May 2008 / May 2008 - Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008

In the past three months Microsoft has introduced two major releases: Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) and Windows Server 2008. With the transition in businesses from XP to Vista underway, and the first new version of Windows Server in 5 years, there is a good chance these releases affect you. In this month’s Tech Brief we’ll discuss what Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 are, what changes or updates they include, and what they mean for your organization.

Vista Service Pack 1

What is a Service Pack?

Microsoft is continually releasing security and performance updates for its software. On a regular basis they combine many of those upgrades into a single package, add new fixes, and release it to users for installation. If you’ve used Windows XP you may recall being prompted in the past to download and install SP1 or SP2. Service Packs are cumulative, which means that each new release contains all of the fixes that are included with previous service packs. You do not have to install a previous version of a service pack before you install the latest version.

Vista Service Pack 1

Microsoft has been collecting feedback from customers and partners to develop updates to Vista which they have been steadily releasing since the operating system debuted in January of 2007. These updates along with new security improvements that Microsoft has made to vulnerable areas of Vista have been released in the form of SP1 which was made available to all users in March, 2008.

There is a myriad of security, reliability, and performance enhancements included in SP1. Some of the most noticeable for end users and administrators include:

1. Faster file copying and decompression (Microsoft claims 25-50% faster)
2. Better handling of large files
3. New protections to prevent data loss when ejecting certain types of removable media
4. Better prevention of operating system failures or program crashes
5. More stable and reliable networking
6. Hotpatching support
7. Reintroduction of individual drive defragmentation
8. Support for new hardware and software standards
9. The ability to change the default desktop search to a third-party program such as Google Desktop Search

For a more comprehensive list of updates click here

Should You Implement SP1 Across Your Network?

The improvements in performance, reliability, and security make SP1 a must for any organization running Vista; but be sure to follow best practices such as hardware/software assessments and user communication and training when preparing and executing the deployment. If you have any questions or concerns about implementing Vista SP1 please Contact Thrive.

Windows Server 2008

Microsoft has claimed that Windows Server 2008 is the “most advanced and secure server operating system” that they have ever released. With 5 years elapsing between Windows Server releases they’ve certainly had the time to develop a product that would live up to such a statement. Let’s take a look at some of the more prominent changes and features.

Enhanced Security Features

• Read-Only Domain Controllers - these special domain controllers can be used in environments where you need a domain controller but you cannot guarantee the physical security of the server.
• Server Core Installation - a new minimal installation option that provides a minimal environment for running a subset of the server roles. Server Core also can reduce the servicing and management requirements and the attack surface for those server roles.
• Password and account lockout policy improvements – offers the ability to have multiple password and account policies in a single domain.
• Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption - allows you to encrypt all of the hard drives on a server. This will prevent the data from being viewed if a hard drive or the server is stolen.

Network Action Policy

Microsoft’s Network Access Protection (NAP) is a new policy that can be put into place which requires clients to meet certain requirements before they can connect to a Windows 2008 server. If they do not meet the requirements that are set the client can be quarantined, denied access, or even have the necessary updates it needs to gain access deployed to it.
By using NAP, you can secure not only local PCs but also home computers or roaming computers that attempt to connect to your network from both your local network and via VPN.

Improved Terminal Services

• RemoteApp - allows you to share an application with a workstation instead of the entire Windows desktop. It has seamless integration with the client PCs so that clients will just see an icon in their start menu or desktop and click on it to run the application.
• Terminal Services Web Access – offers the ability for remote users to connect to terminal services with just a web browser. By using this, remote PCs attempting to connect to terminal services do not need to have the remote desktop client or VPN.
• Terminal Services Gateway - allows remote users who are working away from the office to connect to terminal services. This will help remove the need for remote VPN access for some users.

New Server Virtualization Features

Windows Server Virtualization is a new feature that allows you to virtualize any operating system onto one server. This feature will also allow you consolidate many servers into one server and easily create test environments without having to use too many resources. With this feature, Microsoft is hoping to compete with other players in the virtualization marketplace such as VMware.
For more information on Virtualization see our April 2007 Tech Brief

Improved Server 2008 Web Server - IIS 7.0

Keep in mind that there are many server applications included in the Windows Server 2008 OS. One of those is Internet Information Server. With Windows Server 2008, Internet Information Server (IIS) has been upgraded to version 7.0. With this upgrade, IIS is easier to manage due to its improved interface. This interface offers security enhancements, web server health information, delegation of administration, and the ability to perform common tasks faster. With IIS 7.0, your access to diagnostic and troubleshooting information is much easier and quicker

Should you upgrade to Server 2008?

So far the reviews for Server 2008 have been positive and the operating system has been called a “great improvement over Server 2003”. But as with any major network change you need to take a step back and look at it on an individualized basis. Meet with your IT provider to discuss if your network would benefit from upgrading, and if so, lay out a detailed plan and timeline for implantation. Thrive has thoroughly tested Server 2008 and as always we are available if you have any questions.