Tips

Tips

Windows Server deployment

• How to build a Packer image for Azure

  Packer is an open source tool that automates the Windows Server image building process to give administrators a consistent approach to create new VMs.  Continue Reading

• Server Core management remains a challenge for some

  Server Core, the minimal Windows Server deployment, removes some admins from their GUI comfort zone, but its benefits reduce some chores associated with the full server OS.  Continue Reading

• Configure Windows Storage Spaces to serve up hot data fast

  To avoid the high cost of a software-defined SAN, IT shops can turn on the tiered storage virtualization feature in newer versions of Windows Server.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft tweaks Windows PowerShell DSC in Windows Server 2016

  Microsoft refined PowerShell Desired State Configuration in Windows Server 2016 to make server configurations less of a chore for administrators and developers.  Continue Reading

• Avoid downtime with rolling upgrades in Windows Server 2016

  Microsoft attempts to make switching to a new operating system less painful and reduce downtime by implementing a rolling upgrade feature in Windows Server 2016.  Continue Reading

• Will less be more with Microsoft Nano Server?

  The initial roles touted by Microsoft are narrow and can be performed on a VM, so why should a business care about Nano Server?  Continue Reading

• Microsoft eases Windows failover cluster upgrade process

  Microsoft has tried to quell concerns administrators may have when upgrading failover clusters to Windows Server 2016 by smoothing out difficulties in the process.  Continue Reading

• Devil's in the details for a Windows Nano Server install

  Nano Server is a lightweight installation option for Windows Server 2016, but deploying it isn't easy. Here's what you need -- and what to look out for.  Continue Reading

• Examine the top Windows 10 deployment tools

  With the general release of Windows 10 drawing near, admins can choose from a bevy of tools to help install the new OS.  Continue Reading

• How Windows Server 2012 can solve Windows failover cluster headaches

  In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft tried to smooth out some major Active Directory bumps in failover clusters. Did it fix what's bothering you?  Continue Reading

• How to set up scale-out file servers in Windows Server 2012

  In Windows Server 2012, failover clustering is configured to work with scale-out file servers for continuous availability. Here's how it works.  Continue Reading

• Microsoft brings clustering improvements to Windows Server 2012

  In Windows Server 2012, changes to clustering means simpler patching and expanded support for read-only domain controllers.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading

• 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.  Continue Reading