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Operating System: Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Now that Microsoft has released Windows Server 2003, its next-generation operating system, you may be wondering whether you should consider upgrading from Windows NT Server. Because there are so many new features in Windows Server 2003, we're going to sift through them to provide you with information on what we consider most important. By reviewing these features, we hope to make it easier for you to evaluate whether it's time for you to upgrade your servers.
So much information, so little time
In this article, we'll explore the key features in Windows Server 2003 that we think you should be aware of. We'll start by looking at the steps Microsoft has taken to enhance Window Server 2003's reliability. Although there are many features we could discuss in this section alone, we're going to focus on driver reliability, fault tolerance, and scalability features. From there, we'll move on to the features that make Windows Server 2003 easier to administer as compared to Windows NT. Specifically, we'll look at the ability to choose your server's roles, advantages to the Active Directory, and changes to group policies. Let's get started!
The four editions of Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2003 comes in four different editions: Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, and Web Server. Each edition offers features that are tailored to a specific environment. Here's a quick summary of the features offered in each edition:
* Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition, is optimized for providing file and print services as well as secure connections to the Internet. It supports up to four processors and 4 GB of RAM.
* Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition, is optimized for hosting applications such as SQL Server, Exchange Server, acting as Active Directory domain controllers, or providing Web services. This operating system supports setting up clustered servers for enhanced reliability, up to eight processors, and 32 MB of RAM.
* Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, is designed to run mission-critical applications (such as Web servers for Internet merchants or Exchange Server for email) that require even greater hardware...