Windows Tip Sheet
R2W1: The Branch Office
Week one of Don’s Windows Server 2003 R2 Month.
Windows Server 2003 R2 contains Microsoft’s first volley at making remote
(or
branch) office management a bit easier. Remote offices are often
characterized by little or no on-site IT staff, possibly less WAN bandwidth
than the corporate HQ boasts, and plenty of users who still need your support.
For these situations, R2 is worth every penny, thanks to three new technology
areas:
- File Replication. The replication engine for Distributed File Service
(DFS) was rewritten in R2 -- and it needed it. Now, it’s a robust, multi-master
replication service. You can create replication scheduled, bandwidth throttles,
and more. Set up DFS replica nodes in your remote offices and you can replicate
key content out to their file servers, allowing them to access software installations,
shared company files, and more, all without using the WAN as much. The new
replication even utilizes…
- Remote Differential Compression (RDC). A new compression technology
in R2, RDC (not to be confused with Remote Desktop Connection) smooshes data
as it travels across the WAN, giving you more bang for your WAN buck. Plus,
it’s a differential technology, meaning it’s capable of
deploying just the differences in a file, thus saving even more bandwidth.
- Management Tools. The new Print Management Console (PMC, because
who can’t use another acronym?) is something you should get installed
ASAP. After close to two decades of Windows being a file and print server,
we finally have a robust, centralized console for managing print servers.
It’s awesome for keeping track of printers at remote offices, which
are often a support headache.
If your company is dealing with remote offices, take a close look at R2 and
what it offers. You’ll have to do some rethinking on how resources like
files are deployed and treated, but in the end you could have an easier time
of things.
Additional Resources:
About the Author
Don Jones is a multiple-year recipient of Microsoft’s MVP Award, and is Curriculum Director for IT Pro Content for video training company Pluralsight. Don is also a co-founder and President of PowerShell.org, a community dedicated to Microsoft’s Windows PowerShell technology. Don has more than two decades of experience in the IT industry, and specializes in the Microsoft business technology platform. He’s the author of more than 50 technology books, an accomplished IT journalist, and a sought-after speaker and instructor at conferences worldwide. Reach Don on Twitter at @concentratedDon, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/ConcentratedDon.