Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

Windows systems and network management

• What are the Azure Stack HCI hardware and support costs?

  Organizations can cap their hyper-converged infrastructure costs when they deploy the Azure Stack HCI platform, but once they plug into the cloud, it's a different story.  Continue Reading

• What are the Azure Stack HCI deployment, management options?

  While the Windows Admin Center is one way to manage the Azure Stack HCI platform, you can also use traditional, battle-tested tools.  Continue Reading

• Do you know the difference in the Microsoft HCI programs?

  Hyper-converged infrastructure that runs on Windows Server is not a new concept, but Microsoft's Azure Stack HCI program has one big difference from earlier HCI incarnations.  Continue Reading

• What are the Azure Stack HCI features?

  An Azure Stack HCI system relies on Windows Server 2019 to deliver the software-defined compute, storage and networking technologies that integrate with the OEM hardware.  Continue Reading

• How should you handle Exchange Server updates?

  Microsoft changed its release model after Exchange 2010, which has caused some confusion for administrators who work on newer versions of the messaging platform.  Continue Reading

• What service does the Microsoft WSSD program provide?

  A do-it-yourself approach with hyper-converged infrastructure can lead to trouble when software-defined features just won't work. See how the WSSD program can prevent issues.  Continue Reading

• What are some potential Windows Server cluster set snags?

  Windows Server 2019 cluster sets bring some Azure-like capabilities into the data center, but new features also bring new challenges for administrators.  Continue Reading

• What are some Microsoft SDDC integration challenges?

  Microsoft added a number of new software-defined features in Windows Server 2019, but deploying a fully virtualized data center remains a challenge for several reasons.  Continue Reading

• How is the Microsoft SDDC concept becoming a reality?

  The promise of a software-defined infrastructure and its ability to pool resources require the right administrative tool to keep the virtualized fabric from fraying.  Continue Reading

• How do you build Windows Server 2019 cluster sets?

  Microsoft debuted cluster sets in its Windows Server 2019 release. Here's a rundown on how to deploy this high availability feature in your organization.  Continue Reading

• What Windows Server 2019 SDN features should I know about?

  Administrators in highly virtualized environments can tap into enhanced Windows Server 2019 SDN functionality to run Hyper-V VMs more efficiently.  Continue Reading

• What features make up Windows Server 2019 cluster sets?

  Windows Server 2019 takes clustering to a new level with the cluster sets feature that wraps another layer of high availability around critical VMs.  Continue Reading

• What advantages do Windows Server cluster sets offer?

  Administrators don't need to stress about workload uptime with a new Windows Server 2019 clustering feature, which makes sharing resources and moving VMs easier.  Continue Reading

• What are some common Windows Server 2019 SDN errors?

  The complexity of setting up and managing Microsoft SDN can increase the risk of administrators facing common networking errors that are difficult to troubleshoot.  Continue Reading

• What key SDN features are in Windows Server 2019?

  Microsoft SDN capabilities got a boost in Windows Server 2019 to wrap more security around VMs and make networking tasks less painful to execute.  Continue Reading