Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed, Rough Cuts

Description

This is a working draft of a pre-release book. It is available before the published date as part of the Rough Cuts service.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed is the most comprehensive and realistic guide to planning, design, prototyping, implementation, migration, administration, and support. Based on the authors’ unsurpassed experience working with Windows Server 2008 R2 since its earliest alpha releases, it offers indispensable guidance drawn from hundreds of production environments.

Microsoft MVP Rand Morimoto and his colleagues systematically introduce Windows Server 2008 R2 to IT professionals, identifying R2’s most crucial enhancements and walking through every step of installation and configuration. Next, they present comprehensive coverage of every area of Windows Server 2008 R2, including Active Directory, networking services, security, R2 migration from Windows Server 2003 and 2008, administration, fault tolerance, optimization and troubleshooting, core application services, and more. 

The authors thoroughly address major Windows Server 2008 R2 enhancements and present extensive coverage of R2 innovations ranging from Hyper-V virtualization to DirectAccess and the enhancements in Failover Clustering. Every chapter contains tips, tricks, and best practices learned from actual deployments: practical information for using Windows Server 2008 R2 to solve real business problems.

Detailed information on how to...

• Plan and migrate from Windows Server 2003/2008 to Windows Server 2008 R2 and use R2’s new server migration tools
• Manage Active Directory with Active Directory Administrative Center, Best Practice Analyzer, and PowerShell scripts
• Use R2’s updated security tools and templates to lock down servers, clients, and networks
• Maximize availability with Windows Server 2008 R2 clustering, fault tolerance, and replication
• Streamline client management with new Group Policy ADMX settings and management tools
• Improve remote access using DirectAccess, Remote Desktop Services (formerly Terminal Services), and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure
• Implement Hyper-V virtualization including the built-in Live Migration technology
• Leverage add-ons such as Windows SharePoint Services, Windows Media Services, and IIS 7.5

Sample Content

Table of Contents

Introduction     1

Part I Windows Server 2008 R2 Overview

Chapter 1 Windows Server 2008 R2 Technology Primer     5

Windows Server 2008 R2 Defined     5

When Is the Right Time to Migrate?      10

Versions of Windows Server 2008 R2     12

What’s New and What’s the Same About Windows Server 2008 R2?      16

Changes in Active Directory     20

Windows Server 2008 R2 Benefits for Administration     22

Improvements in Security in Windows Server 2008 R2     26

Improvements in Mobile Computing in Windows Server 2008 R2     28

Improvements in Windows Server 2008 R2 for Better Branch Office Support     30

Improvements for Thin Client Remote Desktop Services     33

Improvements in Clustering and Storage Area Network Support     37

Addition of Migration Tools     38

Improvements in Server Roles in Windows Server 2008 R2     40

Identifying Which Windows Server 2008 R2 Service to Install or Migrate to First     43

Summary     46

Best Practices     47

Chapter 2 Planning, Prototyping, Migrating, and Deploying Windows Server 2008 R2 Best Practices     49

Determining the Scope of Your Project     50

Identifying the Business Goals and Objectives to Implement Windows Server 2008 R2     50

Identifying the Technical Goals and Objectives to Implement Windows Server 2008 R2     53

The Discovery Phase: Understanding the Existing Environment     59

The Design Phase: Documenting the Vision and the Plan     3

The Migration Planning Phase: Documenting the Process for Migration     67

The Prototype Phase: Creating and Testing the Plan     73

The Pilot Phase: Validating the Plan to a Limited Number of Users     75

The Migration/Implementation Phase: Conducting the Migration or Installation     78

Summary     79

Best Practices     80

Chapter 3 Installing Windows Server 2008 R2 and Server Core     83

Preplanning and Preparing a Server Installation     .83

Installing a Clean Version of Windows Server 2008 R2 Operating System     89

Upgrading to Windows Server 2008 R2     98

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