| Inside
Windows 2000/ 2003 Server Technologies |
| With Windows 2000 and 2003
Server
technologies you can "Do More With
Less" and build highly reliable and scalable network
solutions for small businesses up to very large corporate
enterprises. However, many system builders may not realize the
many special features used in Windows Server operating systems and
how they can benefit the customer. Here we will discuss the
most important of those features and when they should be employed. |
| Active
Directory |
| Active Directory service is
the heart of the Windows 2000 and 2003 Server Platform. It is
an advanced and flexible directory service designed for distributed
computing environments. Basically, Active Directory is the
directory services of the network that allows one to centrally
manage users and groups, network resources, and security through
such things as Group Policies.
Active
Directory stores information about objects on the network and makes
this information easy for administrators and users to find and use.
Compared to NT 4.0 Server (which did not have Active Directory)
medium to large Window 2000 networks are much easier to manage.
Note:
Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 and XP have built in Active Directory client
support. Older systems must install the the
Active Directory client http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/server/evaluation/news/bulletins/adextension.asp.
Also,. Active
Directory cannot be run on Windows Web Server but it can manage any
computer running Windows Web Server.
|
| NTFS |
| NTFS is the advanced file
system designed to support many of the most important security and
storage features found in Windows Servers. NTFS has many
advantages over FAT32 and should be the file system you select
during installation unless you have a small (under 2GB partition)
that must be accessed by legacy operating systems. |
| NTFS
Features |
Benefits
/ Use |
| Set
local security permissions on files and folders |
With
NTFS you can set local security permissions according to
specific groups or users, giving or denying rights such as
Full Control, Read, Write, Read and Execute, Special
Permission, or any of several combinations. |
| Set
Disk Quotas |
Disk
quotas allow an administrator to limit the amount of hard
drive space a specific user account. Users who
exceed this limit can be simply warned or they can be
prevented from using additional space. |
| Encrypt
Data |
Files
or folders can be encrypted so they can only be opened by
the local user account that created them. Note that
compressed files cannot be encrypted, or vice versa. |
| Perform
Disk Compression |
Disk
compression allows you to increase the total storage
capacity on the volume by using automatic compression /
decompression technology. |
|
| Dynamic
Disks / Software RAID |
| By default alls disks are
treated as Basic Storage, which is equivalent to legacy mode
partition tables (WIN 95, 98, ME, DOS). Using basic disks is
fine if you just have a single partition or two and do not plan any
sort of software RAID or spanning, but you must upgrade to dynamic
disks in order to do this.
To upgrade to a Dynamic Disk you
should use the Computer Management Console > Disk Management
utility. Right click on the disk (such as Disk 0) and from
the menu choose "Convert to Dynamic Disk" then follow the
instructions. A single partition on the disk will be called a
simple volume, or you can create a spanned volume (a spanned volume
is created from free disk space that is linked together from
multiple disks). You can also do RAID 0, 1 or 5 using the
options in Disk Management.
Note:
Dynamic disks are not supported on laptop computers or on Windows XP
Home Edition-based computers.
|
| DFS
(Distributed File System) |
| DFS is a way to logically
organize shared folders across on your network (spanning multiple
file servers and client systems) in a hierarchical system that makes
it easier for users to find the files or resources they need.
All computers running Windows 98, NT, 2000 and XP have DFS client
built in to access the shared namespace. Windows 95 will need
you to download and install a DFS client. DFS needs Active
Directory to work.
Using the Administrative tools you
can create two types of DFS implementations, a Domain DFS root (must
be on a domain or member server and it allows for multiple
hierarchies that are replicated and integrated with Active Directory
for fault tolerance), or a Stand-alone DFS root (single-level
hierarchy and no backup or replication).
For more info see: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=241452
(how to install) or http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/howitworks/fileandprint/dfsnew.asp
(overview)
|
| Terminal
Services |
| Terminal Services is
designed for remote access to a server desktop through terminal
emulation software. Terminal Services allows all client
application execution, data processing and data storage to occur on
the Windows 2000 Server. This service can be installed in
either Application Server mode
(so applications can be deployed and managed from a central
location) or in Remote Administration
mode (for the graphical administration of Windows 2000 Servers from
any Terminal Services client).
Terminal Services administration is
composed of four components: TS
Client Creator (creates floppies for installing Terminal Services
client), TS Configuration (Manage Terminal Services Server and
Protocol configuration), TS Licensing (to manage the Client Access
licenses), TS Manager (used to manage and monitor sessions and
processes running on the Terminal Server).
Terminal Services Licensing is used
only with the Terminal Services in Application Server mode.
Windows 2000 Professional or XP are already licensed as clients for
Windows 2000 Terminal Services, but other operating systems will
require Windows 2000 Terminal Services Client Access licenses.
Note that this is in addition to other licenses that may be needed
such as Microsoft or third-party application, operating system, and
Client Access licenses
|
| P.S.
Don't forget to visit the new ASI
Server Solutions Website |