Read Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed Online
Authors: Noel Morimoto
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Virtualization server—
Windows Server 2008 R2 provides the core capabilities to
do server virtualization, providing the capability for an organization to consolidate
physical servers into fewer host server systems, thus decreasing the total cost of IT
operations.
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Distributed File System (DFS) server—
For the past decade, data files have been
stored on file servers all around an organization. Windows Server 2008 R2 provides
Distributed File Systems that allow an organization to take control of distributed files
into a common unified namespace.
These plus several other functions provide robust networking services that help organiza-
tions leverage the Windows Server 2008 R2 technologies into solutions that solve busi-
ness needs.
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CHAPTER 1
Windows Server 2008 R2 Technology Primer
Windows Server 2008 R2 Running Add-in Applications Server Functions
Although some of the newer, built-in server application functions in Windows Server 2008
R2—such as Network Policy Server, server virtualization, Remote Desktop Services Web
Access, Media Server, and so on—provide key areas for organizations to select as initial
areas to implement Windows Server 2008 R2 technologies, other organizations might find
add-in applications as being the key areas that drive an initial implementation of
Windows Server 2008 R2. Some of the add-in applications come from Microsoft, such as
the Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 messaging system or Microsoft SQL Server 2008 data-
base system. Other add-ins to Windows Server 2008 R2 are provided by companies that
provide human resource management applications; accounting software; document
management tools; fax or voicemail add-ins; or other business, industry, or user productiv-
ity capabilities.
In earlier Windows Server operating systems, the core operating system provided simple
logon and network connectivity functions; however, with Windows Server 2008 R2, the
operating system includes many core capabilities built in to the Windows Server 2008 R2
operating environment. With integrated fault tolerance, data recovery, server security,
remote access connectivity, web access technologies, and similar capabilities, organizations
creating add-ins to Windows Server 2008 R2 can focus on business functions and capabili-
ties, not on core infrastructure reliability, security, and mobile access functionality. This
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off-loading of the requirement of third-party add-in organizations to implement basic
networking technologies into their applications enables these developers to focus on
improving the business productivity and functionality of their applications. Additionally,
consolidating information routing, security, remote management, and so on into the core
operating system provides a common method of communication, authentication, and
access to users without having to load up special drivers, add-ins, or tools to support each
and every new application.
Much of the shift from application-focused infrastructure components to core operating
system-focused functionality was built in to Windows 2000 and then later enhanced in
Windows 2003 and Windows Server 2008. There were many challenges to earlier versions
of the Windows operating system; however, after being on the market for many years
now, Windows Server 2008 R2 add-ins have had several revisions to work through system
functionality and component reliability between application and operating system.
Fortunately, Windows Server 2008 R2 uses the same application/operating system technol-
ogy used in Windows 2003 and Windows Server 2008, so applications written for
Windows 2003 and Windows Server 2008 typically need just a simple service pack update
to be able to run on Windows Server 2008 R2, if anything at all.
This introductory chapter was intended to highlight the new features, functions, migra-
tion tools, and management utilities in Windows Server 2008 R2 that will help adminis-
trators take advantage of the capabilities of the new operating system. If Windows Server
2008 R2 is seen as just a simple upgrade to Windows 2000/2003/2008, an organization
Best Practices
47
will not benefit from the operating system enhancements. However, when fully leveraged
with the capabilities of the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system, an organization
1
can improve services to its employees through the use of new tools and technologies built
in to the operating system.
Because Windows Server 2008 R2 is a relatively simple migration from existing Windows
2003 and Windows 2008 Active Directory environments, and Windows Server 2008 R2
application servers can be added to existing Active Directory 2000/2003/2008 domains,
the migration process really is one where the IT administrators need to prioritize which
Windows Server 2008 R2 services to install or migrate to first, and to then plan and test
the new technologies to make sure they improve IT services to the organization.
The following are best practices from this chapter:
. When implementing Windows Server 2008 R2 for the first time, or migrating to
Windows Server 2008 R2 from a previous version of Windows, choose to implement
the technologies in Windows Server 2008 R2 that will provide the organization with
the most value in terms of employee productivity enhancements or regulatory
compliance security improvements first.
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. When considering adding a Windows Server 2008 R2 server to an existing Windows
2000/2003/2008 Active Directory environment, consider implementing things like
Remote Desktop Services Web Access, SharePoint Services, or Windows virtualiza-
tion, which have proven to be pretty easy to implement and provide a lot of value
to organizations.
. To ultimately improve Windows security, tune and optimize Windows Server 2008
R2 for a secured networking environment.
. Use Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server 2008 R2 to provide users with
access to local hard drives, as well as to redirect the audio from a centralized
Terminal Server to a remote system.
. Use Windows Deployment Services (WDS) to create client system images that can be
quickly and easily rolled back through Group Policy.
. Windows Server 2008 R2 virtualization can help organizations deploy clustering and
add in disaster recovery data centers without having to add additional physical
servers to the network.
. Remote and branch office locations greatly benefit from the use of Read-Only
Domain Controllers, Distributed File System Replication, BitLocker security, and
distributed administration tools built in to Windows Server 2008 R2.
. Using the new Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Manager can simplify the task of a
network administrator trying to access information residing on different servers and
in different server roles in the environment.
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CHAPTER 1
Windows Server 2008 R2 Technology Primer
. It is best to run the Group Policy Management Console on a Windows Server 2008
R2 or Windows 7 system to have access to all the policy features available (compared
with running GPMC on a Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 system).
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IN THIS CHAPTER
. Determining the Scope of Your
Project
. Identifying the Business Goals
and Objectives to Implement
Windows Server 2008 R2
. Identifying the Technical Goals
and Objectives to Implement
Windows Server 2008 R2
The technical process to implement or to migrate to a
. The Discovery Phase:
Windows Server 2008 R2 environment is similar to the
Understanding the Existing
migration processes that have been available for migrations
Environment
to Windows 2000/2003 in the past; however, the require-
ments and expectations of organizations have made it
. The Design Phase:
Documenting the Vision and
important for IT professionals to do better planning, prepa-
the Plan
ration, and testing before merely shoving in a CD and
performing an upgrade. Organizations are extremely depen-
. The Migration Planning Phase:
dent on the reliability of their network systems and less
Documenting the Process for
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tolerant to downtime such that the migration process needs
Migration
to be planned and executed with great attention paid to
. The Prototype Phase: Creating
minimizing user impact and system downtime.
and Testing the Plan
This chapter examines how a structured multistep process
. The Pilot Phase: Validating the
for migrating to the Windows Server 2008 R2 environment
Plan to a Limited Number of
can enhance the success of the project. Consisting of
Users
discovery, design, testing, and implementation phases, this
. The Migration/Implementation
methodology can be scaled to meet the needs of the wide
Phase: Conducting the
variety of organizations and businesses that use Microsoft
Migration or Installation
technologies. The results of this methodology are three very
important documents created to map out the implementa-
tion process: the design document, the migration docu-
ment, and the migration plan.
The examples used in this chapter assume that the environ-
ments being migrated are primarily Windows
2000/2003–based, but the concepts and process can
certainly apply to other environments.
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CHAPTER 2
Planning, Prototyping, Migrating, and Deploying Windows Server 2008
R2 Best Practices
Determining the Scope of Your Project
As outlined in the preceding chapter, the Windows Server 2008 R2 platform contains such
a wealth of features that planning a migration to it can seem quite daunting at first. This
chapter provides some guidance and best practices that can assist with the process and
assist organizations in creating a well-thought-out and structured implementation plan.
Rather than forging ahead with no plan or goals and simply building new servers, loading
application software, and inserting them into an existing network environment, a more
organized process will control the risks involved and define in detail what the end state
will look like.
The first steps involve getting a better sense of the scope of the project, in essence writing
the executive summary of your design document. The scope should define from a high
level what the project consists of and why the organization is devoting time, energy, and
resources to its completion.
Creating this scope of work requires an understanding of the different goals of the orga-
nization, as well as the pieces of the puzzle that need to fit together to meet the
company’s stated goals for the project. For Windows Server 2008 R2, the primary pieces
are servers that handle key network functionality, servers that handle and manage the
data, servers that control or provide access to the information, and servers that handle
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specific applications.
Identifying the Business Goals and Objectives to
Implement Windows Server 2008 R2
It is important to establish a thorough understanding of the goals and objectives of a
company that guide and direct the efforts of the different components of the organiza-
tion, to help ensure the success of the Windows Server 2008 R2 project. It might seem
counterintuitive to start at this very high level and keep away from the bits- and bytes-
level details, but time spent in this area will clarify the purposes of the project and start to
generate productive discussions.
As an example of the value of setting high-level business goals and objectives, an organi-
zation can identify the desire for zero downtime on file access; this downtime could be
facilitated through the implementation of the Distributed File System (DFS) technology or
the Windows Clustering feature. Starting with the broad goals and objectives will create
an outline for a technical solution that will meet all the criteria the organization wants, at
a lower cost, and with an easier-managed solution.
In every organization, a variety of different goals and objectives need to be identified and
met for a project to be considered successful. These goals and objectives represent a snap-
shot of the end state that the company or organization is seeking to create. For a smaller
company, this process might be completed in a few brainstorming sessions, whereas larger
companies might require more extensive discussions and assistance from external
resources or firms.
Identifying the Business Goals and Objectives to Implement
51
Windows Server 2008 R2
High-Level Business Goals
To start the organizational process, it is helpful to break up business goals and objectives
into different levels, or vantage points. Most organizations have high-level business goals,