Comparing Windows Server Versions
The theme of completing support for Windows Server 2003 on Habré has been raised several times already. In the continuation of a series of articles devoted to the end of support and proposals for upgrading to newer versions of Windows Server (namely, to Windows Server 2012 R2). In this article I will compare different versions of Windows Server (2003 R2, 2008 R2, 2012 R2), and you can already see and decide what to choose for your company. All those interested are waiting under the cut, but I warn you: all the comparative information is contained in large and long tables, which you can see by clicking on the spoilers.
Today, several generations of Windows Server are available for selection, which, in turn, are presented in various editions. Naturally, choosing one or another version of Windows Server, the choice should be based on the possibilities that each of their versions provides to the user. The set of all these functions is really huge. For those who are interested in having only a general understanding of the functions of each of the systems, I will give an overview of the main functions.
The ten main features of Windows Server include: enterprise-class scale and performance, dynamic data migration without resource sharing, Hyper-V network virtualization, Hyper-V Replica, low-cost, file-based storage, providing high availability; Windows PowerShell 3.0; hybrid applications; high-density multi-tenant websites; Simplified virtual desktop infrastructure with extensive capabilities dynamic access control. A detailed comparison is given in the table.
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Let's now consider and compare all the basic features of Windows Server. They can be divided into several main categories - access and support for identities, directory services, storage, web and local application platforms, networking capabilities, automation and management, and server roles.
This completes the review of the Windows Server versions. Next is your turn to choose the set of functions and features that you need.
In conclusion, here are some links to previous publications on a related topic:
I hope that this article will be useful to you!
Today, several generations of Windows Server are available for selection, which, in turn, are presented in various editions. Naturally, choosing one or another version of Windows Server, the choice should be based on the possibilities that each of their versions provides to the user. The set of all these functions is really huge. For those who are interested in having only a general understanding of the functions of each of the systems, I will give an overview of the main functions.
Top Ten Windows Server Features
The ten main features of Windows Server include: enterprise-class scale and performance, dynamic data migration without resource sharing, Hyper-V network virtualization, Hyper-V Replica, low-cost, file-based storage, providing high availability; Windows PowerShell 3.0; hybrid applications; high-density multi-tenant websites; Simplified virtual desktop infrastructure with extensive capabilities dynamic access control. A detailed comparison is given in the table.
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Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 |
| Enterprise scale and performance | Expansion to 64 LP and 1 TB of RAM (for 64-bit versions) | Expansion up to 256 LP and 2 TB of RAM. Supports 64 LP, 1 TB of RAM, and 512 virtual machines on Microsoft Hyper-V nodes. Supports Hyper-V guest OS access to four virtual processors, 64 GB of RAM and virtual hard disks (VHD) with a capacity of 2 TB. Clustering support (up to 16 nodes and 1000 virtual machines) | Expansion to 640 LP and 4 TB of RAM. Support for 320 LP, 4 TB of RAM and 1024 virtual machines on Microsoft Hyper-V nodes. Supports Hyper-V guest OS access to 64 virtual processors, 1 TB of RAM and 64 TB virtual hard drives. Clustering support (up to 64 nodes and 4000 virtual machines) |
| Dynamic data migration without resource sharing | Not available | Not available | The ability to migrate virtual machines between Hyper-V nodes hosted in different clusters and on different servers without sharing resources. All that is required is an Ethernet connection, and the downtime is almost zero. |
| Hyper-V Network Virtualization | Not available | Not available | The ability to isolate network traffic of various business units and customers in a common infrastructure, reducing the required number of virtual local area networks (virtual local area network, VLAN). The ability to move virtual machines within the virtual infrastructure while maintaining their assigned network assignments |
| Hyper-V Replica | Not available | Not available | A universal solution that does not depend on the types of data warehouses and types of workloads. Supports efficient periodic asynchronous replication of virtual machines to remote sites for disaster recovery tasks |
| Low cost, file-based storage for high availability | Support for Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 for file storage not available | SMB 3.0 is not available for file storage | Improvements in SMB 3.0 protocol and the use of low-cost consumer equipment in conjunction with new management services, files for storing server application data, such as SQL databases and VHD virtual disks for Hyper-V on shared file resources |
| Windows PowerShell 3.0 | Support for over 100 cmdlets | Support for over 200 cmdlets | A comprehensive data center management (DPC) platform with support for more than 2,300 cmdlets. Failsafe sessions of access to remote servers to work in conditions of frequent disconnections. Simplify learning with simple, unified cmdlet syntax and advanced search capabilities |
| Hybrid applications | The need to use virtual private networks or other point-to-point connections for data exchange between distributed application modules | The need to use virtual private networks or other point-to-point connections for data exchange between distributed application modules | Protecting investment in local applications. Unified Application Management. Universality of creating and deploying hybrid applications (locally and in the cloud) |
| High-density multi-tenant websites | It is difficult to provide high density web applications. One Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate corresponds to only one IP address. Insufficient isolation of resources and poor management capabilities pose a risk of server failure due to the failure of one of the applications. | It is difficult to provide high density web applications. One SSL certificate corresponds to only one IP address. Basic isolation and resource management, requiring manual control and only responding to faults. | New advanced features provide extensive support for web applications and cloud deployment strategies. Increased website density, allowing organizations and hosting service providers to increase the number of supported websites without upgrading equipment. Software "sandboxes", measurement of the load on processors and other functions of isolation and security of multi-tenant environments, including full control over the use of resources |
| Simplified Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with rich features | Not available | Support for previous versions of VDI gives users access to a more holistic, secure, and personalized work environment. They can work in this environment, being both in a corporate network, and beyond its limits. Employees of the IT department ensure compliance with regulatory requirements through centralized control and management of access to confidential data. Simplified management through the use of a single centralized infrastructure of physical and virtual assets. The ability to instantly assign users to corporate applications and desktops to reduce downtime. New tools to work with applications of previous versions | Enhanced simplified accelerated deployment and management for IT administrators, including the use of installation wizards when deploying Remote Desktop Services. Single console for managing virtual desktops, session desktops and applications. Simplify the creation and appointment of patches, as well as their management for individual virtual desktops and their pools. Different user interface options for different devices, geographic location and network status |
| Dynamic Access Control | Not available | Not available | New ways to control access to files, enhanced compliance with regulatory requirements. A new generation of authorization and audit management tools. Classification features using unstructured data management policies on file servers |
Overview of Windows Server Features
Let's now consider and compare all the basic features of Windows Server. They can be divided into several main categories - access and support for identities, directory services, storage, web and local application platforms, networking capabilities, automation and management, and server roles.
Identity Access and Support
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Direct access | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | A unified server role that combines three network services (DirectAccess, routing and remote access) within a single remote access server role. Single point of configuration and deployment management of a remote access server using the new unified server role for DirectAccess and the Routing and Remote Access Service (RRAS) |
| Dynamic Access Control | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to centrally manage and audit file servers using access based on file statements and classification. The ability to restrict access to sensitive data using domain-level security policies, regardless of user actions. Enforcing access rules for virtually all file servers running Windows Server 2012 using the file classification, remote access policies, and auditing |
| Isolation of computer networks of applications with support for the Metro interface New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to create and enforce the boundaries of computer networks prevents the access of compromised applications to a network with limited access. Custom firewall rules for Metro interface applications that complement firewall rules for programs and services |
| Windows PowerShell Cmdlets for Windows Firewall New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Advanced cmdlets to configure and manage Windows Firewall. Extensive customization and management of Windows Firewall, IP Security (Internet Protocol security, IPsec) policies and other features using Windows PowerShell scripts |
| Network Access Protection (NAP) | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Creation of health policies, as well as the technology of their enforcement and elimination of detected faults, allows system administrators to automate the implementation of these policies, which may contain software requirements, requirements for security system updates and other parameters |
| Domain Name Security System (Domain Name System Security Extensions, DNSSEC) | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Support for creating network signatures and automated key management as part of the DNSSEC update process when implementing the authentic functions of Domain Name Service (DNS) servers |
| Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) | Supported by | Supported by | Supported by | An architectural platform that extends the capabilities of authentication using standard network access security technologies: wireless and wired access using IEEE 802.1X, when establishing VPN connections using PPP, etc. |
| 802.1X Authenticated Wired Access | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | IEEE 802.1X wired access authentication service for clients with IEEE 802.3 access on an Ethernet network. EAP tunneling for TLS (EAP-TTLS) is added by default to the list of network authentication methods. |
| Read-only domain controller (RODC) | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | The domain controller containing read-only sections of the Active Directory database. New features for deploying RODCs to virtual machines using Windows PowerShell |
| Kerberos Inter-Domain Constrained Delegation | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Administrative privileges are required only to access the server service. The server is allowed to authorize front-end service accounts to work on behalf of users and access their resources. |
| Flexible Authentication Secure Tunneling (FAST) | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | A secure channel between a domain joined client and a FAST-enabled domain controller. |
| Access control for Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service (AD LDS) | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Authentication of users requesting access to the directory. Use security descriptors, called access control lists (ACLs), to control access rights to authenticated user objects |
Directory Services
Active Directory Domain Services (Active Directory Domain Services, AD DS)
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Clone virtualized domain controllers New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to create replicas of virtualized domain controllers by cloning existing ones. Secure virtualization technologies and the ability to quickly deploy virtual domain controllers by cloning |
| Virtualization support New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Virtual domain controllers hosted on hypervisor platforms and provide the VM-Generation ID, the support mechanism for which is independent of the hypervisor. These controllers are capable of taking security measures to protect the integrity of the AD DS environment in the event that a virtual machine rolls back to a previous state using an unsupported mechanism (for example, using a virtual machine snapshot) |
| Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) 2.1 server role New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Simplified secure association of identities, single sign-on (SSO) support for web applications. Full integration of AD FS 2.0 services in Windows Server 2012 (can be installed in Windows Server 2003 R2 and 2008 R2) |
| Using AD DS Claims in Active Directory Federation Services New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Ability to fill language markers (Security Assertions Markup Language, SAML) using user statements and devices obtained directly from Kerberos tickets using AD FS (version 2.1) in Windows Server 2012 |
| The inclusion of remote computers in the domain New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Include computers in the domain via the Internet, if Direct Access is enabled for the domain |
| Tweaking password policies | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Improved recovery procedures with data mapping support in snapshots and backups taken at different times simplify data recovery in case of loss |
| Database Connection Tool | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | An architectural platform that extends the capabilities of authentication using standard network access security technologies: wireless and wired access using IEEE 802.1X, when establishing VPN connections using PPP, etc. |
| Active Directory Based Activation (Active Directory-Based Activation, AD BA) New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Simplified configuration and management of corporate software licenses using the server role of corporate license activation services, Key Management Service (KMS), and Active Directory-based activation |
| View the Windows PowerShell log New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Ability to view Windows PowerShell cmdlets as they run. Display equivalent Windows PowerShell cmdlets in the Windows PowerShell log viewer window using Active Directory Administrative Center |
| Active Directory Recycle Bin | Supported by | Supported by | Supported by | Recovering accidentally deleted objects from AD DS backups using Windows Server Backup in Active Directory domains. Physically deleting Active Directory objects from the database does not happen instantly |
| Active Directory Domain Services Integration | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Ability to create computer cluster objects in target departments or by default in the same department as cluster nodes |
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (Active Directory Lightwieght Directory Services, AD LDS)
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Installing core server components for Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Role Support for Installing Basic Server Components |
| Backup and Restore for Active Directory Lightweight Directory Access | Supported by | Supported by | Supported by | The ability to backup and restore databases for an existing instance of Active Directory Lightweight Directory Access |
| Support for multiple instances of directory services on a single server | Supported by | Supported by | Supported by | Running multiple instances of AD LDS simultaneously on the same computer with independent schema management for each of the AD LDS instances |
Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS)
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Active Directory Rights Management Services server role | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Availability of server role and support for several new features not found in the previous version. Role Support for Installing Basic Server Components |
| Real-time protection | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Real-time AD RMS content protection. The ability to provide users with the rights of opening, changing, printing and managing content. Linking rights to content, even when it is transferred outside the organization |
| Usage Policy Templates | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | The ability to create usage policy templates and apply them to content eliminates the need to re-configure user access to files to ensure comprehensive protection. |
| Active Directory Rights Management Services Software Development Kit | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Compatible with applications that support the use of rights |
| Self-registration with Active Directory Rights Management Services Cluster | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Register with a local computer, eliminating the need to connect to the Microsoft Enrollment Service using a self-enrollment server certificate |
| Integration with Active Directory Federation Services | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Integrating AD RMS and AD FS allows you to use federated relationships to collaborate with external partners. |
| Using Windows PowerShell to Deploy Active Directory Rights Management Services New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Support more secure and flexible AD RMS deployment to remote servers using PowerShell |
| New Active Directory Rights Management Services Features and SQL Server System Requirements New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Support more secure and flexible AD RMS deployment to remote servers using PowerShell |
Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Integration with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | AD FS can be used to create an SSO solution for Microsoft SharePoint without any prior configuration. |
| Integration with Active Directory Rights Management Services | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | AD FS can be integrated with AD RMS for inter-organizational use of rights-protected content without deploying AD RMS in all organizations. |
| Integration of dynamic access control scenarios New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | AD FS can be used in conjunction with user and device claims that are generated by AD DS for various data-level application (DAC) scenarios. The ability to use AD DS claims in AD FS if these statements were part of Kerberos tickets created as a result of domain authentication |
| Improved installation process using Server Manager New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Install the AD FS server role using Server Manager. Automatically listing and deploying virtually all of the services that AD FS depends on during the installation of the AD FS server role using Server Manager and its configuration wizard |
| Windows PowerShell cmdlet tools New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | New cmdlets to install the AD FS server role, the initial configuration of the federation server and the federation server proxy. AD FS 2.0 also supports PowerShell-based management features. |
Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Certification Authorities (CA) | Supported by | Supported by | Supported by | Management of certificate authorities, revocation and registration of certificates; support for root and subordinate certification centers, autonomous and enterprise level |
| Online registration | Supported by | Supported by | Supported by | Registration mechanisms for organizations that need to issue and renew certificates for users and computers not joined to the domain and not directly connected to the network, as well as for users of non-Windows operating systems |
| Microsoft Online Responder Service | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Ability to configure and control the processes of checking and revoking objects when using the OCSP protocol in Microsoft Windows-based networks |
| Network Device Enrollment Service (NDES) | Supported by | Supported by | Supported by | Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol (SCEP) provides X.509 certificate registration with a certification authority for network devices (such as routers and switches) that do not support other authentication methods. |
| Certificate Registration Policy Web Service | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | AD CS Role Service to get information about the registration policy for certificates owned by users and computers |
| Certificate Registration Web Service | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Registration of certificates of users and computers using the HTTPS protocol |
| Server Manager Integration | Not supported | Supported by | Supported by | Integrating the AD CS server role and its role services in Server Manager |
| Windows PowerShell Deployment and Management Features | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Ability to configure or remove the configuration of any AD CS role services using PowerShell cmdlets to deploy AD CS |
| Active Directory Certificate Role Services in Server Core New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Ability to deploy and run almost any of the services of the AD CS role when installing the core server components of Windows Server 2012 or installing a minimal server interface |
| Automatic renewal of certificates on non-domain joined computers New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Uses certificate enrollment Web services, adding automatic certificate renewal to computers for computers that belong to untrusted AD DS domains or are not joined to domains. |
| Forced renewal of certificates with the same key New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Increased security of Active Directory Certificate Services due to mandatory renewal of certificates with the same key. This maintains the level of reliability of the source key throughout its life cycle. |
| International Domain Name Support New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Support for Internationalized Domain Names (Internationalized Domain Names, IDNs) that contain characters that cannot be represented in AD CS using ASCII encoding |
| Increased default security level for the Certificate Authorities role service New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Forcing a CA role to enforce enhanced security on received requests. Require packet encryption when requesting a certificate |
Virtualization and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, VDI)
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Hyper-V Extensible Switch Extensible Switch New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | A second-level virtual network switch that provides software-driven and extensible features for connecting virtual machines to a physical network. |
| Dynamic data migration without resource sharing New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | New features move virtual machines from one node to another without interruption. This reduces the need for source and target systems to share data storage. |
| Live data migration New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to move virtual hard disks attached to a running virtual machine. The ability to transfer virtual hard disks in order to upgrade, migrate and maintain storage on servers or redistribute the load on storage |
| Dynamic Snapshot Merge New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to combine snapshots in a virtual machine running Hyper-V with dynamic merge feature |
| Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) technology support New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | NUMA support for virtual machines. The ability to project a NUMA topology into virtual machines, guest operating systems, and applications that can make intelligent decisions about using NUMA technology |
| Runtime memory configuration New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to make changes to the settings of the dynamic memory (adjust the maximum or minimum amount) on the running virtual machine |
| Vhdx New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Support for the VHDX file format in Hyper-V. VHDX supports storage up to 64 TB. Resistance to data corruption due to power failures due to logging of updates in the VHDX metadata structures. Prevent performance degradation of large sector hard drives by optimizing the layout of the structure |
| Hyper-V Resource Accounting New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Monitor and report on the amount of data sent to an IP address or virtual machine |
| Virtual Fiber Channel Protocol New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Guest OS Fiber Channel Ports |
| Hyper-V Replica New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to replicate virtual machines between two storage system nodes, clusters and data centers to ensure business continuity and support disaster recovery |
| Simultaneous dynamic migration of multiple systems New | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Ability to migrate multiple virtual machines, support simultaneous dynamic migration of multiple systems. Live migration is not limited to the cluster. Virtual machines can be moved outside the cluster, as well as between stand-alone servers that are not included in the cluster. |
| Multi-tenant security and isolation | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Complete isolation of the network layer of the data center with server virtualization using software-controlled and extensible functions for connecting virtual machines to physical networks. This configuration supports policy enforcement for enhanced security and isolation. |
| Private Virtual Local Area Networks (PVLAN) New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to isolate virtual machines from each other. For example, you can prohibit the exchange of data between virtual machines over a network. At the same time, almost all virtual machines support network connectivity with external nodes. |
| Security lock DHCP and routers New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Blocks messages from unauthorized computers acting as DHCP servers. Blocks DHCP server traffic from other virtual switch ports. The router security feature ignores advertisements and redirect commands from unauthorized virtual machines that act as routers. |
| Tracking Extensions and Uniqueness New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Supports multi-aspect tracking and filter extensions for analyzing incoming and outgoing traffic of an extensible Hyper-V Extensible Switch. The state and configuration of the extensions is unique for each instance of the Hyper-V Extensible Switch installed on the computer. |
| Several extensions on one switch New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Multiple Extensions can coexist on the same Hyper-V Extensible Switch |
| Network virtualization New | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Isolation of computer networks and network traffic eliminates the use of virtual private networks (VLANs) and hierarchical assignment of IP addresses to virtual machines. Simpler management of large-scale systems compared to the version of Hyper-V for Windows Server 2008 R2 |
| Replacing an IP Address New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Map each user virtual machine address to a unique host location service provider address. When virtualizing a network, Hyper-V uses the mapping function of IP addresses to match, changing the client's address in the table of addresses to the address of the host service provider. |
| GRE protocol (Generic Routing Encapsulation) New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Comparison of virtual and physical networks using the Hyper-V network virtualization feature with support for standard routing encapsulation (GRE) IP packets. One IP address can be used for each node |
| Hyper-V host and workload support | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Ability to configure up to 160 logical processors, 2 TB of physical memory, 32 virtual processors and 512 GB of RAM for the virtual machine. Supports up to 64 nodes and 4,000 virtual machines in a cluster |
| Dynamic memory Minimum memory allocation at startup | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Hyper-V can free up memory that is not used by virtual machines, and the minimum amount of memory is less than the amount required to run. |
| Intelligent swap in Hyper-V New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Allows you to solve problems associated with the minimum amount of RAM and the required amount for launch. Useful if the virtual machine is configured to use less memory than is required to run (Hyper-V needs additional memory to reboot this machine) |
| Runtime memory tuning New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | The ability to make changes to the settings of the dynamic memory (adjust the maximum or minimum amount) on the running virtual machine |
| Quality of Service (QoS). Minimum bandwidth New | Not supported | Not supported | Supported by | Hyper-V uses minimal bandwidth to set a specific bandwidth for each type of traffic and to ensure a fair allocation of resources during peak times. |
| Incremental backup | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Hyper-V supports incremental backup of virtual hard disks without stopping the virtual machine. In this case, only the differences between the existing copy and the original data are archived. Windows Server 2008 R2 - support full backups only |
| Clustering | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Fibre Channel, , , . Cluster Shared Volume 2.0 (CSV), Hyper-V, , , ( ), |
| . , |
Storage
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| . , | ||||
| — ReFS, , . Chkdsk | Chksdsk, . ReFS , . . , . . | |||
| (, SMB). CSV CSVFS NTFS | ||||
| , | ||||
| SMB Direct (RDMA) SMB Multichannel | , -. , , . Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), | |||
| Offloaded Data Transfer (ODX) | Windows Server 2012. ODX, SAN, Hyper-V. | |||
| SMB | , Hyper-V SQL Server 2012 | |||
| (Network File System, NFS) | Windows UNIX. VMware ESX Windows Server 2012 Windows | |||
| Microsoft iSCSI Software Target | TCP/IP, , | |||
| ( PowerShell) | . PowerShell |
Web application and local application platform
Improved IIS features
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| - | -, , FTP- , SSL . IIS SSL, SSL- NUMA | |||
| SSL- | SSL- . - SSL | |||
| (Server Name Indicator, SNI) | (, SMB). CSV CSVFS NTFS | |||
| NUMA | - ( 32 ), | |||
| IIS 8.0 . «» ; - | ||||
| FTP | - FTP | |||
| FTP- | , Windows Server 2012 IIS 8.0 | |||
| ASP.NET IIS 8.0. . ASP.NET . | ||||
| IP- | IIS 8.0 IP- | |||
| WebSocket | , | |||
| ASP.NET ( 2.0, 3.0, 3.5 4.5) | ASP.NET .NET Framework Windows Server 2012 IIS 8.0 | |||
| ASP.NET 3.5 4.5 | , ASP.NET 3.5 ASP.NET 4.5 IIS 8.0 Windows Server 2012 | |||
| , , .NET, PHP, Node.js Python. PHP MySQL IIS. ASP.NET 4.5 HTML5 |
Hybrid Application Launch Platform (local and in the cloud)
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| , ( Windows Azure) | ||||
| , Windows Server 2012 Windows Azure | ||||
| , .NET | ||||
Networking opportunities
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) | Hyper-V SR‑IOV SR‑-IOV | |||
| (NIC Teaming) | ||||
| . IP- | ||||
| DHCP- | DHCP- DHCP , . DHCP- , | |||
| Hyper-V Replica | , . | |||
| (Virtual Machine Queue, VMQ) | DMA- . VMQ , | |||
| IP- (IP Address Management, IPAM) | Windows Server 2012 , IP- , . IP-, , IP-, DHCP DNS | |||
| Hyper-V Extensible Switch | , | |||
| (QoS) | Hyper-V , . , Data Center Bridging (DCB), , (QoS ) , | |||
| BranchCache | , . : , (GPO) . , - Windows. . , PowerShell | |||
| (Domain Name System, DNS) | DNSSEC PowerShell DNS | |||
| DHCP | DHCP Windows Server 2012: DHCP, PowerShell DHCP- | |||
| IP 6 (IPv6) | IPv6, IPv6 NAT64/DNS64 DirectAccess | |||
| , (NIC Teaming) | ||||
| Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2003 R2: , PowerShell NLB . , Windows Server 2008 R2, -, CAU, iSCSI Software Target | ||||
| Windows Server 2012 Remote Access — , DirectAccess, VPN. Remote Access PowerShell . DirectAccess RRAS , . DirectAccess , NAT64 DNS64 , IPv4. DirectAccess , NAT. , , , , , , , Server Core |
automation and control
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Windows Server 2012 PowerShell 3.0. Server Core ( PowerShell, MMC). Server Core, PowerShell | ||||
| . , , , | ||||
| , . , , , | ||||
| Windows Server 2012 , , . . , Server Manager, | ||||
| - , . (, , IP-) | ||||
| Windows PowerShell 3.0 | 2 300 . , , . | |||
| Windows PowerShell | , , . , | |||
| Windows PowerShell | - PowerShell. , , , | |||
| - Windows PowerShell Web Access | Windows PowerShell -. Windows PowerShell | |||
| Windows PowerShell (Integrated Scripting Environment, ISE) 3.0 | Windows PowerShell . . IntelliSense , , , . , . XML | |||
| Windows PowerShell | PowerShell, . PowerShell ISE -, PowerShell 3.0 | |||
| Windows PowerShell | Windows | |||
| Windows PowerShell | PowerShell 3.0. - , | |||
| Windows PowerShell | Get-Command — , . . Windows PowerShell — . | |||
| (Device Management and Installation, DMI) | , | |||
| ; | ||||
| Windows | Windows | |||
| (Best Practices Analyzer, BPA) | Windows Server, , . | |||
| (gpupdate.exe) | ||||
| Windows Azure Online Backup | . | |||
| Active Directory |
Server roles
Table
| Opportunities | Windows Server 2003 R2 | Windows Server 2008 R2 | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Comment |
| Active Directory | , , Windows PowerShell; Server Core; , ; ; | |||
| Active Directory | Windows Server 2012 : ; ; AD DS ; Relative ID (RID); ; ; ; ; AD DS AD FS; PowerShell; ; AD Windows PowerShell ; Active Directory (Active Directory Based Activation, AD BA); Kerberos (Group Managed Service Account, gMSA) | |||
| Active Directory | AD FS Windows Server 2012 DAC; PowerShell | |||
| Active Directory (Active Directory Lightweight Directory Service, AD LDS) | AD LDS . AD LDS AD DS. | |||
| Active Directory | ( Windows Server 2008 R2 ). : SQL Server . SQL Server , , AD RMS. , Windows PowerShell AD RMS | |||
| .Net Framework 4.5 | ||||
| DHCP- | DHCP, PowerShell DHCP- | |||
| DNS- | DNSSEC, Windows PowerShell DNS | |||
| - | Windows Server 2012 Fax Server | |||
| . : ; iSCSI Target Server; ; ; PowerShell ; ReFS. FSS: ; ; ; . Chkdsk, | ||||
| Hyper-V | Windows Server 2012 : SMB; QoS; ; Hyper-V Replica; (HBA); ODX ; ; Hyper-V; Hyper-V Extensible Switch; ; ; NUMA; SMB | |||
| Windows Server 2012 : ; Type 4; ; Windows PowerShell; WSD; | ||||
| Windows Server 2012 : Type 4, , Windows PowerShell, WSD; | ||||
| New server role that combines DirectAccess, routing, VPN and more. Remote Access services in conjunction with PowerShell provide improved management of remote computers and enhanced network connectivity. Combining DirectAccess and RRAS within a single server role, the ability to support both technologies within a single Edge Server. Simplified deployment of DirectAccess and network security policies; NAT64 and DNS64 support for accessing network resources using only IPv4. You can now deploy DirectAccess within a network protected by NAT. Supports load balancing, multiple domains, network access protection integration, one-time passwords, automated forced tunneling, management from outside the domain, multi-site deployment, Server Core, and system health monitoring | ||||
| Remote Desktop Services | Partially supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Enhanced capabilities of remote desktop access services, as compared to previous versions: unified centralized interface, automatic simplified management of the OS in a uniform way, personalization of users, centralized deployment and fair division of network resources. Changing the URL and configuration of RemoteApp and Desktop Connection by using Group Policy; Automatically emailing URLs to users. Unified user interface with advanced features |
| Corporate License Activation Services | Partially supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Additional corporate license activation technologies not available in previous versions of Windows Server: Corporate license activation server role, built-in support for the key management server, activation using Active Directory, and the license activation tool console |
| Web server (IIS) | Partially supported | Partially supported | Supported by | IIS 8.0 is a unified platform that combines IIS, ASP.NET, FTP, PHP, and Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) services. New features include: a centralized certificate repository, dynamic IP address restrictions, restriction of FTP login attempts, server name indicator (SNI), application initialization and NUMA scaling. |
| Windows Deployment Services | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | Enhancements to Windows Deployment Services: image type definitions (VHDX support); multicast (support for TFTP and multicast on IPv6 and DHCPv6 networks, improved multicast deployment); driver training; EFI, x86 client support with 32-bit processors; Single EFI interface for network boot and integrated deployment with WDS |
| Windows Server Update Services | Not supported | Partially supported | Supported by | A basic set of guidelines for configuring the roles and functions of Windows Server operating systems, including configuration, management, and security. Full integration of the analyzer into the server manager |
This completes the review of the Windows Server versions. Next is your turn to choose the set of functions and features that you need.
In conclusion, here are some links to previous publications on a related topic:
- Migrating Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2: Active Directory
- We are migrating file servers from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2
- Jump Start materials published October 7: Upgrading the company's IT infrastructure using Windows Server 2012 R2
I hope that this article will be useful to you!
useful links
- Try Azure for free for 30 days!
- Learn Microsoft Virtual Academy courses
- Computer Security Basics
- Basics of building a domain network. Part 2
- Upgrading the organization's infrastructure using Windows Server 2012 R2
- Transition from VMware to Hyper-V
- Basics of building a domain network
- Business and the cloud: best practices solutions
- Download a trial version of Windows Server 2012 R2
- Download free or trial Visual Studio
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/246653/
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