To date, reviews of Windows Server 2008 appear to be highly favorable, citing the new features that system administrators of small and mid-sized businesses will enjoy. Here are a few highlights of Windows Server 2008:

Windows Server 2008 is built on the same code base as the Vista, so there is a lot of common functionality and architecture.

• The server manager utility provides a central control panel for all the important features and roles that the OS supports.
• Server core strips the OS down to a single function, command line server OS. This pared down version of the OS has eight different roles - file, print, Web, virtualization, ADDS, storage, DHCP and DNS and dramatically cuts down patching time.
• PowerShell provides an intuitive environment for IT administration and makes it easier to automate functions and extract information.
  

Protect your Business
According to industry analyst IDC, by the end of this year, there will be more than 3.5 mn installations worldwide of Windows Server 2008. If your business is going to be among those making the upgrade, then you will need to find a way to ensure that your new OS environment will be effectively managed, secured, and recoverable. Despite the fact that Microsoft has stated Windows Server 2008 to be the most advanced and secure server operating system that they have ever released, the burden still remains on small and mid-sized businesses to:

Manage: Set up new software, manage the OS environment, monitor for and apply new patches

Secure: Protect data against spam, virus and unknown vulnerabilities

Recover: Employ tools to aid recovery from any type and size of disaster.

Comprehensive Solutions
Standardizing your business management, security, and recovery solutions is the best way to ensure that new and existing Windows systems are protected. Symantec has delivered certified solutions on the Windows Server platform for decades and is now releasing improved management, security, and recovery software for Windows Server 2008.

Manage: Symantec's management solutions enable SMBs to meet the growing demands on IT services and manage information growth and infrastructure complexity. Manual processes are automated throughout the entire data center lifecycle, lowering overall operating costs. Symantec's Altiris Client and Server Management solutions help IT increase efficiency while reducing complexity, downtime, and costs.

Secure: Symantec's Endpoint Security solution offers proven, world-class protection without added resource burden. The solution enables businesses to efficiently manage security for all its endpoints and gain confidence about assets and business operations being protected while controlling costs.

Recover: Backup and recovery solutions from Symantec provide consistent, reliable protection of system and data while simplifying recovery.

If early reviews are any indicator, then Microsoft's new Windows Server 2008 will become a popular OS environment for businesses in the coming months. While Microsoft has made great strides in the security of this new release, it is not a security solution, and you will need to find a comprehensive way to keep all systems managed, secured, and recoverable.

Author: Ajay Verma, director, Channel and Alliances, Symantec India