What Is Windows Server Used For

Microsoft Windows Server OS (operating system) is a series of enterprise-grade server operating systems designed to share services with multiple users and provide extensive administrative control of information storage, applications and corporate networks.

Development for Windows Server started in the early 1980s when Microsoft produced two operating system lines: MS-DOS and Windows NT. Microsoft engineer David Cutler developed the kernel of Windows NT with the intent to provide speed, security and reliability that large organizations require in a server operating system.

Prior to the release of Windows NT, many companies relied on the Unix operating organisation that required expensive RISC-based hardware to run file and press services. Windows NT had the power to run on less costly x86 machines.

A central feature in the NT compages is symmetric multiprocessing, which makes applications run faster on machines with several processors.

Later iterations of Windows Server tin be deployed either on hardware in an organisation's information center or on a cloud platform, such as Microsoft Azure.

Key features in later versions of Windows Server include Active Directory, which automates the management of user data, security and distributed resources, and enables interoperation with other directories; and Server Manager, which is a utility to administer server roles and brand configuration changes to local or remote machines.

Microsoft Windows Server OS timeline — A timeline of Windows Server OS versions

History of Windows Server

1993: Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server

Microsoft released its Windows NT operating system in two formats: i for workstations and the other for servers. The 32-bit operating system featured a hardware brainchild layer (HAL), which provided more organization stability by blocking applications from directly access to organisation hardware. Companies could use Avant-garde Server as a domain controller to store user and group rights.

1994: Windows NT 3.five Server

Microsoft updated key networking features in this server release and added integrated support for TCP/IP and Winsock. Other networking improvements allowed users on other non-Microsoft operating systems to access files and applications on the domain.

1995: Windows NT Server three.51

Microsoft fine-tuned this release to boost performance and reduce the corporeality of required memory. This server Bone was optimized to deliver services faster to users through its updated networking stack. Microsoft added more connectivity support for companies in a mixed environment with both Windows NT and NetWare servers to allow users to go services from each with a unmarried credential.

1996: Windows NT Server 4.0

Microsoft borrowed the Windows 95 interface for this server Os release and also used many of the applications in the client OS, such as the File Explorer. Microsoft expanded the networking protocol capabilities in this release to make network resources available to a wider array of non-Microsoft machines. Key features in this release were the ability to apply a server as an Internet Data Server -- now called Internet Information Services (IIS) -- and a domain name system server. This server Bone also could walk administrators through diverse tasks, such as sharing a hard disk with a feature called Administrative Wizards.

2000: Windows 2000

Windows 2000 introduced Active Directory, a directory service that stores and manages data nearly network objects, including user data, systems and services. Active Directory lets administrators perform diverse tasks, such as virtual private network configuration, data encryption and granting access to file shares on networked computers.

Microsoft also introduced several other key features in this release, including:

Microsoft Management Console (MMC),
NTFS three.0 file system and
support for dynamic disk volumes.

Windows 2000 had three editions -- Server, Advanced Server and Datacenter -- that were built to piece of work with Windows 2000 Professional, the client Os.

2003: Windows Server 2003

Microsoft introduced the "Windows Server" brand with the release of Windows Server 2003 and touted its security improvements over Windows 2000. Microsoft hardened IIS, the web server feature, and disabled more default services to reduce exploit opportunities.

Microsoft introduced server roles with this release, which allowed administrators to assign a specific function to a server, such every bit domain controller or DNS server.

Other new features in this release included expanded encryption functionality, built-in firewall, greater Network Address Translation (NAT) support and Volume Shadow Re-create Service.

Windows Server 2003 had 4 editions: Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter and Web.

2005: Windows Server 2003 R2

Rather than a version number, Microsoft began using the R2 -- or release two -- designation with Windows Server 2003 R2. Organizations always demand to buy a new Windows Server license to utilize the new server operating system, but R2 releases used the client access licenses (CALs) of the immediately preceding server version to eliminate the demand to upgrade those licenses.

This version improved on the security and condom features in Windows Server 2003.

Fundamental new features in this release were:

Agile Directory Federation Services, which lets administrators broaden single sign-on access to applications and systems beyond the corporate firewall.
Active Directory Awarding Manner, which stores data for applications that may be considered non secure enough to use in the Active Directory system.

This version as well added enhancements to file replication and information compression for branch office servers. Among the security improvements in this release was the Security Configuration Wizard, which permit administrators utilise consequent security policies to multiple machines.

2008: Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 added new features such as:

Hyper-Five virtualization software,
failover clustering,
Event Viewer,
Server Core -- the minimal deployment selection managed via the command line, and
Server Manager console, used to add together and manage server roles and features on local and remote machines.

Microsoft likewise overhauled the networking stack and Agile Directory to enhance its Group Policy and identity management capabilities.

Windows Server 2008 came in 4 editions: Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter and Web.

2009: Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft used its Windows seven kernel for this server operating organisation and touted its improved scalability and availability features.

Microsoft enhanced Agile Directory for improved handling of user accounts and more granular command with policies. The visitor likewise updated Terminal Services functionality and rechristened information technology to Remote Desktop Services (RDS).

New features in this release include BranchCache and DirectAccess, both aimed at improving how users in remote locations are able to get their work done.

This server OS, like its predecessor, shares some of the administrative and security functionality used in the Windows Vista client operating system. Windows Server 2008 R2 also marked a change from a 32-bit server operating system to a 64-bit version.

2012: Windows Server 2012

Microsoft embedded a number of cloud-related features to Windows Server 2012, going then far equally to dub information technology the "Deject Os," so organizations could run services more easily in public or private clouds. The company also made meaning updates to the operating system'due south storage infrastructure and Hyper-5 virtualization platform.

New features worth noting in this release were the Hyper-V virtual switch, Hyper-Five Replica, Storage Spaces and ReFS file system.

In another change with this release, Microsoft switched the default installation choice to Server Core, which requires administrators to utilise PowerShell. Upon this release, PowerShell had 2,300 cmdlets available for management.

This server version came in four editions: Essentials, Foundation, Standard and Datacenter. The Standard and Datacenter editions had the same characteristic set, simply a Standard license permitted organizations to run 2 virtual machines (VMs), while Datacenter permitted an unlimited number of VMs.

2013: Windows Server 2012 R2

Microsoft made expansive changes across the board with Windows Server 2012 R2, including pregnant updates to virtualization, storage, networking, information security and web services.

New features of note:

Desired Country Configuration (DSC) built on PowerShell to foreclose configuration drift and maintain consistency across the organization'southward machines.
Storage tiering added to Storage Spaces boosts performance past automatically moving ofttimes called blocks of data to solid-state storage.
Work Folders permit users to think and save company files on piece of work and personal devices through replication to servers in the organization's data middle.

2016: Windows Server 2016

Microsoft nudged enterprises closer to the cloud with a number of new features tailored to ease workload migrations, such as back up for Docker containers and software-defined enhancements in networking.

Microsoft debuted Nano Server, a minimal server deployment option intended to boost security by shrinking the attack vector. Microsoft says Nano Server is 93% smaller than a full Windows Server deployment.

Another nod to security comes in the new Hyper-V shielded VM feature, which uses encryption to preclude data within a VM from being compromised.

The Network Controller is a central new networking feature that allows administrators to manage the switches, subnets and other devices on the virtual and physical networks.

This server OS comes in Standard and Datacenter editions. In previous Windows Server versions, the Standard and Datacenter editions had the same characteristic set, merely different license rights and use restrictions. In Windows Server 2016, the Standard edition does not have the more advanced features in virtualization, storage and networking.

2017: Semi-Annual Aqueduct and Long-Term Servicing Channel releases

In June 2017, Microsoft announced it would carve up Windows Server into two channels: the Semi-Almanac Channel (SAC) and the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) -- formerly the Long-Term Servicing Branch.

The SAC caters to enterprises with a DevOps framework that prefer a shorter term between characteristic updates to get the most recent updates for rapid application development cycles. SAC releases will come up every six months -- one in the spring and one in the fall -- with mainstream back up of but 18 months. Microsoft tailors the LTSC for companies that prefer the more traditional release bicycle of two to three years betwixt major feature updates with the typical 5 years of mainstream back up followed by five years of extended support.

The LTSC naming convention will retain the Windows Server YYYY format -- such as Windows Server 2016 -- while the SAC releases volition follow a format of Windows Server version YYMM. Microsoft said it plans to add together most of the enhancements -- with some variations -- from the SAC releases into upcoming LTSC releases.

Microsoft released its kickoff SAC release -- Windows Server version 1709 -- in October 2017. Highlights of this release were support for Linux containers with kernel isolation provided by Hyper-Five and a refactored Nano Server strictly for utilize as a base OS container image.

Businesses with Software Assurance on their Windows Server Standard or Datacenter licenses or a Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) license can download the SAC releases from Microsoft's Volume Licensing Service Center. Organizations without Software Assurance can use SAC releases in Azure or another cloud or hosting environs.