C/D/H Talks Tech

Hiding behind its currently shining little brother Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 is preparing for its big new launch in October too. Server 2008’s second release or R2 is preparing to become a feature filled OS that your organization will want to adopt.

Over the past year or so 2008 has proven itself within the industry, and Server 2008 R2 improves upon this tradition. I’ve been previewing the OS’s multiple Beta versions and its current Release Candidate (RC), and have been impressed with all of them. I’ve listed some of the most impressive features to me below… please feel free to chime in and comment with your favorites as well.

1.    Going Green: Server 2008’s initial launch included a number of feature sets to make this OS and your data center more ‘Green’. R2 continues this trend by updating the new power policies to include a new feature sets. My favorite is Core Parking. By monitoring the server’s performance needs, the new power policy allows for single core “idling” when the server is not needed. This new feature doesn’t force idling for the entire processor, only a single core… leaving the server fully operational and ready when it’s called into action.

R2 also has increased its Group Policy options when paired with Windows 7. Administrators are now able to have precise control over their workstation’s power policies… keeping the green trend moving throughout the organization.

2.    1-2-3 Virtualization: Hyper-V and Presentation Virtualization have been pushed to a new level making this version a huge competitor within the virtualization marketplace. It’s never been easier to implement a virtualized desktop, application and server environment.  (Further thoughts in my next post).

3.    New connectivity options with its Little Brother – Windows 7. The new Direct Access Feature set of Server 2008 R2 allows for Windows 7 workstations to connect into your environment without the use of a VPN. This is a huge step towards a more seamless mobile workforce. The technology uses RPC over HTTPS to connect workstations to your server farm.  No longer will you need to start a VPN tunnel when working remotely. It works much like Outlook Anywhere within Exchange 2007 and is just as seamless.

I’m so impressed with the new family of OS systems that are slated for release in October. Windows 2008 R2 and Windows 7 are truly complementary family members. I would highly recommend when trying out and planning for the new desktop OS you also implement a Windows 2008 R2 pilot.