Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed (17 page)

Server 2008 R2 provides a source for hosting and publishing video and audio

content.

.
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.

.
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.

Summary

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.

Best Practices

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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CHAPTER 2

IN THIS CHAPTER

Planning, Prototyping,

. Determining the Scope of Your

Project

Migrating, and Deploying

. Identifying the Business Goals

and Objectives to Implement

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2008 R2

Best Practices

. 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,