Enterprise Server Strategies for the CIOOn the surface, 2011 was a "bridge year" of sorts for Windows admins – Windows Server 2008 R2 reached maturity (if not majority adoption), and Windows Server 8, partly unveiled in September, won't be available until sometime in 2012. There was still plenty of information to explore, though; the year's top tips cover everything from performance monitoring tools to Active Directory troubleshooting to PowerShell administration. Read on to relive the year, one tip (and Tweet) at a time.
January: Top
three Windows Server crashes – and how to avoid them
Server crashes have a lot in common with car crashes. They both involve drivers, can slow
traffic considerably, and they both can be avoided with a little extra care. Bruce Mackenzie-Low
uses his experience with close to 1,000 crashes over the last decade to show you how to stay
safe.
Top 3 #Windows server crashes: http://ow.ly/3CCn4 ... all boils down to drivers.
— sikosis (@sikosis) January 13, 2011
February: What admins need to know about Windows Azure services
Even back in February, Microsoft was "all in" with cloud computing. While developers may know exactly what that means for them, the issue's been a little murkier for administrators. Here, Jonathan Hassell takes a big-picture view of the platform and offers advice on how it will change things (if at all).
March: Microsoft
Xperf tutorial: New ways to monitor Windows performance
Who says you need third-party tools to take control of your Windows servers? Not Bruce
Mackenzie-Low, who walks readers through Microsoft's powerful monitoring utility.
April: Always-on
VPN extends remote management for IT admins
There are plenty of use cases for remote access to internal networks and resources – but not
everyone is sold on the approach. Greg Shields explores the
pros and cons of always-on VPN, offering options for both small businesses and large
enterprises.
May: Top
ten free Windows tools admins have never heard of
Uh oh, Q2 isn't even over and you're already realizing your annual budget isn't going to cut
it. No worries – this list of top free tools is here to ease the stress, at least for a month or
two.
Top ten free Windows tools admins have never heard of http://bit.ly/kUoMv3
— §H!√A (@CyberSecurlTy) June1, 2011
June: How
to size an Active Directory domain controller in Windows
Size matters – at least when it comes to DCs. But how big (or small) should you go? Gary Olsen has a system for
determining the proper amount of processors, memory and disk space you'll need.
How to size an Active Directory domain controller in Windows... http://fb.me/N9qNjZPi
— Lionel Spearman II (@lspearmanii) June3, 2011
July: Scoping
out the subtle differences between Hyper-V and VMware
Will there ever be a clear winner in the ongoing battle of the hypervisors? The debate got even
more heated in 2011 thanks to advancements in Hyper-V and VMware's licensing snafus. Eric
Beehler attempts to provide some answers for those shops still deliberating.
August: Not
as crazy as it sounds: How to run Windows Server 2008 on a notebook
As it turns out, Windows admins are an experimental bunch. In this tip, self-confessed "tinkerer"
Serdar
Yegulalp explores the reasons why it might make sense to take advantage of end-user hardware
for server deployments.
Not as crazy as it sounds: How to run Windows Server 2008 on a notebook bit.ly/qKa0lc
— Mark Nielsen (@manielse) September1, 2011
September: Four Server
Core myths: Busted!
Scared of Server Core, Microsoft's GUI-less installation option for Windows Server 2008? Don Jones
explains why you might have the wrong idea – and why now could be the time to take the plunge.
October: How
(and why) Microsoft is killing the GUI on Windows Server
If you didn't take the hint last month, Don's back to remind you that the future is now. In Windows
Server 8, it's all about command-line administration through PowerShell , so here's how to
prepare.
How (and why) Microsoft is killing the GUI on Windows Server bit.ly/qHfscH
— Bill Bailey (@bbnetman) October 20, 2011
November: What
to do when DNS records disappear
Even though Halloween has passed, it doesn't mean scary things can't happen. In this tip, Gary
Olsen describes how to find and fix those lost zones in Active Directory.
December: Using
and managing BYOD in a Windows Server 2008 environment
"Bring your own device" is something enterprises are learning to live with, but there are still
some concerns when it comes to security. Bill Kleyman takes us through
tips to manage it all through Windows Server 2008 R2. Also be sure to read part
one of his series on BYOD.
This was first published in December 2011
Join the conversationComment
Share
Comments
Results
Contribute to the conversation