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.
Windows Server 2003 R2 includes a completely rewritten replication engine for the Distributed File System (DFS). DFS Replication (DFS-R) provides a robust multimaster file replication service, which is significantly more scalable and efficient in synchronizing file servers than its predecessor, File Replication Services (FRS). DFS-R schedules and throttles replication schemes, supports multiple replication topologies, and utilizes Remote Differential Compression (RDC) to increase WAN efficiency. If WAN connections fail, data can be stored and forwarded when WAN connections become available.
Encrypting File System (EFS) technology is used to store encrypted files on NTFS volumes. Encrypted files and folders are easy to use and look like any other file or folder-available to authorized users but inaccessible to anyone else. EFS is particularly beneficial for mobile users who may face a higher risk of computer loss or theft. An unauthorized person who tries to access encrypted files or folders is prevented from doing so, even if the intruder has physical access to the computer. In Windows Server 2003 R2, EFS improvements give you the ability to authorize additional users to access encrypted files, encrypt offline files, and store encrypted files in Web folders.
File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) enables system administrators to understand how storage is being used and to manage the use of their storage by generating storage reports, applying quotas to volumes and folders, and screening files on the server. Using FSRM you can better plan and optimize storage by creating quotas, creating file screens, and scheduling storage reports.
Multipathing is a high availability function that provides multiple paths from the host to the external storage device. Although multipath IO (MPIO) is not a feature of the operating system, the MPIO Driver Development Kit (DDK) allows storage vendors to create interoperable multipathing solutions. Up to 32 paths are supported. Load balancing is an additional benefit that improves performance.
The backup utility in Windows Server 2003 R2 supports open file backup-the ability to back up files that are being accessed by a user. In Windows 2000, files had to be closed before initiating backup operations. The backup utility uses the Shadow Copies of Shared Folders feature to ensure open files are also backed up.
Remote Differential Compression (RDC) is a WAN-friendly compression technology that replicates only the changes needed to ensure global file consistency.
The Shadow Copies of Shared Folders feature provides point-in-time copies for network folders. Users can easily access previous versions of their files through the Windows Explorer by right-clicking a file or folder.
Storage area networks (SANs) are significantly easier to use in Windows Server 2003 R2, Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server 2003 R2, Datacenter Edition. By default, visible logical unit numbers (LUNs) are not automatically mounted, which helps prevent potential data corruption incidents. This feature is available as needed in Windows Server 2003 R2, Standard Edition, and Windows Server 2003 R2, Web Edition, but must be manually enabled. In addition, improved fiber channel support and SAN host bus adapter (HBA) interoperability further ease administration. Miniport-controllable queue management improves system stability by allowing HBA vendors to build drivers that can survive SAN transients. Expense and complexity is also reduced for customers through enhanced SAN-boot functionality. Though the use of Storeport drivers and with hardware vendor support, clusters can run on the same adapters. Storeport drivers are used with high-performance buses, such as fiber channel.
Storage Manager for SANs enables customers to provision storage on one or more storage subsystems on a storage area network (SAN). Based on Microsoft Virtual Disk Service (VDS) technology, Storage Manager for SANs allows provisioning on Fibre Channel and Internet SCSI (iSCSI) storage subsystems.
Virtual Disk Service (VDS) enables storage devices from different vendors to interoperate in Windows. VDS provides an application programming interface (APIs) to the storage hardware and the programs that manage the storage hardware. Administrators can discover and configure storage devices from various vendors using a unified interface. Without VDS, each vendor's storage device typically includes a separate management interface, resulting in many management interfaces in a mixed storage environment.
The Volume Shadow Copy service provides an infrastructure for creating a snapshots, point-in-time copies of a volume or multiple volumes. Used for managing data from direct attached storage to storage area networks (SANs), the Volume Shadow Copy Service coordinates with business applications, backup applications, and storage hardware to enable application-aware data management. Solutions built on the Volume Shadow Copy service can produce much higher quality shadow copies than other technologies, because the service can integrate with business applications and coordinate with storage hardware. As a result, high-fidelity backup recovery and data mining are possible without significantly affecting performance.
The Volume Shadow Copy service provides an infrastructure for creating a point-in-time copy of a single volume or multiple volumes. Used for managing data from direct attached storage to storage area networks (SANs), the Volume Shadow Copy service coordinates with business applications, backup applications, and storage hardware to enable application-aware data management. Volume Shadow Copy service takes advantage of high-performance hardware snapshots before it uses snapshots from vendor software and Microsoft software. Only Windows Server 2003 R2, Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server 2003 R2, Datacenter Edition, support hardware transport snapshots. To support hardware transport snapshots, hardware vendors must supply providers for the Volume Shadow Copy Service. Other Volume Shadow Copy Service functionality is available in all versions of Windows Server 2003 R2.
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