Technology

Windows 2000 Server

Microsoft Windows 2000 Server is the multipurpose network operating system for businesses of all sizes. Windows 2000 Server lets you:

• Share files and printers reliably and securely.
• Choose from thousands of business applications compatible to run today on Windows 2000 Server.
• Build Web applications and connect to the Internet.

This combination and flexibility delivers a strong business value proposition for today's IT customer.

"The immediate return on investment and the way Windows 2000 Server maps to our long-term goals makes it a perfect fit for our business. The upgrade was so easy — it only took several weeks — we're anxious to roll it out and use it throughout our service offerings." — Mike Connor, Senior Vice President, Brokerage Services Group, Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

In the years since personal computers entered the market, the role they play in organizations has grown from being a fast way to offload simple processes — such as word processing — from mainframes, to becoming an essential resource in most companies. However, as desktop computing has proliferated, we’ve learned that the total cost of ownership (or TCO) — the real cost of maintaining a distributed personal computer network — is far from trivial. TCO includes not only the initial cost of hardware and software, but deployment expense, hardware and software update costs, training, day-to-day maintenance, and technical support as well.

The Windows® 2000 Server operating system is designed to let you increase the value of your existing investments while lowering overall computing costs. Specifically, Windows 2000 Server is easier to deploy, configure, and use because it provides centralized, customizable management services to reduce TCO. Further, these management services work with existing management solutions and mixed-platform distributed networks, thus allowing your IT department to get maximum value from their current infrastructure.

Easier to Deploy, Configure, and Use

Windows 2000 Server provides services that let you build and deploy servers more quickly. The new Configure Your Server Wizard significantly reduces the time it takes to build a server and reduces the likelihood of error. Additional new Wizards reduce the time it takes to create new Web sites, create virtual directories, manage security settings, and manage security certificates. And, with the SysPrep utility (available in the Windows 2000 Server Resource Kit), you can dramatically reduce the time it takes to build completely configured Windows 2000-based servers as compared to installing and configuring those same servers by hand. Another feature available through the Resource Kit, the Windows Script Host, includes scripts for a number of commonly used administrative functions, such as logon scripting.

Additionally, Windows 2000 Server allows you to configure your network more easily. It provides support for Plug and Play network adapters, significantly reducing device configuration time. It provides services that manage the trust relationships between domains in your organization, and it provides automated replication and local caching of DNS and DHCP information so your network is robust and responsive. Moreover, Connection Sharing Wizards provide an out-of-the-box network address management solution for small businesses.

Day-to-day maintenance is easier as well. Your system administrators can learn to manage systems from a Windows console much more quickly than they can learn to manage Windows NT® Server 4.0 operating systems thanks to the easier delegation, a more consistent user interface, and simple-to-use integrated tools provided in Windows 2000 Server.

Centralized Management Services

To be efficient, organizations must manage their hardware, software, and applications in the most automated, secure, and "hands off" method possible. To this end, as information technology systems have become more distributed, organizations have invested a great deal of time and resources in building information and management systems to help manage networks, servers, and client platforms. One of the goals of these systems is to deliver a highly reliable level of service. Another goal is to minimize the overall costs of managing the distributed environment. Further, it’s imperative, both to users and to administrators, that these systems be well integrated and easy to use.

One of the major costs highlighted in recent reports on total cost of ownership (TCO), is lost desktop productivity caused by user error, such as changing the system configuration and rendering the computer unworkable. Having too many features or nonessential applications installed on the desktop can also distract users. To solve these problems, you need a means to control a user’s access to key configuration files as well as to features and applications that are not required to do that user’s particular job. To be successful, this means of control must be flexible and customizable — you must be able to control the computer configurations of individuals and groups of users based on user job responsibilities and computer skills.

Windows 2000 Server is designed to address all of these concerns. It provides powerful management services through infrastructure enhancements such as the Active Directory™ service, as well as tools built on the infrastructure, such as IntelliMirror™ management technologies. Windows 2000 Server delivers powerful, comprehensive management services to better manage servers, networks and Windows-based desktops, including:

• Group Policy, based on the Active Directory, is a key component of the IntelliMirror. Group Policy helps you control user access to desktop settings and applications by group rather than by individual user and computer. Group Policy lets you define and control the amount of access users have to data, applications, and other network resources.
• Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provides unified access and event services, allowing you to control and monitor Windows-based environments, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) devices, and all host environments that support the Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) standards initiative of the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).
• Windows Script Host (WSH) allows you to automate and integrate common tasks using a variety of scripting environments including Microsoft® Visual Basic®, Scripting Edition (VBScript), Microsoft Jscript®, and Perl. This feature includes direct scripting to Active Directory and WMI.
• Microsoft Management Console (MMC) gives you a common user interface presentation tool where you can integrate all the necessary Windows-based and Web-based administration components needed to fulfill a specific task.

Together these services provide a consistent system administration and delegation model that reduces system administration time.

Allows Organizations to Make Full Use of their Current Infrastructure

Microsoft has worked with many management vendors and standards bodies to ensure that the new Windows management services are a suitable foundation for managing very large numbers of Windows-based desktops and servers. In addition, these services are a secure platform on which to develop management solutions for networking infrastructure and non-Windows-based computing devices. And Microsoft has worked with management framework and solutions providers to ensure that Windows management services integrate with existing management solutions. In this way, corporate IT groups are able to introduce new management solutions based on Windows management services, while protecting and preserving their existing investments.

Conclusion

Windows 2000 Server is easier to deploy, configure, and use. It provides centralized, customizable management services to reduce TCO. These management services work with existing management solutions and heterogeneous distributed networks, thus allowing IT departments to get maximum value from their current infrastructure services. Systems administrators, network administrators, support personnel, and end users will benefit from the comprehensive management services built into Windows 2000 Server.