Windows Server 2008 R2 delta changes : File and Print Services Changes, Internet Information Server Changes, Hyper-V Changes

File and Print Services Changes

Windows Server 2008 R2 introduces some new features and enhancements for file and print services. These new features provide better security, stability, and end-user experience. In this section, we will explore some of these new features and how you might use them on your network.

Read-only DFSR Replicas

Windows Server 2008 R2 allows administrators to set DFS Replication (DFSR)-based replicated folders to read-only. Using this feature, you can set up a central share with read-write access and provide read-only replicas to remote servers. This can allow administrators to easily publish files to various geographic locations, but ensure that remote users are only viewing files and cannot make updates to the remote copies.

File Classification Infrastructure

File classification is a new feature included in Windows Server 2008 R2. File Classification Infrastructure (FCI) allows administrators to classify files based upon folder or file type. Using these classification capabilities, administrators can then run reports or set retention policies on the file classes. Additionally, Windows Server 2008 R2 can automatically move files to an archive location after their retention periods have expired. This feature is added by installing the Windows Server 2008 R2 role service. 

Print driver isolation

Windows Server 2008 R2 introduces a new print server reliability feature. Print driver isolation ensures that print driver functions run within their own processes. Prior to Windows Server 2008 R2, the driver functions and Windows print spooler ran in the same Windows process. If a poorly developed print driver crashed, it could bring down the entire print spooler service, resulting in the entire print server being unavailable. Using print driver isolation, an unreliable print driver no longer has any impact on the print spooler’s process. This ensures that the print server remains online in the event an unreliable print driver fails.

Network scanner management

The new distribute scan management features in Windows Server 2008 R2 provide management and workflow features for network-based scanners. Using scan management, you can administer network scanners across your network from a single-pane-of-glass interface. Additionally, you can setup network scanners to perform workflow functions for scan jobs. For example, a user could log on to a network scanner and scan a legal document. The network scanner could then send the document to a scan management server, which could then route the document to a file server or SharePoint document library automatically.

Internet Information Server Changes

With the release of Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft has included a dot release of Internet Information Server (IIS) bringing the version to 7.5. IIS 7.5 on Windows Server 2008 R2 includes new administrative and security enhancements to further evolve and secure the popular Web server.

Request Filtering Module

The Request Filtering Module is introduced as an add-on extension for IIS 7.0 to allow administrators to block Web requests deemed harmful. Request filtering provides additional security to IIS by limiting the types of requests and commands that can be sent to IIS via the Web browser. IIS 7.5 now includes the module as a standard part of the Web server role.

Best Practices Analyzer

IIS 7.5 now includes a BPA. You should run the BPA after initial configuration and on a regular basis thereafter to ensure that your IIS deployment is healthy and optimally configured.

PowerShell module

As with most roles in Windows Server 2008 R2, IIS 7.5 includes a PowerShell module allowing administrators to perform most administrative functions from the PowerShell command line. Administrators can use PowerShell to quickly perform IIS administrative tasks as well as automate the configuration of IIS for fast and standardized deployment of IIS Web servers.

Support for managed service accounts

Windows Server 2008 R2 AD allows administrators to create managed service accounts. Managed service accounts allow administrators to change the password of a service account without having to update each service using that particular account. IIS 7.5 application pools provide support for managed service accounts. For example, an IIS application pool could be running under the account IIS_Service. For security purposes, an administrator needs to change the password on this account. The administrator simply has to change the password of the AD account. Once the password has been changed, the IIS application pool will automatically update the password field to reflect the new password without administrator interaction.

Hostable Web core

The IIS engine itself can be hosted by other systems and applications. This gives developers the ability to include Web server functionality within their applications without having to write their own server. By using APIs they can leverage IIS directly inside their application code.

.NET support on server core installs

Windows Server 2008 R1 allowed IIS to be installed on a core install but did not support .NET. Windows Server 2008 R2 and IIS 7.5 now support the use of .NET in IIS Web applications running on a server core install of the operating system. .NET Framework versions 2.0, 3.0, 3.5.1, and 4.0 are supported.

Hyper-V Changes

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes several new enhancements to Hyper-V virtualization services. These enhancements include Live Migration, hot addition and removal of virtual disks, new processor features, and support for jumbo frames on virtual machines (VMs).

Live Migration

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes a much-welcomed feature to enhance the process of moving VMs from one Hyper-V host to another. Windows Server 2008 R1 includes a feature known as Quick Migration, which suspends VMs and quickly transfers them to another host. This process does, however, cause a brief outage to any VMs being moved. When using quick migration to move a VM, some applications on that VM may time-out and need to be restarted due to their sensitivity to network or machine disruptions.

Live Migration allows Hyper-V to overcome these limitations when moving VMs by removing the need for them to be temporarily suspended, thus removing downtime for applications running on the VM being moved. Live Migration uses a process to transfer memory pages from the current host to the destination host and then simply transfers ownership of the VM’s virtual disks to the destination host. The Live Migration process is depicted in Figure 1.

Live Migration allows administrators to add easily, on the fly, new hosts to a Hyper-V cluster and instantly increase resources needed for VM workloads. Live Migration can also be used to allow administrators to service hosts during normal business hours without impacting business services and applications. For example, an administrator might want to add additional memory to a Hyper-V host. He could use Live Migration to move any active VMs from the host to another host in the cluster. He could then turn off the host to add additional memory. After adding memory, the administrator could use Live Migration to move the VM workloads back to the host.

Live Migration requires that Hyper-V be deployed on a Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover Cluster. Additionally, Live Migration requires a dedicated network adapter on each Hyper-V host for migration traffic. It is also recommended that processors on all hosts are from the same manufacturer and of the same processor family. This ensures that all processor features can be used.

Processor enhancements

Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V includes several new processor enhancements, including support for 32 processor cores per physical host. Hyper-V can also take advantage of Windows Server 2008 R2 Core Parking features. Hyper-V moves VM CPU loads to the fewest required number of processor cores and allows Windows to suspend the cores not being used. As workloads require more CPU resources, the cores are no longer suspended and Hyper-V moves VM workloads to those cores.

Storage enhancements

Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V adds new storage features that allow administrators to easily add and remove VM storage. Hyper-V now allows administrators to add or remove virtual and physical storage hot, while the VM is still running. This feature allows administrators to easily reconfigure VM storage without requiring downtime. For example, assume that a production SQL server needs additional storage space for more databases. As the administrator, you can add a new virtual disk drive to store new databases without taking the server offline.