The access control entry (ACE) editor enhances the standard access control. Administrators can now reset access control list (ACL) permissions to the default, show effective permissions for a selected security principal, and indicate the parent of an inherited permission. In addition, a check box now indicates the existence of additional permissions.
In the Active Directory service, administrators can quickly create replica domain controllers for a preexisting domain from media. That is, instead of replicating a complete copy of an Active Directory database over a network, this feature allows an administrator to initiate replication from files created when backing up an existing domain controller or global catalog server. The backup files are generated by any Active Directory-aware backup utility and can be transported to the candidate domain controller using tape, CD, DVD, or by performing a file copy over a network.
Automated System Recovery (ASR) helps you recover your system in the event that your system or hard disk fails. The necessary backup materials for ASR are easily prepared through wizards that are part of backup. By using ASR in combination with standard data and application backups, you can restore a system to its state when last backed up.
Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 takes advantage of operating system settings to support bandwidth throttling. Administrators can now enable throttling for individual host-header sites, which allows IIS 6.0 to send responses for a given site in parallel. By contrast, IIS 5.0 serialized each response.
New command-line tools and utilities provide improved management and administration of computers. A new and updated command-line help file is included as well to document the CMD.exe shell and every tool.
Configure Your Server and Manage Your Server Wizards
The Configure Your Server Wizard provides step-by-step guidance for configuring a server for a specified server roles. The Typical configuration option makes it easy to configure a server for any of five different roles, while a custom configuration option provides a set of predefined server roles. The Manage Your Server Wizard provides a central place to discover, inspect, and manage server roles. Through a single interface, administrators can link to role specific resources and help.
You can set disk quotas on NTFS file system volumes to monitor and limit the amount of disk space that is available to individual users. You can also define the responses that result when users exceed specified thresholds.
Group Policy gives IT administrators greater control over their Windows computing environments through an easy-to-use interface. Through Group Policy, administrators can establish policy-based management of critical IT functions, such as security, users, data, software access, and software configurations, across groups of users and IT assets, such as machines, domains, sites, and organizational units. Windows Server 2003 R2 includes the new Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and other enhancements. Administrators can now easily determine Group Policy settings on target entities, perform what-if simulations on the effects of Group Policy settings, create better Group Policy reports, import and export group policy settings, and script Group Policy operations.
The new Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) helps you manage your enterprise more cost-effectively. It consists of a new Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in and a set of scriptable interfaces for managing Group Policy.
Support for a headless server provides you with the ability to install and manage a computer without a monitor, VGA display adaptor, keyboard, or mouse. Management controllers and management ports are supported as well so that servers can be managed even during system startup or when a system has crashed.
With Hot Add Memory, you can add ranges of memory to a computer, which then can be made available to an operating system and applications as part of the normal memory pool. This action does not require rebooting the computer and involves no downtime. Hot Add Memory operates only on servers that have hardware support for adding memory while the server is operating. Most existing servers do not have such hardware support and can be damaged if memory is installed while the power is on. It is recommended that you consult your server operator's manual for more information. Note: This feature is not available in 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 Family.
Intellimirror technologies help IT administrators reduce costs while maintaining high levels of control over portable and desktop systems. IntelliMirror provides this control on client systems running Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional. Through IntelliMirror, you can define policies based on business roles, group memberships, and locations. With these policies, Windows 2000 Professional desktops and Windows XP Professional desktops are automatically reconfigured to meet a specific user's requirements each time that user logs on to the network, regardless of where the user logs on.
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) provides a consistent graphical user interface infrastructure and mechanism for viewing and managing system, application, and user settings. You can use MMC to arrange your frequently used administrative tools within a single interface. You can also delegate tasks to specific users by creating preconfigured MMC consoles for them. The consoles provide the users with the tools that you select.
Microsoft Management Console (MMC) 3.0 has been expanded to include an enterprise-wide administration framework for managing file and print services. Administrators will benefit from the familiar look and feel of Microsoft's standard management interface. Businesses can mitigate the need for on-site administrators or third-party consultants for resolving local issues.
Operating system migration, support, and integration
The Windows Server 2003 Family of products provides interoperability with and support for the following: Windows NT Server 3.51 and 4.0; Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, and Windows NT Workstation 4.0. In addition, interoperability with UNIX is provided through the Windows Services for UNIX add-in pack. Support for Telnet services provides remote access and administration. Mainframe and midrange connectivity support is delivered using S/390 and AS/400 transaction and queuing gateways through Host Integration Server. Support for Macintosh clients is provided by Services for Macintosh, which allows Macintosh clients to use the TCP/IP protocol to share files and to access shares on a server running Windows Server 2003 R2, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003 R2, Enterprise Edition; or Windows Server 2003 R2, Datacenter Edition.
A new Password Backup and Restore Wizard makes it easy for users to create a backup disk that can be used to reset their password. The wizard provides users with a secure mechanism for resetting their password without administrative intervention. The password is not stored on the backup disk-the disk can be used only to reset the password for the associated user account.
The Print Management Console (PMC) provides a richer view of a networks printer topology, enabling an IT administrator to monitor and react quickly to printer situations and thus allow seamless productivity for branch office print users. Ultimately, PMC allows branch servers to perform as print servers, due to the manageability benefits it provides.
With Recovery Console, you can start a command-line console on a system that cannot otherwise start. For example, a problem with drivers or files might prevent a system from starting. From Recovery Console, you can use basic commands to recover the system.
You can use Remote Assistance to remotely control a computer. With an invitation, Remote Assistance is a convenient way for you to connect to a remote computer from a computer running Windows XP or any product in the Windows Server 2003 Family. After you are connected, you can view the remote computer's screen and chat in real time. With permission, you can even use the remote user's mouse and keyboard to work on the remote computer. Note: This feature is not available in 64-bit versions of the Windows Server 2003 Family.
With Remote Installation Services (RIS), you can create installation images of operating systems or even of complete computer configurations, including desktop settings and applications. You can then make these images available to users at client computers. The client computers must support remote booting with the Pre-Boot eXecution Environment (PXE) ROM; otherwise, they must be started with a remote-startup floppy disk.
You can change the DNS and NetBIOS names for existing domains in a forest such that the resulting forest is still well formed. The identity of a renamed domain is represented by its domain globally unique ID and domain security ID; thus, its identity does not change. In addition, a computer's domain membership does not change because of renaming the holding domain.
By using safe mode, you can diagnose problems with drivers and other components that might be preventing normal startup. In safe mode, you can start the Windows operating system with a minimal set of drivers and services, and then view a log showing the sequence of events at startup.
Software restriction policies are a policy-driven mechanism for identifying software running in a domain and controlling its ability to run. A software restriction policy can identify a hostile or unwanted program, and then prevent it from executing on computers specified by the policy.
The troubleshooting diagnostic tool helps you resolve problems that may arise with the operating system. The tool automates common troubleshooting steps through a single interface. Users step through a series of check boxes to apply system changes, and then the tool provides options for more advanced troubleshooting and problem resolution.
The User State Migration Tool (USMT) allows you to collect a wide variety of user settings, including software settings, and transfer them to a new desktop as part of a deployment or upgrade. A command-line tool, USMT gives you flexibility to specify which settings to restore. USMT uses customizable system information (.inf) files. The default .inf files migrate the majority of shell settings, Internet, and e-mail connectivity settings, as well as common Microsoft Office file types.
Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Command Line
The Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) command line provides administrators with unified and direct access to the management functions of local and remote systems. Administrators can create queries based on this data and monitor local and remote Windows Server 2003 R2 and Windows XP systems directly. Results can be displayed through the command-line interface, or it can be retrieved in XML format, and then processed by built-in or custom XSL output formats. WMI follows the specifications of the industry standard Common Information Model (CIM) defined by the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).
;
imageSwap(Img1,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img2,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img3,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img4,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img5,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img6,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img7,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img8,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img9,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img10,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img11,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img12,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img13,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img14,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img15,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img16,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img17,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img18,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img19,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img20,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img21,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img22,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img23,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img24,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img25,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img26,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img27,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img28,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}
;
imageSwap(Img29,"/windowsserver2003/images/collapse.gif","/windowsserver2003/images/expand.gif","Collapse","Expand")
){kind=link}