Windows 2003 Server
Windows Server 2003 is Microsoft's latest server operating system release. This version was originally going to be called .Net Server, but was renamed Windows Server 2003 shortly before release. This new operating system will eventually replace Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 Servers and is now considered Microsoft's flagship server operating system product.
Smedia has had the opportunity to test Windows 2003 and and run it in a production environment early on. We have been testing Windows Server 2003. Our teams of Windows systems engineers have also received all the requisite training from Microsoft.
The difference between Windows 2000 Server and Windows Server 2003 can be demonstrated in a web-hosting environment. The inclusion of the .Net Framework, and an update to Microsoft's web server, Internet Information Server 5.0 (IIS 5.0), to version 6.0. The .Net Framework is an entirely new software development platform which will dramatically change the way applications are developed and hosted. IIS 6.0 was re-architected from the ground up with performance, security, and stability in mind. There are literally thousands of other changes and improvements in the new version of Windows, all of which add functionality, improve security, or increase the stability and performance of the operating system.
We recommend transition to Windows Server 2003 because IIS 6.0 is faster, more secure, more stable, and more scalable than any previous version of IIS, but IIS 6.0 is not available on any prior release of Windows. Almost anyone doing any type of web hosting on an older version of IIS will immediately see performance and stability improvements. IIS 6.0 will allow you to potentially host thousands more websites per server, and startup and shutdown times for IIS are dramatically faster. IIS 6.0 can serve static content up to 200% faster than IIS 5.0 and can better isolate your applications to keep the server healthy - even when an application misbehaves.
The inclusion of the .Net Framework allows you to immediately take advantage of all of the benefits of Microsoft's newest development platforms and will run your .Net application code out of the box. It will also allow you to immediately begin developing applications which take advantage of XML web services.
The vast majority of applications that run on Windows 2000 will run fine on Windows Server 2003. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 runs great, as do most other Microsoft applications - with one notable exception. Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 will *not* run on Windows Server 2003. Microsoft will be releasing the next version of Exchange Server later this year, and this will be well suited for Windows Server 2003. If you have any custom applications, you should check with the vendor or your developers for compatibility.
Microsoft has release four 4 separate editions of Windows Server 2003. They are the Web Edition, Standard Edition, Enterprise Edition, and Datacenter Edition. The main differences between these editions is the number of processors and the amount of RAM they each support.
The Web Edition is a version that is specifically designed to only serve the role of a web server. Microsoft does not allow running software like SQL Server or an Internet mail server on the Web edition. The Web Edition supports two 2 processors and up to two 2 GB of RAM.
The Standard Edition supports up to four 4 processors and four 4 GB or RAM. It will run almost any application and is a full-featured version of Windows Server 2003.
The Enterprise Edition will support up to eight 8 processors and up to 32 GB of RAM. There is also a 64-bit version of The Enterprise Edition for use on Intel Itanium processors. This edition will support up to eight server clusters for clustering SQL Server or other cluster-aware applications.
Finally, the Datacenter Edition supports VERY high-end hardware, including support for up to 64 processors and 512 GB of RAM. This version is only for very specialized application requirements and will probably see very little use in typical web-facing applications.
Smedia supports both the Web, Standard and Enterprise Editions and of Windows Server 2003.
Dependable
Windows Server 2003 is the fastest, most reliable,
most secure Windows server operating system ever offered by Microsoft.
Windows Server 2003 delivers dependability by:
Providing an IT infrastructure that delivers fundamental value: improved reliability,
better availability, and increased scalability.
Including an application platform with built-in traditional application server functionality on top of extensive operating system capabilities.
Integrating an information worker infrastructure that helps keep business
information secure and accessible.
Productive
Productive Windows Server 2003
provides the tools that simplify deployment, management, and administration
and maximize productivity. Windows Server 2003 does this by:
Providing flexible tools that help match your design and deployment to your
organizational and network needs.
Helping you manage your network proactively by enforcing policy, automating tasks, and simplifying updates.
Helping you lower support overhead by letting users do
more on their own.
Connected
Windows Server 2003 provides an extensible
application platform for quickly building solutions that keep
employees, partners, systems, and customers connected. Windows
Server 2003 does this by:
Providing an integrated Web server and
streaming media server that helps you quickly, easily, and securely
create dynamic intranet and Internet Web sites.
Providing built-in services that help you easily develop, deploy, and manage XML
Web services.
Providing the tools that enable you to connect XML
Web services to internal applications, suppliers, and partners.
Best Economics
When combined with products and services from the
many Microsoft hardware, software, and channel partners, Windows
Server 2003 provides the choices that help you get the greatest
return on your infrastructure investments. Windows Server 2003
does this by:
Providing ease-of-use and prescriptive guidance
for complete solutions that enable you to quickly put technology
to work.
Helping you consolidate servers by taking advantage of
the latest hardware, software, and methodologies to optimize your
server deployments. Lowering your total cost of ownership (TCO)
to realize a fast return on investment.
