What is the difference between 2003 and r2

What am i missing? R2 introduced new functionality to Server Think of Windows NT Server with the option pack integrated. The service pack goes on top of either the stock or the R2 release. Installing SP2 on a stock box does not give you the additional features that came with R2. Multiple MVEs may be awarded each year.

What could take multiple guys 2 hours or more each to find is accessed in around 15 minutes on Experts Exchange. All rights reserved. Covered by US Patent. Come for the solution, stay for everything else. Welcome to our community! Can someone please explain me difference between windows server non r2 vs windows server R2 server? I am trying to understand if there is some major advantage of using R2 for hosting.

When you deploy AD DS, set the domain and forest functional levels to the highest value that your environment can support. This way, you can use as many AD DS features as possible. When you deploy a new forest, you are prompted to set the forest functional level and then set the domain functional level.

You can set the domain functional level to a value that is higher than the forest functional level, but you cannot set the domain functional level to a value that is lower than the forest functional level. With the end of life of Windows Server , , and R2, these domain controllers DCs need to be updated to Windows Server , R2, , or As a result, any domain controller that runs Windows Server R2 and older should be removed from the domain.

For migration steps, you can either follow the procedures on TechNet or you can refer to the streamlined set of steps on the Storage Team File Cabinet blog. This configuration is also known as "Smart card required for interactive logon". In , the branding for Windows servers changed. After that, the server versions were named based on the year each edition was released. Windows Server provided the initial functionality for many features of the operating system still in use today.

The main features included:. The release also included specialized versions for different server environments, with Advanced Server and Datacenter Server editions as well as the standard Windows Server operating system. The release of Windows Server brought a significant rewrite to the server software. The main goal of the change was to reduce the need to reboot the system, specifically by providing the ability to install updates and patches without needing to restart.

With Windows , Microsoft provided updates to the security features. This was also the first time the company included the. NET framework in the server operating system. Another major addition with the release was the ability to define server roles. This allowed the operating system to be customized for specific tasks, like a DNS server. Microsoft also provided multiple versions of the release, including the Standard, Advanced, and Datacenter versions, and a new Windows Server Web Edition meant for internet servers.

Another update came out not long after the initial release to convert the Windows Server system to a bit environment. This release focused on enhanced security, especially user authentication. This was based on Active Directory, which remains the foundation for user authentication today.

This gave users access to third-party applications without going through all the authentication steps for the external software, as long as the users were verified through the Active Directory extension. Another security feature of R2 was the Security Configuration Wizard, which provided the ability to define security policies for groups of computers. Additionally, Windows Server R2 contained improved data compression for transfers and files and multi-site WAN replication procedures.

Microsoft took another three years to develop significant updates to Windows Server, which were released as Windows Server This virtualization product allowed Windows Server users to create virtual machines VMs , which was increasingly important to IT teams. This may have been included for competitive reasons, to prevent Windows users from looking elsewhere for a VM system.

Windows Server included new software administration tools called Event Viewer and Server Manager. These utilities gave administrators more control over important server activities.

A different version of the Windows Server software was available with Server Core. This bare-bones version of the software, without the standard graphical user interface GUI , provided command-line access to the server.

This was a welcome change for administrators who were more familiar with Unix and Linux systems with existing command-line environments, and it made Windows Server an important competitive product for Microsoft. The major change with this version involved the transition from being based on Windows Vista to being based on Windows 7. This brought the system to a bit environment. Many of the other updates were technical and not very visible to users, since they focused on supporting services.

The release saw additional updates to Active Directory, this time in support of better group policy implementation. Additionally, DirectAccess and BranchCache were introduced, designed to provide better server access to users in remote locations. These updates focused on improving the Hyper-V functionality, so it could be integrated into both local hosts and onsite delivery.