<div align="justify"><p><b>File and print enhancements </b> </p><p>File and print serving are still key roles for any network server, and Microsoft has done a lot to enhance these facilities in its new operating system. </p><p>Storage Area Networks, for instance, are seen as very important,so there's a new San boot feature and a Virtual Disk Service (VDS) that provides a common interface for managing block storage virtualisation, effectively making it easier for San and other hardware vendors to integrate their devices into Windows. </p><p>The Distributed File System (DFS) - which allows a single logical file system to be created across multiple servers - has also been enhanced to make it more efficient and reliable. And the Encrypting File System (EFS), first introduced in Windows 2000 is enhanced, plus there are numerous new file and print features in Windows Server 2003. </p><p>These include remote document sharing using Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (Webdav), to enable files to be accessed and shared using an HTTP browser orweb-based application. </p><p>File system availability is addressed with a new Automated System Recovery (ASR) facility to provide a one-step restore of the operating system in recovery situations. There's also a new Volume Shadow Copy option that takes point-in-time snapshots of important data volumes. </p><p>Third-party backup programs have long provided this facility, but it's now built into the operating system, enabling open file backups to be taken without the need for special backup agents. The Shadow Copies feature also allows users to find previous versions of files themselves, using Windows Explorer, although special client software (included) is required. </p><p>With so many new options, it can be a bit daunting getting to grips with everything, but storage management is also enhanced with improved graphical interfaces that make life easier. Remote administrators will find new command line utilities for many of the disk management tasks such as shadow copy configuration. </p><p>The defrag tool and CHKDSK utility have both been improved, while on the printer front there's support for over 3,800 new devices, 64-bit printing support and performance improvements. </p><p>Wireless printing is also supported in Windows Server 2003 and there's now better interoperability with other server platforms and a much enhanced printermanagement interface. </p><p><b>A better directory? </b> </p><p>Introduced in Windows 2000, Active Directory (AD) effectively replaces NT-style domains with a single, much more scalable, distributed directory service. </p><p>This is of most benefit on large, multi-server networks, with Active Directory storing information relating to all network resources in a single location, and the information store itself able to be distributed across multiple replicated domain controllers for fast and efficient access. </p><p>Unfortunately, the initial implementation of AD wasn't without problems, mainly when it came to scalability and performance, but also in the way in which the directory was managed. That led to poor take-up of the Microsoft directory, even among large enterprise customers. </p><p>Active Directory in Windows Server 2003 attempts to tackle these, and other problems, and encourage more companies to use it on their networks. </p><p>No exact figures are being given as to how the changes will affect scalability and performance, but Microsoft is hoping that the improvements will lead to Active Directory being used to provide directory services in a wider context, for example, in support of large scale extranet applications. </p><p>Inevitably, there are lots of detailed changes in the new Active Directory implementation, some very technical in nature, but the more important relate to performance and scalability and are fairly easy to understand. </p><p>For example, where domain controllers are distributed out to remote branch offices, users no longer need to access a central global catalogue server every time they log on. A requirement of the Windows 2000 implementation, this caused real problems in terms of performance and reliability, especially where slow Wan links were involved. </p><p>A new 'Install replica from media' feature is also of help here. In Windows 2000 the initial replication of the domain could take a very long time when performed over a Wan connection. Now replication can be done using removable media, such as rewriteable CDs. </p><p>Wider replication of directory information has also been enhanced. For instance, when group members are added, deleted or changed only the changes are replicated rather than the whole group, as in the previous implementation. </p><p>Administrators are also given a greater say in the type of information to be replicated both within and across domains, to improve throughput. It's also now possible to disable compression of replicated data on high-speed networks to reduce the load on host processors and again improve performance. </p><p>On the management front, the various Microsoft Management Console (MMC) plug-ins for Active Directory have been updated to provide drag-and-drop facilities. The ability to perform operations on multiple objects has also been added, and it's now possible to save and re-use Active Directory queries. </p><p>Another neat new feature is the ability to change the DNS and/or Netbios names of existing domains when, for example, companies acquire or merge with others. This does away with the need to build a new domain and migrate directory objects to it. </p><p>Upgrading to AD is made easier too, through enhancements to the Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT), which now allows passwords to be migrated from earlier NT and Windows 2000 domains and for common migration tasks to be scripted. </p><p>Elsewhere, group policy, a feature that depends on Active Directory, has been enhanced with around 150 new policy settings. There's also a new Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) which can be run on Windows servers and XP workstations and replaces a clutch of tools previously used to manage these settings. </p><p>All the functionality provided by the previous Windows 2000 management tools is replicated in the new GPMC utility. Additionally, it allows group policy objects (GPOs) to be backed up and restored. It also features HTML style reporting and helps simplify management of the security related Group Policy settings. </p><p>Support for the latest version of LDAP, the industry-standard Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, is another feature of Active Directory in Windows Server 2003, and there are numerous security enhancements to the directory service. </p><p>As with the performance and scalability claims, only time will tell just how effective these are. It's worth noting that, although a lot of thought has gone into making the new directory compatible with the old version, those companies wanting to get the full benefit of what it now has to offer will have to upgrade. </p><p><b>A more powerful and robust IIS 6</b> </p><p>No new implementation of the Windows operating system would be complete without an update to IIS, the Microsoft web server software. </p><p>However, in Windows Server 2003 you get more than just an update. Indeed the new IIS 6 web server introduced here features a totally new request-processing architecture, which should make it a lot more robust and powerful than before. </p><p>The key change with IIS 6 is the ability to run websites and applications using their own self-contained worker processes, preventing them from interfering with or stopping other sites and programs. </p><p>The main web server code and associated web administration service similarly have their own dedicated processes, making it harder for rogue code to bring the core server down. </p><p>Unfortunately, some applications may not work correctly when isolated in this way, so IIS 6 can also be switched into so-called IIS 5 isolation mode to provide backwards compatibility with the earlier way of working. </p><p>The new architecture is also designed to improve performance, particularly where server-side application processing is involved. There's support for multiple application pools (these allow common worker processes to be shared) instead of the one in IIS 5, and enhancements in load balancing that should also improve performance. </p><p>Indeed, Microsoft has made big claims for the new web server, quoting gains of up to 100 per cent with some ASP applications. We didn't achieve anywhere near that in our tests, but there are real improvements to be had with the new software, leading to faster sites and applications and greater scalability. </p><p>Security is also much enhanced in IIS 6. First, the web server has to be expressly installed and the default installation when selected is minimal, just as with Windows Server 2003 itself. </p><p>In fact, by default the web server will normally only serve static pages. Extensions, for instance, for Active Server Pages (ASP) and Front Page, have to be specifically enabled before any web applications can be deployed. </p><p>To this end there's also a new application server role that can be configured using the Manage Your Server utility. This installs not just the IIS software, but other components needed to support web-based applications such as ASP.Net, COM+ and Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ), along with the tools needed to manage them. </p><p>Other security changes include running IIS worker and ASP processes with very low access privileges, to lessen the impact of any potential security vulnerabilities, and removing the facility to run command line tools via the web server, a feature often exploited by would-be hackers. </p><p>To stop those who do gain access from defacing sites, the Microsoft web server will now prevent anonymous users from overwriting content. </p><p>Administrators can also limit the amount of data users can upload using the new web server, and it's good to note that IIS 6 worker processes will now detect buffer overflows and stop running the associated code, should one occur. </p><p>Support for Secure Socket Layer (SSL) comes in for an update in IIS 6 too, primarily for greater performance and scalability, but also to make it easier to offload SSL processing to third-party accelerators. </p><p>User authentication using Microsoft Passport is another new addition, and IIS 6 extends the use of a new authorisation framework included in Windows Server 2003 by providing gatekeeper authorisation to specific URLs. </p><p>Management inevitably gets updated with, in particular, new capabilities for administrators who need to manage multiple websites and servers. For instance, IIS 6 replaces the binary web server configuration store (metabase) with plain text XML files, which can be edited directly and copied to other servers to replicate a given set-up. </p><p>Similarly, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and improved command-line support make for easier remote administration with a new web-based administration console also included as part of the IIS 6 release. </p><p>Lastly, as with the core operating system, IIS 6 is available in 64-bit format for use on Itanium processors, and there are improved patch management facilities to enable updates to be applied without shutting down the whole server. </p><p>There's a new kernel mode cache for dynamic content, better support for industry standards such as XML and Soap, and other improvements too numerous to include here, all designed to enable IIS to better compete with Apache and other web server platforms. </p><p>There's much much more to the new management facilities included in Windows Server 2003, aside from the Group Policy Management Console and updated MMC snap-ins for Active Directory management. </p><p>There's also a useful new tool called Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP), which allows administrators to determine, in advance, what the net effect of changes to Group Policy and other settings will be on real users and systems. </p><p>These, though, aren't the only advances with so-called 'headless server management' one of the key features of the new operating system. </p><p><b>Headless management </b> </p><p>Headless management is all about enabling access to the server remotely without the need for graphical remote control software like that provided by Terminal Services in Windows 2000. </p><p>That is still included (it's now called Remote Desktop for Administration - just as in Windows XP) but, in addition, the new server software also includes numerous new command line utilities. </p><p>Plus there's support for Telnet access, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and Windows Scripting Host (WSH), which help simplify remote management in rack-dense and blade server environments. </p><p>Other important new tools include Emergency Management Services (EMS) and the associated Special Administration Console (SAC) to allow out-of-band remote console access even when Windows is non-functional, for example, during startup or following a server crash. </p><p>The Remote Assistance facility introduced in Windows XP has also been added to the server operating system, along with support for automatic downloading and installation of software patches using the Windows Update service. </p><p>Updated drivers can similarly be downloaded and installed, and Remote Installation Services (RIS) can now be used to install all versions of the new server operating system as well as Windows 2000 and XP products. </p><p>On the downside, the management facilities in the new operating system are very much targeted towards single-server management. So, to cope with larger multi-server sites and for wider network management, you still have to add on extra tools either from third-party developers or from Microsoft. </p><p>Those include Systems Management Server (SMS) for inventory and software distribution services, Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) for event consolidation and alerting and Application Centre for web application deployment. </p><p>The Netware alternative It may have lost out to Microsoft in recent years, but Novell hasn't gone away completely, continuing to pit Netware against Windows as an enterprise server platform. Moreover, with Netware 6.5 (expected to ship in the second half of 2003) the company is hoping to continue challenging not just Microsoft but also the Unix and Linux vendors. </p><p>Support for web services is a key feature of Netware 6.5 (codenamed Nakoma), built around Extend, the Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) application server that Novell acquired when it bought developer Silverstream last year. </p><p>Already available as a Novell product, the Extend server has been integrated into the core platform for the 6.5 release, along with a new web portal, XML-based directory integration and enhanced support for Open Source applications like the Apache web server, Tomcat servelet engine and MySQL database. </p><p>Another key feature is a new virtual office interface, building on the functionality provided by the Ifolder and Iprint web services in the current Netware 6 platform. This will allow users to build a complete virtual desktop in a browser to access, edit and print documents and work in virtual teams, just as with Microsoft's Sharepoint Team Services. </p><p>Clustering is also enhanced in Netware 6.5 with a licence for up to 32 nodes as standard and support for ISCSI, which does away with the need for expensive fibre channel shared storage. With new server consolidation and snapshot backup utilities included as standard, Novell is hoping this will encourage companies to consolidate systems using the Netware platform. </p><p>The management interface, too, comes in for a lot of attention in Netware 6.5, with enhanced server diagnostics, auditing and reporting features. </p><p>However, despite this, the Novell software is unlikely to appeal to the smaller organisation where the familiar desktop interface in Windows Server is a key selling point. Indeed Netware has long since slipped to third place behind the much cheaper Linux offerings in this market. </p><p>Novell does, though, have a loyal following among larger enterprises, where it retains around 10 per cent market share according to most analysts. </p><p>It's here that Netware 6.5 is most likely to succeed, with many existing customers already beta testing the software and expected to upgrade when it becomes available. </p><p>The out-of-the-box web, directory and other services may well encourage others to add it as a single-purpose solution on existing Windows and Unix networks, as well.</p></div>