Enterprise Windows Decisions 2003

1
Decision Point Windows 2000 or Windows 2003
Server?
Jeremy Moskowitz moskowitz-inc.com
2

• MCSE, MCT, CNA Principal Moskowitz, inc.
  (moskowitz-inc.com)

• Written for Windows and 2003 Magazine, MCP
  Magazine, ENT Magazine, BackOffice, Windows NT
  and others

• Authored Sybexs Windows 2000 Group Policy,
  Profiles, and IntelliMirror ISBN 0-7821-2881-5

• Co-Authored SAMS Teach Yourself Windows 2000
  Server in 24-hours ISBN 0-6723-1940-3

• Authored RTPs DGEM (RTP) and DGWIT

3
Windows new Name

• Internal name NT 5.2
• Codename Whistler
• Original name released to press Windows 2002
• Renamed to Windows .Net 2003 Server as
• Standard Server
• Enterprise Server
• Datacenter Server
• Web Server
• Final name
• Windows Server 2003

4
How major is the leap?

• NT 3.5 to 3.51
• Minor but significant
• Took 1.5 years
• NT 3.51 to 4.0
• Major release
• Took two years
• NT 4.0 to Windows 2000
• Major release
• Took four years
• Windows 2000 to Windows 2003 Server
• Major or Minor?
• Many new features
• Took almost 3 years
• Moral of story Time not most significant factor

5
Great Win2003 Stuff

• Lots of LITTLE things
• More secure right out of the box
• Share and NTFS permissions changes
• MFT moved to 1/3 from front of disk frees front
  of volume for executables and data files
• CHKDSK up to 700 faster
• ADMT Version 2 does password migration
• Dozens of new command-line utilities to go
  GUI-Less
• AD Support for 1 billion objects

5
6
The Big Question

• Do you need it?

Or.. do you keep rolling out Windows 2000?
7
Keeping Score

• Are you a big, medium or small business?
• Big Greater than 500 clients, 15 or more
  servers
• Medium 100-599 clients, 5-14 servers
• Small Less than 100 clients, 1-4 servers

8
Keeping Score

• Recommendation to seriously consider Windows 2003
  Server if
• Big Add up to 40 points or more
• Medium Add up to 30 points or more
• Small Add up to 20 points or more
• To start
• Give yourself 10 points

9
Is your business mostly Windows NT, or mostly
Windows 2000?

• Windows NT support is going away
• http//www.microsoft.com/ntserver/ProductInfo/Avai
  lability/Retiring.asp
• D-Day 1 January 1, 2004 No non-security
  hotfixes
• D-Day 2 January 1, 2005 No paid or online
  support

• Windows 2000 was an investment
• Very stable
• Support for years to come
• Easy upgrade to Win2003 server

• Big sized W2k business 5 points
• Medium sized W2k business
  3 points
• Small sized W2k business 2 points

• Big sized NT business 15 points
• Medium sized NT business 10 points
• Small sized NT business 5 points

10
Win2003s IIS 6.0

• IIS 6.0 Highlights
• Kernel-mode operation
• Built-in Lockdown Wizard
• Bandwidth throttling that really works
• Default logon now Network (not Interactive)
• Just a whole lot faster and secure

• Heavy IIS use 10 points
• Medium IIS use 5 points
• Light IIS use 2 points

• Add 2 points if IIS will be used in public
  address space (in front of firewall)

10
11
Win2003 Clustering

• Highlights
• Bigger clusters
• Datacenter 8 nodes (was 4 nodes for W2k)
• Enterprise 4 nodes (was 2 nodes for W2k)
• Standard (Still not supported)
• Network Load Balancing now supported on
• Standard Server
• Terminal Services

• Heavy Clustering/NLB use 4 points
• Medium Clustering/NLB use 2 points
• Light or no Clustering/NLB use 1 point

• Add 2 points if NLB will be used for Terminal
  Services

12
Win2003 and Exchange Compatibility

• Deployed Exchange 5.5 or 2000?
• E2000 AND E5.5 ARE NOT compatible on Win2003
  servers due to IIS change in metabase

E2000 will still run on W2k servers in Win2003
domain

• Heavy - 5 points
• Medium - 4 points
• Light - 2 points

http//www.microsoft.com/exchange/evaluation/ti/Ti
Win2003.doc
13
Win2003 AD Branch-Office Improvements

• Highlights
• KCC streamlined less need for manual
  connections (F)
• Large number of sites handled well (F)
• Can set bridgehead to not compress data
• New DCs can be populated from tape / other media

• These highlights require all DCs in the (D)
  domain and (F) forest to be Win2003 server

• Many Branch Offices (50) 6 points
• Some Branch Offices (30-49) 3 points
• Few Branch Offices (1-30) 2 points
• No Branch Offices 0 points

14
Win2003 AD Inter-company Improvements

• Highlights
• Cross Forest Trusts (F)
• Domain Controller Renaming (D)
• Domain Renaming (F)
• Schema entry nullify (F)

• These highlights require all DCs in the (D)
  domain and (F) forest to be Win2003 server

• More than two domains and two forests 5 points
• Two domains or two forests
  4 points
• One domain
  1 point

• Planning on an acquisition in 3-12 months?
  3 points
• Planning on a company rename in 3-12 months? 3
  points

15
Win2003 and In-place upgrades

• Highlights
• Standard Server
• Min 550 MHz, min 256MB, max 4GB
• Enterprise Server
• Min 733MHz, min 256MB, max 32GB
• Datacenter Server
• Min 733MHz, min 1GB, max 64GB
• Web Server (new)
• Min 550MHz, min 256MB RAM, max 2GB

Somewhat stronger minimums and recommended specs

• Keep your current servers - 3
  points
• Plan to upgrade to modern-speed servers
  5 points
• Plan to upgrade to modern-speed servers with
  hot-swap memory and PCI boards
  7 points

15
16
Win2003 and Older Hardware

• Highlights
• Only the best drivers survive and are included
• Standard VGA drivers for all but a few adapters
• Could mean 640x480 _at_ 60Hz support only
• Many white-box network cards left out
• Only major chipsets supported 3COM, DEC, IBM,
  etc

• Have compatible NIC and VGA hardware 5
  points
• Have incompatible NIC and VGA hardware - 3
  points
• Unknown?
  -1 point

17
Win2003 Pilot Plans

• Highlights
• New OS requires new rounds of application testing
• New IIS requires new rounds of web-application
  programming and testing
• New lab and/or pilot required

• More than five custom applications - 3
  points
• Two to five custom applications - 2
  points
• One or two custom applications - 1
  point

• Have equipment for test-lab already? 2.
  No? - 2
• Have pilot population for Win2003 rollout? 1.
  No? 0

18
Win2003 and Terminal Services

• Highlights
• RDP 5.2 on 2003 Server
• More forgiving connection over the Internet
• RDP 5.1 clients (XP)
• 24-bit color
• Native clipboard redirection
• Native client printer and drive redirection
• Bandwidth throttling for lan vs. dial-up
  connections
• Time zone redirection

• Heavy TS use 4 points
• Medium TS use 3 points
• Light TS use 2 point
• No TS use 0 points

19
Win2003 without WinXP

• Highlights
• XP Required for Volume Shadow Copy (VSC)
• VSC New feature which allows users to
  undelete/rollback own files
• XP Required for UPN Caching
• UPN Caching Allows users to log on without
  always touching GC
• XP Required for Secure 802.1x Wireless with 2003
  Certificates
• XP Required for Full Terminal Services RDP 5.1
  client for 2003s RDP 5.2 server

• In 1 year, will XP be fully rolled out?
  5 points
• In 1 year, will XP be rolled out
• to half of your users?
  2 points
• In 1 year, will XP be rolled out
• to less than half of your users?
  - 2 points

20
Windows 2003 and Group Policy
GPMC License requires at least one Windows 2003
Domain Controller.

• Highlights
• DcGPOFix
• New GPMC console
• Folder Redirection to Homedrive
• XP gets 180 new Group Policies added to Windows
  2003.
• GPO Backup and Restore

From FAQ You may install an unlimited number of
copies of GPMC in your environment, provided you
have at least one valid license for Windows
Server 2003.

• Lots of Group Policies? 5 points
• Just starting Group Policy? 2 points
• No plans for W2003 server? -4 points
• (GPMC is just that cool)

20
21
Win2003 and SAN/NAS support

• Highlights
• Exposes API for accessing LUN information
• Permits restructuring RAID arrays from OS
• Boot to SAN/NAS
• Replaces functionality now only available in
  proprietary solutions
• Destined to become the Interface of Choice for
  proprietary solutions

• Have SAN/NAS today 4
  points
• Installing SAN/NAS within 1 year 3 points
• No plans for SAN/NAS within 1 year 1 points

22
Final Thoughts

• Can you skip Windows2003?
• If youre in NT
• Probably not youll want new servers, which may
  not have NT drivers
• Your company data will be on UNSUPPORTED platform
  by end of 2004
• No non-security NT hotfixes
• Lifecycle chart for most MS business products
• http//support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scidfh
  en-usLifeWin
• If youre on 2000
• If youre mostly Windows 2000 youll be missing
  out on some great new features
• And (see next slide)

23
Final Thoughts

• Is it already paid for?
• Do you have MSs Software Assurance licensing
  with W2k?
• You get it when it ships!
• Only time, energy and hardware deployment costs
• If its not paid for
• All Client CALs need to be upgraded with first
  Windows 2003 server
• Use the score card judge for yourself!

24
Score Review

• Recommendation to seriously consider Windows 2003
  Server if
• Big Add up to 40 points or more
• Medium Add up to 30 points or more
• Small Add up to 20 points or more
• To End whos going?

24
25
Make Contact!

• Windows 2000 Training
• Sever
• Professional and
• Active Directory
• Windows XP Training
• Windows 2003 Server Training
• Consulting for Windows upgrades and migrations

Jeremy Moskowitz jeremym_at_moskowitz-inc.com