Microsoft Windows Server Management

Using Microsoft PerfView to profile process performance data

Microsoft made its internal performance monitoring tool available to the public. Here's how it offers an advanced peek at application processes.Tip

Bringing Windows RDS to the web: Designing the DMZ

Remote Desktop Gateway secures Internet access for Remote Desktop Services applications – if you set it up properly.Tip

Remote Management in Windows Server 8

Windows Server 8 is set to improve on a solid remote management foundation, but there are changes, like the move to GUI-less deployments, to consider.Tip

Using the Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit

The Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit can help make Windows Server upgrades easier.Tip

Using Xperf stack walking to pinpoint kernel performance issues

The Xperf tool helps admins diagnose performance issues, but how do you granularly determine what function calls are eating up precious resources?Tip

Understanding the Windows Server 8 Cluster Aware Update Wizard

Cluster-Aware Updating won't end Patch Tuesday – but it will make administration of server clusters much easier.Tip

Hidden gems in Windows Server 2008 R2's Resource Monitor tool

You don't have to download a freeware tool to adequately monitor your system performance. Here's how to leverage the new features available to Windows Server admins.Tip

How DirectAccess can improve your organization’s security

There's more to this VPN alternative than meets the eye; deploying DirectAccess can be a positive step for any business with remote workers.Tip

Troubleshooting Windows Server 2008 R2 with MSinfo32

With the ability to gather important configuration data, the MSinfo32 System Information Tool can help pinpoint potential Windows Server 2008 R2 problems.Tip

Special Report: App delivery in a 24/7 world

Quiz: What do you know about Microsoft Hyper-V 3.0?

Test your virtualization knowledge by answering these questions about Microsoft's latest hypervisor offering.Quiz

How P2V tools can help you choose between Hyper-V and VMware

Hyper-V or VMware? The question's not going away, but migration planning products can help you give a more informed answer.Tip

How to run WSUS in a Hyper-V virtual machine

What do you need to consider when virtualizing WSUS? Our expert answers some common questions.Answer

How Moore's Law is clearing the way for Hyper-V 3.0

Like everything else, the limits of virtualization are expanding again. Are you prepared to take advantage?Tip

Hyper-V R2 SP1 changes the virtualization market

Microsoft’s Hyper-V R2 SP1 release has new features that make it more attractive, especially to new adopters of virtualization technology.Tip

How can I monitor Hyper-V virtual machine traffic?

The more information you want about Hyper-V traffic, the harder it will be to get. Our expert explains why things will get better in Windows Server 8.Answer

PowerShell v3 in Hyper-V 3.0: New fun for command-line junkies

Deep in the weeds of the impending Hyper-V 3.0 release is PowerShell v3, which offers new management features for command-line junkies.Tip

Cost considerations: When blade servers meet virtualization

When it comes to cost-effectiveness, do blade servers and virtualization combine to make CFOs happy?Tip

Determining what hardware is needed to support virtualization

Short- and long-term virtualization strategies are important to consider when choosing hardware for Windows Server 2008 R2.Tip

Top 10 Microsoft Hyper-V tools to consider

When it comes to improving Hyper-V performance, Microsoft and third parties provide many useful tools. Here are 10 to pay attention to.Photo Story

How to create custom driver databases with Windows Deployment Services

Plug and Play isn't just for USB devices. Here's how to put it to work in your installation environment.Tip

Windows Sysinternals

Windows Sysinternals is a Microsoft-owned repository for freeware utilities.Definition

mscorsvw.exe

Mscorsvw.exe is a process that is used to precompile Microsoft .NET framework assemblies in the background.Definition

Windows Server 8 data deduplication delivers efficient storage

Thought single-instance storage was as good as it gets? Server 8's native deduplication will increase efficiency, especially for virtual servers.Tip

Using the Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit

The Windows Application Compatibility Toolkit can help make Windows Server upgrades easier.Tip

Using Xperf stack walking to pinpoint kernel performance issues

The Xperf tool helps admins diagnose performance issues, but how do you granularly determine what function calls are eating up precious resources?Tip

Understanding the Windows Server 8 Cluster Aware Update Wizard

Cluster-Aware Updating won't end Patch Tuesday – but it will make administration of server clusters much easier.Tip

Optimizing application compatibility for Windows Server 8

With Windows Server 8 comes a whole host of new app compatibility considerations. Here's how to be prepared for when the server OS ships.Tip

Hidden gems in Windows Server 2008 R2's Resource Monitor tool

You don't have to download a freeware tool to adequately monitor your system performance. Here's how to leverage the new features available to Windows Server admins.Tip

Cluster-based Wizard in Windows Server 8 could ease patch management

Microsoft's upcoming Cluster Aware Update Wizard aims to ease the pain of patch management. But IT shops have questions about how it might fit with their internal patching procedures.News | 07 Oct 2011

Migrating a Linux file system to a Windows file system (or vice versa)

In-place file system conversions are not only difficult – they're also downright dangerous. If you need to migrate data, you've got other options.Tip

Six ways to improve identity and access management (IAM) for Windows

The evolution of the enterprise has put a huge emphasis on identity management. These steps will help you take control of IAM – before it takes control of you.Tip

Creating an energy-efficient server environment

Configuring servers to consume less power can yield significant savings. See how to make your servers more efficient with Core Parking, a new feature in Windows Server 2008 R2.Tip

Extending your toolset with Windows PowerShell

Sometimes the operating system has the information you want, but it doesn't group it in a way that answers your questions. Here you'll learn one example of how to use Windows PowerShell to read performance data and gather intelligence about the server.Scripting School

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a software protocol for enabling anyone to locate organizations, individuals, and other resources such as files and devices in a network, whether on the public Internet or on a corporate intranet.Definition

Writing simple scripts and functions in Windows PowerShell

In the last of our four-part series on working with Windows PowerShell, this screencast explains how to write simple commands and utilize functionality with Microsoft's scripting language.Screencast

On standalone Hyper-V, a fuzzy picture emerges

Microsoft's standalone virtualization server, now called Hyper-V, won't be ready until late 2008. It's already stirring up questions.Article | 14 Nov 2007

The admin's guide to server consolidation

This guide breaks down the basics of server consolidation, and provides the essential steps and strategies every admin needs to successfully reduce server sprawl.Windows Management Guide

Exploring the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit: Confdisk.exe

Another great tool from the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit is the Disk Configuration Utility, which you can use to recover failed disks in a cluster. Systems administrator Tim Fenner breaks down the basics of using Confdisk.exe.Tip

How to use app virtualization for server consolidation

Application virtualization presents a tremendous advantage during operating system migrations or server consolidation projects. It vastly reduces your system and application preparation time while ensuring that applications that are known to cause conflicts with each other will operate together on the same system.Tip

Understanding the Windows Server 8 Cluster Aware Update Wizard

Cluster-Aware Updating won't end Patch Tuesday – but it will make administration of server clusters much easier.Tip

Microsoft iSCSI Software Target for Windows Server 2008 R2

The Software Target sets up virtual hard disks as targets for remote servers. Learn more about how to use some of its management and system-protection functions.Tip

Validate determines root cause of server network issues

By using the Cluster Validation Wizard on Windows Server 2008, admins can help pinpoint issues with the network in failover clusters.Tip

Tips for building a Hyper-V high-availability cluster

Understanding how Microsoft’s failover clustering features work is just one of the keys to ensuring a reliable Hyper-V environment.Tip

Internet Information Services (IIS) sees big changes in Windows Server 2008

Microsoft didn't squander the opportunity to revamp IIS with Windows Server 2008. Check out which improvements promise major performance benefits for admins.Tip

Windows server cluster management

This short learning center provides links to cluster management resources covering the facts you need to know before implementing a server cluster, as well as details on the best Windows tools for administering them.Learning Center

Considerations in building GeoClusters for Windows Server 2008

Creating geographically dispersed server clusters over multiple sites in Windows 2008 is a challenge even for seasoned Windows admins. Find out how to set up GeoClusters using third-party support.Tip

Understanding quorum in Windows Server 2008 clustering

In Windows Server 2008, quorum of server clusters can be determined in several ways. Find out which model to base your cluster on during configuration.Tip

When (and when not) to use Windows server failover clustering

Failover clustering offers several benefits to those running Windows Server 2008, including simpler patching processes and increased business continuity. Still, IT pros should also be aware of the potential disadvantages of clusters before implementing them in their environments.Tip

Troubleshoot Windows server clusters with ClusDiag

Learn how Microsoft's Cluster Diagnostics Tool (ClusDiag) simplifies the way admins investigate and report on problems with server clusters in Windows environments.Tip

Microsoft patches 23 security vulnerabilities, three critical bulletins

Microsoft addressed 23 vulnerabilities as part of its May Patch Tuesday update, addressing flaws in Windows and Office.News | 08 May 2012

icacls

icacls is a command-line utility that can be used to modify NTFS file system permissions in Windows Server 2003 SP2, Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista and Windows 7.Definition

AccessChk

AccessChk is a free Sysinternals command-line utility that shows what access a user or group of users has to a particular service, file, folder or registry key.Definition

AccessEnum

AccessEnum is a free Sysinternals tool that offers administrators a view of the full file system and registry security settings to ensure that users have appropriate permissions to access files and directories.Definition

DirectAccess

DirectAccess is a feature introduced in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 that uses automated IPv6 and IPSec tunnels to allow remote users to access private network resources whenever they are connected to the Internet.Definition

Microsoft issues four critical fixes for April Patch Tuesday

April's Patch Tuesday announcement from Microsoft included four critical bulletins addressing flaws in Windows, Windows Server and Internet Explorer.News | 10 Apr 2012

Critical RDP patch the focus of Microsoft's Patch Tuesday

Patch Tuesday for March is the lightest for Microsoft this year, but one “critical” patch for Remote Desktop Protocol needs to be applied immediately.News | 13 Mar 2012

Microsoft issues 21 fixes in February Patch Tuesday bulletin

Microsoft sent admins a Valentine's bouquet of fixes for 21 vulnerabilities this month, with a focus on Windows Server 2008 R2 and desktop Windows.News | 14 Feb 2012

Microsoft delivers seven security fixes for Windows Server, Windows

Microsoft kicks off another year of bug squashing, delivering seven security bulletins to seal holes in Windows Server 2008 R2 and desktop versions of Windows.News | 10 Jan 2012

How Windows Server 8 can help with compliance

Microsoft's new server OS brings risk management improvements – but look deeper, and the picture gets a little cloudy.Tip

Provisioning for success with Hyper-V virtual machine deployments

With the ease in which new virtual machines can go up these days, VM sprawl can quickly get out of hand without the proper provisioning standards in place.Tip

Sysinternals Autoruns utility beefs up software debugging

Already popular among Windows admins, the Autoruns utility has been tweaked to further improve the process of troubleshooting software issues on slow or unresponsive systems.Tip

The philosophy of just-in-time server provisioning

By taking advantage of virtualization and other technologies, admins can learn to provision and deploy new servers quicker than ever.Tip

An introduction to dynamic storage provisioning for Windows

Administrators can and save money reduce wasted disk space by implementing dynamic server provisioning in their environments.Tip

Creating an energy-efficient server environment

Configuring servers to consume less power can yield significant savings. See how to make your servers more efficient with Core Parking, a new feature in Windows Server 2008 R2.Tip

Microsoft still playing catch up with Service Manager

Microsoft is closer to delivering System Center Service Manager, but after long delays, the company may have missed the boat.Article | 30 Nov 2009

Has PowerShell's time come for Windows admins?

While some have been reluctant to accept Windows PowerShell as a vital management tool, new releases prove that Microsoft's command-line shell technology is here to stay.Article | 24 Nov 2009

Top five Server Core management tips for Windows 2008

While there are several advantages to using the bare-bones Server Core Installation of Windows 2008, it can still be a challenge for some admins who are used to working with a GUI. Here you'll find some useful tricks to take the headaches out of Server Core administration.Tip

Does Microsoft Hyper-V fit in the dynamic data center?

Server virtualization has made the prospects of the dynamic data center a reality for organizations interested in minimizing costs. But does the first iteration of Hyper-V have what it takes to support it?Tip

Data Protection Manager 2007: Relief from branch office backup headaches

The ability to easily back up applications is just one of the key improvements Microsoft made to Data Protection Manager 2007. In this article, Microsoft MVP Gary Olsen breaks down the basics of DPM and offers some helpful backup tips for Windows admins.Tip