Microsoft Windows Server2012 R2 Datacenter
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About Windows Server 2012 R2:
Windows Server 2012 R2, released by Microsoft in October 2013, was part of the Windows Server 2012 family and was the successor to Windows Server 2012. This version introduced numerous improvements, mainly aimed at enhancing virtualization, storage, network management, and overall cloud integration. Here are the key details:
1. Editions and Licensing
- Essentials: Designed for small businesses with up to 25 users and 50 devices. It lacks some advanced features but is easy to set up and manage.
- Standard: Suited for small to medium-sized organizations and supports up to two virtual instances per license.
- Datacenter: Ideal for large-scale enterprises and datacenters, offering unlimited virtual instances per license.
2. Key Features
- Hyper-V Enhancements: Improved virtualization features, including support for generation 2 virtual machines, dynamic memory for Linux VMs, and live migration compression.
- Storage Spaces and Deduplication: Enhanced Storage Spaces allows for better disk pooling and failover clustering. Data deduplication was introduced to reduce storage requirements by removing duplicate files.
- ReFS (Resilient File System): Aimed at providing greater data integrity, this file system is optimized for storing large datasets and is especially useful for VHDs.
- Failover Clustering Improvements: Support for multi-site clustering and better handling of storage upgrades in clustered environments.
- Work Folders: Enabled file synchronization across devices for employees, even on BYOD devices, while maintaining compliance and security policies.
- Remote Desktop Services (RDS): Improved virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) support, including support for GPU virtualization and enhanced connection broker capabilities.
3. Network and Security Enhancements
- IP Address Management (IPAM): Provides an integrated tool to manage and monitor IP addresses within the organization, and integrates with DHCP and DNS servers.
- DirectAccess and VPN: Enhanced features for seamless remote access. DirectAccess allows remote users to connect automatically to the corporate network.
- Dynamic Access Control (DAC): This feature allows administrators to control access to files based on user attributes, making data protection more flexible.
- Web Application Proxy (WAP): Provides a reverse proxy for published web applications, offering security through ADFS integration and pre-authentication options.
4. Management and Automation
- Windows PowerShell 4.0: Enhanced scripting capabilities for automation, with over 3,000 new cmdlets, especially useful for large-scale deployments.
- Server Manager: The single interface for managing multiple servers, allowing administrators to create server groups, manage roles and features, and monitor resources.
- Desired State Configuration (DSC): Introduced with PowerShell 4.0, DSC enables administrators to define configurations and manage the consistency of their environments.
5. Cloud and Hybrid Capabilities
- Microsoft Azure Integration: Windows Server 2012 R2 offered greater compatibility with Azure, enabling hybrid cloud solutions, especially with Azure Site Recovery and backup solutions.
- Hybrid Networking: Enhanced support for VPN and IPsec to improve networking across on-premises and cloud resources.
- Identity and Access Integration with ADFS 3.0: ADFS provides claims-based authentication for web applications, allowing single sign-on (SSO) and integration with cloud-based identity providers.
6. User Interface and Experience
- Modernized UI: Similar to the Windows 8 interface, although not as touch-centric, the design introduced the Start screen and tile layout, with Server Core and Minimal Server Interface options available for lightweight deployments.
- Improved Task Manager: Features like app history, detailed performance tabs, and startup management improve system monitoring and resource allocation.
7. End of Life and Support
- Microsoft stopped mainstream support for Windows Server 2012 R2 in October 2018, and extended support concluded in October 2023. After this, organizations would need to upgrade to newer versions or migrate to cloud options.
8. Hardware Requirements
- Processor: 1.4 GHz (64-bit) minimum, with support for 2 GHz or faster processors.
- RAM: Minimum 512 MB, recommended 2 GB or more.
- Disk Space: 32 GB minimum.
- Other: Requires network interface card and a monitor with Super VGA resolution or higher.
Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios
Windows Server 2012 R2 became widely popular for virtualized environments, hybrid cloud deployments, and enterprises seeking to integrate with Microsoft Azure services. It is particularly valued for its virtualization capabilities, advanced storage solutions, and enhanced security features, all of which made it ideal for organizations of all sizes.
