Windows Server operating systems

Windows administrators focus on the deployment and maintenance of Microsoft's Windows Server operating systems, whether they use the latest version or legacy Windows Server products. These free expert articles help administrators understand new features -- such as Nano Server in Windows Server 2016 -- and how to produce sound management policies.

January 16, 2020 16 Jan'20
Battle lines over Windows Server 2008 migration drawn

Microsoft and AWS stepped up their ongoing battle promoting a variety of Windows Server 2008 migration tools in hopes of luring users over to their respective ecosystems.
November 27, 2019 27 Nov'19
Microsoft's history and future strategy beyond 2020

Microsoft's history over the past 20 years is marked by the pivot from closed software models to support for open source and cloud. Quantum computing will shape the next decades.
November 13, 2019 13 Nov'19
Microsoft Ignite 2019 conference coverage

Expect Microsoft to continue its cloud push at its annual conference for IT pros to get more organizations moving to Azure and its Office 365 collaboration platform.
September 26, 2018 26 Sep'18
Windows Admin Center unlocks Server 2019 features

Not just for troubleshooting, Windows Admin Center helps admins unlock the full potential of the latest Windows Server offering.

Bring yourself up to speed with our introductory content

Use command-line options to edit registries with regedit.exe

Did you know this venerable Windows GUI tool has several switches for basic registry editing tasks? See what tweaks Microsoft inserted in regedit for administrative use. Continue Reading
Build a Windows Server 2019 file server cluster for stability

Learn how to use the clustering tools provided by the Microsoft server OS to create a highly available file server to avoid downtime if disaster strikes. Continue Reading
Learn how to start using Docker on Windows Server 2019

Getting started with Windows containers requires an understanding of basic concepts and how to work with Docker Engine. Orin Thomas' book covers the topics admins need to know. Continue Reading

Weigh the pros and cons of technologies, products and projects you are considering.

Why Linux containers on Windows is a big deal

Microsoft introduced support for Docker Linux containers in its latest versions of the Windows client and server operating systems, so why should it matter to you? Continue Reading
VMs vs. containers: What Windows admins need to know

VMs have high resource overhead, but they're dependable. Containers can scale dramatically, but they require a different mode of management. Which is right for your workloads? Continue Reading
Use a Windows Server 2019 domain controller or go to Azure?

Administrators must dig into the details to see if a swap from on-premises Active Directory to the Azure equivalent makes sense for their organization. Continue Reading

Learn to apply best practices and optimize your operations.

Windows Server System Insights steers admins from trouble

The predictive analytics feature in Windows Server 2019 gives administrators a heads-up to potential problems to avoid the scrambling when help desk tickets start to pile up. Continue Reading
Windows Server 2008 end of life means it's time to move

Your organization has a few options to migrate from unsupported Windows Server 2008/2008 R2 systems to avoid becoming another cyberattack statistic. Continue Reading
How to manage Server Core with PowerShell

New PowerShell users will need to overcome a learning curve to work with Server Core, but the tool has some built-in aids to help you progress. Continue Reading

We’ve gathered up expert advice and tips from professionals like you so that the answers you need are always available.

Optimize Windows Server 2019 with file server best practices

A file server deployment must satisfy the needs of both the end user and the IT staff. Tune up Windows Server for a secure and performant repository for your critical data. Continue Reading
Boost Windows Server performance with these 10 tips

A small investment in time to execute these Windows Server performance tuning tips and techniques can optimize server workloads for more satisfactory results. Continue Reading
Build a Hyper-V home lab in Windows Server 2019

Production servers aren't the place to experiment with Microsoft's Hyper-V technology. This guide helps you build a lab tailored for a nested virtualization environment. Continue Reading