The last server edition is Windows or Windows Server 2003, although Microsoft issued Windows Server 2003 R2 during that period, it, after all, is not an independent new edition. Therefore, this incoming issue, Windows Server 2008, sets great store by Microsoft, and the characteristics related with Windows Server 2008 are repeatedly reported by the medium. Thereinto, many characteristics are familiar to most IT experts, but Windows Server 2008 still has some unbeknown characteristics or its characteristics are ignored by the majority.



The first thing that I like is Auditpol, Auditpol is a detailed login tool, which allows users to configure, create, backup and restore audit strategies in any computer in the company. Especially in these regulatory compliance years, audit is much more important than anytime in the past; thereby, Auditpol probably ends audit application requirement of the third-party, which includes a greatly patulous list of audit accounts and not just the simple auditing tools displayed in Windows Server 2003; moreover, Auditpol even contains hundreds of different categories. Accordingly, just like what Ralston has said, Auditpol allow users to ?create detailed track of what happens in the operating system.?

The second thing is WinRS, Windows Remote Shell, In order to connect to the command-line interface of remote computers in Windows Server 2003, the administrators must use Terminal Services. The Terminal Services are said to be fine, but the expansibility is not very good, which should connect to the control panel of a remote computer. WinRS could create security connect to any remote computer in necessary moment, and only needs carry this operation from single control panel. This brings significant decrease of time cost for administrators.

The third thing is AD RMS, Active Directory Rights Management Services, In Windows Server 2003, the corresponding function of AD RMS is Windows Rights Management Services, only as a plug-in product in Windows Server 2003, which needs additional purchase. In Windows Server 2008, AD RMS becomes a build-in function, including some upgrade functions. AD RMS assists to create access-protected documents, intercept access-protected information, and ensure that appropriate users have suitable permission to visit the access-protected data. To Windows Server 2008, some improvements of AD RMS include the capability of AD RMS management by MMC.

Another is New Password Policy, In the Active Directory (AD), domain is a security boundary. As an early edition of Windows Server 2008, the security boundary of Windows Server 2003 is confined to every domain in possession of one password policy. This is a comparatively limited measure, so it has been cancelled in Windows Server 2008. Now the administrators needn't create a new domain to obtain a new password policy, and they only set password policy for specific groups or users. If CEO or CIO of the company wants to strict password policy, it could be easily realized in Windows Server 2008.

The last thing that I like, it is maybe the most important for many users, that is Potential Upgrade of Network Speed, Network carries the responsibility of transferring more and more data. Since 1995, the size of network data packet sending in one packet all keeps 64KB, its data transmission flow is 5MB approximately. Network stack almost rewritten in Windows Server 2008 including a few bran-new technologies, such as: it allows bigger data packets into network, etc. At the same time, it could instantaneously change the size of data packets in network transmission, which makes it more efficient in transmission. The upper limit of data packet's size has been modified to 512KB; therefore, it could be transformed into probably 40MB throughput. In other words, if the network has been correctly configured and tuning, its speed is eight times of the previous operation. This is really an exciting improvement.