windows server 2012 features

windows server 2012 features

Windows Server 2012 formerly code named Windows Server 8, is the current release of Windows Server. It is the server version of Windows 8 and the successor to Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2012 is the first version of Windows Server to have no support for Itanium-based computers since Windows NT 4.0. A developer preview (an alpha release) was released on 9 September 2011 to MSDN subscribers. On March 1, 2012, Microsoft issued a public beta (build 8250). On April 17, 2012, Microsoft announced the product name would be Windows Server 2012. On May 31, 2012, Microsoft announced the release candidate (RC) for Windows Server 2012

Builds

A Milestone 3 build (6.2.7959.0) was reportedly leaked to file-sharing sites. A new window style, but little else, was present. Windows Server 2012′s developer preview was released on 9 September 2011 along with that of Windows 8, but unlike Windows 8′s developer preview, it was only made available to MSDN subscribers. It was branded as the Windows Server “8″ Developer Preview” The Modern UI (formerly Metro) user interface is present, as well as the new Server Manager, along with the other new features. On 16 February 2012, Microsoft announced that the developer preview build, after installing a particular update, will be set to expire on 15 January 2013, instead of the original 8 April 2012.

Screenshots of a build suspected to be (but was not) the beta of Windows Server 2012, then referred to as Windows Server “8″, were reportedly leaked on 3 January 2012. A new dashboard UI is present. Build 8180 was leaked on 13 January 2012, and contains some revisions to the Server Manager interface and Storage Spaces.

The beta was released along with the Windows 8 Consumer Preview on 29 February 2012.The Release Candidate of Windows Server 2012 was released on 31 May 2012, along with the Windows 8 Release Preview.

The final build was released to manufacturing on 1 August 2012 and became generally available on 4 September 2012.Qualifying students have also been able to download Windows Server 2012 via DreamSpark.

User interface

Server Manager has been redesigned with an emphasis on easing management of multiple servers. The operating system, like Windows 8, uses the Metro UI unless installed in Server Core mode. Windows Power Shell in this version has over 2300 commandlets, compared with around 200 in Windows Server 2008 R2. There is also command auto-completion.

Task Manager

Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 include a new version of Windows Task Manager together with the old version. In the new version the tabs are hidden by default showing applications only. In the new Processes tab, the processes are displayed in varying shades of yellow, with darker shades representing heavier resource use. It lists application names, application status, and overall utilization data for CPU, memory, hard disk, and network resources, moving the process information found in the older Task Manager to the new Details tab. The Performance tab is split into CPU, memory (RAM), disk, ethernet, and, if applicable, wireless network sections with graphs for each. The CPU tab no longer displays individual graphs for every logical processor on the system by default; instead, it can display data for each NUMA node. When displaying data for each logical processor for machines with more than 64 logical processors, the CPU tab now displays simple utilization percentages on heat-mapping tiles.The color used for these heat maps is blue, with darker shades again indicating heavier utilization. Hovering the cursor over any logical processor’s data now shows the NUMA node of that processor and its ID, if applicable. Additionally, a new Startup tab has been added that lists startup applications. The new task manager recognizes when a WinRT application has the “Suspended” status.

Installation options

Unlike its predecessor, Windows Server 2012 can switch between “Server Core” and the “Server with a GUI” installation options without a full reinstallation. Server Core is now the recommended configuration. There is also a new third installation option that allows some GUI programs such as MMC and Server Manager to run, but without Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer or the new desktop and shell.

IP address management (IPAM)

Windows Server 2012 has an IPAM role for discovering, monitoring, auditing, and managing the IP address space used on a corporate network. IPAM provides for administration and monitoring of servers running Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name Service (DNS). IPAM includes components for:

• Custom IP address space display, reporting, and management: The display of IP addresses is highly customizable and detailed tracking and utilization data is available. IPv4 and IPv6 address space is organized into IP address blocks, IP address ranges, and individual IP addresses. IP addresses are assigned built-in or user-defined fields that can be used to further organize IP address space into hierarchical, logical groups.
• Audit of server configuration changes and tracking of IP address usage: Operational events are displayed for the IPAM server and managed DHCP servers. IPAM also enables IP address tracking using DHCP lease events and user logon events collected from Network Policy Server (NPS), domain controllers, and DHCP servers. Tracking is available by IP address, client ID, host name, or user name.
• Monitoring and management of DHCP and DNS services: IPAM enables automated service availability monitoring for Microsoft DHCP and DNS servers across the forest. DNS zone health is displayed, and detailed DHCP server and scope management is available using the IPAM console.

Both IPv4 and IPv6 are fully supported.

Active Directory

Windows Server 2012 has a number of changes to Active Directory from the version shipped with Windows Server 2008 R2. The Active Directory Domain Services installation wizard has been replaced by a new section in Server Manager, and the Active Directory Administrative Center has been enhanced. A GUI has been added to the Active Directory Recycle Bin. Password policies can differ more easily within the same domain. Active Directory in Windows Server 2012 is now aware of any changes resulting from virtualization, and virtualized domain controllers can be safely cloned. Upgrades of the domain functional level to Windows Server 2012 are simplified; it can be performed entirely in Server Manager. Active Directory Federation Services is no longer required to be downloaded when installed as a role, and claims which can be used by the Active Directory Federation Services have been introduced into the Kerberos token. Windows Powershell commands used by Active Directory Administrative Center can be viewed in a “Powershell History Viewer”.

Hyper-V

Windows Server 2012, along with Windows 8, includes a new version of Hyper-V,as presented at the Microsoft Build Event.Many new features have been added to Hyper-V, including network virtualization, multi-tenancy, storage resource pools, cross-premise connectivity, and cloud backup. Additionally, many of the former restrictions on resource consumption have been greatly lifted. Each virtual machine in this version of Hyper-V can access up to 64 virtual processors, up to 512 gigabytes of random-access memory, and up to 64 terabytes of virtual disk space per virtual hard disk (using a new .vhdx format). Up to 1024 virtual machines can be active per host, and up to 4000 can be active per failover cluster. The version of Hyper-V shipped with the client version of Windows 8 requires a processor that supports SLAT and for SLAT to be turned on, while the version in Windows Server 2012 only requires it if the RemoteFX role is installed.

Hardware

Microsoft has revealed the following maximum supported hardware specifications for Windows Server 2012 at the BUILD conference.

Logical processors	640 (was 256 in Windows Server 2008 R2)
Random-access memory	4 TB (was 2 TB in Windows Server 2008 R2)
Failover cluster nodes	64 (was 16 in Windows Server 2008 R2)

System requirements

Microsoft has indicated that Windows Server 2012 does not support 32-bit (IA-32) or Itanium (IA-64) processors.

Minimum system requirements for Windows Server 2012 

Architecture	x64 (64-bit)
Processor	1.4 GHz
Memory (RAM)	512 MB
HDD free space	32 GB (more if there is 16 GB of RAM or more)

Upgrades from Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 are supported, though upgrades from prior releases are not supported.

Editions

Windows Server 2012, unlike Windows Server 2008 R2, will have only four editions – the Enterprise, Small Business Server, Web, and HPC editions do not exist.