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Simplify Branch Server Management: Windows Server 2003 R2 allows you to maintain the performance, availability, and productivity benefits of a local branch office server while avoiding issues typically associated with branch office server solutions such as connectivity limitation and management overhead.
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Improve Identity and Access Management: Windows Server 2003 R2 includes Active Directory Federation Services, designed to help administrators address identity management challenges by making it possible for organizations to share a user’s identity information more securely across security boundaries. R2 also provides UNIX password synchronization which helps integrate servers running Windows and UNIX by simplifying the process of maintaining secure passwords.
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Reduce Storage Management Costs: Windows Server 2003 R2 includes new tools designed to provide a centralized view of storage, simplified storage planning, provisioning and maintenance, and improved monitoring and reporting.
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Provide a rich Web Platform: Windows Server 2003 R2 enables businesses to extend their infrastructure over the Web while reducing development and management costs through the enhancements delivered with SP1, x64, Windows SharePoint Services, .NET Framework 2.0, and Internet Information Services 6.0.
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Provide cost effective server virtualization: Windows Server 2003 R2 Enterprise Edition will allow you to run up to 4 virtual instances of Windows Server 2003 R2 EE on one licensed physical server or hardware partition, thereby decreasing the costs for server virtualization.
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Seamless UNIX/Windows Integration: UNIX Integration components in Windows Server 2003 R2 allow you to reduce costs by integrating UNIX and Windows systems to deliver a complete solution. The integration of security and directory services, file and printer sharing and re-use of UNIX code and IT skills across platforms delivers a simplified infrastructure and allows UNIX or Windows IT staff to manage both systems from one place.
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More centralized management: Provides centralized management tools for file and print functions.
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Reduced remote administration: Minimizes local administration and local back up.
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Better WAN efficiencies: Enables faster data replication over wide area networks.
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Greater user efficiency: Fewer user passwords, for both internal and partner-hosted web applications, through extranet Single Sign-On and identity federation.
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Enhanced IT efficiency: Centralized administration of extranet application access, fewer password resets, and the ability to delegate user management to trusted partners.
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Better security: Automated shut off of extranet access based on disabling a users Active Directory account.
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Better regulatory compliance: Log user access to partner applications in external security domains.
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Improved interoperability with heterogeneous systems: Cross-platform Web Single Sign-On and identity federation using Web Services interoperability specifications and tools to manage and dynamically update user accounts and passwords across Windows and UNIX systems using Network Information Service (NIS). Also performs automatic synchronization of passwords between Windows and UNIX operating systems.
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Better storage utilization: Provides storage utilization information through detailed storage reports.
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Better quota management: Monitors and controls disk space usage with directory quotas.
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Better file screening: Limits types of files allowed on servers with file screening.
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Simpler SAN configuration: Easily configures and provisions storage area networks (SANs).
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Enable Cross Platform Management: UNIX administrators can manage both UNIX and Windows systems using many tools, utilities and scripts that you are using today with the Utilities and SDK Web Download, which includes shells and SVR-5 utilities. Windows administrators can use familiar Windows commands to manage UNIX systems, users, permissions and passwords.
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Integrate UNIX Applications: The Sub-system for UNIX-based Applications (SUA), is a source-compatibility subsystem for compiling and running custom UNIX-based applications on Windows Server 2003 R2. SUA allows for some parts of a UNIX application to be run on Windows, for instance building a Windows-based Graphical User Interface (GUI) for an existing UNIX-based application.
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Migrate UNIX Applications: SUA enables the phased migration of UNIX-based applications by allowing most custom applications to be re-compiled and run natively on Windows. Applications can be converted or re-written one component at a time, without significant end-user downtime or extensive cut-over times.
