However, Windows Server 2008 R2 provides many new features and upgrades, including several that go hand in hand with new features found in Windows 7.

That means there are more new reasons to upgrade both the desktop operating system and the server operating system at many companies.

If that doesn’t sound like major undertaking, I don’t know what is.

What is an R2 Release Anyway?

Many businesses have been plugging along comfortably with older combinations of Windows XP and either Server 2003 or Windows Server 2000, and installing only those service packs and features designed to keep those systems running securely and stably.

Therefore, the question that has to be asked is what is an R2 release and exactly what does the R2 version of Sever 2008 have to offer?

Over the past several years, Microsoft has received a lot of feedback from users in the business community who wanted a more predictable release cycle for critical business platforms such as Microsoft’s server operating systems. For businesses that had driven the planning uncertainty out of other areas of operations, the seemingly random release schedule of Server upgrades and service pack releases prevented IT from adequately planning everything from hardware acquisition, to lease schedules, to software budgeting.

In addition, companies wanted to keep the critical security and performance updates to the operating systems separate from updates that added new features. Companies where extensive testing and planning make virtually any downtime unacceptable, didn’t like that in order to keep their systems secure and optimized they had to introduce new, untested, features and services into their environment, or deal with kludgey, file deleting, registry editing, hacks to remove those features from otherwise necessary Service Pack updates.

On the other hand, in the technology industry, five years is a lifetime and Microsoft worried that products would quickly become out of date, with its offerings lacking the latest features and innovations if new feature sets were released only twice a decade. If there was one thing Microsoft did not need, it was to bolster the view of the company as a slow moving dinosaur out of touch with the fast moving pace of business.

The compromise the company struck was that the company would focus on releasing new versions of core business software products approximately every five years. Like with Windows Server 2003 and then Windows Server 2008. Service packs would continue to be released whenever necessary in order to update critical security, stability, and performance issues.

However, Service Packs would not contain new features within them. Instead, Microsoft would update feature sets with an R2 release every 2 to 3 years.

This way, businesses that wanted to keep up to date with the latest security, stability, and performance enhancements, but did not want to introduce new features (and their potential stability and security problems) into the production environment could install Service Packs. And, those companies looking to incorporate the latest technologies and feature set could take advantage of the R2 releases.

Thus, Server 2008 R2 offers much more than just a Service Pack, but not quite as much a new full-scale release.

So, what exactly is in the latest release of Windows Server 2008 R2?

Server 2008 R2 Upgrade Costs

Many of the features and functionalities in Server 2008 were introduced in the original, or “R1″ release of Server 2008. However, for environments currently running Windows Server 2003, these features should also figure heavily in any decision whether to upgrade to Server 2008 R2 or not.

Obviously, migrating from Server 2003 to Server 2008 R2 is not a free update, unless the company is enrolled in certain licensing subscriptions.

For IT groups already running the original Server 2008 system, the question gets a little murkier. For businesses with Software Assurance, the question is merely one of value versus the time and effort to upgrade the server operating system.

For those without Software Assurance, or other business licensing that includes free upgrades, Windows Server 2008 R2 is not a free upgrade. In other words, for those running Server 2008 already, the evaluation involves not only the time and effort, but additional cost as well.

New Features in Server 2008 R2

As before, there are several Editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 available depending upon the needs of an organization. Some features are optional on certain editions or only available on specific editions. Thus, a straight list of all new features is a relatively complicated undertaking.

However, there are certain features that are the “deal-makers” in Server 2008 R2.

  •   Hyper-V and Virtualization

The centerpiece of Server 2008 was the addition of virtualization as a built-in function of the operating system. As is often the case, the company’s first effort was successful and usable if not as scalable or feature filled as competing offerings. However, for companies looking to start down the path toward virtualization or to roll out the new technology on a limited basis, Microsoft’s Hyper-V offered a great entry point without any additional cost.

One area that has received substantial attention for the R2 release of Windows Server is virtualization and Hyper-V.

Features like Live Migration, Hot Add/Remove Virtual Machine Storage, integration with desktop virtualization (VDI), and also presentation or application virtualization (formerly provided in some fashion by Terminal Services) have all been added.

In addition, services like clustering and failover have been improved and expanded. Also, included is the long awaited ability to boot from storage networks.

  •   64-bit Architecture and More

Of course, the R2 release contains upgraded support for more powerful hardware. Server 2008 R2 becomes the first version to be released only in 64-bit architecture, marking the official end of 32-bit computing for Server products.

R2 supports up to 256 logical processor cores and up to 64 logical cores for each host. New power management features allow processor cores to be parked when load is low and then automatically re-enabled when demand increases. In a large data center, the amount of savings just from lowered cooling requirements alone could make an upgrade to R2 worth it.

Other new features receiving a lot of attention are improvements in Remote Administration, as well as secure connections for remote employees without the need for third-party VPN software, updates to Active Directory management, including a recycle bin for AD objects, streamlined performance, improved storage management, and an update to PowerShell.

Add to all of this the fact that many of the high-end features of Windows 7 will only work with Server 2008 R2, or will work much better with it, and it starts to add up to a must upgrade scenario.

The only real question in these trying economic times is when and where the will and funds will meet the need for a much improved server operating system environment.

Related posts:

• Overview of Server 2008 R2 — The Half Version Upgrade
• Windows 7 Features That Require Server 2008 R2
• 5 Great Things About Server 2008 — Is an Upgrade Worth It?

Most reviewers claim to see not only improvements in speed and functionality, but better usability as well.

Some reviewers are going so far as to proclaim that Windows 7 is as user friendly as the latest Mac OS Snow Leopard.

Even more important for business users and Information Technology Professionals is the list of impressive new features that come with Windows 7. Many of these new Windows 7 technologies allow for IT Departments to better manage, support, and configure Windows 7 machines throughout the enterprise.

It is not surprising then that these Windows 7 features are at the top of the list of reasons IT groups are ready to initiate the massive undertaking of upgrading desktop computers throughout the company.

Server 2008 R2 Required for Windows 7 Functions

But, did you know that some of the best new Windows 7 features only work with Windows Server 2008? In fact, some features actually require the latest Windows Server release, Server 2008 R2.

And, a handful of functions not only require Windows Server 2008 R2, but they require that all domain controllers be Windows Server 2008!

This isn’t a trivial point when evaluating upgrading to Windows 7 in a large environment. Let’s take a look at some of the features of Windows 7 that require Server 2008 R2.

  •   DirectAccess

DirectAccess is one of the much-anticipated features in Windows 7. For the home user, DriectAccess provides little benefit, but in the business environment, it will be invaluable.

Whether they were employees traveling on business trying to connect from hotel rooms or other locations, or whether they were employees working from home, or IT administrators trying to remotely diagnose or fix a systems issue at 3:00 A.M. — the value of remote connectivity could not be denied.

Unfortunately, until the release of Windows 7, businesses had only a few unappetizing choices for providing remote access to workers.

They could open up a giant security hole by allowing full connectivity over unencrypted connections (like the hotel wireless network) and just hope that no one intercepted sensitive data, or worse piggybacked on the connection into the servers themselves. Obviously, this option was not popular.

They could create a DMZ area of sorts allowing connectivity only to specific resources that were sealed off from the “real” corporate network. However, this inevitably meant that whatever access the employee needed was behind the firewall and not available, and it did nothing to solve the problem of unencrypted data transfers.

Finally, companies could install a Virtual Private Network or VPN which would encrypt communications between the remote user and the company network as well as provide a means to authenticate remote users before they connected to the network.

Unfortunately, this required a whole other layer of client software, server setup, firewall configuration, and cost to make it work. Too often, the overall expense and effort of installation, support, and use of the VPN was such a burden that companies strictly limited who was permitted to use the service. Even for those with VPN installed, it was a clunky solution.

With Windows 7, Microsoft implemented DirectAccess. While DirectAccess offers many of the features found in VPN, it is not the same thing.

DirectAccess offers secure connections, like VPN, using IPSec in order to encrypt data passing between the client and network as it travels through the Internet. However, unlike VPN, DirectAccess provides an extra layer of “bi-directional” communications in which the remote computer can be connected and managed, without the user logging in. This is accomplished by authenticating the machine before the user ever attempts to connect.

This provides two huge benefits. First, because the machine must authenticate to the network first, a stolen username and password are worthless without an authorized computer. Thus, not only must a password be compromised, but a machine must be taken as well, which offers a much more obvious flag of a possible security breach.

Secondly, with the machine connected and authenticated over an Internet connection, the system can be remotely administered including installing patches, running scripts, or setting policies or profiles. With DirectAccess, users no longer have to worry that when the connect in a mad rush to download a critical presentation that their connection will be slowed to a crawl while a login script runs and updates are installed. Instead, these things can happen while the employee is asleep or watching T.V. in their hotel room.

DirectAccess is a native part of Windows 7 and integrates seamlessly with Windows Server 2008 R2 eliminating the need for managing an extra layer of security or tying Active Directory entries to VPN users.

Instead, all of the same profiles, policies, and object security features run with full affect ensuring that no one gets access to something they aren’t supposed to, while everyone gets access to everything they do need, all without any frantic 6:30 P.M. phone calls on Friday afternoon.

  •   BranchCache

While network connectivity has become widespread and WAN connections have dropped in price and increased in speed in larger cities, there are still tons of places where connectivity is expensive and slow. For companies with nationwide operations there are unpleasant choices to be made. Spend huge amounts of money on faster connections, or force employees in branch offices to suffer through slow authentication and slower data access.

With BranchCache you can have files stored on-site, either on a server, Windows 2008 Server, of course, or if there is no onsite server, files can be cached on the hard drives of other workstations. This way, if one person pulls down a file at 8:30 am and another person needs the same file at 9:15 am, the second user doesn’t need to download it across the WAN.

  •   BitLocker-to-Go

Windows 7 extends the drive encryption to USB keys and other removable drives. While BitLocker works without Server 2008, if you want to FORCE it to be used on USB key drives, you’ll need the Group Policy updates in Server 2008 R2. (Technically, you can’t force the drive to be encrypted, but you can disallow access to a non-encrypted drive.) Most importantly, the recovery password can be stored in Active Directory.

  •   RemoteApp

If you want to use Presentation Virtualization (making the application appear as if it installed locally) you’ll need Server 2008 (R1 or R2) and Windows 7. While you can technically get away with using Vista, advanced visuals like Aero won’t behave and will eliminate that “local install” feel.

  •   Sever 2008 Without Windows 7 and Vice Versa

In the real world, no upgrade to either the desktop OS nor the server OS will happen overnight. The question then becomes whether or not to upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2 first or upgrade to Windows 7 first, or go the hybrid route and upgrade some of the server OS while also upgrading some of the desktop OS.

While at first glance, this sounds like the less desirable option, the reality is that this paradigm may actually serve many companies very well. The hybrid upgrade approach allows IT to upgrade by site or location, generally starting with the office with the highest concentration of the right IT personnel. By the time the IT guys are all running Windows 7 and at least a handful of the servers in the datacenter are running Windows Server 2008 R2, much of the infrastructure will not only be in place, but been tested as IT goes about its daily duties.

Working the bugs from a major upgrade out is a lot easier and less politically volatile when the ones dealing with the issues are both the people most capable of figuring out what the problem is, and the ones least likely to complain about the way things are being handled.

In the end, much of the handwringing going on about whether to put the chicken or the egg first may be moot. The only question is, which is the chicken, Windows Server 2008 or Windows 7?

Related posts:

• Active Directory Rights Management Services: Features & Operational Considerations
• Server 2008 R2 Update Review
• Direct Access: How It Works And How To Configure It

Back then, I got an unsolicited phone call from a major computer company that was adding a new arm to its consulting division. They found my resume on the Internet, doubled my salary, sent me on consulting gigs across the country, and bought my first house with the discounted stock I bought out of every paycheck.

By the time I left the computer industry (before it became the “technology” industry) there wasn’t a job I couldn’t get an interview for just because I had an MCSE.

(By the way, if you’re wondering, I’m not old. I graduated from college in 1995. I got my certs pretty much right away.)

The Value of MCSE Certifications Today

Of course, things are not the same today as they were then. That is the function of time, to change what was into what is. Nevertheless, the MCSE certification continues to be both a badge of honor among IT professionals, and a powerful card to play when seeking a new job or a promotion.

However, the MCSE gravy train may finally be coming to an end.

When Microsoft first announced its new certification paradigm, there was much hand wringing and more than a few pronouncements that the IT world was doomed. It turns out that those sentiments were premature. The MCSE on Windows Server 2003 stepped in unnoticed as the “next” MCSE certification and IT professionals have been content to pursue, hold, and display the MCSE ever since.

So, what has changed?

Impact of Windows 7

Microsoft released Windows Server 2008 with exactly five years spacing between the last major server OS release (at least based on version number). True to form, corporate IT managers and directors remembered the advice they got somewhere along their career path: “When it comes to Microsoft always wait for SP1.”

That coupled with the diminished economy, budget cuts, and the fact that plenty of companies hated Windows Vista, all add up to Windows Server 2003 remaining the “standard” Microsoft server platform in most enterprises. But, with the release of Windows 7, change is on the horizon.

It has been a decade or more since most corporations last upgraded their operating system. There is no rush to upgrade now, but everyone knows that while Windows XP has become a solid, reliable, work horse, the future is Windows 7.

While there will be no stampede to upgrade to Windows 7 right away (after all, many companies will be waiting for SP1) the fact that an OS upgrade is coming raises some issues.

Perhaps the first question on the minds of IT executives is the order of the upgrades. With most enterprises still running Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, there are two major upgrades in the works. Upgrading to Windows Server 2008 first allows a company to take advantage of the newer, better, faster, easier to use tools to create and distribute an OS upgrade across a large environment.

Windows Server 2008 was released into a world where Microsoft was fully aware that the main upgrade in the enterprise would be from XP to Windows 7, there promises to be less integration issues between Windows 7 and Server 2008; in contrast to Microsoft’s focus the past few years on Server 2003 being used to upgrade XP to Vista.

Even more importantly, Windows Server 2008 not only already has SP1, it also already has R2, which means that more of those real world glitches that are so stubborn to find have been stomped out. Windows 7, in contrast, still hasn’t has a way to go.

MCSE 2008: How I learned to stop worrying and love the MCITP

The new world order that is emerging will soon be looking for system administrators, architects, consultants, engineers, and other IT pros that are certified in Windows Server 2008. They’ll be surprised to find that their former go-to certification, the MCSE is no longer around.

Those keeping an eye on the job boards, especially the more mainstream ones, can expect to see more than a couple postings looking for MCSE 2008 certifications while the world at large slowly comes to terms with Microsoft’s bizarre decision to sacrifice the virtually household name of MCSE for a confusing collection of who-outranks-who certifications.

MCITP is the new MCSE

Microsoft’s PR machine is big, if not effective, and eventually the world will come to at least a basic understanding of the new certification paradigm.

Until then, companies big and small will be looking to map what they already know on top of the new system. When they do, they’ll notice that MCTS can be had with just one exam for one product. That makes it the MCP, or the certification that people use because they can’t get an MCSE, or haven’t gotten there yet.

Then, they will take a look at the MCITP, with it multiple exam requirements across different technologies and products and they will decide that the MCITP is the new MCSE. In other words, shortly after the job postings for MCSE 2008 start appearing, postings for MCITP 2008 will appear without regard to “in what”.

Some hiring managers will overshoot and find themselves woefully lacking in applicants for a position that requires a MCM Server 2008 or a MCA Server Administrator. Then again, perhaps they’ll be flooded with applications that state this, since there is no such thing, perhaps I would be a good match.

How-To Upgrade Your MCSE to MCITP

Microsoft is all too aware that while there are over 155,000 MCSE Server 2003 certifications, there are fewer than 10,000 MCITP Server Administrators. It doesn’t look good when there are not enough people who are “qualified” to handle your products.

Fortunately, for holders of MCSE in Windows Server 2003, there is a very attractive upgrade path to the MCITP certification.

For Server 2003 MCSEs, just one Microsoft certification upgrade exam is required to get three 2008 MCTS certifications — Active Directory, Network Infrastructure, and Applications Infrastructure Configuration.

If you are wondering how to list that kind of certification on your resume and business card — MCTS(3), perhaps? — then you have an idea of why the new certification paradigm is not as user friendly as its predecessor.

Professionals who take advantage of this route can spend the next four or five years as MCSE 2003, MCTS 2008 certified while both the number of companies using Windows Server 2008 and the number of professionals with 2008 certifications slowly starts to build.

For older MCSEs, upgrading to MCITP isn’t as easy. The upgrade exams for Windows Server 2000 MCSEs have already been retired. For MCSE NT4 (like yours truly) the upgrade path involves taking almost all the same exams as someone without a certification. However, many individual exams count toward some of the MCITP requirements, particularly those from the “Choose One” areas.

There will be considerable value in being both a MCSE 2003 and MCITP for the next several years. For that reason, professionals capable of completing the MCSE 2003 certification quickly, would be best off getting their MCSE 2003 and then upgrading it instead of going straight for the MCITP.

Related posts:

• MCSE vs MCITP: Is the MCSE Still Worth It?
• Why Getting Your MCSE Now Is Still A Good Idea
• What’s the difference between MCITP Certified Server Admin and Enterprise Admin?

An MCSE meant that, not only had you demonstrated an understanding of systems administration and the skills necessary to run a Windows-based enterprise, but also that you were willing to take the extra necessary steps to achieve a long-term IT based goal.

Those two attributes were the best available indicator of someone having what it takes to be a quality sys admin.

Then, Microsoft inexplicably pulled the plug on its highly successful technology certification. In a misguided effort to make Microsoft certification “more relevant” to specific job functions, the company made wholesale changes to the entire certification program instead of tweaking the areas that needed improvement.

In doing so, the company left behind a fog of confusion for both IT professionals, who wondered what certification track to pursue, and for managers who wondered what certification actually matched up with the available position.

There Goes the Last MCSE

The Tom Petty song, Last DJ laments the growing influence of corporations in radio. An enterprise that was once the bastion of people who loved music had grown into one focused only on dollars and cents. It is not unlike what has happened to Microsoft certification.

The MCSE program was both a demonstration of technical abilities, and a badge of honor among Microsoft IT personnel. Senior systems administrators with years of experience and skills that no one would ever question still put forth the effort to get their MCSE designation, even if they did not intend to look for a new position.

The MCSE became what it was, not because of Microsoft, but because the IT community itself took up the MCSE as something to be obtained and respected. When the company took it away, something was lost, and Microsoft Certification became something the company did, not something that we did.

While it is true that the letters MCSE on your business card did not mean you were qualified for a particular job, what it did mean was that you had the skills, knowledge, commitment, and ability to do ANY job given the right resources and training. An MCSE said that you were the kind of computer professional who could learn new, complex, interrelated technologies and then apply them in a given environment.

Not everyone can do that, no matter how much training they get. That is what made it so valuable, not that it mimicked the job functions of a specific position.

Is MCSE Still the Golden Ticket?

While Microsoft officially killed the MCSE with its certification overhaul, the real world has been slow to follow along. Although Windows Server 2008 is the current version, Windows Server 2003 still dominates the corporate landscape making a Server 2003 MCSE the highest certification level necessary in most enterprises.

Indeed, a quick glance at Microsoft’s own job search shows many high-level positions, including Architect and Senior Consultant still requiring a MCSE 2003, or getting an MCSE 2003 within six months.

Even though “2003″ makes the certification sound dated to untrained ears, most technology professionals still regard the 2003 MCSE as the current certification. Forums and web sites around the Internet still advise those looking to upgrade their certifications or positions, or those looking to get into the field to focus on getting the MCSE on 2003.

Everybody Panic … Or, Not

But all of that may finally be changing.

With the imminent release of Windows 7, the new features in Windows Server 2008 become even more alluring. Unlike Vista, which was largely skipped by the enterprise, and Server 2008, which has not become a “necessary” upgrade for businesses still working through budget cuts yet, Windows 7 starts the clock ticking at most companies.

While no one will be looking to rush into a system-wide upgrade right away, the over/under on the number of years left with the XP and Server 2003 pairing as the dominant corporate standard has been set at something less than four or five.

In other words, the MCSE on 2003 won’t be the “current” certification for very much longer.

Microsoft has put too much effort into its new certification model to turn back now. However, if it becomes clear that the revamped model is not producing the desired effect, certain changes could be made.

The most likely being a consolidation of the bewildering array of titles.

In the meantime, Microsoft has provided 2003 Server MCSEs with a two exam upgrade path. The good news is that these upgrade paths provide for a quick road to what appears to be the MCSE heir-apparent, the MCITP, with an interim stop at the MCTS certification.

For MCSE on Server 2003, just one Microsoft certification upgrade exam is required to get three 2008 MCTS certifications: Active Directory, Network Infrastructure, Applications Infrastructure Configuration. If you are wondering how to list that kind of certification on your resume and business card (MCTS x 3, perhaps?) then you have an idea of why the new certification paradigm is not as user friendly as its predecessor.

Is the MCSE Still Worth It?

All of which leads us to the big question: Is the MCSE still worth getting?

The answer is yes.

Windows Server 2003 will continue to be the dominant installed Microsoft server product for at least a few more years, and won’t become a rarity for the better part of a decade. Even with a high-level Windows Server 2008 certification, IT professionals who can demonstrate skill in BOTH 2008 and 2003 platforms will be most highly prized.

Indeed, the most sought after system administrator consulting skill of the next decade will be migrating Server 2003 to Server 2008.

In addition, while the newer MCITP tracks pigeonhole computer pros into specific product tracks, the 2003 MCSE still carries the can-do-anything label that managers find so desirable. There will be a new president before professionals drop MCSE 2003 from their business cards and resumes (and that’s true regardless of whether the current guy gets re-elected).

In fact, the value of 2003 MCSEs will only grow for next several years with those 9 characters being proof that not only are you highly skilled and certified, but that you have plenty of experience too!

So get cracking, get your MCSE on Windows Server 2003. Then, when 2013 rolls around and the usual business card exchange takes place around the conference room table, and among the 7 IT pros with MCITP 2008 you will be the only one with MCITP 2008 and MCSE 2003 on your card.

Oh, and when the Executive Vice President of Whatever (who doesn’t know as much as he thinks about IT) looks down impressed and says, “You’re a MCITP AND an MCSE? Wow,” don’t forget to thank me.

Related posts:

• MCSE vs MCITP: Is the MCSE Still Worth It?
• What’s The Next Step for MCSEs?
• What’s the difference between MCITP Certified Server Admin and Enterprise Admin?

However, Microsoft did just release SP2 for Windows Server 2008. Can IT get just as excited about the new server OS?

Here are five great things about Windows Server 2008 and information that will help you decide if upgrading is worth it.

1. Virtualization

Server 2008 comes with Hyper-V a virtualization technology that runs natively on Server 2008. New licensing terms that better align with business in the real world are a huge plus, but the improvements don’t stop there.

While load-balancing is probably still usually best done via a hardware solution, the virtualization in Server 2008 provides numerous opportunities to give flexibility to those with large or complicated infrastructures. Being able to create a new virtual server running a software upgrade or new install on it while leaving the old one completely functional is an enormous boon to the savvy IT department.

If there is any trouble with the new virtual server, the old virtual machine is rolled back in its place, allowing for more testing or troubleshooting while having to worry about neither too much downtime, nor taking too long to roll out new systems caused by “over-testing.”

2. Core Server Installs

Sometimes all you need is a server to sit there and handle just one little thing, and nothing else. In times past, that meant “wasting” a full server installation to handle little, but critical tasks. Securing those servers and then keeping all the patches and upgrades current often seemed like more trouble than it was worth.

Thanks to Core Installations of Server 2008, you can create a Windows Sever that not only does just one thing, but is only capable of doing that one thing rendering it a much less vulnerable system whether to bugs or attacks.

Even better, Server 2008 is smart enough to only bother applying patches that apply to what is actually installed and running on the core server which eliminates numerous updates from ever having to run (and possibly harm) these core servers.

3. Read Only Domain Controllers

Somewhere along the line, domain controllers ended up scattered across many enterprises primarily for speed and fault-tolerance purposes. Generally, while perhaps a slight overkill in many situations, this practice was relatively harmless.

Then, somewhere along the way, the physical security of domain controllers became an uncontrollable factor as remodels or personnel changes left domain controllers sitting under the receptionist’s desk or in the corner of a conference room. While not a widely used tactic, compromising a domain controller and then using its replication features to infest an entire Active Directory with numerous administrator level accounts became a real fear.

Fortunately, the Read-Only Domain Controller solves this problem by allowing for placement out in the field beyond the control of corporate IT but without the ability to send any junk data back into the main network.

4. PowerShell

Real administrators never stopped using the command line to manage servers. Between scripting repetitive or error prone tasks, to just flat out getting something done fast without having to load up any point and click GUI — firing off commands with a few keyboard strokes has always been useful.

But, with PowerShell even admins who gave up the command line are coming back. Doing something to multiple servers is easier than ever with PowerShell. And even better, those 2:30 AM pages from the monitoring system can be addressed remotely from the command line without even putting on your robe, especially if you pre-write some scripts before anything happens.

5. TS RemoteApp

When I first read about TS RemoteApp I was underwhelmed. Frankly, I liked the idea of having a remote desktop and then picking and choosing what to run there. Apparently, that is a system admin mentality.

For users, nothing could be more confusing that having a remote desktop in addition to the local one. After the 800^th user asked me which desktop was their “real” desktop, I realized the value of TS RemoteApp.

With RemoteApp, an application is run remotely, just like the old days, but the big difference is that it launches straight into the application, no desktop, no “second” double-click, no confusion about where the files “really” are located.

Windows Server 2008 Upgrade Is Worth It

Add in all of the performance and stability improvements that Server 2008 brings to the table and you have yourself a solid server OS upgrade.

Many companies will follow the tried and true method of upgrading as new hardware comes online. However, there are many instances in which certain applications, certain server functions, and certain servers outside of the corporate IT server rooms would benefit from an upgrade to Server 2008.

In those cases, it is worth it to schedule upgrades ahead of the hardware lifecycle. Also, with server power increasing faster than many enterprises take advantage of it, waiting for a hardware based need might mean waiting too long.

A smart solution is to evaluate your current server environment and evaluate which servers could benefit most from an upgrade to Server 2008 because of additional needs or limitations that the current servers have. Once those servers have been taken care of, move on to your newest and most powerful servers.

Chances are that they are not being fully utilized. Those servers are prime candidates for Hyper-V and taking on more functionality and responsibility. The same servers will of course be the ones the furthest away from hardware needs based upgrades as well.

Working ahead on sever OS upgrades in this manner can shorten the overall migration time while still providing minimal disruption to the currently functioning server environment, and that is a Win-Win for everyone involved.

Related posts:

• Overview of Server 2008 R2 — The Half Version Upgrade
• Windows Server “LongHorn” Certification Upgrade
• Install Read-Only Domain Controller on Windows Server 2008

Server clusters in Windows 2003 were so complicated to setup and manage that many companies opted instead for third-party solutions, or ended up with specialized administrators just for cluster management. For Server 2008, Microsoft has put the task of cluster setup and management back in the capable hands of all systems admins.

Note: One of the major differences between Windows Server Enterprise Edition and Standard Edition is that Failover Clustering is not available in the Windows Server 2008 Standard edition.

What Are Failover Clusters?

In Windows Server 2003, failover clusters were called server clusters. The new name provides a clearer picture of what is actually being setup and keeps it from getting confused with Computer Cluster Servers.

A cluster is a group of computers that operate independently yet communicate and operate more closely than other computers linked together via networks.

Each server in a cluster is called a node and they are hard-wired together. If one of the nodes in a cluster fails, the other nodes provide the service in their place. The best case scenario is that the user doesn’t even know that a server is down.

What’s New in Server 2008 Clustering?

• GUID partition table disks are now supported. These disks can have partitions which exceed 2 terabytes and can have redundant partition tables unlike regular disks with a single master boot record. This allows for very large partition sizes and eliminates a single point of failure at the MBR.
• Like in the rest of Server 2008 no legacy NetBIOS support is required, so no WINS or name-resolution broadcasts are necessary either for communication between cluster nodes, or for communications from clients that are properly configured.
• Heartbeats are now sent as the more reliable TCP rather than UDP.
• Clustered servers can be on different subnets. This greatly aids the ability to cluster nodes in multiple locations providing not just server system redundancy, but also eliminating site-wide problems such as power failures or other emergencies.
• Failover clusters and their nodes have fully implemented support for DHCP on both the cluster itself and for the resources.
• A cluster can have support for up to 16 nodes per cluster. That is double the number supported in Server 2003.
• A huge plus for enterprises who want to enable clustering via storage area networks, or SASs, failover clusters no longer use commands which cause SCSI Bus Resets. So, now you can use storage area networks (SAN) without fear of those issues.
• No Single Point of Failure at Quorum. Failover clusters can be configured so that if the quorum disk, which has been renamed the witness disk, goes down, the cluster can keep running as long as a copy of the cluster configuration database is still accessible.

How-To Setup Failover Clustering

Creating and deploying server clusters was a source of much frustration in Windows Server 2003. The process has been streamlined and simplified in Windows Server 2008.

In contrast to Windows Server 2003, failover services are not installed by default in 2008. Instead, they are a feature that can be added to the server (and thus can exist regardless of server role).

A new and improved Validation Tool helps ensure that there are no configuration issues or incompatibilities lurking in the server nodes. Plus, the Validation Tool can be run at any time without taking the cluster offline, so if changes are made to a server’s configuration or if a hardware upgrade takes place, the cluster can be re-checked to ensure it still meets the necessary requirements.

Once the servers have been blessed by the Validate Configuration wizard, creating the cluster is now an easy process. The new Failover Cluster wizard eliminates the need for manually setting up groups and dependencies.

In fact, the only thing the cluster must have to get started is a name and the list of servers that will be part of the cluster. If DHCP will be supplying IP configuration, then not even an IP is required.

After the cluster has been created, then it can be configured for the appropriate services. Configuring a failover cluster for a full server product like a SQL database, or Exchange Email server obviously take some specific steps, but for regular server-based systems like DHCP, File Servers, Print Servers, and the like configuration can be handled with the Failover Cluster Management snap-in.

From the Failover Cluster Management tool in Administrative Tools, right clicking the cluster name brings up a context menu. Select Manage a Cluster and then Configure a Service or Application.

The wizard then guides the administrator through configuring the failover of the selected service or function. For example, a file server failover cluster would require parameters defining which volumes to use and which shares to maintain.

The cluster management snap-in can also be accessed as CluAdmin.msc.

With the cluster up and running, management has been simplified via a much improved wizard interface. Many resources, including new disks, can be added to clusters now without the need to take the cluster offline.

Additionally, manually triggering the cluster to allow for system maintenance is easier, and can be tested prior to taking the system down by re-running the Validate Configuration wizard.

More in-depth information on failover clustering can be found in the new Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure Training Course for Exam 70-643.

Related posts:

• Configure DHCP on Windows Server 2008
• Less is More — Windows 2008 Server Core
• How To Install, Configure & Use SNMP on Sever 2008

Prior editions of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 included SNMP support, but only with IPv4, even if the IPv6 stack was installed. Unfortunately, that means that SNMP management from Server 2008 will not communicate with SNMP services still on Server 2003 regardless of whether IPv6 is implemented on those servers.

The good news, is that the updated TCP/IP stack in Windows Vista is capable of communicating with the new SNMP implementation.

Still, the new implementation of SNMP in Windows Server 2008 offers much for the enterprise level systems administrator. Although SNMP Services are no longer installed by default, installing and setting it up is a snap.

Why Use SNMP Services on Windows Server 2008?

Many organizations have installed proprietary management systems over the years. These systems often provide more functionality than SNMP does. However, SNMP is both non-proprietary, and interoperable.

These days, interoperable often means that something works on both Windows and Unix. However, in this case, interoperable means that it works on virtually any connected network device. This includes routers and other networking equipment as well as networked peripherals such as NAS devices and networked printers.

Couple this wide range with relatively simple setup and the fact that you don’t have to pick and choose which devices to monitor to stay under a monitoring suite license count, and there are many uses for SNMP in most companies.

Installing SNMP on 2008 Server

The SNMP service is installed via the Add Features Wizard in Server Manager.

For Windows Server Core systems, SNMP services must be installed using the command prompt.

start /w ocsetup SNMP-SC

Configuring SNMP

After installing the SNMP service, you configure the SNMP agent properties by right-clicking on the SNMP Service in the Services console and choosing Properties.

• Agent Tab

In the Agent tab you can set the usual SNMP attributes like contact, location, and so on.

• Traps Tab

The useful monitoring provided by SNMP comes from properly configured traps. Traps are configured via the appropriately named Traps tab. Here you configure the community name and address of the system to receive the traps.

• Security Tab

The Security tab is used to lock down the SNMP service to prevent any possible holes for hackers to exploit and to prevent the wrong people from receiving traps from the system. By default, the SNMP agent accepts packets from ALL hosts. This is something that will obviously need to be limited.

The remaining options should be configured within your enterprise’s security and reporting scheme. Generally, the minimum security you want to use is to at least define the Accepted Community Names. Keep in mind that community names are case sensitive in SNMP.

• Option Tabs

Also, after installing SNMP in Server 2008, the SNMP option tabs will not show up until you have logged off and logged back on again. So, you won’t be able to configure anything until after you log back in. This has caused a fair amount of confusion in the field.

If this is the server that will receive incoming traps, then your work is done at the server. Once the agents are configured, the data will flow back to the SNMP service where it can be used as necessary by administrators.

Configure SNMP Event Traps in Windows Server 2008

One nice feature of SNMP services is the ability to turn Windows level events into SNMP traps. This can be useful for many reasons, the most common of which, is the ability to monitor servers via a centralized monitoring station without any additional access rights.

This concept is particularly useful for environments where servers are monitored overnight or on weekends by lower-level system operators.

The system that already alerts them when devices (including Windows Servers in some cases) go dark on the network can also alert them to other events which may allow an administrator to head off trouble or to simply get advance notice of a potential situation.

To translate Windows events into traps, run the evntcmd command. Once configured, the Windows events will trigger traps that are received at the monitoring console.

There, the traps can be configured with an appropriate response. For example, certain traps could be ignored during business hours on the assumption other administrative tools will be alerting the appropriate admins. But, after hours, or on weekends, such traps might generate an alert that can prompt off-hours operators to take specific actions or to simply call or page the on-call systems administrator.

A timely alert to building volumes of bad sectors can be the difference between an easy fix, and a rushed full-scale hardware reconfiguration.

Is SNMP Right For Your Organization?

Remember that SNMP services are fairly low overhead with all of the real work being split among hundreds or thousands of agents. Additionally, SNMP agents can be configured for installation as part of the unattended install for incoming workstations. In all, SNMP can provide a lot of value for little extra work.

SNMP installation and configuration is also a skill set for the 70-643: Windows Server 2008 Applications Infrastructure, Configuring Exam.

Related posts:

• Configure BIND DNS on Windows Web Server 2008 – Part 2
• Configure DHCP on Windows Server 2008
• Direct Access: How It Works And How To Configure It

Microsoft also provided its first look at what will become Windows Server 2008 R2.

For those of you who just wait until software starts shipping and don’t pay much attention to things like software release strategy, here is a quick primer.

Microsoft has long been a player in the corporate and desktop software and applications space. Just a decade ago, there were only a few competitors in that space, and they all played by the same rules when it came to upgrades.

Basically, a company built its best software product possible based on the needs and possibilities of the day and then released it to be sold to the public. After doing so, the company would begin the process of adding in new features, or optimizing the code, or supporting more systems.

The paradigm was such that this process should be completed over a period of a certain number of years depending upon what kind of software it was. For Microsoft, releasing operating systems spanned a several year gap.

Part of the reason for this was that deploying new operating systems was a particularly large undertaking and companies were not interested in having to do it very often.

Thus, Microsoft brought out new Windows Sever products every 5 or so years. (They claimed to have a 4 year goal, but they always ended up late.) These days, that doesn’t cut it.

Thanks to advancements (some of them Microsoft’s own) in deployment methods, as well as the "new features now" and methodology brought on by many Internet vendors — a five year gap in upgrades is just too long.

However, Microsoft doesn’t want to have the pressure of having a "big enough to be almost new" upgrade every 2 years. So, they have proclaimed that they plan to release their Windows Server operating system and then approximately two years later release a mini-upgrade, or a "release two" version of the software.

This strategy allows for the addition of new features that come about after the release of the main upgrade, without having to start over from scratch.

The Windows Server 2008 main release was, not surprisingly, in 2008, so Microsoft plans a Release Two sometime around 2010.

The developers at the PDC were given a sneak peak version of R2 along with the Windows 7 desktop code which was more heavily noticed. The biggest news is that Windows Server 2008 R2 is actually called Windows 7 internally.

No, nobody is asleep at the wheel. Microsoft is, for the first time since Windows 2000, developing both systems in tandem.

This coupled with the news that Windows 7 desktop is based entirely off of Vista shows that Windows Server 2008 R2 will end up being very tightly integrated with Windows 7 (or Vista 2, if you will) when it is released.

Unless a company likes the idea of turning over both the desktop OS and server OS at the same time, this puts a huge damper on the idea of skipping Vista.

What Features Are In Windows Server 2008 R2

Obviously, at this point, everything must be considered conjecture, but we do have a pretty good idea of what Microsoft is working on for its mid-release upgrade.

First, is the confirmation that Windows Server 2008 R2 will come in x64 flavors only. Although becoming more of a moot point by the day, it does affect some operations, particularly those where "tiny servers" that perform only a single simple process are housed on older machines.

The second piece of big news is that PowerShell development is rushing forward full speed. PowerShell is available, and very useful in the current Windows Server, but they are adding hundreds of new commands across almost all the roles, so some of the things that are beyond PowerShell’s reach today will be well within grasp in R2.

Other news includes the bump in server cores support from 64 to 256, adding support for .NET to the Server Core, significant improvements to IIS, and (yea!) the ability to access other servers from Server Manager.

Virtualization

Perhaps the most visible feature of Windows Server 2008 from an administrator point of view was virtualization. Hyper-V is available on Server 2008 as a role today, but in the future will be integrated into the OS (you won’t have to wait for R2, it is in SP2.)

The biggest deal here is the ability to migrate virtual machines to another server without downtime. VMware already can do this, so it will be nice to have the same feature available in R2.

Ah, the dream of every sys admin, the ability to perform hardware maintenance and upgrades without having to come in at 3:00AM after pre-announcing the downtime three to five weeks in advance after a thorough change control process.

Also, in the works is the ability to "hot add" virtual hard disks without rebooting the virtual machine.

All in all, it seems like R2 will be a very worthy release for most environments. Of course, that means that it will be even more useful to nail down some of those Windows Server 2008 features that have been left on the back burner so that when R2 shows up, there won’t be any catch up needed.

Related posts:

• 5 Great Things About Server 2008 — Is an Upgrade Worth It?
• Server 2008 R2 Update Review
• Windows Server “LongHorn” Certification Upgrade

The purpose of this set compendium is to help systems administrators deploy and upgrade systems in a manner that is more efficient than has been possible in the past.

The WAIK has been promoted primarily as a means of deploying Windows Vista, but when combined with Windows Server 2008 Deployment Server it can be very useful in deploying Windows Server 2008 itself, as well as both Vista and XP for upgrades and installation on bare metal systems.

Getting the Windows AIK

The WAIK can be downloaded for free from Microsoft’s website. The current version for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 is available here:

Windows Automated Installation Kit

Microsoft has a habit of reorganizing its site and links so you can always find the Windows AIK through the download center at www.microsoft.com/downloads.

When you download the Windows AIK, you will notice that it is a DVD image (.ISO file). The WAIK is designed to be burned to a DVD but there are ways around that.

A tool like MagicISO will open up the iso file and allow you to extract all or part of it to your hard disk. So, just download the file and then pull out what you need. You can leave the rest of it compressed on a file server if you want.

However, it may be useful to send the DVD with every install technician into the field so that they are not caught without a needed tool.

Unfortunately, there is no way around downloading the entire 1375.9 MB regardless of how many or how few of the tools and resources you actually plan to use. So, plan ahead and download the WAIK now so that you aren’t waiting for it a 3:00 A.M. when a problem arises.

Inside the WAIK

Inside the Windows AIK are two types of help for system administrators:

1. The Windows AIK has numerous tools, some of which are standalone tools, and some of which are much more useful in conjunction with other Microsoft tools or systems such as Windows Server 2008 Deployment Services, or SMS Server.
2. The WAIK has a voluminous amount of documentation and more importantly samples that can be used as starting places for many tasks.

The tools included with the Windows AIK include Windows System Image Manager aka Windows SIM which is useful in creating and maintaining answer files for unattended installs.

This GUI based tool allows an administrator to not only create answer files without hacking through a text editor, but it also allows those files to be validated and checked without having to "just try it."

Another useful tool is ImageX which is a tool for capturing image files to be used in deployment. This is the tool that replaces Norton’s Ghost if you have been using that for your deployments.

Unlike other imaging tools, ImageX creates file based images which means two things:

1. If an image needs to be updated, it is not necessary to re-image the entire system. The tool can be used to simply modify the existing image by adding, deleting, or replacing the files inside the image.
2. If a file is duplicated on a system, that file is stored only once inside the image instead of being cloned in like in a sector based image. This produces much smaller images.

Package Manager is an interesting tool which allows for servicing Windows images from the command line. With Package Manager you can add and remove packages from images even if that package came from a different system image.

PEimg.exe is used to create Windows PE (Pre-Execution) images. Windows PE is a bare bones OS designed to get a system operating just far enough so that an image can be installed on it whether locally (CD/DVD) or over the network.

These images are better created with Windows Server 2008 Deployment Services instead if that will be the method of deployment.

Driver Package Installer or DPInst allows you to add drivers to deployed systems.

This tool is very useful for adding those drivers that are not necessary for system boot (scanners are a common one.) It is very easy to add to existing scripts and only requires an inf file as input.

Most important, is the Sysprep or System Preparation Tool.

Sysprep is used to strip out machine specific data such as the SID so that the images created from the machine do not propagate that data to all the other systems built from the image.

This tool is still very necessary in Windows Server 2008 Deployment Services. It is also available on Vista systems.

Windows AIK Documentation

While some of the documentation could be dug out somewhere else, it is nice to have it all in one handy spot. Some of it can only be found in the WAIK.

Of particular importance for deploying and upgrading systems are the ImageX Technical Reference, the Windows SIM Technical Reference, and the Sysprep Technical Reference.

Also of particular note is the Preinstallation Methods document inside The Windows Preinstallation Phases – Phase 1 section.

This one section will probably explain to a non-IT person exactly what the difference is between deployment options better than anything else probably could in half the time.

Also the Phase 4 Image Deployment section is an outstanding all-in-one resource to get a solid grasp on just what will be involved in using an image based rollout.

Keep in mind that the documentation was updated when Microsoft rolled out the WAIK update earlier this year so make sure you replace any docs you have lying around from the original version.

With this resource kit, some solid planning, and a little luck, you should be able to deploy a much easier rollout and upgrade program this time around.

Related posts:

• Server 2008: Windows System Image Manager and WDS
• Arthur Installs and Configures Windows Deployment Services
• WDS Supporting Players at Server 2008 Install Summer Camp

Find out on Microsoft’s The Real World, Deployment City*.

This season, Microsoft has released Server 2008 and Windows Vista.

Whether a company is looking to handle both upgrades at the same time (masochists) or simply to leverage the new abilities of Server 2008 and its Windows Deployment Services (WDS), there are many reasonable approaches to handling a large scale deployment.

How will the housemates handle it?

Welcome to the Real World, Deployment City

Last episode, we learned that Lester prefers to do the least work possible up front before starting in on a major task, no matter how much work it means later.

David, meanwhile, prefers to do as much work as possible up front before doing anything on a big job. That way, he can appropriately plan for how much time and effort the main project will take.

Jeff, though, is the middle of the road type. He figures that not doing enough up front work will make any project actually take more work overall because doing things on the fly is less efficient. At the same time, Jeff knows that all the preparation in the world can’t help you prepare for every possible event, so there is no reason to spend too much time before jumping in.

Meanwhile, we learned that, GASP, Tom is actually a manager, and not an IT professional at all. Things got tense after that.

This week, the housemates were assigned a task: develop and implement a large-scale rollout of an operating system upgrade. Let’s check in and see how they are doing.

Lester, not surprisingly, is packing up his laptop back. He’s got his laptop, discs, and more. He has a second bag full of other equipment as well. "Guys, come on, if we’re going to get this done we need to start installing systems."

David rolls his eyes and looks over at Jeff. "I’m not going to sit in front of a hundred computers all day putting CDs and DVDs in and out. That’s stupid; we should be able to automate all of it from here and never even have to see the workstations."

Jeff nods in partial agreement. Last night, when he stood up Tom at the bar and stayed in his room reading TechNet instead, he read about Microsoft’s goal for a Zero Touch Installation. It sounded great, but complicated.

He also read about Lite Touch, and that seemed much more doable. The problem with a true zero touch deployment is that it takes a lot of effort and upfront planning. But, even more, it requires a whole infrastructure to be architected and setup just to handle the deployment.

But, being diplomatic, Jeff is hanging around with David to help slow down the impatient Lester who is already dying to get out the door. Running around to each computer and figuring it out as you go might work for 20 computers, but it is a recipe for wasted time and trouble with a few hundred.

Meanwhile, Tom, who we just found out is really an IT manager not an actual IT administrator, is still really mad at Jeff for standing him up last night. He has fired up his copy of Microsoft Project.

He isn’t going anywhere with a GANTT chart showing him exactly how long each part of this task will take, and how much of each piece of each task should be assigned to each housemate down to the nearest quarter of an hour.

Is Lite Touch Installation the Way to Go?

Later that day, David and Lester have a big blowup. David accuses Lester of being irresponsible and dangerous. "That’s right, David. I am dangerous," replies Lester. In the background Top Gun plays on the T.V. as Tom furiously reorganizes his project plan.

Since David and Lester can’t agree on what to do, his dependencies keep getting messed up. He’s started talking about bringing in consultants.

David says, "Look, Lester. If we just run out there and start installing computers it will take us twice as long as if we get everything setup here first and then just push out the installation."

"You don’t know that David. We could spend WEEKS in here and still encounter some little driver we hadn’t thought of. It’s better if we just get going because then at least we are making progress, and if we hit any snags, we’ll be right there to handle it."

Just when it looks like David may punch Lester in the face, Jeff steps in, much to the dismay of reality T.V. executives everywhere. No need to worry though, that’s what editing is for.

"Guys, I get what you both are saying. We can’t plan for everything, but if we just run out there we could waste valuable time duplicating efforts. Besides there is no guarantee that we’ll each get every system setup the same, which just sets us up for more problems later."

Lester and David, look suspicious, but are willing to listen.

"Maybe, if we could do something called a Lite Touch Installation that would work best for us."

"What’s that," Lester and David say simultaneously.

"Jinx," they say, again in unison.

"Double Jinx," once more.

"Triple Jinx," says Lester just before David can get it out. "Hah, you owe me three Cokes."

David shakes his head in frustration.

"Look, David, I’ll buy him one of the Cokes if you are willing to give it a shot," says Jeff. David nods.

"What do I get," says Lester.

"I won’t tell Tom that you fried his network connection last night when you decided at the last minute to try and download a hacked version of Halo from that Russian cracks site."

"Deal."

"Ok, then, here is what we need to do. Lester, we need systems that are already installed and working properly like we want them to be after the upgrade, so that we can capture images from them to install the other systems. So, you get out there and install some reference machines for us. Don’t forget to hit them with Sysprep."

Lester doesn’t say a word, he just nods.

"David, once Lester gets us the reference systems, we need to get them ready and then push them out into the field. In order to do that, we’re going to need one or more of our Windows Server 2008 systems to have the WDS role installed. Then, we’ll need to use a Boot Image to get the reference system up and then a Capture Image to get the actual install image loaded up to the WDS server."

This time both Lester and David nod. So far, so good.

"Once it is all fired up, Lester you can boot each system we’re going to install into PXE mode. David, as that happens, they’ll be pulling down the Capture images. Since we are going to need additional software and drivers on some of those machines, you need to get Unattend files ready for each kind of system so we don’t have to go back and add anything on."

Lester opens his mouth to say something, but David keeps going, "Lester, you’ll be out there in the field in case anything goes wrong. Once you have a fix, let David know and he’ll update the images and Unattend files so that we won’t have that problem in the future. If everything goes well, we’ll have these systems installed by Friday and then we can go to that party the bikini models who just happen to live across the hall are throwing during ratings week."

"Wait a minute. What are you going to do," David asks.

"I’m going to go book a conference room for the next three days. Then I’m going to tell Tom that we need to have a pre-planning meeting before he does his project file so we all feel like we are equally empowered in our ownership before he submits it for total quality management team approval. Once he gets there, I’ll call him from my cell phone and tell him the project will have much more visibility if we do a pre-pre-planning meeting with the Sigma Six team at headquarters and that Budget has already approved the trip. By the time he gets back here we’ll be done and he won’t be able to get in our way with status reports and team meetings."

"Awesome," Lester and David say as they high five.

"Wait. What are you going to tell him when we don’t show up for the pre-pre-planning meeting?"

"I’ll tell him we’re taking comp time."

Related posts:

• Arthur Installs and Configures Windows Deployment Services
• Arthur and an Introduction to Windows Deployment Services
• Lesson 9: Windows Deployment Services