CRN Test Center: Windows Server 2003 A Step Forward

Although Windows Server 2003 has been three years in the making, solution providers should expect no major surprises with the product. This release of Windows is mostly evolutionary and not revolutionary, with the exception being the integration of the .Net framework for application developers.

That said, Windows Server 2003 does offer a host of improvements and enhancements designed to make Windows-based networks more secure, more reliable, easier to deploy and faster. And the CRN Test Center found that the product does live up to most of the hype.

Working with RTM code provided before the April 24 launch date, Test Center engineers experienced no problems deploying the software in a multitude of scenarios, ranging from fresh installs to upgrades of Windows 2000 Server-based systems.

Solution providers will find initial Windows Server 2003 installations much easier than those with Windows 2000 server. Windows Server 2003 leverages the now-familiar Windows XP installation process, with superb hardware detection and easily understood prompts that speed the installation process. Security-conscious installers will appreciate that Microsoft's latest NOS installs in a "locked down" mode, with most services--including Internet Information Server (IIS)--shut down.

By gearing Windows Server 2003's defaults toward security, Microsoft hopes to close the various doors often left open to nefarious types in previous Windows Server versions. Other security-centric touches include stern reminders on assigning strong passwords and quick links to help screens in order to delve deeper into security "best practices."

In most cases, installations that enforce strict security rules encumber quick setup tasks. But Microsoft has done a nice job of shielding those initial complexities via server roles, which let administrators choose the function that the server should assume. Roles help to hide the inherent complexity of deploying common settings, while also helping to keep security in play.

In new installations and upgrades, administrators will be presented with a "manage your server" screen, which acts as a portal for selecting and removing server roles as well as common management tasks. Administrators can choose to eschew server-role assignment and use other familiar utilities to manually configure which services a server provides.

For administrators comfortable with text-based commands issued via a command line--such as those found in many Linux, Unix and NetWare environments--Microsoft has implemented a plethora of command-line utilities, which should help speed many tasks for administrators tired of digging through various menus in the GUI. New command-line capabilities range from querying and controlling the status of processes to managing printers and shutting down or restarting the server. Also through the command line, administrators now have the ability to script common tasks via batch files and even schedule those tasks to occur unattended via Windows Task Scheduler.

Microsoft also has taken pains to improve Active Directory by making several changes to the underlying structure in order to ease deployment and meet future needs. Administrators now can better segment Active Directory forests and rename Active Directory trees. Previously, such major changes would require a reinstall. But this newfound flexibility should assist solution providers providing services for company mergers and acquisitions, since Active Directory can now be quickly adapted for merged companies.

Solution providers focusing on data recovery will appreciate Windows Server 2003's inclusion of the Volume Shadow Copy Service, which provides a framework to take snapshots of server and client volumes. Volume Shadow Copy Service gives both administrators and end users (i.e., those with the appropriate rights) the ability to restore data from a snapshot. Such technology can reduce help-desk overhead as well as empower end users.

Enterprise-class installations will benefit from Windows Server 2003's inclusion of Virtual Disk Service, which lays out the groundwork for integrating directly attached storage management with SAN and NAS capabilities. Administrators will have the capability to manage all aspects of storage under one management console, a boon to those securing and backing up critical corporate data.

Windows Server 2003 also brings key improvements to IIS, now in version 6. Solution providers will notice several security enhancements, including the fact that IIS is no longer installed by default, as it was in Windows 2000 server. Other enhancements include preventing files with dynamic extensions from executing, which stops users from forcing unregistered pages to be served--a potential security problem found in previous IIS versions.

Other IIS improvements include processor affinity, which lets administrators assign IIS to particular processors; XML-based metabase setup files, which allows administrators to use a variety of tools to edit and recover site information; and command-line functionality, which enables administrators to script common events via Windows Server 2003's command-line interface. Application developers looking to leverage the .Net infrastructure will find that IIS 6 provides all the hooks to enable rapid application development with Microsoft's VisualStudio .Net.

Enterprise-class Web sites also will benefit from stability and performance enhancements in IIS 6. Microsoft has shifted to fault-tolerant processing, which better isolates application pools and, in turn, prevents complete Web site failures stemming from "misbehaved" applications. IIS Health Monitoring gives administrators the ability to spot potential problems and rapidly troubleshoot failures. With IIS 6, Microsoft is ready to provide true enterprise-level scalability and reliability to large Web sites.

All things considered, Test Center engineers found Windows Server 2003 an apt replacement for Windows 2000 server. But it may be prudent for solution providers to wait before rushing to upgrade existing Windows-based networks and take some time to thoroughly research what the product's new features can offer their customers. On the other hand, solution providers deploying new networks should seriously consider starting with Windows Server 2003, which will greatly simplify setting up new networks as well as bolster security.