20 Fast Facts About Microsoft Windows Server 2012

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1 20 Fast Facts About Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Laying the Cornerstone of the Next Generation of Computing Contents Virtualization and the Cloud Data Storage Networking Systems Management Server Dynamics Brought to you compliments of: Technology has forever changed the way organizations of all sizes operate and compete. In less than a generation, CIOs have embraced innovations in computing as a means to work smarter and faster. The savviest CIOs recognize the doors that such advancements open for them, both immediately and in the longer term. Businesses and public-sector organizations alike are undergoing a sweeping change in how they consume technology and optimize its use. For example, virtualization is helping drive the transition to more efficient and flexible computing models like the cloud, allowing organizations to not only cut costs but also streamline operations. Yet, this isn t happening overnight organizations need the right infrastructure to support a successful migration to this new world. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 stands out among select technologies and platforms that will play important roles in helping organizations make this shift. The operating system is designed from the ground up to enable businesses to migrate while balancing legacy requirements with a new environment that requires not only a scalable infrastructure but also a foundation that can support dynamic capacity demands without sacrificing stability Dell

2 When running on hardware such as Dell PowerEdge 12 th generation servers, the operating system lays the groundwork for the future by providing an accessible path to the cloud. Dell worked with Microsoft in the design of the servers to most effectively leverage the operating system s capabilities, such as more efficient storage and power utilization. For small businesses, a Dell PowerEdge 12 th generation server bundled with Microsoft Windows Server 2012 offers compelling advantages such as having a system that s ready for the production environment on Day 1. Businesses can also benefit from having Dell play a full partner role, providing all of the consulting, installation, maintenance and support. Dell PowerEdge servers make it possible for businesses to get the maximum value from the Microsoft platform. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 represents a major advance over earlier operating system generations, addressing obstacles to moving ahead in critical areas including virtualization and the cloud, as well as facilitating significant improvements in storage, networking and systems management in a way that takes computing to a new level. Virtualization and the Cloud The benefits of server virtualization are profound, with dramatic promises of cost savings through consolidation and the expectation of greater overall utilization efficiency and reliability. Yet, as widely deployed as the technology is, many organizations have struggled through the implementation and management processes. With significant enhancements, including gamechanging improvements in the way the network operating system is designed, Windows Server 2012 goes a long way toward helping businesses circumvent those pain points. To gain real insight into the benefits of Windows Server 2012, CIOs need all the facts, starting with how the operating system can promote large-scale virtualization and meet the rapidly changing needs associated with virtualization, storage, networking and systems management. Here s how Microsoft Windows Server 2012 can help organizations make the transition to virtualization a success: Fact No. 1: Integrated Virtualization One of the chief obstacles to making a successful transition to virtualization is the complexity associated with deployment. Windows Server 2012 helps IT circumvent this barrier by embedding virtualization into the operating system. Instead of the technology being an add-on layer, virtualization is built into the operating system from the bare metal up to support more automated management and allow for greater control over provisioning. Fact No. 2: Enhanced Scale and Density Microsoft Windows Server Hyper-V boasts significant scalability improvements that support higher processor counts and increased memory capacity. For example, the hypervisor technology increases the number of processors that can run on one virtual machine (VM) by a factor of 16. While enhanced scalability may be less crucial today for businesses that are just beginning their virtualization journeys, it ensures support for greater server density in the future. Fact No. 3: Simplified Virtual Machine Migrations Microsoft Windows Server 2012 makes it easier to migrate VMs around a variety of environments, including deploying VMs between and among clouds. For example, Dell

3 in Shared Nothing Live Migration, IT can move VMs from one host to another, even if they don t share storage or aren t part of the same cluster. To support operational continuity, IT can move a VM from local storage to a storage area network or from one disk or tape drive to another while keeping the VM running via Live Migration. Live Migration allows IT to migrate a VM from a private cloud to a public cloud, or vice versa. Fact No. 4: Better Deployment and Management for Virtual Desktop Environments Windows Server 2012 incorporates remote desktop support and application management capabilities to better administer virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments. This remote support toolkit automates the deployment and management of pooled virtual desktops through the use of templates. Windows Server 2012 also supports a better and more consistent end-user experience using User Profile Disk templates. The remote support capabilities also allow for a number of different storage configuration choices, such as local and Server Message Block storage. The operating system also includes RemoteApp, a tool that systems administrators can use to publish applications on session or a VDI host to be delivered to end users rather than a specific machine. This makes it possible to deploy a VDI application on a machine that is also running legacy applications locally. Fact No. 5: Simplified Application Development for the Cloud Windows Server 2012 works with all the major application development tools, including Visual Studio and.net, and open source technologies like REST, Java and PHP. This makes it easier for internal development teams to write and deploy new cloud applications. Fact No. 6: Accelerated Problem Resolution The operating system supports better application troubleshooting and more effective systems management across both development and production environments using unified DevOps and unified application lifecycle management with standardized frameworks. Windows Server 2012 works with Microsoft System Center and development environments such as Visual Studio. Fact No. 7: Common Identity Management in the Cloud Using Active Directory, Windows Server 2012 lets organizations leverage a single identity profile to access applications in both the cloud and on the customer s premises. Systems administrators can use tools incorporated in Windows PowerShell to deploy Active Directory in the cloud and more easily clone Active Directory VMs. Data Storage Protecting access to critical information is paramount, whether an organization is storing data in the cloud or in more conventional on-premises systems. The most effective way to safeguard this information is to ensure that only authorized users can tap into it. Of course, security isn t the only consideration when it comes to protecting critical information. CIOs also need to ensure that their data is stored in a stable environment that guarantees its integrity and availability. Today s rapid proliferation of data can make this particularly difficult. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 includes important capabilities to ensure a stable data environment Dell

4 Fact No. 8: Better Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Microsoft Windows Server 2012 includes a feature that is particularly appealing to smaller businesses that need a cost-effective way to back up data to a remote location. Hyper-V Replica, an integrated feature of Windows Hyper-V, provides a mechanism that systems administrators can configure through PowerShell so specific VMs can be replicated to an off-site location. Hyper-V Replica doesn t need any special hardware and can back up files across a standard broadband connection. Fact No. 9: More Efficient Storage Transfers The platform includes a feature to help optimize the use of intelligent storage arrays by making it possible to move data directly within or among compatible host devices without requiring the intervention of the host computer. The Windows Server 2012 Offloaded Data Transfer feature offloads the file transfer to a storage array to optimize array throughput, limit latency and cut CPU, network consumption and other resource usage by the host computer. Fact No. 10: An End to Corruption in Real Time In this latest-generation OS, Microsoft has improved its CHKDSK utility to find and automatically fix corrupt disks in real time. While systems administrators can still access the utility through the command-line interface, this manual intervention is no longer necessary. The utility will run in the background, identifying and repairing corrupt disks while the machine is online, rather than during the boot-up process. Fact No. 11: Greater Resiliency for Large Storage Volumes Windows Server 2012 includes a new file system that delivers a number of important benefits, including increased reliability and improved resiliency. Designed to manage large data volumes, the Resilient File System uses a file system structure that relies on 64-bit checksums at each layer to automatically detect and correct data corruption, even when the file is still in use. If there is an instance when the file system cannot repair the corrupted data, it removes the bad data without taking the rest of the volume offline. Fact No. 12: Support for 4K Sector Hard Drives As the industry moves from the 512-byte sector physical disk format to 4,096-byte sector hard drives, incompatibility with legacy applications and operating systems is a real concern. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 offers native support for the 4K sector hard drives, allowing organizations to use the format to meet increasing scale requirements. Networking Businesses are benefitting from exponential growth in storage capacity and processing power, both of which are essential to supporting today s more intensive demands on the IT infrastructure. However impressive advances in speeds and feeds are, the fastest server is useless if the connected network can t keep up with traffic demands. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 is designed to support the distinct requirements of a virtual environment. Fact No. 13: Integrated Network Virtualization Microsoft Windows Server 2012 comes with built-in network virtualization capabilities that allow systems administrators to segregate traffic flows from other workloads without the complexity associated with conventional virtual LANs. Essentially, the operating system Dell

5 makes it possible for systems administrators to assign the same, nonconflicting IP address range for two different tenants sharing the same host without commingling the traffic on the network. Fact No. 14: Load Balancing and Failover To ensure greater operational stability and reduce failures, the platform supports network interface card teaming, an approach that makes two or more physical NICs look like a single virtual device. This allows the server to aggregate the bandwidth of all of the NICs, protecting software from the failure of any individual NIC and allowing systems administrators to balance the load among the devices. This native support for NIC teaming along with Consistent Device Naming for NICs, which lets hardware vendors consistently identify NICs in the BIOS makes it easier for administrators to deploy, manage and optimize their Microsoft Windows Server 2012 environments. Fact No. 15: High Virtual Machine Throughput With compute-intensive application workloads such as database servers in mind, Microsoft attacked the throughput challenge with System Root I/O Virtualization. SR-IOV effectively lets VMs to I/O directly on the physical network adapter to achieve higher VM network throughput while limiting host processor overhead. In a Windows Server 2012 environment, SR-IOV can be used in tandem with functionality such as Live Migration to maximize utilization and performance. Systems Management Whether an environment is entirely virtualized or also includes physical servers, keeping the infrastructure running at an optimal level without sustaining exorbitant support costs requires highly effective systems management tools. Microsoft Windows Server 2012 integrates critical administrative capabilities to achieve a high level of performance while providing systems administrators with the functionality they need. The operating system also removes much of the manual component for common administrative tasks, freeing up IT managers to focus on more strategic and complex issues. Fact No. 16: Automated Task Management PowerShell 3.0 automates the management of most common tasks while allowing systems administrators to run PowerShell script using a remoting function on any server. Though a graphical user interface (GUI) can be set up, the default installation option is an item on the command-line interface to make it easier to manage. Microsoft Windows Server 2012, which includes 2,430 cmdlets to support different functions, lets systems administrators create workflows using PowerShell and Windows Workflow Foundation. The platform also derives enhanced functionality from tools like Active Directory Administrative Center, which offers a history window that can be useful in forensic analysis. Fact No. 17: Reinforced Security Through a Consolidated Interface Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Server Core Installation uses a command-line interface that can provide organizations with a way to lock down security. The interface increases OS security by removing the GUI components that provide a more expansive threat surface for server attacks Dell

6 Fact No. 18: Clearer Visibility Into Utilization and Performance The server operating system includes a new version of Task Manager that is optimized for a multiprocessor environment, giving systems administrators a better perspective on resource use and performance. For example, rather than the default view showing individual logical processors on the CPU tab, systems administrators can get a display for each node. The Task Manager also now includes an easier-to-grasp heat map that displays utilization percentages for each processor in machines with more than 64 logical processors. Fact No. 19: Automated IP Address Discovery and Management Microsoft Windows Server 2012 includes an IP Address Management (IPAM) framework that automatically discovers IP addresses and supplies ongoing monitoring, auditing and management capabilities. The IPAM framework removes the cost, complexity and inconsistency associated with using more manual tools and provides organizations with much-needed flexibility as they expand or downsize. IPAM can manage and track all domain controllers, DHCP servers and DNS servers in the selected domains. The framework can report data by IP address, client ID, host name or username. Fact No. 20: Flexibility to Shift Workloads Between and Among Cores One of the chief advantages of a virtual environment is the agility it affords organizations in shifting workloads based on capacity and other requirements. Microsoft extends this flexibility to its licensing structure, allowing a business to move workloads between and among cores without requiring a new Windows Server Client Access License (CAL) to access that instance. In other words, users and devices licensed with a CAL can tap into any physical or virtual instance running on any server. Server Dynamics All of the above features, combined with other capabilities, provide a stable, resilient and flexible platform for a new era in IT. Windows Server 2012 incorporates the right feature set and capabilities to help organizations optimize their IT environment to better serve increasingly dynamic business requirements. As vital as the server operating system is to supporting today s business needs, organizations still need the right hardware platform to deliver stability and optimal performance. Dell s PowerEdge 12 th generation servers incorporate all the performance and manageability features a business needs to get the maximum value from the Windows Server 2012 operating system, whether the organization is running virtual or physical servers or a mix of both. Such features include SR-IOV, Offloaded Data Transfer, logical processor idling and collaborative processor performance counters, to improve performance, better utilize resources and drive down operating costs. Running on the PowerEdge 12 th generation server hardware, Microsoft Windows Server 2012 supplies the foundation for the kind of flexible, efficient and high-performing computing environment organizations need to stay ahead of the competitive curve, now and in the future Dell