Longhorn Server Features

It hardly seems possible that Windows Server 2003is already four years old and about to be replacedby Longhorn Server. Four years is a long time in the computer industry, and Microsoft has used that time toadd a plethora of important features to Longhorn Server.Here's my list of Longhorn Server's 10 most important newfeatures and enhancements.

10. Hypervisor-based virtualization—Microsoft has found a way to incorporate virtualization—one of the hottest technologiesin IT—into the Windows OS. Hypervisorsupport will let Longhorn Server take advantage of thevirtualization capabilities of the new generation of Inteland AMD processors. The result is improved performancefor virtual machines and no need for additional virtualization software.

9. New backup and recovery tools—LonghornServer's backup and restore technology is a welcome change for Windows 2003 and Windows2000 Server administrators struggling with the old,hard-to-use NTBackup. Longhorn Server uses MicrosoftVolume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to perform block-levelbackups and can also back up to DVD.

8. Updated Windows Firewall—Like WindowsVista, Longhorn Server will include the updatedWindows Firewall. The new version lets you filterboth incoming and outgoing traffic and can beconfigured using Group Policy or Microsoft ManagementConsole 3.0.

7. Windows SharePoint Services 3.0—LonghornServer will include Windows SharePoint Services3.0, which features an updated administrationmodel that lets you delegate SharePoint administrative tasks. SharePoint Services 3.0 also provides amultistage recycle bin and support for VSS for improvedrecoverability.

6. IIS 7.0—Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 has a new modular architecture that provides more granular control over which featuresare installed on the Web server. IIS 7.0 also sportsan administration UI that lets you manage both Web serverand ASP.NET properties. Editing and backing up configuration data is easy because IIS 7.0's configuration settings arestored in an XML file.

5. New Server Manager—Acting like a combinationof the Windows 2003 Manage Your Server Wizardand the Security Configuration Wizard, LonghornServer's Server Manager provides a role-basedmanagement interface. Server Manager lets you add andchange server roles and features, monitor server health,and manage user accounts and services.

4. WDS—Longhorn Server revamps MicrosoftRemote Installation Services and renames it Windows Deployment Services (WDS). WDS supportsMicrosoft's new image-based deployment usingthe Windows Imaging Format. WDS is built using WindowsPreinstallation Environment and supports bare-metal andnetwork installations for Vista and Longhorn Server.

3. Enhanced Terminal Services—Based on the newRDP 6.0, Terminal Services support in LonghornServer lets users share a single remote applicationrather than an entire desktop. From the remotesystem's perspective, using Terminal Services to run anapplication looks just like executing a local application. Forexample, you can start remote programs by double-clickingan icon, menu option, or associated file extension.

2. NAP—The long-awaited Network Access Protection (NAP) security feature lets you create acustomized health policy that a networked clientmust comply with before being granted networkaccess. For example, you might require the client to haveantivirus software, specific firewall settings, and certainupdates to software. Clients that don't comply will haverestricted network access until the problems that causethem to be noncompliant are corrected.

1. Server Core—Longhorn Server'sbiggest enhancement is a new typeof server installation called the ServerCore. The Server Core doesn't providea graphical UI, requiring system configuration and management to be performed either through the commandline or remotely, and doesn't includeapplication-oriented features such as the Microsoft .NETFramework or Microsoft Internet Explorer. The ServerCore can act as a domain controller, a DNS server, aDHCP server, or a file server.