Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 originally started as part of a single development project. Since there are a significant number of common technologies in the platforms, when they were deployed together, the combined client-server infrastructure provided great advantages, including more efficient management, greater availability, and faster communication. These are fully supported and, in many cases, enhanced with Windows Server 2008 R2.
Advanced Management and Security
Deploying Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 concurrently will enable advanced management and security functionality to provide tighter control and increase automation:
Client computers can monitor for specific events and forward to Windows Server 2008 R2 for centralized monitoring and reporting, and vice versa. Event subscription allows IT administrators to be alerted when certain events occur so that they can take immediate corrective action.
Windows Server 2008 R2 makes automated deployments and migrations easy. Windows Deployment Services provides fast and reliable deployment by using the new Windows Image Format (WIM) and a new disk-imaging tool. IT administrators will be able to use similar best practices and techniques for deploying both client and server operating systems using the new imaging techniques.
Network Access Protection (NAP) features on Windows Server 2008 R2 help ensure that Windows Vista clients connecting to the network are compliant with security policies. NAP provides health policy validation, network access limitation, automatic remediation, and ongoing compliance with the client components already built into Windows Vista.
Compliance management is augmented and integrated between servers and desktops. Rights Management Service safeguards sensitive information online and offline, behind and outside the firewall, and is native to Windows Vista.
Expanded and integrated Group Policy in Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 R2 provides an infrastructure for centralized configuration management of the operating system and applications that run on the operating system. Group Policy is improved with a greater number and coverage of policy settings and extensions, better network awareness and reliability, and easier administration.
Bitlocker Drive Encryption provides a common technology for encrypting servers and desktop/laptop computers, defined through Group Policy for greater task automation.
Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 R2 deliver a single servicing model, easing application compatibility testing and service pack updating. IT administrators will be able to use a single update for both client and server operating systems, across multiple languages.
System-Wide Performance Improvements
Concurrent deployment enables more integrated system architecture and delivers system-wide performance improvements, including network file sharing, managed QoS, and reduced power consumption:
Windows Vista can render print jobs locally before sending to print servers to reduce the load on the print server and to increase its availability. In branch offices without a local printer server, this can reduce the load on the network. When coupled with Windows Server 2008 R2 client-side rendering of print jobs, problems related to driver mismatch are reduced.
Server resources are cached locally so that they are available even if the server is not, and copies update automatically when the client and server are reconnected.
Policies can be created to ensure greater Quality of Service (QoS) for certain applications or services that require prioritization of network bandwidth between client and server. By using Group Policy, administrators can restrict the amount of bandwidth that an application can use and assign differentiated services code point (DSCP) values by implementing Request for Collaboration (RFC) industry standards.
The Next Generation TCP/IP Stack with native IPv6 support across all client and server services creates a more scalable and reliable network, while the next generation of platform networking only available in Windows Vista and the Windows Server 2008 R2 stack makes network communication much faster and more efficient The extensibility of the new TCP/IP stack provides the flexibility to adopt new networking standards and address customer needs well into the future.
Server Message Block (SMB) 2.0 technology, incorporated into both Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 R2, improves file-sharing performance over high-latency links by compounding operations and reducing the number of “round trips” and increasing buffer sizes.
Power consumption of both servers and desktops is reduced through the ability to manage power settings through group policy, and to dynamically throttle power consumption of servers based on workloads.
Terminal Services Gateway and Terminal Services RemoteApp are designed for easy remote access and application integration with the local desktop, enabling secure and seamless application deployment without the need for a VPN. Vista SP1 allows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) files to be signed, improving security and allowing differentiated user experiences.
Streamlined Effort
Concurrent deployment is a more efficient approach for IT Pros, leveraging common tools and minimizing duplicated tasks:
Often, the first step in a large-scale deployment is determining necessary hardware upgrades. The new Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) accelerator allows you to scan the clients and servers in an organization to determine Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 R2 compatibility and performance expectations of current hardware.
Microsoft Deployment (BDD) provides lite-touch, zero-touch deployment options.
Imaging in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Vista uses a new file-based image format (WIM), simplifying image management and reducing the number of images deployed. Windows Deployment Services (WDS), an update of Remote Installation Service (RIS), provides a simplified, secure means of rapidly deploying Windows operating systems to PCs and servers by using network-based installation, without the need for an administrator to work directly on each computer, or to install Windows components from CD or DVD media.
Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 R2 provide numerous new and enhanced features and business benefits on their own. When both are installed, they combine to provide a powerful platform for an optimized computing infrastructure.
Learn more about Windows Vista here.
