Top 10 Reasons Why to Upgrade from Windows NT Server 4.0 to Windows Server 2003 R2

Introduced in Windows 2000, the Active Directory directory service simplifies the administration of complex network directories and makes it easy to locate resources on even the largest networks. This enterprise-class service is scalable, is built on Internet-standard technologies, and integrates with the Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions of Windows Server 2003 R2.

Windows Server 2003 R2 provides numerous ease-of-use improvements to Active Directory and new features, including cross-forest trusts, the ability to rename domains, and the ability to deactivate attributes and classes in the schema so that their definitions can be changed.

With Windows Server 2003 SP1, we have incorporated a set of security-related technologies that will help reduce the attack surface of Windows Server systems and ease administrative tasks associated with configuring server security. Windows Server 2003 SP1 provides more secure access at any time, from any location, and on any device, and it helps protect information assets against unauthorized access.

The Security Configuration Wizard (SCW) is a guided way to reduce the attack surface on your server. It is highly recommended for configuring Windows Firewall and for creating security templates for role-based server lockdown. Data Execution Prevention (DEP) is a set of hardware and software technologies that perform additional checks on memory, helping to protect against malicious code exploits.

In internal tests, Windows Server 2003 has shown dramatic performance gains over previous versions of Windows Server operating systems. For example, file and Web server performance is two times faster than Windows NT 4.0 Server. While your organization's performance gains may vary because of unique network and computer settings, Microsoft is confident that the improved performance of Windows Server 2003 will help you deliver faster service for your network solutions.

As part of the Volume Shadow Copy service, you can configure point-in-time copies of critical data volumes without interrupting service. These copies can then be used for service restoration or archival purposes. Your users can retrieve archived versions of their documents that are invisibly maintained on the server.

Enhancements in Windows SharePoint Services, Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0, Windows Server 2003 R2 x64, and Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 can help you deliver more secure and scalable Web applications, extend business infrastructure over the Web, and control costs. Windows SharePoint Services delivers a cost-effective collaboration solution that can be deployed, configured, and managed quickly. It is easily extended to the extranet using Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) to enable efficient collaboration with partners and customers across organizational boundaries.

ASP.NET enables fast development of rich, DSI-ready (Dynamic Systems Initiative) Web services and applications by using the .NET Framework included in Windows Server 2003 R2. Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 simplifies and accelerates configuration, deployment, and management of more secure, scalable Web applications.

IIS 6.0 delivers a security-enhanced, high-performance Web server that is significantly enhanced by technology offered in Windows Server 2003 R2. The highest possible security is ensured by a built-in security advisor. Downtime and errors are greatly reduced with improved debugging capabilities. Finally, x64 supportability allows IIS to deliver more performance for less money.

IIS 6.0 is a full-featured Web server that enables Web applications and XML Web services. It has been re-architected with a new fault-tolerant process model that greatly boosts the reliability of Web sites and applications.

Windows Server 2003 R2 provides the underlying technologies needed to simplify integration of branch office servers into a larger enterprise IT ecosystem and still provide reliable and consistent access to data for your users. Performance, availability, and productivity—benefits usually associated with a local branch office server—are strengthened, and environmental challenges—such as connectivity limitations and management overhead—are mitigated with the R2 release.

For instance, Windows Server 2003 R2 allows your users to remain productive in the event of a network failure by accessing up-to-date local replicas of remote data and information. The failover with fail-back capabilities in Windows Server 2003 R2 means that if a branch office server fails, branch office users will automatically be connected to a designated failover server, minimizing any disruption. Once the local branch server is up, users will automatically be connected back to their branch server.

Bandwidth throttling and scheduling ensures that the most productive use of network bandwidth is made during office hours. Scheduling replication and setting network quotas for replication can minimize the impact of large volumes of data being sent over the wide area network (WAN).

By using the File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) and Storage Manager for SANs in Windows Server 2003 R2, you can improve storage management across IT resources and optimize storage space on those resources.

File Server Resource Manager (FSRM)
This feature enables administrators to understand how storage is being used and to manage storage through storage reports, applying quotas to volumes and folders, and screening files on the server. With FSRM, you can better plan and optimize storage by creating quotas, creating file screens, and scheduling storage reports.

Storage Manager for SANs
This enables customers to provision storage on storage subsystems on a storage area network (SAN). Based on Microsoft Virtual Disk Service (VDS) technology, Storage Manager for SANs allows provisioning on Fiber Channel and Internet SCSI (iSCSI) storage subsystems. This feature is switch and HBA agnostic.

The ability to cluster up to (and including) eight nodes is available only in Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition and Windows Server 2003 R2 Datacenter Edition. This service provides high availability and scalability for mission-critical applications such as databases, messaging systems, and file and print services.

Clustering works by enabling multiple servers (nodes) to remain in constant communication. If one of the nodes in a cluster becomes unavailable as a result of failure or maintenance, another node immediately begins providing service, a process known as failover. In this event, your users can continue their activities, unaware that service is now being provided from a different server (node).

Your organization can move to a security model that helps ensures all physical access is authenticated and encrypted, based on the 802.1X support in the Windows Server 2003 family. Support through 802.1X helps ensure that only trusted systems are allowed to connect and exchange packets with security-enhanced networks. Because 802.1X provides dynamic key determination, 802.1X wireless network encryption is dramatically improved by addressing many of the known issues associated with wired equivalent privacy (WEP) used by IEEE 802.11 networks.

This feature provides enhanced security and performance improvements for wireless local area networks (LANs), such as automatic key management, user authentication, and authorization prior to LAN access. It also provides access control for Ethernet networks when wired Ethernet is used in public locations.

When you purchase a Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition license, you can use the software in one physical operating environment and up to four virtual operating environments simultaneously.

Virtual Server 2005 R2 is ideal for server consolidation and is an ideal way to consolidate multiple workloads onto one physical server. This helps increase efficiency for operations and hardware usage.

With Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition and Virtual Server 2005 R2, customers have a cost-effective server virtualization technology engineered for the Windows Server System platform.