Network Security: Analysis of Windows Server 2008

An operating system (OS) is designed to act as an interface between the computer and its user. The Windows Server OS is a platform that you can use to build an infrastructure of connected applications, networks, and Web services. Originally codenamed Windows Server "Longhorn," Windows Server 2008 is built from the same code base as Windows Vista .

Windows Server 2008 is a line of server operating systems (OS) from Microsoft. It is the successor of Windows Server 2003 and shares the same code base as Windows Vista. New features were added in Server 2008 particularly Server Core command utility from security perspective to reduce attack surface.

Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to persuade my audience that using virtualization technology is beneficial for both organizations and the environment. I would like my audience to realize that implementing virtualization can have positive effects for organizations and the environment. My central idea is that virtualization technology cuts down on cost.

In this modern day and age of computing, networks are a huge part of IT. It is important now more than ever that data sent over any network, whether it be a LAN (Local Area Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network; The Internet) is kept safe, private (when required) and uninterrupted in

Windows Server also provides enhanced management control over resources across the enterprise. It is designed to provide better energy efficiency and performance by reducing power consumption and lowering overhead costs. It also helps provide improved branch office capabilities, exciting new remote access experiences and streamlined server management.

[P3] Server virtualisation: This is the process of hiding all of the server resources including the amount of servers that a company has and the amount of processors etc. From the people using the server.

Windows Server 2008 R2 builds on the successes and strengths of its Windows Server predecessors while delivering valuable new functionality and powerful improvements to the base operating system. New Web tools, virtualization technologies, security enhancements, and management utilities help save time, reduce costs, and provide a solid foundation for the information technology (IT) infrastructure (Microsoft.com, 2009).

Windows Server is a server operating system from Microsoft Corporation. Windows Server offers ease of management through its interface. The Windows Sever web hosting environment supports major Web programming languages and databases such as PHP, MySQL, ASP.NET and MS SQL.

The employees should be granted different levels of access based on their role and job function.

For many years Microsoft have worked on making the server environment as efficient and reliable as possible, and have improved previous versions of their server Operating System to provide us with the most current support for our ever-evolving business environment. A great example, the release of Windows Server 2008, it was developed to “provide key functionality to support any size business and IT challenge”. One of the most fascinating managemet tool within Windows server 2008 is the server manager interface that allow administrators to Install, configure, and migrate new server roles from the server manager interface.

As we all know virtualization is the requirement of future. We have evolved from the age of traditional environment to virtual environment.We have grown accustomed to almost all things virtual from virtual memory to virtual networks to virtual storage.The most widely leveraged benefit of virtualization technology is server consolidation, enabling one server to take on the workloads of multiple servers. For example, by consolidating a branch office’s print server, fax server, exchange server, and web server on a single windows server, businesses reduce the costs of hardware, maintenance, and staffing.

This business case investigation discusses in depth about the process of virtualization of servers in an organization and the various benefits of doing so. Giving a brief introduction to the concept of virtualization, it was introduced in the late 1960s when the resources of mainframe computers were divided between several applications. [1] The term virtualization has since then been expanded in terms of practical application. The conversion of the physical server into a pool containing several virtual machines which act individually as one computer is known is hardware virtualization.

Windows had humble beginnings. It wasn’t until the release of version 3.0 that it really started to take off and become a ubiquitous product in the consumer and business world. Windows 1.0 arrived in 1985, ten years after the formation of Microsoft, the company that created it. It was preceded by MS-DOS, a command-line based, single process operating system. MS-DOS’s main goal was to create “software that manages, or runs, the computer hardware and also serves to bridge the gap between the computer hardware and programs, such as a word processor.”

TJX, the largest off‐price clothing retailer in the United States still suffers from the biggest credit‐card theft in history. The company lost 94 million credit and debit card numbers resulting in a huge amount of fraudulent transactions due to weak security systems in at least one store. In addition, the customers lost believe in TJX‐ which led to a huge cut of sales.

When we use the word ‘virtualisation’ we are referring to the act of creating a virtual version of technologies found in the world of computing. Technologies such as, operating systems, servers or a storage device. Virtualisation is a tactical and highly effective way of lowering IT cost while at the same time