Migrating DHCP from Windows 2000 Server to Windows Server 2008

Getting your infrastructure running like a finely tuned engine is no easy feat; it takes blood, sweat, and tears, not to mention hundred, if not thousands, of hours of configuring, tweaking, and adjusting. So, if your organization decides to move to a Windows Server 2008-based infrastructure, how will you make the change as easy as possible?
Starting all over again just to move to a new server operating system is something to avoid if you can. Microsoft understands this concern and realizes that the easier it is to migrate to a newer version of Windows, the more likely organizations are to make the move.
While there are many things that merit consideration when moving from a Windows 2000 Server- or Windows Server 2003-based network to a Windows Server 2008-based network, there is one important service that will make or break your migration: DHCP. If you blow it, everyone will know it!
DHCP is one of two foundational network services that govern how your network operates; the other is DNS. Migrating a Windows 2000 Server/Windows Server 2003 DNS database to Windows Server 2008 is a simple process, sometimes requiring nothing more than a configuration change to DNS; at its most complex, it requires the completion of a zone transfer between the old and new servers to migrate DNS information. DHCP, on the other hand, has no built-in mechanism to easily transfer its database information from one server to another. But with a little bit of work, it doesn’t require too much effort to migrate your DHCP services from your Windows 2000 Server/Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008.
There are different steps depending on whether you’re moving DHCP from Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003. Here are descriptions of both processes.

Migrating DHCP from Windows 2000 Server to Windows Server 2008

The process to migrate your Windows 2000 Server DHCP database to Windows Server 2008 requires a two-step strategy. First, you’ll export the DHCP settings from your old Windows server. Then, you’ll import those settings into the server that’s running Windows Server 2008. You should be prepared to spend about 15-20 minutes performing the procedure, assuming that you already have Windows Server 2008 installed and configured ahead of time. It’s also assumed that you’ve installed the DHCP role on the Windows Server 2008 computer.
On the old server: Moving the settings out
Migrating the DHCP database settings off of your old Windows server is a fairly simple task. You’ll need to disable the DHCP service on the old Windows server so that it cannot be started again. To do this, you’ll use the Services console in the Administrative Tools folder. Double-click the DHCP Server item and select Disabled, as shown in Figure A.

Figure A

Disable the DHCP service on the Windows 2000 Server.

After disabling the service, stop the currently running DHCP service; either click the Stop button shown in Figure A or issue the net stop dhcpserver command from the command line. After disabling and stopping the running DHCP service, all that remains to be done on the legacy Windows server is to export the DHCP database information so that it can be transferred to the Windows Server 2008 computer.
You can do this using the Registry Editor (regedt32). Save the appropriate key to another location, such as a networked drive that is accessible to both the Windows 2000 Server and the server running Windows Server 2003. Open the Registry Editor and navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ DhcpServer\Configuration key.
Once there, click the Registry menu and select Save Key, as shown in Figure B. Save the key with a name that you will recognize, such as config.key.

Figure B

You can save the key here.

You’ll need to copy the entire contents of the %SystemRoot%\System32\Dhcp folder (Figure C) to another location, preferably the same network drive where you placed the configuration key previously. Now it’s time to move to the server that’s running Windows Server 2008.

Figure C

Export the Configuration key to migrate the Windows 2000 DHCP server settings.

On the new server: Moving the settings in
To migrate your DHCP configuration to Windows Server 2008, you’ll need to have already installed the DHCP Server service on the computer. If you have not done so, you can do this from the Server Manager available on the Start menu.
Once the DHCP service is installed, you’ll need to stop it so you can import the DHCP configuration. To do so, from a command prompt, issue the command net stop dhcpserver. Now you’re ready to import the DHCP configuration into Windows Server 2008.
First, import the registry key that you previously exported. On the server that’s running Windows Server 2008, double-click the registry file that you exported earlier. When asked to verify the operation, choose Yes.
The next step you’ll need to complete is the transfer of the %SystemRoot%\System32\Dhcp folder contents. Navigate to this location and delete all contents in the folder, including all subfolders and their contents. Copy the information into this folder that was previously taken from the Windows 2000 Server’s DHCP folder.
After you complete this step, you can begin putting your new Windows Server 2003 DHCP server in operation. You’ll need to start the DHCP Server service by issuing net start dhcpserver from a command prompt. You should receive the confirmation dialog box shown in Figure D.

Figure D

Start DHCP after you copy the old files.

Migrating DHCP from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008

Migrating DHCP from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 is easier than migrating from earlier versions of Windows. This procedure assumes that the existing DHCP server is running on Windows Server 2003 and that you’ve already installed the DHCP server role on your Windows Server 2008 server. (Note: IPv6 DHCP capability is not discussed in this column.)
Follow these steps:

1. Start a command prompt on the Windows Server 2003 DHCP server.
2. At the prompt, type netsh dhcp server export C:\w2k3-dhcp.txt all.
3. Copy w2k3-dhcp.txt to the root of the C: volume on your new server.
4. On the new Windows Server 2008 DHCP server, start a command prompt.
5. At the prompt, type netsh dhcp server import c:\dhcpdatabase.txt all.
6. Start the DHCP administrative console and verify that your scopes and configurations made their way to your new server.

Post migration

Once the migration is complete, you’ll need to do some tidying up within the DHCP console. Open the DHCP console from the Administrative Tools folder and reconcile all scopes by clicking Action | Reconcile All Scopes. If any leases are found that need to be reconciled, click Reconcile to synchronize the DHCP Registry and Active Directory settings.
Verify that your DHCP server is operating properly by opening the DHCP console and checking your configuration, as shown in Figure E.

Figure E

Once the scope shows the Status is Active, all is well.

Note: Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before saving any changes

Know To Install and configure a DHCP server in Windows Server 2008

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is an invaluable service when you have a network larger than a handful of computers. It’s also a standard component of enterprise networks and sub networks. Microsoft Windows Server 2008’s built-in DHCP server allows Windows machines (and any other TCP/IP-based machines and devices) to obtain their IP addresses and network settings automatically, which can vastly simplify network configuration. In this document, we’ll discuss how to install and configure a DHCP server in Windows Server 2008, and we’ll explore some of the advanced features DHCP has to offer.

Create a plan

Before you configure your DHCP server, it is a good idea to have all your ducks in a row. Prepare and have all the necessary information up front before sitting down and configuring your server. For example, you may need to know:

• The scope of IP addresses that your server will manage (e.g., 192.168.1.50 to 192.168.1.200).
• Which machines require static IP addresses (i.e., those machines such as servers and routers that will not use DHCP to receive their IP addresses but will be set manually).
• Which network information you want to send out to DHCP clients when they get their IP addresses (e.g., the addresses for your default gateway, DNS servers, and WINS servers).

It is much easier to configure your DHCP server with this information in hand rather than scrambling for it at implementation time.

Installing DHCP

Installing a DHCP server in Windows 2008 is a snap. They created a very simple wizard that walks you through the entire process. Follow me on this journey.
To install a DHCP server from the Control Panel, follow these steps:

1. From the Start menu, select | Control Panel | Administrative Tools | Server Manager.
2. Expand and click Roles (Figure 1).
3. Choose Add Roles and follow the wizard by selecting the DHCP role (Figure 2).
4. A new DHCP wizard appears to help you configure a DHCP server.

Figure1

Server Manager

Figure2

Add Roles Wizard

In the previous release of Windows, a wizard did not appear to walk you through creating a DHCP server. Windows Server 2008 has really simplified this process by allowing you to configure a DHCP server in roughly seven steps. Of course, you can still manage your DHCP server from the DHCP Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in or delete and create scopes on the fly.
Let’s continue on through the wizard. Your network cards and static IP addresses are automatically detected and you can choose how DHCP will service clients on different subnets, as shown in Figure 3.

Figure3

Choose your static IP addresses to service DHCP clients

On the next window (Figure 4), you can specify the applicable DNS server(s) to be used with DHCP when an address is assigned. Figure 5 displays where you would enter the applicable WINS servers if you require it on your network.

Figure4

Enter your DNS server IP address

Figure5

Enter your WINS server IP address

About scopes

When you create a scope, you must select the range of IP addresses and you must specify the appropriate scope options to include. These options are what we were referring to above when we mentioned that you can assign other network information to your clients at the time they are given an IP address.
There are two types of scope options: Global and Scope. Global options are propagated to all the scopes that you create on that DHCP server, while Scope options are only for the individual scope that you are working with.
For example, if you have different scopes for several different subnets and each subnet will have a different default gateway but will share the same DNS servers, you would want to set the DNS servers as a Global option while the default gateways would be set separately in each scope as a Scope option.
On the DHCP scope window, you will create your scope. Depending on the size of your network and the amount of users that will be assigned IP addresses, some thought must be given to the parameters of your scope selections. In my example (Figure 6), I created a simple scope.

Figure6

Creating your scope

The subnet type dropdown allows you to choose wireless as well (Figure 7). It defaults to 24 hours. If you want to activate the scope when the wizard is complete, click the Activate this scope checkbox. If you leave it empty, you must activate the scope in the DHCP Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in.

Figure7

You can add multiple scopes before continuing the wizard

With Windows Server 2008, if you have a router (Figure 8) that supports and is configured to take advantage of IPv6, you can enable this functionality on your network.

Figure8

Enable IPv6 stateless mode

Authorizing the DHCP server and activating scopes

In previous versions of Windows Server, you had to install and configure your DHCP server and then authorize it in the DHCP MMC snap-in. Authorizing your DHCP server allows you to prevent hackers from configuring rogue DHCP servers. In Windows Server 2008, you have the ability to either authorize the server in the Wizard or authorize it after the fact in the DHCP MMC-snap-in (Figure 9).

Figure9

Authorizing your DHCP server

You are now ready to review (Figure 10) and confirm your settings before applying your DHCP settings (Figure 11).

Figure10

Reviewing your DHCP configuration before applying

Figure11

DHCP installation in progress

Once you have installed the DCHP server, you can manage it from the DHCP MMC snap-in (Figure 12) located in Administrative tools. On this screen you can create additional exclusions and reservations.

Adding reservations

In addition to specifying exclusions, you can add reservations to your DHCP server. By adding a reservation, you ensure that a machine always receives the same IP address from the DHCP server.

1. Right-click on Reservations and choose new reservation.
2. Enter a friendly name for the reservation and the IP address you want to assign to the computer or device.
3. Enter the MAC address of the computer or device. (For Windows machines, you can find the MAC address by running ipconfig/all from the command prompt of the machine.)
4. Enter a description and then choose the following reservation type: DHCP, BOOTP (going across a router), or both, as shown in Figure 12. Click Add.

Figure12

Adding a reservation

Adding exclusions

In addition to specifying reservations, you can add exclusions to your DHCP server (Figure 13). By adding exclusions, you ensure that machines never receive a DHCP lease for that range of IP addresses. This is very useful to block IP addresses for your servers and routers.

Figure13

Adding an exclusion

In order to add Exclusions, right-click on Address Pools and choose New Exclusion Range as shown in Figure 14 and Figure 15.

Figure14

IP address Exclusion range

Figure15

DCHP MMC snap-in

Troubleshooting DHCP

After configuring DHCP, the easiest way to troubleshoot it is to use Ipconfig from a command prompt. To view all TCP/IP information on a machine just type ipconfig/all. To release a DHCP lease, type ipconfig/release; to renew a lease, type ipconfig/renew.

Know To Install Windows Server 2008 Features with servermanager cmd

Although Microsoft continues to expand PowerShell with more capability, the trusty traditional command prompt has not been left behind in Windows Server 2008. In fact, with this latest Windows Server release, the command prompt gains some capability, including a tool that allows administrators to add features to a Windows Server 2008 installation.
This command line tool, called servermanagercmd.exe, replicates some of the functionality from the Windows Server 2008 Server Manager. Through the use of various command line options, you can quickly and easily add or remove features and roles to or from your server.
The command requires a parameter indicating the action that you wish to perform and, for some parameters, additional information such as which features you want to manage. The list below outlines some of the parameters available with servermanagercmd.
-query: Output a list of the roles and features currently installed on your server. This command also shows you the roles and features that are available, but not yet installed.
-install: Installs the roles or features that you specify on the command line. Add -allSubFeatures to the command line when using this command in order to add the supporting roles/features to a specified parent role/feature. Also, some components require a server reboot in order to complete. To automate a server restart that takes place after the installation of a role/feature requiring a restart, use -restart
-remove: This is the opposite of the install command and removes the specified roles or features.
The table below provides you with a complete list of the components installable using the servermanagercmd command. The first column is the overall feature name. For some features, roles, or services, there are multiple components available. The second column of the table gives you a complete list of all subcomponents while the third column is the identifier to use with the -install or -remove parameter.

Role/Service or Main Feature	R/S/F Name	Installatiom command
DHCP Server	DHCP Server	DHCP
Print Services	Print Server	Print-Services
	Internet Printing	Print-Internet
	LPD Service	Print-LPD-Service
Terminal Services	Terminal Services	Terminal-Services
	Terminal Server	TS-Terminal-Server
	TS Licensing	TS-Licensing
	TS Gateway	TS-Gateway
	TS Web Access	TS-Web-Access
	TS Session Broker	TS-Session-Broker
Active Directory Domain Services	AD	N/A
	Active Directory Domain Controller	ADDS-Domain-Controller
	Identity Management for UNIX	ADDS-Identity-Management
	Server for Network Information Service	ADDS-NIS
	Password Synchronization	ADDS-Password-Sync
DNS Server	DNS
File Services	File Services	N/A
	Distributed File System (DFS)	FS-DFS
	DFS Namespace	FS-DFS-Namespace
	DFS Replication	FS-DFS-Replication
	File Server Resource Manager	FS-Resource-Manager
	Services for Network File System	FS-NFS-Services
	Windows Search Service	FS-Search-Service
	Windows Server 2003 File Services	FS-Win2003-Services
	File Replication Service	FS-Replication
	Indexing Service	FS-Indexing-Service
Web Server	Web Server (IIS)	Web-Server
	Internet Information Services	Web-WebServer
	Common HTTP Features	Web-Common-Http
	Static Content	Web-Static-Content
	Default Document	Web-Default-Doc
	Directory Browsing	Web-Dir-Browsing
	HTTP Errors	Web-Http-Errors
	HTTP Redirection	Web-Http-Redirect
	Application Development	Web-App-Development
	ASP.NET	Web-Asp-Net
	.NET Extensibility	Web-Net-Ext
	ASP	Web-ASP
	CGI	Web-CGI
	ISAPI Extensions	Web-ISAPI-Ext
	ISAPI Filters	Web-ISAPI-Filter
	Server Side Includes	Web-Includes
	Health and Diagnostics	Web-Health
	HTTP Logging	Web-Http-Logging
	Logging Tools	Web-Log-Libraries
	Request Monitor	Web-Request-Monitor
	Tracing	Web-Http-Tracing
	Custom Logging	Web-Custom-Logging
	ODBC Logging	Web-ODBC-Logging
	Security	Web-Security
	Basic Authentication	Web-Basic-Auth
	Windows Authentication	Web-Windows-Auth
	Digest Authentication	Web-Digest-Auth
	Client Certificate Mapping Authentication	Web-Client-Auth
	IIS Client Certificate Mapping Authentication	Web-Cert-Auth
	URL Authorization	Web-Url-Auth
	Request Filtering	Web-Filtering
	IP and Domain Restrictions	Web-IP-Security
	Performance	Web-Performance
	Static Content Compression	Web-Stat-Compression
	Dynamic Content Compression	Web-Dyn-Compression
	Management Tools	Web-Mgmt-Tools
	IIS Management Console	Web-Mgmt-Console
	IIS Management Scripts and Tools	Web-Scripting-Tools
	Management Service	Web-Mgmt-Service
	IIS 6 Management Compatibility	Web-Mgmt-Compat
	IIS 6 Metabase Compatibility	Web-Metabase
	IIS 6 WMI Compatibility	Web-WMI
	IIS 6 Scripting Tools	Web-Lgcy-Scripting
	IIS 6 Management Console	Web-Lgcy-Mgmt-Console
	FTP Publishing Service	Web-Ftp-Publishing
	FTP Server	Web-Ftp-Server
	FTP Management Console	Web-Ftp-Mgmt-Console
Active Directory Federation Services	ADFS	None
	Federation Service	ADFS-Federation
	Federation Service Proxy	ADFS-Proxy
	Web Agents	ADFS-Web-Agents
	Claims-aware Agent	ADFS-Claims
	Windows Token-based Agent	ADFS-Windows-Token
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services	Formerly ADAM	ADLDS
Application Server	Application Server	Application-Server
	Application Server Core	AS-AppServer-Core
	Web Server Support	AS-Web-Support
	COM+ Network Access	AS-Ent-Services
	TCP Port Sharing	AS-TCP-Port-Sharing
	Windows Process Activation Service Support	AS-WAS-Support
	HTTP Activation	AS-HTTP-Activation
	Message Queuing Activation	AS-MSMQ-Activation
	TCP Activation	AS-TCP-Activation
	Named Pipes Activation	AS-Named-Pipes
	Distributed Transaction Support	AS-Dist-Transaction
	Incoming Remote Transactions	AS-Incoming-Trans
	Outgoing Remote Transactions	AS-Outgoing-Trans
	WS-Atomic Transaction Support	AS-WS-Atomic
Active Directory Certificate Services	Active Directory Certificate Services	N/A
	Certification Authority	ADCS-Cert-Authority or AD-Certificate
	Online Certificate Status Protocol	ADCS-Online-Cert
Fax Server	Fax Server	Fax
Network Policy and Access Services	Network Policy and Access Services	NPAS
	Network Policy Server	NPAS-Policy-Server
	NPAS Routing and Remote Access Services	NPAS-RRAS-Services
	Remote Access Service	NPAS-RRAS
	Routing	NPAS-Routing
	Health Registration Authority	NPAS-Health
Windows Deployment Services	Windows Deployment Services	WDS
Hyper-V	Hyper-V	Hyper-V
Failover Clustering	Failover Clustering	Failover-Clustering
Network Load Balancing	Network Load Balancing	NLB
Desktop Experience	Desktop Experience	Desktop-Experience
.NET Framework 3.0 Features	.NET Framework 3.0 Features	NET-Framework
.NET Framework 3.0	.NET Framework 3.0	NET-Framework-Core
XPS Viewer	XPS Viewer	NET-XPS-Viewer
Windows Communication Foundation Activation Components	Windows Communication Foundation Activation Components	NET-Win-CFAC
HTTP Activation	HTTP Activation	NET-HTTP-Activation
Non-HTTP Activation	Non-HTTP Activation	NET-Non-HTTP-Activ
Windows System Resource Manager	Windows System Resource Manager	WSRM
Wireless Networking	Wireless Networking	Wireless-Networking
Windows Server Backup	Windows Server Backup	Backup
WINS Server	WINS Server	WINS-Server
Remote Assistance	Remote Assistance	Remote-Assistance
Simple TCP/IP Services	Simple TCP/IP Services	Simple-TCPIP
Telnet Client	Telnet Client	Telnet-Client
Telnet Server	Telnet Server	Telnet-Server
Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications	Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications	Subsystem-UNIX-Apps
RPC over HTTP Proxy	RPC over HTTP Proxy	RPC-over-HTTP-Proxy
SMTP Server	SMTP Server	SMTP-Server
LPR Port Monitor	LPR Port Monitor	LPR-Port-Monitor
Storage Manager for SANs	Storage Manager for SANs	Storage-Mgr-SANS
BITS Server Extensions	BITS Server Extensions	BITS
Message Queuing	Message Queuing	MSMQ
	Message Queuing Services	MSMQ-Services
	Message Queuing Server	MSMQ-Server
	Directory Service Integration	MSMQ-Directory
	Message Queuing Triggers	MSMQ-Triggers
	HTTP Support	MSMQ-HTTP-Support
	Multicasting Support	MSMQ-Multicasting
	Routing Service	MSMQ-Routing
	Windows 2000 Client Support	MSMQ-Win2000
	Messaging Queue DCOM Proxy	MSMQ-DCOM
Windows Process Activation Service	Windows Process Activation Service	WAS
	Process Model	WAS-Process-Model
	.NET Environment	WAS-NET-Environment
	Configuration APIs	WAS-Config-APIs
Windows Internal Database	Windows Internal Database	Windows-Internal-DB
BitLocker Drive Encryption	BitLocker Drive Encryption	BitLocker
Multipath I/O	Multipath I/O	Multipath-IO
Internet Storage Naming Server	Internet Storage Naming Server	ISNS
Removable Storage Manager	Removable Storage Manager	Removable-Storage
TFTP Client	TFTP Client	TFTP-Client
SNMP Services	SNMP Services	SNMP-Services
	SNMP Service	SNMP-Service
	SNMP WMI Provider	SNMP-WMI-Provider
Services for Network File System	Services for Network File System	NFS-Services
Internet Printing Client	Internet Printing Client	Internet-Print-Client
Peer Name Resolution Protocol	Peer Name Resolution Protocol	PNRP
Connection Manager Administration Kit	Connection Manager Administration Kit	CMAK
Remote Server Administration Tools	Remote Server Administration Tools	RSAT
	Role administration tools	RSAT-Role-Tools
	Active Directory Certificate Services Tools	RSAT-ADCS
	Active Directory Domain Services Tools	RSAT-ADDS
	Active Directory Domain Controller Tools	RSAT-ADDC
	Server for NIS Tools	RSAT-SNIS
	Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services Tools	RSAT-ADLDS
	Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS) Tools	RSAT-RMS
	DHCP Server Tools	RSAT-DHCP
	DNS Server Tools	RSAT-DNS
	Fax Server Tools	RSAT-Fax
	DFS Management Console Tools	RSAT-DFS-Mgnt-Con
	File Server Resource Manager Management Console Tools	RSAT-FSRM-Mgnt
	Hyper-V Tools	RSAT-Hyper-V
	Services for Network File System Tools	RSAT-NFS-Admin
	File Services Tools	RSAT-File-Services
	Network Policy and Access Services Tools	RSAT-NPAS
	Health Registration Authority Tools	RSAT-HRA
	Network Policy Server Tools	RSAT-NPS
	Print Services Tools	RSAT-Print-Services
	Web Server (IIS) Tools	RSAT-Web-Server
	Terminal Services Tools	RSAT-TS
	TS RemoteApp Tools	RSAT-TS-RemoteApp
	TS Gateway Tools	RSAT-TS-Gateway
	TS Licensing Tools	RSAT-TS-Licensing
	UDDI Services Tools	RSAT-UDDI
	Feature administration tools	RSAT-Feature-Tools
	BitLocker Drive Encryption Tools	RSAT-BitLocker
	BITS Server Extensions Tools	RSAT-BITS-Server
	Failover Clustering Tools	RSAT-Clustering
	Network Load Balancing Tools	RSAT-NLB
	SMTP Server Tools	RSAT-SMTP
	Windows Deployment Services Tools	RSAT-WDS
	WINS Server Tools	RSAT-WINS
	Hyper-V Tools	RSAT-Hyper-V
Windows PowerShell	Windows PowerShell	PowerShell
Group Policy Management	Group Policy Management	GPMC
Quality Windows Audio Video Experience	Quality Windows Audio Video Experience	Qwave

In another posting, I’ll provide more detailed explanations for each of these services.

10 surprising things about Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2003 felt like a refresh of Windows Server 2000. There were few radical changes, and most of the improvements were fairly under the surface. Windows Server 2008, on the other hand, is a full-size helping of “new and improved.” While the overall package is quite good, there are a few surprises, “gotchas,” and hidden delights you will want to know about before deciding if you will be moving to Windows Server 2008 any time soon.

#1: The 64-bit revolution is not complete

There have been 64-bit editions of Windows Server for years now, and Microsoft has made it quite clear that it wants all of its customers to move to 64-bit operating systems. That does not mean that you can throw away your 32-bit Windows Server 2008 CD, though! Over the last few months, I have been shocked on more than one occasion by the pieces of Microsoft software that not only do not have 64-bit versions, but will not run under a 64-bit OS at all. This list includes Team Foundation Server and ISA Server. If you are planning on moving to 64-bit Windows Server 2008, be prepared to have a 32-bit server or two around, whether it be on physical hardware or in a VM.

#2: Who moved my cheese?

While the UI changes in Windows Server 2008 are not nearly as sweeping as the Aero interface in Vista, it has undergone a dramatic rearrangement and renaming of the various applets around the system. In retrospect, the organization of these items is much more sensible, but that hardly matters when you have years of experience going to a particular area to find something, only to have it suddenly change. Expect to be a bit frustrated in the Control Panel until you get used to it.

#3: Windows Workstation 2008 might catch on

In an odd turn of events, Microsoft has provided the ability to bring the “Vista Desktop Experience” into Windows Server 2008. I doubt that many server administrators were asking for this, but the unusual result is that a number of people are modifying Windows Server 2008 to be as close to a desktop OS as possible. There have always been a few people who use the server edition of Windows as a desktop, but this makes it much easier and friendlier. These home-brewed efforts are generally called “Windows Workstation 2008,” in case you’re interested in trying it out on your own.

#4: Hyper-V is good, but…

Hyper-V was one of the most anticipated features of Windows Server 2008, and it’s surprisingly good, particularly for a version 1 release from Microsoft. It is stable, easy to install and configure, and does not seem to have any major problems. For those of us who have been beaten into the “wait until the third version” or “don’t install until SP1″ mentality, this is a refreshing surprise.

#5: …Hyper-V is limited

Hyper-V, while of high quality, is sorely lacking features. Considering that it was billed as a real alternative to VMWare and other existing solutions, it is a disappointment (to say the least) that it does not seem to include any utilities for importing VMs from products other than Virtual PC and Virtual Server. Even those imports are not workaround-free. Another real surprise here is the lack of a physical-to-virtual conversion utility. Hyper-V may be a good system, but make sure that you fully try it out before you commit to using it.

#6: NT 4 domain migration — it’s not happening

If you have been putting off the painful migration from your NT 4 domain until Windows Server 2008 was released, don’t keep waiting. The older version (3.0) Active Directory Migration Tool (ADMT) supports migrations from NT 4, but not to Windows Server 2008. The latest version (3.1) support migrations to Windows Server 2008, but not from NT 4. Either migrate from NT 4 before changing your domain to be a Windows 2008 domain or get your NT 4 domain upgraded first.

#7: The ashtrays are now optional

In prior versions of Windows Server, a lot of applications came installed by default. No one ever uninstalled them because they did not cause any harm, even if you didn’t use them or installed an alternative. Now, even the “throwaway” applications, like Windows Backup, are not installed by default. After installation, you need to add “features” to get the full Windows Server suite of applications. This can be frustrating if you are in a hurry, but the reduced clutter and resource overhead are worth it.

#8: Licensing is bewildering

Continuing a hallowed Microsoft tradition, trying to understand the licensing terms of Windows Server 2008 feels like hammering nails with your forehead. So maybe this isn’t so much a surprise as a gotcha. The Standard Edition makes sense, but when you get into the issues around virtualization in Enterprise and Datacenter Editions, things can be a bit confusing. Depending upon your need for virtual machines and the number of physical CPUs (not CPU cores, thankfully) in your server, Enterprise Edition may be cheaper — or it may be more expensive than Datacenter Edition. One thing to keep in mind is that once you start using virtual machines, you start to like them a lot more that you thought you would. It’s easy to find yourself using a lot more of them than originally expected.

#9: There’s no bloat

Maybe it’s because Vista set expectations of pain, or because hardware has gotten so much cheaper, but Windows Server 2008 does not feel bloated or slow at all. Microsoft has done a pretty good job at minimizing the installed feature set to the bare minimum, and Server Core can take that even further. Depending upon your needs, it can be quite possible to upgrade even older equipment to Windows Server 2008 without needing to beef up the hardware.

#10: Quality beats expectations

Microsoft customers have developed low expectations of quality over the years, unfortunately, with good reason. While its track record for initial releases, in terms of security holes and bug counts, seems to be improving customers are still howling about Vista. As a result, it has come as a real surprise that the overall reaction to Windows Server 2008 has been muted, to say the least. The horror stories just are not flying around like they were with Vista. Maybe it’s the extra year they spent working on it, or different expectations of the people who work with servers, but Windows Server 2008 has had a pretty warm reception so far. And that speaks a lot to its quality. There is nothing particularly flashy or standout about it. But at the same time, it is a solid, high quality product. And that is exactly what system administrators need.

Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation gives small networks and more options

Earlier this year, Microsoft released a version of Windows Server 2008 called Foundation. This edition is part of the OS’s larger R2 enhancements and will only be made available through the hardware OEMs on eligible servers.
Here are more details about Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation:

• Foundation is targeted at small server environments.
• Foundation is pre-installed on servers with up to 8 GB of RAM and a single processor.
• Up to 15 user accounts are included with the OS, including use of Active Directory.
• Windows Server Client Access Licenses (CALs) are not required for use of the Foundation server, but terminal server CALs and Rights Management CALs may be required.
• Roles include DHCP, DNS, file server, and print server.
• Foundation is capable of running line of business server applications for small businesses.
• Foundation is supposed to make initial purchasing simple for small networks to provide a single server solution for all IT needs.
• Foundation is a lesser-powered server than the popular Windows Small Business Server (SBS), which has additional options including Exchange, SharePoint, and SQL Server.

Foundation has built-in protections to keep it from doing more than what it is intended to do; specifically, the Foundation server is not intended to be part of a domain trust and will eventually shut down if it is in a trust for more than 10 days. Another protection is that the user accounts are assigned to only one user at a time. This follows a good practice of Active Directory identity management by having user accounts go directly to people, in lieu of using a “generic account” for access.

Know to install Hyper-V in Server 2008 x64

If you installed the 64bit edition of Windows Server 2008 it is possible to integrate virtualization of 32bit and 64bit guest operating systems into your Operating System. In order to use this you need a processor that supports hardware assisted virtualization.  Be aware that installing the Hyper-V Server Role could lead to a huge performance drop!

Installation

To install Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 64bit, do the following steps:
1. Start the Server Manager by clicking the Server Manager icon in the systray, or the Server Manager shortcut in directly the Start menu or in the menu Administrative Tools.

2. In the Server Manager click below the category Roles Summary on Add Roles.

3. At the Before You Begin page click Next.

4. Check the Hyper-V role and click Next.

5. Review the introduction and notes and click Next.

6. At the Create Virtual Network page check your internet connection network card to have internet in your virtual pc’s, or leave it to leave your virtual pc’s offline. Then click Next.

7. Review the roles to install and your settings, then click Next.

8. After installing the Hyper-V serverrole, click Yes to restart your computer.

9. After the computer has restarted the Hyper-V setup will be completed. After the installation has completed click Close to finish the wizard.

10. To create, start and configure virtual pc’s go to the Server Manager as described in step 1, expand Roles -> Hyper-V -> Microsoft Hyper-V Servers and finally click your computername.

My own Hyper-V installation

My Hardware: Gigabyte GA-M56S-S3 Motherboard with DualCore AMD Athlon 64 X2 CPU.
Directly after the Hyper-V Serverrole installation had finished I tried starting a virtual machine, but got the message “The virtual machine could not be started because the hypervisor is not running.”. I looked this error up on the internet, and it came out that I had an old version of my bios software (< stepping 3). Your processor needs at least stepping 3 to run Hyper-V. To check which stepping you currently have download and run CPU-Z from http://www.cpuid.com/.
To upgrade the bios I went to the support site of my motherboard and downloaded the newest version of my bios. First I created a Windows startup disk. After creating the startup disk I extracted the files m56ss3.f4e and FLASH895.EXE to that floppy. Next I rebooted my pc and booted up from the floppy. After the I got the command prompt of the startup disk I entered the following command flash895 m56ss3.f4e to upgrade my bios software. After the upgrade had completed I reset the pc, went to the bios and Enabled hardware virtualization.
“Now my Hyper-V MUST work” I thought, but after clicking Start of a Virtual Machine I again got the message “The virtual machine could not be started because the hypervisor is not running.”!! I did some research, and I found that the hypervisor was not added to my Boot Environment. To add the hypervisor to the boot environment start the command prompt and enter the following command: BCDEdit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto. After you get response “The operation completed successfully.”, reboot your system and Hyper-V should work now! If not, take a look in your Hyper-V Event Viewer (See Troubleshooting) and try to find out what the problem is.

Troubleshooting

Question: How can I see if my CPU supports Virtualization?
Answer: Download the tool SecurAble and look if your processor supports 64bit, Hardware DEP and Hardware Virtualization.
Question: After creating a new Virtual Machine in the Hyper-V section in the Server Manager and clicking Start, I get the error message: “The virtual machine could not be started because the hypervisor is not running.”
Answer: The Hyper-V hypervisor needs to be running. If it isn’t running there are probably errors when starting the service. Errors of the Hyper-V Server Role can be found in the Server Manager under Diagnostics -> Event Viewer -> Custom Views -> Server Roles -> Microsoft Hyper-V. Search the error messages at google or in the Server Virtualization section at the Technet Forums.

Active Directory Objects in Windows Server 2008

Active Directory Objects in Windows Server 2008 from SkillSoft

23.4 Mb | filefactory & HotFile

Overview/Description:

Windows Server 2008 includes several new and improved Active Directory features. The most notable change is the renaming of Active Directory Services to Active Directory Domain Services. Further administration and security enhancements make Windows Server 2008 the most complete out of the box version to date. This course explores new account policy and fine-grain password policy features, along with improvements to common Active Directory administration, such as group membership, delegation, and importing data. Mapping to objectives set forth by Microsoft, this course is one in a series that prepares learners for Microsoft exam 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring. Passing this exam completes the requirements for the MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration certification, and counts as credit towards the following exams: Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Administrator, and the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Server Administrator certifications, since both MCITPs are certifications that require more than one exam.

Target Audience

The audience for this path includes administrators who are rolling out and supporting Windows Server 2008 in the enterprise. The audience also includes individuals seeking certification on Microsoft’s new generation server platform. Prerequisites
As an exam prerequisite, any candidate should have a minimum of one year of experience implementing and administering a network operating system in an environment that has the following characteristics: • 250 to 5,000 or more users • three or more physical locations • three or more domain controllers • network services and resources such as messaging, a database, file and print, a proxy server, a firewall, the Internet, an intranet, remote access, and client computer management • connectivity requirements such as connecting branch offices and individual users in remote locations to the corporate network and connecting corporate networks to the Internet Expected Duration (hours) 2.0 Lesson

Objectives

Active Directory Objects in Windows Server 2008 - create an account - import data - delegate control of an OU - configure group membership - distinguish between the domain account policies - recognize how fine-grained password policies are applied - configure domain password policies - configure a password policy - configure an Account Lockout Policy - configure a fine-grained policy - manage a fine-grained policy - configure a fine-grained password policy in a given scenario - configure an account lockout policy in a given scenario

Course Number: ws_mwcd_a03_it_enus

More Information: Please Visit product page

Download:
http://www.filefactory.com/file/ag5574g/n/SkillSoft_Courseware_Active_Directory_Objects_in_Windows_Server_2008_zip

Training in Monitoring Backups and Recovery in Windows Server 2008

SkillSoft Courseware Monitoring Backups and Recovery in Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 provides the ability to restart Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) so that offline perations, such as offline defragmentation of Active Directory objects, can be performed. This decreases the time it takes to perform these types of operations and provides resource management benefits for AD DS administrators, AD DS management teams, and security update planners. The AD provides various tools that help manage and control Windows Server 2008. This course discusses the use of Network Monitor, Task Manager, Event Viewer, Windows System Resource Manager, and the Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP), and demonstrates monitoring Active Directory. It also explores offline maintenance and the configuration of backup and recovery strategies including the use of Directory Services Recovery Mode (DSRM) to perform an authoritative or non-authoritative Active Directory restore. The course is one in a series that covers the objectives for Microsoft exam 70-640: TS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring. Passing this exam completes the requirements for the MCTS: Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuration certification, and counts as credit towards the following certifications: Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Enterprise Administrator, and the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP): Server ministrator, since both MCITPs are certifications that require more than one exam.
DOWNLOAD:
Win App | 20 MB |

http://rapidshare.com/files/244885261/S-Soft.Courseware.Monitoring.Backups_Recovery.in.Windows.Server.2008.rar

A Breif Introduction to windows server 2008

pending time studying and learning the Server Manager console may be the quickest way to become familiar with Windows Server 2008. Exploring the roles and features sections of this tool, especially, will acquaint you with Server 2008's capabilities. This white paper will introduce the Server Manager console and will help you find your way around it, so that you can get up to speed with Server 2008 quickly.

copy the link and open in New browser
Name: Introduction to windows server 2008
Size:817 MB
Download:

http://rapidshare.com/files/240611596/BM_intro_to_windows_server_2008.part01.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/240611471/BM_intro_to_windows_server_2008.part02.rar
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http://rapidshare.com/files/240611362/BM_intro_to_windows_server_2008.part17.rar

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Video Tutorials

ALL videos are in flash format .exe
with description in PDF

Server 2008 Videos
Date: 4/5/2008

00-Content&Intro.pdf
01-DCPromo.pdf
02-DHCP.pdf
03-JoinDomain.pdf
04-OU-User-Group.pdf
05-NTFS.pdf
06-HomeDirProfile.pdf
07-GPO1-Deploy.pdf
08-GPO2-AuditAcc.pdf
09-GPO3-AuditObj.pdf
1-DCPROMO1.EXE
1-DCPROMO2.EXE
10-GPO4-DENYNS2(SERVER).EXE
10-GPO4-DenyNS2.pdf
10-GPO4_(Client).EXE
11-PRINTER.EXE
11-Printer.pdf
12-NAT.EXE
12-NAT.pdf
13-Vista.EXE
13-WindowsVista.pdf
2-DHCP.EXE
3-JoinDomain.EXE
4-OU-USER-GROUP.EXE
5-NTFS_(KT1-TEST).EXE
5-NTFS_(NS1-TEST).EXE
5-NTFS.EXE
6-HomeDirProfile_(Client-Test Home Folder).EXE
6-HomeDirProfile_(Client-Test RoamingProfile).EXE
6-HomeDirProfile_(Server-Test Home Folder).EXE
6-HomeDirProfile_(Server-Test RoamingProfile).EXE
6-HomeDirProfile.EXE
7-GPO1-Deploy_(KT1-Test).EXE
7-GPO1-Deploy_(NS1-Test).EXE
7-GPO1-Deploy_(server).EXE
8-GPO2-AuditAcc.EXE
9-GPO3 _(Client).EXE
9-GPO3-AuditObject(server).EXE
Professional Windows PowerShell for Exchange Server 2007 SP1.pdf
Windows_Server_2008_Active_Directory_Components.pdf
WinServer2008-CertPaths.pdf



Download
http://rapidshare.com/files/106675270/Server_2008_Videos.part1.rar.html

http://rapidshare.com/files/106675275/Server_2008_Videos.part2.rar.html

Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide

Hi All Friends,




Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide covers Group Policy administration for
Microsoft Windows Server™ 2003, Windows XP Professional, and Windows 2000.
The book is designed for Windows system administrators, network engineers, and anyone
else who wants to learn the ins and outs of Group Policy. If you currently support
Active Directory or you want to learn more about Group Policy, this book is for you

Here is the link to download Microsoft Windows Group Policy Guide


Download

http://rapidshare.com/files/111234092/GPO_Guide.zip