Wintel Interview Questions & Answers: Top differences between Server 2008, 2008r2 and 2012

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Top differences between Server 2008, 2008r2 and 2012

So, since the release of Server 2003 R2, what new features have been added to Server 2008, then 2008 R2 and what can we look forward to in Server 2012?

I was asked this question recently (difference between 2003 and 2008) and my brain froze. The answers came flooding in after the event, but then I realised I didn’t know ALL the differences and neither was there one place where you could find all this information. So here it is, I’ll be updating content over the coming weeks to refine this table, so would welcome any suggestions for change. Of course, Server 2012 isn’t released yet so that section will definitely change.

2008	2008R2	Server 2012 (beta)
CPU Support - 64 Logical Cores Hyper-V 1.0 : Each VM can have up to 4 cores Quick Migration Read Only Domain Controller (RODC)– a read only DC for use at insecure locations or Branch offices without secure server rooms. Or use it anyway for fun! Server Core - significantly scaled-back installation where no Windows Explorer shell is installed. CLI controlled. Windows Deployment Services (WDS) - what NTFS Self Healing – NTFS worker thread spawned in background performs fixing of damaged data structures Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM) - provides resource management and can be used to control the amount of resources a process or a user can use based on business priorities Cleaner Shutdown Process – process are cleanly closed rather than abruptly. Role Based Architecture – pick and choose what your server does, tells you dependencies automatically Network Access Protections (NAP) - Windows Internal Database (WID) – variant of SQLEE 2005, used by services such as ADFS, IIS instead of full blown SQL PowerShell 1.0 Integration – it’s there, it works. IIS 7 – the latest version for the 2008 release, lots of changes since IIS 6. Bitlocker - Quota - now includes folders, not just drives Full base Installation - includes all binaries for role based requiements, no fumbling for that DVD! Enhanced RDS - Address Space Load Randomization - RemoteApp - AD updates: Restartable ADDS - no need to reboot DCs! Granular Password Policy – apply different password policy within same domain. Recycle Bin – recover objects deleted from AD, not just the tombstoned stuff AD LDS, ADFS, ADCS, ADRMS – all these are either new or improved (and renamed e.g. AD LDS was known as ADAM!) Clusterings: Terminal Server : Remote App TS Web Access TS Gateway Easy Print Session Broker Multiple Monitor Support Better RDP security RDP QoS Higher monitor resolution and colour depth NAP integration Device redirection	CPU Support - 256 Logical Cores (cloud computing anyone?!) Hyper-V R2: Each VM can have up to 32 Cores Live Migration Inserts 1^st SCSI Controller into new VM to ensure storage can be added or removed while VM is running Improvements in performance for Dynamic Disks Default Isolation between Parent/Child partitions using external switch Cluster Shared Volumes - TS is now RDS – Remote Desktop Services Desktop VDI – now virtualize client side devices IP Stickiness - PowerShell 2.0: PowerShell remoting Constrained Runspaces GUI Server Core support IIS 7.5 : Improvements over IIS 7 Admon Pack Extension (DB Mgr, Config Editor, IIS Reports, Request Filtering) Web Deployment Tool (formerly MS Deploy) .NET support for ServerCore WebDav integration URLScan 3.0 AD: ADAC (AD Admin Centre) Recycle Bin (requires 2008 R2 FL) Offline Domain Join - target computer can be offline during the deployment process Managed Service Accounts (requires 2008 R2 FL) - If the password of an account that is used as identity for services is changed by an admin, the managed service account feature will update all services automatically Authentication Assurance (requires 2008 R2 FL) - provides an authentication mechanism that allows administrators to map specific certificates to security groups using certificate policies. Users logged on with a smart card, USB token, or some other type of certificate logon method can be distinguished in this way. This feature can be used to grant external users access to corporate resources using Active Directory Federated Services Storage Improvments Clustering: Cluster Shared Volumes – IP: DHCP/WINS Failover- supports the DHCP Failover Protocol (IETF); Allows you to work with a primary and a secondary DHCP server. If the primary DHCP server fails, the secondary will take over DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) - DNS servers and DNS clients can verify the authenticity of a DNS record using public key cryptography. This method can prevent the interception of DNS queries. Power: Core parking ACPI ‘P’ states Boot from SAN - Windows Server 2008 R2 supports the ability to boot-up from a SAN (Storage Area Network). Thus, the server doesn’t require a local hard disk, which reduces the overall number of disks in the data center, thereby lowering power consumption. SANs require less power than local hard disks with the same storage capacity. Management Tools: Server Mgr – with remote admin ADAC and IIS have task driven interface (based on cmdlets) Hyper-V - updated VM performance and tighter integration with VMM Best Practices Analyser (BPA) - Each server role has a BPA to help administrators configure it properly Terminal Server (RDS) : RD Gateway improvements RD Web Access RD Connection Broker RD Licensing RemoteApp Remote Desktop Virtualisation RDS Provider for PowerShell Better integration with Windows 7 Remote Desktop Connection 7.0 and RDP 7.0 Remote Desktop IP Virtualisation Windows Installer compatibility Fair Share CPU Scheduling Group Policy to manage roaming profile cache Easier management of client experience True multiple monitor support Video & Audio improvements	NIC Teaming – built in at last! up to 32 NICs out of the box can be teamed together. Load Balancing - again out of the box! Hyper-V 2012: VM can have 32 cores, 1TB RAM, can support 4000 VMs on a cluster Resource Meters – for showback (internal charging) or chargeback (external charging) Better QoS - Live Migration - DC Cloning – create replicas of DCs by cloning an existing one. Cmdlet to check running services that cannot be cloned. Virtual network switch – new! Handles traffic between VMs and external network, extensible too by 3^rd parties. Look forward to some! Hyper-V Replica - replicates virtual machines to an off-site location and provides failover to the off-site replica if a failure at the primary site occurs Storage - can also utilize SMB file shares for virtual storage VDI – Pooled Desktops, Personal Desktops, and RDS (old TS). RemoteFX for WAN DirectAccess – no longer requires Pv6, CS BranchCache – caches recently accessed data, improves access to file server/intranet pages. Integrates with file server storage technology. IIS 8.0: ASP.NET 4.5 – on premise or cloud dev or hybrid! HTML 5 & WebSockets – AD: AD Recycle Bin – via GUI in ADAC AD RMS - updated for Windows Server "8", works with Dynamic Access Control as another component of the overall information protection solution. Recognizing that a document's location may change frequently—it can be on a file server, a USB flash drive, a corporate laptop, a home computer—it is essential to ensure that the data itself is protected wherever it is stored at any given time. AD RMS tackles this problem by securing the document itself—encrypting its contents and applying policy to it so that access to the file is controlled and managed by Active Directory New ‘DCPROMO’ - a new streamlined domain controller promotion wizard that is integrated with Server Manager and built on Windows PowerShell ADAC – improvements to allow performance of tasks that generates automated PowerShell PowerShell: Intellisense – More tools and cmdlets Clustering: Cluster Aware updating – update/patch nodes without having to take them offline. Claim Definitions – Flexible Deployment – switch between Server Core, full GUI and back again! No need for OS reinstall Storage: Use Remote SMB 2.3 File Shares – Server 8 does not use LUNs. Shared Storage across SMB 2.3 makes It easier to privision & manage shared storage Dynamic Access Control - new in Windows Server "8", provides a holistic data classification and protection system. By applying "tags," either manually or automatically, you can classify information on file servers based on its content Cheaper Storage – use cheap storage to provision storage pools & spaces that can be mirrored or striped Data de-duplication – Thin Provision & Trim – supported natively ReFS –automated corruption scanning and repair Cloud: Windows Azure Service Bus – Windows Azure Connect – VM portability between on-premise & Cloud – via System Center 2012 Terminal Server :