Looks like a real winner!!!
In terms of the contents:
Chapter 1 What’s New in Windows Server R2 1
Chapter 2 Installation and Configuration: Adding R2 to Your World 9
Chapter 3 Hyper-V: Scaling and Migrating Virtual Machines 25
Chapter 4 Remote Desktop Services and VDI: Centralizing Desktop and Application Management 47
Chapter 5 Active Directory: Improving and Automating Identity and Access 65
Chapter 6 The File Services Role 91
Chapter 7 IIS 7.5: Improving the Web Application Platform 109
Chapter 8 DirectAccess and Network Policy Server 129
Chapter 9 Other Features and Enhancements 147
Introduction
Windows Server 2008 R2, or simply R2 for short, is the second release of Windows Server 2008. It isn’t a completely new release, but rather adds additional features and refinements to the existing release. In this book, we focus on the new features and refinements in R2. We assume you have at least a general knowledge of Windows Server, and that you have some familiarity with Windows Server 2008, although we don’t assume you’re actively running Windows Server 2008. Where an R2 feature is a refinement of a feature that was new in Windows Server 2008, we provide background on the Windows Server 2008 feature to provide context.
Who This Book Is For
This book is targeted primarily at Windows server administrators who are responsible for hands-on deployment and day-to-day management of Windows-based servers for large organizations. Windows server administrators manage file and print servers, network infrastructure servers, Web servers, and IT application servers.
They use graphical administration tools as their primary interface but also use Windows PowerShell commandlets and occasionally write Windows PowerShell scripts for routine tasks and bulk operations. They conduct most server management tasks remotely by using Terminal Server or administration tools installed on their local workstation.
What This Book Is About
Covering every aspect of Windows Server 2008 R2 in nine chapters and approximately 200 pages is clearly an impossible task. Rather than try to cover everything, we’ve focused on what is new and important, while giving you the context from Windows Server 2008.
Chapter 1 – “What’s New in Windows Server R2” Provides a brief overview of all the new features and capabilities of Windows Server 2008 R2.
Chapter 2 – “Installation and Configuration: Adding R2 to Your World” Covers minimum system requirements, basic installation and configuration of R2, and what is involved in adding an R2 server to an existing Windows Server network. Configuration of the Windows Server Core installation option, added in Windows Server 2008, is covered, along with the steps required to add a Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller to an existing Windows Server network.
Chapter 3 – “Hyper-V: Scaling and Migrating Virtual Machines” Covers the new Hyper-V features of Windows Server 2008 R2, including dynamic storage management and Quick Migration of clustered virtual machines (VMs). Covers creation and management of virtual machines using the Hyper-V Manager console, Windows PowerShell, and the Failover Cluster Manager console and discusses the features of System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2.
Chapter 4 – “Remote Desktop Services and VDI: Centralizing Desktop and Application Management” Covers Remote Desktop Services (the new name for Terminal Services) and the enhancements of Windows Server 2008 R2, including Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), which uses the new RD Virtualization Host capability of R2 to provide desktop virtualization. R2 also includes an all-new Remote Desktop Services provider for Windows PowerShell.
Chapter 5 – “Active Directory: Improving and Automating Identity and Access” Covers the new features of Active Directory (AD), including an AD Recycle Bin, a new set of Active Directory Windows PowerShell cmdlets, and improvements in daily AD administration.
Chapter 6 – “The File Services Role” Covers the new File Services features, including BranchCache, Distributed File System–ReadOnly (DFS-R), and the File Classification Infrastructure (FCI).
Chapter 7 – “IIS 7.5: Improving the Web Application Platform” Covers the features of the new version of Internet Information Services (IIS), including the new Windows PowerShell management features.
Chapter 8 – “DirectAccess and Network Policy Server” Covers the Network Policy Server (NPS) and the new DirectAccess feature that allows Windows 7 computers to be transparently connected to internal network resources from anywhere without requiring a virtual private network (VPN) connection.
Chapter 9 – “Other Features and Enhancements” Covers the enhanced version of Windows Server Backup included in R2, including the Windows PowerShell commands for backing up. Also covered is the new BitLocker To Go capability, which provides an important new protection for removable volumes such as backup disks.
You may need some of these downloads to work with while reading…
Free Software; Proof of Concept!
- Dan’s Lab Advice
- Deploying and Managing Windows Azure Applications
- Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1
- Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 SP1
- System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1
- System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 RC
- System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2
- System Center Configuration Manager 2007 R3
- System Center Configuration Manager 2012 Beta 2
- Microsoft Virtual Academy