Time is running out for those legacy tools stuck on the millions of Windows Server 2003 machines still in use around the world, in accounting firms and everywhere else. In July 2015, Microsoft will stop patching and supporting Windows Server 2003 – and it is time we had a plan to do something else.
Today, the big buzz is about mobile computing and the cloud’ – computing over the internet using servers that someone else maintains. But we all know that the cloud is not ready for every solution. The reality is a hybrid of servers and cloud. The servers may well be in a private cloud’ in a data centre, but they may also be in our own offices. If you’ve been buying technology for
a long time, you will know that in 1995 there was a battle between Linux, Netware and Microsoft for the server market in business. By 2002, the answer was pretty obvious; by 2008, it was decided; in 2012, with the release of Windows Server 2012, Microsoft locked out the competition for the foreseeable future,
The obvious benefits of Server 2012 are:
. more ways to reduce infrastructure costs of storage, space and power;
. much better for server consolidation through improved virtualisation and management; and
. more features for minimising server downtime.
If you are still dabbling with the competitors, have the expiring 2003 server or simply want some of Windows Server’s newest features, now is a good time to Consider an investment. Windows Server 2012 R2, released at the end of 2013, contains a number of useful improvements and provides simple, cost-effective computing with very strong user control.
1. You get improved virtualisation capabilities (with both Linux and Windows), which can improve your server efficiency and reduce hardware costs.
2. You can replicate your data to two different locations, which means you can have a backup server in the office and one off site. This gives you peace of mind should your main server fail.
3. You can reduce storage costs by using several hard disk formats in one storage array, 4. By using System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine Manager, it is now possible to clone virtual machines or export them without shutting them down. This can speed up migrations with limited downtime for your firm.
5. You can raise or lower the assigned disk space of a running virtual machine without needing a server outage to expand storage space for a server.
In short, this is every bit the latest solid server out of Microsoft and will perform well in your business.
If this conversation is too technical for you, engage with your server vendor for an explanation or for a proposal that will suit your needs. They generally do understand and can help you to get it right.
What is a virtual machine?
Virtual machine (VM) technology is a collection of software that acts just like a separate computer—a computer within your computer.
The technology has taken off in recent years and Windows Server 2012 R2 further improves Windows Server’s VM abilities.
If your firm runs more than one server, you can put all your servers in VMs and run them on a single physical computer. Each virtual machine is an isolated container, minimising security worries. And you can move your VMS between different physical servers.
