Difference between windows server 2008 r2 standard and enterprise and datacenter free
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- Complete Guide to Windows Server + Compare Differences - DNSstuff
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Servers provide functionality for other networked computers, and as such their operating systems differ from those run on regular computers. This guide provides information for network administrators looking to understand the difference between Windows Server versions. It includes specifics for the different Windows Server editions up to the latest release of Windows Server The Evolution of Windows Server.
The company had several releases of the NT version of the operating system, as follows:. The original release of the Windows NT server was not version 1. This first release came out in as a bit system and was developed to support new server hardware. This began the evolution of the Windows Server line of operating systems.
The next version, Windows NT Server 3. This version enhanced the server functionality to support interconnectivity with both Unix systems and Novell NetWare. Because Unix and Novell servers were the standards at the time, this approach was essential for Windows NT Server to be competitive in the market.
The interconnectivity meant servers with the Windows operating system could be incorporated in an existing network running on Unix or Novell. Windows NT Server 3. The server version supported computers running Windows 95 and provided some improvements to make the system more stable. The upgrade also provided the ability to manage the software licenses on client computers, including installing and updating operating system elements on client computers over the network. One of the most important components of the 4.
This free addition is now the most popular web management software in the world. Windows NT Server had additional service packs to support increasingly complicated networks, and this led to the release of Windows NT 4. The Microsoft Transaction Server and Message Queue enhancements were designed to handle interactions with congested networks.
The updates also added the ability to manage operating systems for server clusters and provided integration for public-key encryption services. Finally, in , Windows NT 4. This was the last enhancement to the NT operating system series, and it provided a bridge for bit DOS applications to interface with bit desktop environments.
The release also supported connections with non-Windows systems. In , the branding for Windows servers changed. After that, the server versions were named based on the year each edition was released.
Windows Server provided the initial functionality for many features of the operating system still in use today. The main features included:. The release also included specialized versions for different server environments, with Advanced Server and Datacenter Server editions as well as the standard Windows Server operating system.
The release of Windows Server brought a significant rewrite to the server software. The main goal of the change was to reduce the need to reboot the system, specifically by providing the ability to install updates and patches without needing to restart.
With Windows , Microsoft provided updates to the security features. This was also the first time the company included the. NET framework in the server operating system. Another major addition with the release was the ability to define server roles. This allowed the operating system to be customized for specific tasks, like a DNS server.
Microsoft also provided multiple versions of the release, including the Standard, Advanced, and Datacenter versions, and a new Windows Server Web Edition meant for internet servers. Another update came out not long after the initial release to convert the Windows Server system to a bit environment.
This release focused on enhanced security, especially user authentication. This was based on Active Directory, which remains the foundation for user authentication today. This gave users access to third-party applications without going through all the authentication steps for the external software, as long as the users were verified through the Active Directory extension. Another security feature of R2 was the Security Configuration Wizard, which provided the ability to define security policies for groups of computers.
Additionally, Windows Server R2 contained improved data compression for transfers and files and multi-site WAN replication procedures. Microsoft took another three years to develop significant updates to Windows Server, which were released as Windows Server This virtualization product allowed Windows Server users to create virtual machines VMs , which was increasingly important to IT teams.
This may have been included for competitive reasons, to prevent Windows users from looking elsewhere for a VM system. Windows Server included new software administration tools called Event Viewer and Server Manager. These utilities gave administrators more control over important server activities. A different version of the Windows Server software was available with Server Core.
This bare-bones version of the software, without the standard graphical user interface GUI , provided command-line access to the server. This was a welcome change for administrators who were more familiar with Unix and Linux systems with existing command-line environments, and it made Windows Server an important competitive product for Microsoft. The major change with this version involved the transition from being based on Windows Vista to being based on Windows 7.
This brought the system to a bit environment. Many of the other updates were technical and not very visible to users, since they focused on supporting services. The release saw additional updates to Active Directory, this time in support of better group policy implementation.
Additionally, DirectAccess and BranchCache were introduced, designed to provide better server access to users in remote locations. These updates focused on improving the Hyper-V functionality, so it could be integrated into both local hosts and onsite delivery. This allowed the Hyper-V architecture to be easily used with other new cloud technologies. PowerShell and Server Core were also updated with the release. The other major change was a new Essentials edition aimed at smaller, networked businesses.
Windows Server R2 was released as an update to the prior release just a year later, in Many of the changes were improvements to functions needed to integrate with cloud services. This included rewrites to both security protocols and network services.
The release also saw more updates to PowerShell, among them the introduction of the Desired State Configuration system. This enhanced the management of network configurations.
Another change involved improved functionality for storage systems, including better access for file sharing and replication of distributed files. Web services were also enhanced, as were visualization systems. One major change came with the ability to serve software to mobile devices, which was important with the increased use of tablets. The next release was Windows Server , and it came with a new server option, Nano Server.
This was a scaled-down server implementation with limited interfaces, making it more secure from attacks. Another introduction with this release was Network Controller. This console program gave administrators the ability to manage all network devices, whether physical or virtual, from a single location.
To support the use of containers, VM systems were enhanced to interact with Docker and to support encryption for Hyper-V. Additionally, the release included Server Core. The Windows Server release only had Standard and Datacenter editions, and it did not have a follow-up R2 version. The most current Windows Server version is Windows Server It was released in October and included several important new features to meet growing networking requirements:.
Some companies find it difficult to upgrade each time a new version of Windows Server is released. Products in LTSC remain supported for a full ten years. This covers five years of support as part of the purchase, and another five years with a support contract extension.
The R2 versions are the exception, since those are supplied as a free upgrade to customers who have the original version of the release.
For example, upgrading to Windows R2 was free for customers who had Windows Server Several versions of Windows Server are still in active use today: R2, R2, , and Not all companies need or want to wait ten years to upgrade.
For companies needing more frequent updates and innovations, Microsoft introduced another purchasing model, the Semi-Annual Channel SAC , in SAC Windows Server products have new releases every six months, with support contracts that only last eighteen months. Another difference is while the LTSC editions use the standard Windows naming convention, the SAC editions are named based on the year and month of the release.
Using Windows Server in the cloud frees up companies from the need to host the software on their on-premises machines. Instead, they can use a remote infrastructure such as Microsoft Azure cloud servers, offered on a subscription basis.
You can also use other cloud providers, such as Google Cloud, for Windows Server. Having third-party options gives you more flexibility in choosing which plan works best for your company. For companies wanting a hybrid approach, where only some of the server activity is in the cloud, this is also supported with the latest versions of Windows Server.
Whatever approach you take will give you seamless service. This is necessary to track any problems with the hardware and to ensure all the server connections are operating correctly.
This is true for both the cloud and on-premises versions of the system. It allows you to:. The automated processes allow you to spend your time on other tasks without worrying about missing a problem area. This is just one of the tools in the SolarWinds suite of Microsoft monitoring and management tools.
Since these tools are on a shared platform, you can easily use one or more of them together. If any element is running poorly and is causing performance degradation, PerfStack enables you to identify the problem area, so you can address it early on.
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