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Download Redmond Magazine, February 2008

PDF format, 7.5MB, 68Pages.

Redmond: Take a Close Look at Windows Server 2008
Will Microsoft's new server OS be your next-gen platform? Also in this issue: laying the groundwork for SQL Server 2008, the enterprise search arena heats up, Diskeeper 2008 Pro Premier keeps your disk drives healthy, and much more.

Features
Cover Story:
Windows Server 2008: Taking a Closer Look
Virtualization and configurability in Microsoft's new server OS present enterprise IT shops with both challenges and opportunities.
by Peter Varhol

Laying the Groundwork for Microsoft SQL Server 2008
Redmond's new database server is a complex product often running mission-critical apps. You can't afford to not get it right.
by Josh Jones

Searching for an Answer in the Enterprise
As the clamor from IT shops for better internal search grows louder, competition among vendors both large and small gets hotter.
by Paul Korzeniowski

Reader Review:
Windows Server 2008: So Far, So Good
Enhanced administration, security, IIS updates and virtualization promise to make moving to Microsoft's new server OS worthwhile.
by Joanne Cummings

Redmond Roundup:
Build an IT Structure for Compliance
Any of these solutions can help ensure that you're following organizational policies or regulatory requirements.
by Peter Varhol

View Redmond Magazine, February 2008 Online

Windows Server 2008: Taking a Closer Look
Virtualization and configurability in Microsoft's new server OS present enterprise IT shops with both challenges and opportunities.

February 2008 • by Peter Varhol

When you install and configure a server operating system, you hope you'll never have to do it again. It's inordinately complex and time-consuming. Each server is a unique creation, and each configuration meticulously adapted to a particular use.

Any installed drivers, applications and other software components reflect that specialized use. Even individual applications may have a unique set of patches. It's difficult, if not impossible, to identify each unique configuration and determine how to replicate it on a new OS.

So why should you bother with Windows Server 2008? You'll still have to replicate your server environment on each server as you replace your old OS. It should take less time, though, with Windows Server 2008. And when you're done, you'll have a more secure, more manageable and better performing box, both physically and virtually.

In reality, swapping out your Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 Servers for Windows Server 2008 is only going to be slightly less painful than in the past. The resulting value is real, but in many cases probably not a game-changer. You'll have to weigh the costs in both dollars and time against the benefits to your organization.

Don't be surprised if the cost/benefit analysis tells you to start planning for a migration today. In many cases, it will take a year or more to plan and execute, and the return on the initial investment may not come until years later-but you'll sleep better at night. The question is easier if you've reached the end-of-life on Windows NT 4. If so, it's high time to upgrade.  ...

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