reliable architecture offering application isolation and immensely enhanced performance. (vi) With the integration of the Microsoft.NET Framework into the Windows Server 2003 OS that enables Microsoft ASP.NET for high performance Web applications. Because of the.NET linked technology, developers are liberated from having to code complicated lines and therefore can work effectively with the programming languages and tools which they are already aware.

Active Directory:

Active Directory is the integrated, distributed directory service which comes with Microsoft Windows Server 2003. With the help of Active Directory, the administrator of the organization possess the permission to add a user to Active Directory and by means of that single entry, permit remote access to the network, enable the identical user account for exchange messaging, that same user for database access for accounting, client relationship management, or other applications. The Active Directory can be applied as a multi-purpose directory in this manner an organization a single sign-on in case of its users. When a user logs in to Windows, their Active Directory credential is the key which will on its own open every applications or services which they have been enabled for, inclusive of the 3rd party applications which use Windows integrated authentication.

While a user changes their password in the Active Directory, they need not remember different password for their other applications. For instance, when a group of users is created such as a marketing group, users can e-mail the group to dispatch the group to send a message to all the users, administrators can permit security access to resources depending on the name of the group, and users can look up members belonging to a group by expanding the group information. Windows Server 2003 and Active Directory aids small and medium scale organization with a reliable working atmosphere for the end users that gives the highest levels of reliability and performance such that users will be able to get their job done as efficiently as possible as also giving a more secured and manageable atmosphere to make the lives of the it personnel simpler.

Features of Active Directory:

i) in cases where planning domain names are difficult and prone to changes (because of acquisitions, mergers, human errors, etc.), Windows Server 2003 Active Directory brings to life vital customer feedback. Through the use of new tool named as random.exe, Domain Rename allows one to rename any domain and outcomes in a properly developed forest. This process possesses many steps, during which every DC in the forest is updated and rebooted. Member machines is also required to be rebooted, Group policies are required to run a different tool, however, the bottom line is it's present and there will definitely be instances when it will be chosen compared to creating pristine forests and starting resource migrations. Domain Rename is enabled at Windows Server 2003 forest functional stage only. Plus, at the time of dealing with renaming things, a new capability in NETDOM.exe is present which permits renaming of domain controller without having to go through DCPROMO once again.

The DC Rename capability can even be performed through the UI. (ii) the manageability of administration tools improvements has also taken care of, through the improved features of Active Directory 2003. For instance, the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in available now allows drag-and-drop operations. The AD MMC even permits multi-selection and editing of user objects, which is a potential reclaimed from the NT user Manager days. Among the greatest changes in the MMC is the Saved Queries. Saved Queries permit the user to build XML-based queries into your AD users & Computers MMC and refresh them periodically to achieve the updated results. This gives the capability to really build custom views and reports on the directory objects based on certain norms which one can give. For instance, a search query can be made for all the users with a certain description, or all the computers that have a certain OS version or build number.

Together with the potential to pick up the search criteria from a pull-down menu of attributes to every object, as 'Saved Queries' basically builds an XML file to each query, it even permits us to edit or write down our own search criteria through the use of the XML syntax. Besides, a lot of other enhancements are available to managing Active Directory like the new option to Reset restore mode administrative password whereas the Directory Service is online using NTDSUTIL, several new Group Policy settings inclusive of Domain Controller and DNS registration and Time service configuration parameters, and updates to DCPROMO, the Active Directory setup wizard, which comprises enhanced DNS configuration selection and forced demotion ability. Finally in Windows Server 2003, it is possible to redirect new users and computers creation to a location of a particular choice, rather than the default users and computers containers.

This is very crucial as the Down-level APIs use the default 'Users' and 'Computers' containers since the location for newly created objects. The default Users and Computer containers belong to object class 'Container' and it is not possible to apply Group Policies straightaway to these containers. In the Windows Server 2003 Active Directory it is possible to use redirusr.exe and redircmp.exe to change the default containers for newly created accounts. This utility is enabled at the Windows Server 2003 domain functional stage. (iii) Primarily, addressing the Schema has been improved considerably. Schema Redefine removes the changes for errors and permits redefinition of a class/attribute within the schema. The redefined attribute/class can keep with the same LDAP display name, same OID however possess a separate syntax.

The impact of the defunct action is reversible, and it does not purge schema objects from the database, but instead "takes them out of order." such that it is possible to reuse them. The schema re-define is enabled at the Windows Server 2003 forest functional level. Apart from that, adding new attributes to the global catalogue does not cause GCs to perform full synchronization like it used to. Windows Sever 2003 replicates only added attributes between Windows Server 2003 domain controllers. It will again do a full synchronization when the destination is a Windows 2000 DC. However, the biggest change in case of Applications in Windows Server 2003 Active Directory is the capability to create Application Partitions which are basically partitions in Active Directory similar to other partitions (Domain, Configuration, Schema), however can be created on any DC in the forest and duplicated to any other DC in the forest by choice.