Introduction

  Windows Server 2003, an evolutionary version of Windows 2000 Server, was officially released on April 24^th 2003 .  It is a continuation of the NT Server family and one of its major new features is supporting the .NET framework.

 The .NET Framework is the platform for next generation, distributed Web applications. It enables the creation of software that connects information, people, systems, and devices.  It enables new levels of software integration through XML Web services.  XML (eXtensible Markup Language) adds meta-tags to documents in a universal data format.

 Microsoft has focused on making Windows 2003 Server provide the greatest productivity and lower cost of ownership than any previous Windows Server by improving upon many existing technologies.  Reliability, scalability, performance and security are among the major design features that will help businesses maintain their network and web services without interruption.  For example, there will be both 32 and 64 bit editions of the Enterprise and Datacenter versions, and all versions offer web load balancing and fail-over clustering features.

 Another plus is much of the look and feel of Windows 2000/Windows XP has been retained, and virtually all the tools, menus, utilities are in the same place in the interface.  Still, do not mistake this as a simple upgrade to Windows 2000, it is considered a major release with many critical enhancements.  Windows Server 2003 offers a major advancements in technology while maintaining compatibility with existing networks and company domains.

Microsoft has created four versions of Server 2003 to meet different business needs.  

• Server 2003 Standard Edition: The dependable server operating system ideal for everyday needs of business of all sizes, providing the optimal solution for file and printer sharing, secure Internet connectivity, centralized desktop application deployment, and a rich connected environment among employees, partners, and customers.
• Server 2003 Enterprise Edition: The platform of choice for large enterprises as well as small and medium-size businesses to develop, deliver, and secure applications, Web services, and infrastructure—delivering high reliability, performance, and superior business value.  Enterprise Edition will be available in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions.
• Server 2003 Datacenter Edition: This is the server of choice for business-critical and mission-critical applications that demand the highest levels of scalability and availability.  Datacenter Edition will be available through the Datacenter Program in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions.
• Server 2003 Web Edition: Optimized for serving and hosting web pages, while maintaining the core functionalities that support enhanced reliability, manageability, and security.

Upgrade Paths

Most versions of Windows 2003 Server can upgrade existing NT based Servers and even entire Domains (Domain Migration).  This includes NT 4. Server and Windows 2000 Server.  However certain Editions can only upgrade similar older editions (example you must upgrade Windows 2000 Datacenter to Windows 2003 Datacenter).  NT 3.51 cannot be upgraded.

For more info see this page: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/whyupgrade/supportedpaths.mspx 

Windows 2003 Server can now be preinstalled in much the same way as Windows 2000 Pro and XP and comes with an improved set of deployment tools located on the CD-ROM: Support\Tools\Deploy.cab. 

Server 2003 can now be installed using RIS (Remote Installation Service), previously only Windows 2000 Professional could be installed this way.  You can also do a CD-ROM preinstall using a winnt.sif file which provides a fully automated setup process.  Next you can image the Server and then run sysprep.exe to prepare for deployment.

For more info see this page: www.asisupport.com/preinstall_win2003.htm 

Top Improvements + New Features

Easier to Deploy and Manage: With its familiar Windows interface, Windows Server 2003 is easy to use. New streamlined wizards simplify the setup of specific server roles and routine server management tasks so that even servers without a dedicated administrator are easy to manage. In addition, administrators have several new and improved features designed to make it easier to deploy Active Directory.   Active Directory itself has been greatly upgraded with new tools Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT 2.0), Domain Rename ability, Schema Redefine, and many other tools. See: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/overview/technologies/activedirectory.mspx

Secure Connected Infrastructure: Efficient and secure networked computing is more important than ever for a business to remain competitive. Windows Server 2003 lets organizations take advantage of existing IT investments, and extend those advantages to partners, customers, and suppliers by deploying key features like cross-forest trusts in the Microsoft Active Directory® service as well as Microsoft .NET Passport integration. Identity management in Active Directory spans the entire network, helping ensure security throughout the enterprise

Web Application Server Role: Windows Server 2003 is a full Web application server that integrates the .NET Framework with core server resources to help users to develop, deploy and manage applications and XML Web services. The .NET Framework provides a fully managed, protected and feature-rich application execution environment, simplified development and deployment and seamless integration with a wide variety of programming languages. Windows Server 2003 is built on industry standards that allow customers to extend and develop applications. Developers can build directly on the application server using XML Web services and managed code and run applications on any Web application platform 

Manage Your Server Wizard: The new Manage Your Server Wizard in Windows .NET Server 2003 replaces the Configure Your Server Wizard that was used in Windows 2000 Server. The Manage Your Server Wizard exposes common tasks that administrators need to carry out, as well as documentation and Help files to help complete those tasks. One of the main goals of the Manage Your Server Wizard is to allow administrators to set a server up to carry out a specific task, such as creating a domain controller, DNS server, DHCP server, Web server and so on. The wizard allows administrators to chose the role or roles which the server will fill and make configuration changes as appropriate for that role.

IIS 6.0 (Internet Information Services):  A Web service for sharing information among partners, customers and employees over an intranet, the Internet or via an extranet.  It provides enhanced security and a dependable architecture that offers application isolation and greatly improved performance. The result: higher overall reliability and uptime. And Microsoft Windows Media services makes it easy to build streaming media solutions with dynamic content programming as well as faster and more reliable performance. This version is new to Server 2003

Wireless LAN Support: Provides security and performance improvements for wireless local area networks (LANs) including automatic key management, user authentication and authorization prior to LAN access.  

Increased Document Protection and Availability: With the new shadow copy restore feature, users can retrieve previous versions of files instantly, without requiring costly assistance from a support professional. Enhancements to the Distributed File System (DFS) and File Replication service (FRS) provide users with a consistent way to access their files wherever they are.

FURTHER INFORMATION FROM MICROSOFT

MAIN PAGE: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/default.mspx

NEW FEATURES: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/evaluation/features/default.mspx