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ActiveXperts Network Monitor proactively manages network servers, devices, databases and more.
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Windows Operating Systems
Windows platforms:
Windows 2003;
Windows 2000;
Windows XP;
Windows Embedded;
Windows Mobile;
Windows 2003
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition packs a whole lot of power and leverages some key business needs within this package. Some key features are the Advanced Networking Authentication Service (IAS), the Two-way symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and support of up to four gigabytes (GB) of RAM. Microsoft .NET Server 2003 Standard Edition is built upon the Windows 2000 Server core and is a dependable and reliable “out of the box” solution and would be an optimal choice for most small businesses.
The next level is the Enterprise Edition which packs in many more features for the use of medium to large businesses.
It is the platform of choice for high resource applications such as networking, messaging, inventory and customer service systems, databases, and e-commerce Web sites.
This server supports eight processors, eight node clustering and up to 64 GB of RAM depending if you are using the 32 or 64 bit version.
Additionally, the increased performance of the Enterprise Edition makes this server perfect for those who need more availability and scalability than is found in
the Standard Edition.
Datacenter Edition is built for mission-critical and high-volume applications that demand the most extreme levels of scalability, availability and reliability.
Only available through Microsoft’s Datacenter program, you can be assured of the highest levels of service and support only offered by OEMs and other qualified vendors.
The Web Edition is a powerful server that is able to host your web applications, web sites, etc. in a single Internet solution. This system explores the realm of advanced web application development and hosting with integrated features such as ASP.NET, IIS 6 and more. Microsoft Windows .NET Server 2003 is designed to host a single web site or to be specifically used to deploy specific functionality. Since all of the features in the Web Edition are also available in the other editions, it will only be available through selected partners and will not be available for retail sale.
Improved Security
Microsoft have at last taken security seriously in Windows Server 2003.
Back in 1995 Bill Gates suddenly realised that the internet was the way of the future;
this transformed Microsoft's products from IIS service to IE browsers.
The following securityimprovements are made:
- Trustworthy Computing - a strategy to make it hard for viruses to attack
- Common Language Runtime - checks applications will run without error before letting them execute
- Software restrictions - Administrators can prevent executables running on a computer
- Passport Integration - Map Passport to Active directory, useful for business partners
- Cross Forrest Trusts - Explicit trusts with your subsidiaries or suppliers
- Credential Manager - Secure store for passwords and certificates, useful for roaming users
- PKI support - Autoenrollment, useful for smart cards and secure wireless connections
- Improved IIS security - Default installation is 'Locked Down'
Active directory
In Windows Server 2003 you can change the domain name.Administrator's can control the information that is synchronised between Domain Controllers.
Users benefit by being able to logon with cached credentials at remote sites.
The ADMT (Active Directory Migration Tool) was first seen in Exchange; next it appeared in XP Pro and now an improved version
is provided in Windows Server 2003. What the ADMT can do is to copy users and passwords from NT4.0 or Windows 2000 into active directory.
IIS v 6.0 (Internet Information Services)
The first security improvement is that IIS is not installed by default.
This means that IIS is not just sitting on your server waiting to be attacked.
Administrators have been asking for years for a secure installation option, well now they have it
as the default installation of IIS 6.0 is 'Locked Down'.
NT 4.0 was always open to criticism that it did not scale, and this particularly applied to IIS 4.0; with IIS 6.0 Microsoft have made the web server as secure, dependable and scalable as Apache. This has been achieved through a new kernel driver HTTP.SYS, there is also a new request processing architecture and ASP.NET integration.
The XML metabase will make it easier and faster to restore a web site. There is also an Authorization manager to control and configure URL access. Finally, look out for the new command line tools.
Application Services
This is an area for database connectivity and developers to produce dynamic applications. As anticipated Windows Server 2003 has native XML support and integration with COM and Microsoft Message Queuing. There is also support for web services standards e.g. SOAP, UDDI (Universal Description Discovery and Integration) and WSDL (Web Services Description Language).
Developers are also catered for with .NET Framework which contains a uniform set of Windows Forms, Microsoft ADO.NET and ASP.NET.
(Wireless) Networking
Windows Server 2003 improves IEEE 802.1x reliability and security which have so limited wireless deployment in the past.
Windows Server 2003 improves and brings together lots of technologies that could make wireless networks commonplace:
- VPN and RADIUS load balancing
- PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over ethernet)
- IPv6
- IPSec over NAT (Network address resolution)
- Bridging and ICS
- Check out the Connection Manger Administration Kit (CMAK) if you are going down the wireless route.
Terminal Server
It's about thin client technology where the applications run on the server and all the client does is pass keystrokes and receive
screen refreshes across the network.
It is unusual for Microsoft to change the name of an item from version to the next,
but Terminal Server has suffered more than most.
In NT 4.0 it was Terminal Services.
The latest name change is for the 'Remote Administration mode', to become called 'Remote Desktop for Administration' in Windows Server 2003.
There is more than just name changes in Terminal Server, and we now have True Color and up to 1600 X 1200 resolution to see all the new features.
The RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) now extends the local devices from just the printer in Windows 2000 to include smart cards and the client file system.
As expected, you can get more users on a server than with Window 2000, and Microsoft's load balancing is about the same as 'Server Farms' of Citrix.
General Improvements
Your perspective on Windows Server 2003 will depend on what system you are running now.
If your network is NT4.0 you will have to master Active Directory, but if you are at the Windows 2000 stage then Windows Server 2003 is more of a
point upgrade rather than a radical change:
- 64-Bit support
- More wizards, e.g. to set up server roles, to set resource usage
- Reduced TCO, faster everything
- Easier deployment e.g. AD replica installed from backup
- The Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) tool lets you see the effect of Group Policy
Windows 2000
Built on NT Technology and an easy-to-use, familiar Windows® 98 user-interface, Windows 2000 Professional makes business users more productive. Its integrated Web capabilities and broad support for mobile computers and hardware devices makes Windows 2000 the easy way for business users to connect to the Internet anywhere and anytime. Windows 2000 Professional, MultiLanguage Version builds on multilingual support in other versions of the operating system. The MultiLanguage Version is the only version that can switch the language employed for the user interface.
With the Windows® 2000 Server operating system, Microsoft has accomplished a goal rarely achieved in the software industry: delivered a product that is evolutionary and revolutionary at the same time. Evolutionary in that Windows 2000 builds on the great things about the Windows NT® Server 4.0 operating system. Revolutionary in that Windows 2000 Server sets a new standard for how well an operating system can be integrated with Web, application, networking, communication, and infrastructure services. For the first time, you have an easy choice to make about the next server operating system you deploy--whatever your needs.
Windows® 2000 Advanced Server operating system contains all of the features and functionality of the standard version of Windows 2000 Server, plus additional features for organizations that require higher levels of scalability, reliability, and availability.
Windows 2000 doesn't use a 9x kernel, which is the "core" of the operating system, it uses a NT (New Technologies) kernel. The difference between the 2 is stability. WindowsNT and Windows 2000 has dramatically increased stability. If your using Windows 98 SE (Second Edition) you may not notice a bigger difference as SE has an improved kernel.
One of the main problems with Windows 2000 is compatibility. Windows 2000 isn't compatible to all hardware and software. Though Microsoft is working on an added driver database most likely there is a chance you could experience problems with hardware, with no drivers installed or the wrong drivers installed.
If your a fan of DOS games like Doom, and Duke Nukem 3D you can forget about it, Windows 2000 is basically has like no DOS, so most likely the dos games will not work.
If you have only been using Windows for a year and a half or less, you are not an Advanced computer user, do not use a network or have a business, Windows 2000 is most likely not for you and you should explore the operating system before upgrading.
What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?
Windows 2000 and Windows XP are essentially the same operating system (known internally as Windows NT 5.0 and Windows NT 5.1, respectively.)
Windows 2000 benefits:
- Windows 2000 has lower system requirements, and has a simpler interface (no "Styles" to mess with).
- Windows 2000 is slightly less expensive, and has no product activation.
- Windows 2000 has been out for a while, and most of the common problems and security holes have been uncovered and fixed.
- Third-party software and hardware products that aren't yet XP-compatible may be compatible with Windows 2000; check the manufacturers of your devices and applications for XP support before you upgrade.
Windows XP
With the strengths of Windows 2000 Professional and the best business features of Windows 98 and Windows Me, Windows XP Professional is the best desktop operating system for business.
Windows® XP Home Edition is a smarter, simplified operating system that lets you stay connected to what’s important to you, from friends and family to the Internet. With the new Windows engine, Windows XP Home Edition offers greater reliability and dependability than ever before in a home operating system.
Microsoft Windows XP is the first operating system coming from Redmond to combine the advantages of the Windows NT core with the ease of use and flexibility of the Windows 9x series. Basically we can state that Windows XP is the fusion of the best of two worlds: Windows 2000 & Windows Me. After years of promising, Microsoft finally did it: Windows 9x is condemned to death (although it'll be supported until 2003) so home users now have access to the unprecedented reliability of the NT engine. Windows XP has made the news so much since it’s inception it’s hard not to want to be apart of the Windows eXPerience. Windows XP was internally referred by Microsoft as Neptune at first and later renamed Whistler before finally becoming ‘XP’.
After several years of intensive development Microsoft has probably released the most ambitious version of Windows yet - similar to what Windows 95 was to Windows 3.1. Windows XP will surely mark computing history while OEM and system integrators expect it to boost sales in these economic troubling days. Microsoft Windows XP is available in two different flavors: the Home and Professional editions. Behind the green or blue box lies exactly the same operating system with a few minor feature differences. The professional edition adds some extra business oriented features over the Home edition with the support of SMP systems, Active Directory and IIS Web server.
Windows XP Professional Edition
Designed for businesses of all sizes and for home users who demand the most from their computing experience, Windows XP Professional delivers the new standard in reliability and performance. It includes all the great features and new visual design of Windows XP Home Edition, plus premier security and privacy features, advanced recovery options, improved ability to connect to large networks, and much more.
Windows XP Home Edition
Experience more than you thought possible with your home computer and the Internet. Windows XP Home Edition brings dependability and simplicity to your personal computer. It includes a cleaner, more intuitive visual design, advanced digital media features that make working with digital photographs or playing digital music simple and fun, and many new Windows experiences to explore.
What's the difference between Windows 2000 and Windows XP?
Windows 2000 and Windows XP are essentially the same operating system (known internally as Windows NT 5.0 and Windows NT 5.1, respectively.)
Windows XP benefits:
- Windows XP is somewhat faster than Windows 2000, assuming you have a fast processor and tons of memory (although it will run fine with a 300Mhz Pentium II and 128MB of RAM).
- The new Windows XP interface is more cheerful and colorful than earlier versions, although the less-cartoony "Classic" interface can still be used if desired.
- Windows XP has more bells and whistles, such as the Windows Movie Maker, built-in CD writer support, the Internet Connection Firewall, and Remote Desktop Connection.
- Windows XP has better support for games and comes with more games than Windows 2000.
- Windows XP is the latest OS - if you don't upgrade now, you'll probably end up migrating to XP eventually anyway, and we mere mortals can only take so many OS upgrades.
- Manufacturers of existing hardware and software products are more likely to add Windows XP compatibility now than Windows 2000 compatibility.
Windows Embedded
The Windows® Embedded family offers two embedded operating systems, each of which enables easier development and faster time-to-market for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and embedded developers seeking to address the demand for specialized and embedded devices.
Windows CE .NET
The successor to Windows CE 3.0. Designed from the ground up for the embedded marketplace, Windows CE .NET delivers a rich operating system feature set and an end-to-end development environment for creating custom Windows CE–based device.
Examples of target devices include: PDA, Smartphone, Webpad, Internet/Media Appliance, and Basic Set-Top Box.
Windows® XP Embedded
The componentized version of Windows XP, enabling rapid development of the most reliable and full-featured connected devices.
Examples of target devices include: Advanced Set-Top Box, Advanced Residential Gateways/Servers, Retail Point-of-Sale Devices, Windows-Based Terminals, and Industrial Controls.
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile-based devices provide a flexible platform with wide-ranging capabilities, enabling developers to deliver rich mobile applications quickly and easily. Pocket PC and Smartphone applications share a common software platform. This enables developers to target both devices, streamline their mobile application development, and improve their overall productivity.
In addition, the familiar Windows development environment delivers a consistent experience enabling increased productivity using the tools and techniques you already know. Visual Studio .NET supports Windows Mobile-based devices and the .NET Compact Framework provides an end-to-end familiar programming model from server to desktop to device. The ASP. NET Mobile Controls in Visual Studio .NET enable server-side mobile controls that support a broad range of mobile devices and browsers with a single code base.
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Administration tools
Windows Platforms