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Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 5)
Introduction
Part 1 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 1)
Part 2 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 2)
Part 3 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 3)
Part 4 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)
Part 5 –
This was the Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my Migration from Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 to 2012 book. Because of some changes in the format and content of this book, we have decided not to include any introduction or new features section in this book. The focus of the book is to provide more hands-on and step-by-step instructions on migration. So I decided to add Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my blog in 5 different parts. You can read the rest of the sections in the book.
Active Directory
The following section provides an overview of the improvements and enhancements introduced in Active Directory as part of Windows Server 2012 release.
Domain Controller Promotion (DCPROMO)
A new and improved version of DCPROMO process is included as part of the Windows Server 2012. Active Directory Preparation (ADPREP) is part of the Domain Controller promotion process. However, a standalone version of ADPREP is available to manually upgrade schema. PowerShell cmdlet and scripts are integrated as part of the DCPROMO process. You should be able to save these scripts from the DCPRMO wizard screen for a future use.
Domain Controller Virtualization
Virtualization has a key role in technology these days. However, in the previous versions of Active Directory, snapshot backup or restore of a Domain Controller was not supported due to Update Sequence Number (USN) Rollback and USN Bubble issues. In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has introduced a new mechanism to eliminate USN rollback issues. A new attribute called VM Generation ID (msDS-GenerationID) is introduced to detect the Active Directory database (DIT) changes between DCs. The VM Generation ID is a unique number for life of a Virtual Machine.
Domain Controller Cloning
Microsoft has introduced this new feature in Windows Server 2012 for rapid deployment of Domain Controllers in a virtualized environment. With this new technology you can make a copy of the existing virtual Domain Controller’s VHD and deploy it on to a virtualized environment. It also allows you exclude some of the installed application from the cloned image by modifying the configuration file. The Import option in Hyper-V can be used to deploy these cloned images in the new environment.
Recycle Bin
Microsoft has introduced Recycle Bin in Windows Server 2008 R2. However, the GUI option was not available. In Windows Server 2012, you will have a GUI based Active Directory Recycle Bin. It can be accessed from the Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC) console. You will have an option to locate the parent object from the console itself.
Active Directory Based Activation Service
In Windows Server 2012 Active Directory, the domain joined clients can activate the Operating System through Active Directory Based Activation Service. Currently, it can support only Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 servers.
Note: In Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, the offline defragmentation was part of the Install From Media (IFM) process. However, in Windows Server 2012, you will have an option to skip this process.
Performance
There is a significant performance improvement in Windows Server 2012. The Receive Segment Coalescing (RSC), Receive Side Scaling (RSS), Dynamic Virtual Machine Queue (dVMQ), Data Center Bridging (DCB), Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA), Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV), IPSec Offload (IPsecTO) and Server Message Block (SMB) 3.0 are some of the new technologies that enhances the performance in Windows Server 2012. The details of these techologies are beyond the scope of this book. However, as an administrator you need to have a high level understanding of these technolgies and how it can benefit your business when using Windows Server 2012.
Internet Information Server (IIS) 8.0
An updated version of Internet Information Server (IIS), version 8.0 is introduced in Windows Server 2012 with many improvements and new features around security, scalability and administration. The new version is designed to support multi-tenant requirement and environment. With new CPU throttling option, the CPU consumption can be managed per application pool. The Dynamic IP address restriction and Server Name Indication (SNI) are some of the new security features you will see in Internet Information Server (IIS) 8.0
Cloud, Cloud, Cloud
I cannot conclude the introduction and new features section without talking about the native cloud technology support and its capabilities in Windows Server 2012. Microsoft has engineered Windows Server 2012 with a goal to support Private, Public or Hybrid cloud solutions. It provides a solid foundation for multi-tenant support, high availability, network traffic isolation, security and easy manageability. These features make Windows Server 2012 different from the other Operating Systems (OS) Microsoft has built. In Microsoft terms “Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 is a great Operating System (OS) for a single server but Windows Server 2012 is great Operating System (OS) for lots of servers”.
When designing Cloud solution, you need to make sure the foundation can be dynamically extended on demand basics to meet your customer requirements and Server Level Agreements (SLAs). Windows Server 2012 provides on-demand extensible options for workload, network, storage and resiliency. These building blocks provide support for a cloud infrastructure. The features likes hyper-V networking, virtualization, NIC teaming, shared-nothing live migration, RDMA, SMB 3.0, Port ACLs, Cluster enhancements, massive stability, flexible administration options using System Center products etc. makes Windows Server 2012 a great foundation for could computing. In other words Windows Server 2012 is built from ground-up to support all building blocks of cloud computing.
Note: When talking about Cloud technology, you will hear “North–South” and “East-West” network traffic terminology slangs. The “North – South” traffic refers to the traffic coming in and going out from the data center. I call this as a “Vertical traffic”. The “East–West” traffic refers to the communication traffic between servers inside the data center. I call this as a “Horizontal traffic”. So if you are designing a clouding solution, you should consider how you can isolate the “Vertical” and “Horizontal” traffics to get better performance and security. Usually, you will see more “horizontal” traffic than “vertical” traffic.
What is Next?
The following topics and step-by-step instructions are included in the book:
· Windows Server 2012 Core and GUI installation and configuration
· Windows Server 2012 local and remote administration
· Windows Server 2012 Roles and Feature deployment
· Active Directory and domain controller migration
· Network Services (DNS and DHCP) migration
· Data and file server migration
· Printer and print server migration
· Hyper-V and virtual server migration
· Decommissioning old servers and domain controllers
This book currently available in all major stores.
PactPub – http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20
Barnes & Nobile’s – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?keyword=Instant+Migration+from+Windows+Server+2008+and+2008+R2+to+2012+How-to+%5BInstant%5D
Safari Books Online – http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9781849687447?cid=packt-cat-readnow-9781849687447
Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)
Introduction
Part 1 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 1)
Part 2 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 2)
Part 3 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 3)
Part 4 – Migrating to Windows Server 2012 – Intro (Part 4)
Part 5 –
This was the Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my Migration from Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 to 2012 book. Because of some changes in the format and content of this book, we have decided not to include any introduction or new features section in this book. The focus of the book is to provide more hands-on and step-by-step instructions on migration. So I decided to add Introduction, New Features and Enhancements section in my blog in 5 different parts. You can read the rest of the sections in the book.
Infrastructure and Security
The infrastructure services such as DNS, DHCP, WINS etc. are the backbone of any Microsoft network. The native support for high availability, centralised management or regulatory compliance can provide a great value to any organization. In this version, you will see many enchantments in this arena to accommodate these customer requirements. The following section will provide an overview:
DHCP High Availability
Microsoft has introduced a true failover and loadbalacing solution for DHCP in Windows Server 2012. It sycnhronizes IP addresses and lease information between DHCP servers. There are two options available in Windows Server 2012 – Hot Standby and Load Sharing mode. In Hot Standby mode, the secondary server in the failover relationship will act as a standby server and will respond to the client queries only if the primary server is not available. In Load Sharing mode, both DHCP servers will be active and will respondto the client DHCP request is based on the load ratio configued on these severs.
In the above screenshot the default mode is Load Balance mode. In this mode, you can modify the Load Balance percentage parameter on the local and partner servers. In hot standby mode, you can select the reserved addresses for the standby server.
IP Address Management (IPAM)
IP Address Management (IPAM) provides a framework for a centralized managment and administration of IP address. During the configuration process, you can select either of the two provisioning options – Manual or Group Policy Object (GPO) based. In Manul option, you have to manually configure Security groups, Networkshare, Firewall shares etc on each managed servers. If you are using GPO based provisioning, you can deploy these settings through a GPO.
NIC Teaming
NIC Teaming is natively supported on Windows Server 2012. It doesn’t require any additional or third party software to enable NIC teaming in Windows Server 2012. It can support multiple vendor NICs and can support upto 32 NICs in a team.
Windows Software Update Service (WSUS)
Microsoft Windows Software Update Service (WSUS) is a new Role in Windows Server 2012. Unlike Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, the software does not have to be installed separately.
Cluster Aware Updating (CAU)
This is one of the most awaited features. As an administrator, installing updates on cluster nodes can be a challenge. In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has introduced a new feature called Cluster Aware Updating (CAU). It is a cluster aware service. During the update process, Cluster Aware Updating (CAU) process will move all services to an available cluster node, install the patches and restart the cluster nodes automatically as required.
Dynamic Access Control
It is a powerful security and compliance feature in Windows Server 2012. With this feature, you can define a centralized file access policy and apply this policy on to servers in an Active Directory domain. The file can be classified based on an attribute value or a tag. It can be fully automated (dynamically) based on these values. The Kerberos user and device claims are supported.
Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS)
The 2.1 version of Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) is part of Windows Server 2012. You can add this Role using Server Manager. ADFS 2.1 supports Kerboros based claims and it can integrate with Windows Server 2012 Dynamic Access Control.
Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA)
Microsoft has introduced a new concept called Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) in Windows Server 2012. The Managed Service Account (MSA) in Windows Server 2008 R2 is considered as a “standalone” account since it is tied to a single server. In other words, if you have multiple servers, you will have to create multiple Managed Service Accounts (MSA) in the Active Directory. This limitation has been removed by introducing the Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) concept in Windows Server 2012. The gMSA can support multiple servers.
File System and Storage
Like other technologies in Windows Server 2012, you will see some major changes in the file system technology also. The Storage Spaces and Resilient File System (ReFS) are the two key new features on Windows Server 2012. The following section gives you a high level overview of these features:
Storage Spaces and Pools
In Windows Server 2012, you can virtualize the physical disks into different containers. These containers are called Storage Pools. The virtual disks can be carved out from these storage pools without the need to administer each physical disk separately. More physical disks can be added to these storage pools at a later stage to support additional storage space.
Resilient File System (ReFS)
A new file system called Resilient File System (ReFS) is introduced in Windows Server 2012. This is not a replacement of the NTFS or any other file system. This new file system improves the performance and scalability by automatically fixing the data corruption errors. You will not be able to convert existing file system into ReFS.
Data Deduplication
The new Data Reduplication feature provides a native option to identify and reduce the duplicate data on a disk volume. You will see the Reduplication Rate details from Server Manager itself (File and Storage Service -> Volume).
What is Next?
The following topics and step-by-step instructions are included in the book:
· Windows Server 2012 Core and GUI installation and configuration
· Windows Server 2012 local and remote administration
· Windows Server 2012 Roles and Feature deployment
· Active Directory and domain controller migration
· Network Services (DNS and DHCP) migration
· Data and file server migration
· Printer and print server migration
· Hyper-V and virtual server migration
· Decommissioning old servers and domain controllers
This book currently available in all major stores.
PactPub – http://www.packtpub.com/migrating-from-2008-and-2008-r2-to-windows-server-2012/book
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/dp/1849687447/?tag=packtpubli-20
Barnes & Nobile’s – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?keyword=Instant+Migration+from+Windows+Server+2008+and+2008+R2+to+2012+How-to+%5BInstant%5D
Safari Books Online – http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9781849687447?cid=packt-cat-readnow-9781849687447
Active Directory and Microsoft Technology Blogs 