The final category of new features focuses on the disk and file subsystem, because this is a critical component of Windows Server. Since all operations require some access to disk resources, this component is one of the most important in the entire OS. Some special features at this level include:
• DFS Namespace and Replication The Distributed File System (DFS) was vastly improved with the R2 release of WS03, especially in terms of replication.
• Common Log File System A system that ensures that all log files are compatible with each other, letting you collect and manage them in one interface.
• File Server Quotas Quotas that are assigned at the file share level instead of at the entire disk volume level, as with previous versions of Windows Server.
• Storage Management for SANs A common interface and driver to access SANs from any manufacturer.
• Windows ReadyDrive A technology that relies on new hybrid disks—disks that include RAM—to speed access to disk-based resources.
• BitLocker Drive Encryption A new encryption mechanism that can encrypt the entire disk drive, not only user files.
• Automatic Disk Defragmentation A system that ensures that all file components are located in the same sectors of the hard disk drive for speedier access.
• Self-Healing NTFS A transactional file system that writes all transactions to logs before committing them to the file system itself.
• Symbolic Linking A tool that allows you to use a file system object to point to another file system object.
Each of these makes for a cleaner, faster Windows Server 2008. (Continued )
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Feature DFS Namespace and Replication
Description: The Distributed File System (DFS) is a system for managing shared file resources across a network and make it easier for users to access these resources. DFS is typically a replacement for mapped network drives.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: New ✓ Improvement Update Replacement
Feature Source: WS08 Vista ✓ WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: By Default ✓ Add-on Through Server Manager Custom
Applies to: Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Features
• Previous versions of DFS in Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003
• File Replication Service (FRS) for DFS
Benefits
• Gives users access to file shares using common naming practices, eliminating the need for mapped network drives.
• When linked with replication, gives users access to the same data in different locations across the WAN.
Functions
• DFS is now divided into two components: namespaces and replication. Namespaces let you designate a virtual name or alias for file shares across the network. Actual file shares are then linked to the new namespace. Replication lets you copy content from one file share to another by using a byte-level replication mechanism that only replicates changes to files, not entire files.
• Namespaces can create virtual folder trees that make more sense to end users. The actual file shares that are linked to this folder tree can be located on any server in the organization. Accessing files in the shares is performed through the virtual tree and is completely transparent to users. Namespaces can be used with or without replication. Domain-based namespaces are replicated in ADDS so that they are available to users wherever they are in the network.
• DFS Replication (DFSR) not only supports DFS, but can also replicate files from any server to any other server in the organization. It relies on the Remote Differential Compression (RDC) algorithm, which replicates only the changes to files and not the entire files themselves—after the source and the target have been synchronized at least once. Changes are monitored at the byte level, and through bandwidth throttling and replication scheduling, make more efficient use of WAN links. DFSR also supports a multimaster model, so changes can originate from any system in the namespace. Collision detection algorithms round this out to make sure that only the right changes are replicated.
Feature Common Log File System
Description: The Common Log File System (CLFS) provides a general-purpose log file subsystem in Windows Server 2008 that is exposed to both kernel and user mode applications. It supports consolidation and integration of logs from diverse applications.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
Feature Source: WS08 Vista ✓ WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Feature Common Log File System
Installation: ✓ By Default Add-on Through Server Manager Custom
Applies to: ✓ Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature
• Previous logging file systems
Benefit
• Provides a single integrated way to log events in Windows and streamline event management.
Functions
• CLFS provides a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that lets developers log information about their applications without having to write reams of custom code.
• Supports applications or middleware that rely on writing or reading sequential data. Applications in this category include replication agents, auditing agents, databases, and transactional resource managers. New applications such as DFSR rely on this subsystem to write the events related to their operation.
• Relying on CLFS lets WS08 log information about a vast number of events that were not monitored in previous editions of Windows Server.
Feature File Server Quotas
Description: Lets administrators control the space usage on file shares to keep users within limits and conserve disk space.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
Feature Source: WS08 Vista ✓ WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: By Default Add-on Through Server Manager ✓ Custom
Applies to: Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature • Volume quotas
Benefit
• File server quotas are assigned at the folder level, giving administrators better control over file share usage.
Functions
• Quotas can now be assigned either at the volume level, as in previous versions of Windows Server, or at the folder level, giving administrators more granular control. Templates can be created and automatically assigned at the creation of any new file share.
Feature Storage Management for SANs
Description: Storage Management for SANs is a new console that lets administrators create and manage logical unit numbers (LUNs) on fibre channel and Internet Small Computer Systems Interface (iSCSI) disk drive subsystems in a storage area network (SAN).
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
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Feature Storage Management for SANs
Feature Source: WS08 Vista ✓ WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: By Default Add-on Through Server Manager ✓ Custom
Applies to: Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature • None
Benefits
• Provides a single view of SAN structures from within Windows.
• Facilitates SAN LUN management.
Functions
• Can be used on any SAN that supports Virtual Disk Server (VDS).
• Can be used to create and assign LUNs, modify or change connections between LUNs and the servers attached to a SAN, or set security properties for iSCSI storage subsystems.
• Eliminates need for proprietary disk managers.
Feature Windows ReadyDrive
Description: Feature that takes advantage of hybrid hard disks or hard disks that include non-volatile Flash memory as well as the actual disk drive.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
Feature Source: WS08 ✓ Vista WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: ✓ By Default Add-on Through Server Manager Custom
Applies to: ✓ Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature • None
Benefit
• Systems equipped with the appropriate hybrid hard disks will perform much faster than traditional systems.
Functions
• Relies on Flash memory to boot faster, resume from hibernation in less time, preserve battery power, and improve the reliability of your disks.
• While hybrid disks are mostly intended for mobile computers to help preserve battery power, they can also work with WS08.
Feature BitLocker Drive Encryption
Description: Provides protection by encrypting the entire hard disk.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
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Feature BitLocker Drive Encryption
Feature Source: WS08 ✓ Vista WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: By Default Add-on Through Server Manager ✓ Custom
Applies to: ✓ Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature • None
Benefit
• Protects server systems by encrypting the entire hard disk drive, securing the data from loss or theft.
Functions
• BitLocker encrypts the entire Windows system volume and protects from schemes like NTFS for DOS, which lets users bypass the security features of the hard disk drive.
• BitLocker can rely on Trusted Protection Module (TPM) version 1.2—a hardware-based encryption key storage chip—or rely on an external USB Flash disk to store the encryption keys. Relying on TPM chips will greatly enhance security, since they are built into the system and will no longer work if tampered with.
• BitLocker is an ideal companion to the RODC role, since it is often used in areas where servers cannot be physically protected.
Feature Automatic Disk Defragmentation
Description: Windows Server 2008 includes automatic built-in disk defragmentation that is turned on by default at installation.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
Feature Source: WS08 ✓ Vista WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: ✓ By Default Add-on Through Server Manager Custom
Applies to: ✓ Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature
• Older defragmentation tool
Benefit
• Maintains hard disks at peak performance by ensuring that all files are stored contiguously on the disk.
Functions
• Automatically defragments drives and volumes after the initial installation is complete. Schedule is set to once per week by default, but can be modified.
• Defragmentation occurs in the background and does not affect system performance, since it is given a low-priority code, which stops the operation when other, higher-priority tasks are run.
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Feature Self-Healing and Transactional NTFS
Description: A disk formatting system that ensures disks are maintained at their optimal level when in use.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
Feature Source: ✓ WS08 Vista WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: ✓ By Default Add-on Through Server Manager Custom
Applies to: ✓ Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature
• Previous versions of NTFS
Benefit
• Ensures that data is properly committed on disks as they are in use and helps protect data recovery from hard drives.
Functions
• The move to a transacted file system ensures that transactions are properly committed to the hard disk. This is valuable for transactions that affect the Windows registry, protecting it from corruption. In the event of a shutdown before transactions are committed, they are committed at startup to ensure that the hard drive or volume has integrated the latest changes.
• Transacted file systems are also useful for multiple writes to the same volume, updates to multiple files on different volumes, or updates to files on remote volumes.
• Self-healing NTFS works in conjunction with the transactional file system to protect data that is stored on hard drives or volumes. When issues are discovered, NTFS initiates repairs of the damage automatically without having to run the CHKDSK.EXE utility.
Feature Symbolic Linking
Description: Used to point from one location to another in the file system.
Category: Disk and File Subsystem
Feature: ✓ New Improvement Update Replacement
Feature Source: ✓ WS08 Vista WS03 R2 WS03 Service Packs
Installation: ✓ By Default Add-on Through Server Manager Custom
Applies to: ✓ Small ✓ Medium ✓ Large Organizations
Replaced Feature • None
Benefit
• Lets you make better use of file system resources.
Functions
• You can transparently share data across volumes without complex reformats or disk extensions.
• Works with both local and shared network resources.
• Provides an additional way besides variables to point from one location to the other on the file system.