Amit Pawar - Infrastructure blog : Enterprise

High availability features of Windows Server 2008

apawar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 01:09:34 GMT

Technorati Tags: High Availability,Winodws Server 2008,Clustering

Customer that I talk to want to know how they can providing high availability to mission-critical applications, services, and data. When services are down or fail, business continuity is interrupted, which can result in significant losses.

Windows Server 2008 supports two key high-availability features to help organizations meet their uptime requirements for their critical systems: Failover Clustering and Network Load Balancing (NLB). Failover Clustering and NLB in Windows Server 2008 have been improved to offer simplified management and more robust functionality. In addition, Windows Server Backup provides a basic backup and recovery solution in case of hardware failures.

Failover Clustering

Failover clustering can help you build redundancy into your network and eliminate single points of failure. The improvements to failover clusters (formerly known as server clusters) in Windows Server 2008 are aimed at simplifying clusters, making them more secure, and enhancing cluster stability.

Cluster Validation Tool

By using the new Cluster Validation Tool, you can perform tests to determine whether your system, storage, and network configuration is suitable for a cluster. The Cluster Validation Tool verifies that the nodes meet all of the operating system requirements, that the networks are configured correctly, that there are at least two separate networks on each node for redundancy, and that the storage subsystem supports the necessary Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) commands to handle cluster actions.
Setup Improvements

Once validated by the Cluster Validation Tool, the installation has been streamlined so that administrators can set up a cluster in one step. The cluster installation is completely scriptable, enabling administrators to automate cluster deployments.
Migration Improvements

When migrating a clustered service from one cluster to another, cluster settings can be captured and copied to another cluster. This reduces the time it takes to build the new cluster and configure the services.
Cluster Management and Operations Improvements

The cluster management interface has been optimized to make managing the cluster easier and more intuitive. Cluster management can be performed from the command line as well as the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) management console. Managing clustered shared folders is now easier to do because it can create customized views to quickly see which shared folders are clustered and which cluster a shared folder is available on.
Backup and Restore Improvements

Full integration with the Volume Shadow Copy Service makes it easier to back up and restore cluster configurations.
Cluster Infrastructure Improvements

The cluster quorum contains the configuration settings for the entire cluster. With Windows Server 2008, you can configure a cluster so that the quorum resource is not a single point of failure by using the majority node set or a hybrid of the majority node set and the quorum resource model. The cluster service can also isolate DLLs that perform actions incorrectly to minimize impact to the cluster, as well as verify consistency among copies of the quorum resource.
Storage Improvements

Administrators have better control and can achieve better performance with storage than was possible in previous releases. Failover clusters now support GUID partition table (GPT) disks that can have capacities of larger than 2 terabytes, for increased disk size and robustness. Administrators can now modify resource dependencies while resources are online, which means they can make an additional disk available without interrupting access to the application that will use it. And administrators can run tools in Maintenance Mode to check, fix, back up, or restore disks more easily and with less disruption to the cluster.
Network Improvements

Networking has been enhanced to support Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) as well as Domain Name System (DNS) for name resolution, removing the requirement to have WINS and NetBIOS name broadcasts. Other network improvements include managing dependencies between network names and IP addresses: If either of the IP addresses associated with a network name is available, the network name will remain available.
Security Improvements

Internet Protocol security (IPsec) can be used between clients and the cluster nodes, as well as between nodes so that you can authenticate and encrypt the data. Access to the cluster can also be audited to determine who connected to the cluster and when.

Network Load Balancing

Network Load Balancing (NLB) allows you to distribute TCP/IP requests to multiple systems in order to optimize resource utilization, decrease computing time, and ensure system availability. NLB has been improved in Windows Server 2008, including:

Next Generation TCP/IP

The TCP/IP protocol suite has been completely redesigned for Windows Server 2008. Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) are both supported natively by Windows Server 2008. NLB extends full support to IPv6 for all communication while maintaining IPv4 support.
Multiple IP Address Support

Each node in your NLB cluster can now have multiple dedicated IP addresses.
Microsoft ISA Server Integration

Microsoft ISA Server can support your mixed IPv4 and IPv6 infrastructure by allowing multiple IP addresses for each NLB node where IPv4 and IPv6 clients are used. ISA Server can also provide intrusion detection services to protect your NLB cluster.

Resources for Network Access Protection

apawar — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:47:33 GMT

I have been talking to customer regards the value of Window Server 2008 for over a year now. One of the most discussed topics is security and the advancements that Windows Server 2008 brings to an IT infrastructure. Within the security discussion Network Access Protection is a big topic and I thought I would be good to describe NAP and then link to a one page master list of resources for NAP at www.microsoft.com.

Network Access Protection (NAP) is a policy enforcement platform built into Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 that allows you to better protect your private network by enforcing compliance with computer health requirements—for example, having a firewall installed and enabled and having the latest operating system updates installed. Use the resources in this learning path to better understand how NAP can improve the overall health compliance of your network. The tools provided will also help you set up NAP so you can create customized policies and limit access for unhealthy devices.

For the list of resources related to NAP go to http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/learning/networkcompliance.mspx

Technorati Tags: Windows Server 2008,NAP,Security,Network Access Protection

DPM explained

apawar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:21:37 GMT

So in my earlier post today I talked about System Center Data Protection Manager also known as SCDPM 2007. The flash animation below explains

how DPM can be used in a Dynamic Datacenter to backup Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1. When Microsoft releases Hyper-V later this year DPM 2007 will also be able to backup Hyper-V based Virtual Machines. One backup tool to rule the physical and the virtual world.

http://www.microsoft.com/systemcenter/dpm/flash/virtualization/index.html

Technorati Tags: Data Protection,Virtualization,Backup,Hyper-V,System Center

System Center Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 Guides now available

apawar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 14:16:45 GMT

Getting Started

Technorati Tags: Data Protection,DPM,System Center

The Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 Getting Started Guide provides quick access to tasks required to protect and recover your data, and includes a Quick Start Guide that provides scaled down instructions for installing and configuring DPM 2007. Get this guide and some other important implementation guides below.

Get it @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=293d933f-a54d-4bad-bbfd-7b424e1a2b73&DisplayLang=en.

Planning

This document explains the features of DPM 2007 and how DPM works. It also provides the information that you need to plan a DPM deployment, including protection group and DPM server configuration.

Get it @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=50b54355-d497-4e8b-89bc-5c52cf0fb76a&DisplayLang=en.

Deployment

Deploying DPM 2007 provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring DPM 2007, and includes an introduction to the DPM user interface. Deploying DPM 2007 also provides information on troubleshooting your DPM installation and how to repair and uninstall DPM 2007.

Get it @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=2812640f-a4a7-4ff8-b4c9-0d73b828328d&DisplayLang=en.

Troubleshooting

Provides troubleshooting guidance for DPM 2007 issues such as performance, tape library management, and data recovery.

Get it @ http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1e2e2439-5ecc-422f-8965-238b7efca736&DisplayLang=en.

Microsoft Application Support for Windows Server 2008

apawar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:48:58 GMT

At the time of writing this blog entry here is a list of Microsoft applications

Technorati Tags: Windows,Server,2008,Application,Support

that work on Windows Server 2008 and indicative timeline for when new application will be supported on Windows Server 2008

Released

.Net Framework 2.0
.Net Framework 3.0 sp1
.Net Framework 3.5
Dynamics CRM 4.0
Exchange Server 2007 SP1
Forefront Security Server 1.0
Forefront Server Security 10.1
Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 SP1
SQL Sever 2005 SP2
System Center Data Protection Manager 2007
System Center Operations Manager 2007
Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 SP1
Visual Studio 2008

1st Half of 2008

Dynamics AX 2009
System Center Configuration Manager 2007 SP1
System Center Essentials SP1
System Center Operations Manager 2007 SP1

2nd Half of 2008

Application Virtualiazation 4.5
Commerce Server 2007 SP2
Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 SP1
Host Integration Server 2006 SP1
SQL Server 2008
System Center Virtual Machine Manager ("vNext")
Windows Business Essentials Server
Windows Small Business Server 2008
Windows High Performance Computing Server 2008
Windows Storage Server 2008

Not Supported

ISA Server 2004
ISA Server 2006
SMS 2003
System Center Reporting Manager

Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008

apawar — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:35:58 GMT

Technorati Tags: Automated,Install,Kit,AIK,WAIK,Vista,SP1,Windows,Server,2008

Now that Windows Server 2008 and Vista SP1 have Released to Manufacture. Microsoft has also released the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) which helps corporate IT professionals customize and deploy the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 family of operation systems.

By using Windows AIK, you can perform unattended Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, and create Windows PE images. This update is provided to you and licensed under the Windows Vista License Terms.

To download the Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 go to http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=94bb6e34-d890-4932-81a5-5b50c657de08&DisplayLang=en

Upgrade paths available for Windows Server 2008

apawar — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:27:21 GMT

Technorati Tags: Windows,Server,2003,2008,R2,Upgrade,Server Core

If you are currently running:	You can upgrade to:
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition (R2, Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2)	Full Installation of Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition Full Installation of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition
Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition (R2, Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2)	Full Installation of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition
Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition (R2, Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2)	Full Installation of Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition

There are a couple of important things to remember here.

With the exception of Windows Server 2008 for Itanium, the table above applies to both x86 and x64 versions. However, cross-platform upgrades (x86 to x64 or vice-versa) are not supported.
It is also not possible to upgrade from a previous version of Windows to Windows Server 2008 Server Core Edition.