Web Application Platform

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes many enhancements that make this release the most robust Windows Server Web application platform yet.

• Reduced Effort to Administer and Support Web-Based Applications
• Reduced Support and Troubleshooting Effort
• Improved FTP Services
• Ability to Extend Functionality and Features
• Improved .NET Support
• Improved Application Pool Security
• IIS.NET Community Portal

Virtualization

Virtualization is a major part of today’s data centers. The operating efficiencies offered by virtualization allow organizations to dramatically reduce operational effort and power consumption.

• Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 includes core areas of improvement for creating dynamic virtual data centers:
  • Increased Availability for Virtual Data Centers
  • Improved Management of Virtual Data Centers
  • Increased Performance and Hardware Support for Hyper-V Virtual Machines
  • Improved Virtual Networking Performance
  • Simplified Method for Physical and Virtual Computer Deployments
• Presentation Virtualization- This type of virtualization provided by Remote Desktop Services’ RemoteApp (see below for more information on the Terminal Services’ name change in Windows Server 2008 R2) virtualizes a processing environment and isolates the processing from the graphics and I/O, making it possible to run an application in one location but have it be controlled in another.

Scalability and Reliability

Windows Server 2008 R2 is capable of unprecedented workload size, dynamic scalability, and across-the-board availability and reliability. A host of new and updated features include:

• Leveraging Sophisticated CPU Architectures
• Increased operating system componentization
• Improved performance and scalability for applications and services
• Improved Storage Solutions
• Improved Protection of Intranet Resources

Management

The ongoing management of servers in the data center is one of the most time-consuming tasks facing IT professionals today. Any management strategy you deploy must support the management of both your physical and virtual environments. To help with this problem, Windows Server 2008 R2 has new features to reduce the ongoing management of Windows Server 2008 R2 and to reduce the administrative effort for common day-to-day operational tasks.

• Improved data center power consumption management
• Improved Management of File Services
• Improved remote administration
  • Improved remote management through graphical management consoles.
  • Improved remote management from command-line and automated scripts.
• Reduced administrative effort for administrative tasks performed interactively
• Enhanced command-line and automated management by using PowerShell version 2.0
• Improved identity management
• Improved compliance with established standards and best practices.

Better Together with Windows 7

Windows Server 2008 R2 has many features that are designed specifically to work with client computers running Windows 7 which include:

• Simplified remote connectivity for corporate computers by using the DirectAccess feature
• Secured remote connectivity for private and public computers
• Improved performance for branch offices
• Improved security for branch offices
• Improved virtualized desktop integration
• Higher fault tolerance for connectivity between sites