Core Server Management

 

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a comprehensive set of features that make deploying and managing servers easier. Whether you’re managing one server or hundreds, these capabilities can help you standardize and automate management tasks with in-box tools.

 

PowerShell is a scripting language designed specifically to automate administration tasks for server roles, such as Internet Information Services (IIS) and Active Directory. Windows PowerShell is easy to adopt, learn, and use because it does not require a background in programming, and it works with your existing IT infrastructure, existing scripts, and existing command-line tools. Unlike most shells which accept and return text, Windows PowerShell is built on top of the .NET common language runtime (CLR) and the .NET Framework, accepting and returning .NET objects. This fundamental change in the environment brings entirely new tools and methods to the management and configuration of Windows.

 

Windows Deployment Services, the updated and redesigned version of Remote Installation Services (RIS), is a suite of components that work together on Windows Server 2008 R2 to enable the rapid adoption and deployment of Windows operating systems such as Windows 7

 

Windows Reliability and Performance monitor provides a graphical interface for customizing performance data collection and Event Trace sessions. It also includes Reliability Monitor, an MMC snap-in that tracks changes to the system and compares them to changes in system stability, providing a graphical view of their relationship.

 

Many of the management consoles used to manage Windows Server 2008 R2 have been updated or completely redesigned to help reduce your administrative effort. Server Manager is an integrated Microsoft Management Console (MMC) that offers a seamless, integrated management experience for administration of a single server. Server Manager guides you through the process of installing, configuring, and managing server roles and features that are part of Windows Server 2008 R2.

 

 

The features for core server management delivered in Windows Server 2008 R2 help to simplify server deployment and management. This allows you to save time and deliver more IT value where it matters most for your business. Each feature delivers a unique set of benefits that ladder to the unparalleled value delivered in Windows Server 2008 R2.

 

 

It is very rare that server computers are administered locally and remote administration  is essential to any efficient datacenter. Windows Server 2008 R2 introduces a number of improvements in remote administration, including the following:

 

Server Manager has been updated to allow remote administration of servers. In addition, many of the management consoles have improved integration with Server Manager and as a result, support remote management scenarios.

 

PowerShell version 2.0 offers a number of improvements for remote management scenarios. These improvements allow you to run scripts on one or more remote computers or to allow multiple IT professionals to simultaneously run scripts on a single computer.

 

 

Windows PowerShell accelerates automation of system administration tasks and can help improve your organization’s ability to address the unique system-management problems of your server environment. In larger enterprises, management of multiple servers can be automated using Windows PowerShell, a command-line shell and scripting language that helps you achieve greater productivity and control system administration more easily.

 

 

Windows Deployment Services enables you to set up new computers by using a network-based installation, which means that you do not have to be physically present at each computer, and you do not have to install directly from a CD or DVD. You can also use Windows Deployment Services to repurpose existing computers. 

 

Learn more at the WDS Technology Center.

 

 

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor, which provides you with tools to monitor and assess system performance and reliability. Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor is an MMC snap-in that combines the functionality of previous stand-alone tools, including Performance Logs and Alerts, Server Performance Advisor, and System Monitor.

 

Learn more at the Performance and Reliability Monitoring Center.

 

 

 

With the proliferation of physical computers in datacenters, power consumption is of paramount importance. Many datacenters are limited in the number of computers they can support by the actual power available to the datacenter. Therefore decreasing your power consumption not only reduces costs, but also allows you to support more physical computers while using the same amount of power, or less power, than before. Windows Server 2008 R2 can achieve up to 18% higher power efficiency compared to Windows Server 2003 running on identical hardware.