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Windows Server

Windows Server

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Windows Server 2022 Demo!

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Multipoint Server 2012 Virtual Desktops demo

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How to Install and Configure VPN On Windows Server 2012 Full Step by Step

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Windows Server best practice you’ll want to implement today

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Product Details

What is Windows Server?

Windows Server Technical Details

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Reviews and Ratings

(833)

Reviews

(1-25 of 62)

Familiar and reliable

Rating: 8 out of 10
June 13, 2022
AR
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
10 years of experience
Almost all of our production systems run on Windows Server platforms. We tend to separate each server out as one role to host a single application or set of applications. All servers we run are virtualised and we utilise data centre licensing on our hosts. Most off-the-shelf applications require Windows Server, and we prefer centralised management of a single platform so it's really the only choice for us (apart from some virtual appliances).
  • Centralised management. Active directory and group policies make this quite easy.
  • Low resource use. We are able to deploy an increasing number of applications on server core.
  • Bundled services. More and more functionality is Bundled and can be added and removed as roles.
In most cases you don't have a choice, many commercial applications are built on the Windows server base. However the domains and active directory are good when you have large numbers of servers to manage en-masse.

Windows Server keeps getting better

Rating: 10 out of 10
October 27, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
5 years of experience
We run AD, DHCP, DNS, RD Gateway, and printing services all through Windows Server. It's powerful and relatively simple to manage. It adds simplicity to our workflow using the power of Group Policy and adds security being able to securely encrypt remote RDP connections through the use of the RD Gateway.
  • It utilizes an intuitive, easy to use user interface.
  • It offers features far beyond even what we use it for.
  • It maintains continuity with the rest of our Windows environment.
Environments with lots of users can heavily benefit from Active Directory and Group Policy. Even smaller organizations can benefit from those, but the licensing costs may be prohibitive for smaller environments. Being able to have simple failover between two or more Windows Servers for things like AD authentication and DHCP is also very convenient.

The best server operating system on the market today

Rating: 10 out of 10
August 31, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
10 years of experience
It is being used across both at the departmental level and also across the whole organization. At the organization level, it is being used to centrally manage Active Directory, and also centrally manage other software that is deployed to different departments. This includes SCCM, which is installed locally on Windows Server. It addresses the problem of having a good server operating system that is easy to set up, use (as compared to other servers OS's), and doesn't require a whole lot of back-end support to manage.
  • It is really good for running services such as DHCP, DNS, and Active Directory. In most environments, these are main services that run every day and are services that server administrators and other IT folks rely on in their everyday work.
  • It is good for pushing down policies to endpoints and offers a robust group policy management tool for getting this accomplished.
Windows Server is well suited for environments that want an easier to use and configure server OS, as compared to some others on the market, which involve more from a set-up standpoint, and also require more ongoing maintenance on the back-end. It is less appropriate for organizations that want more control over custom configuring and setup/use of their server OS. It is also less appropriate in environments that don't have a majority of Windows endpoints, in which case another server OS might be more beneficial.

Windows Server - The Right Choice

Rating: 9 out of 10
August 23, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
13 years of experience
Windows Server is being used for many applications across the organization. It is used as the operating system for all virtual machines. As we are using Windows Server for all systems, we also use most of the services that Windows Server offers. Including but not limited to; Active Directory, DHCP, DNS, Print Services, and more.
  • Active Directory is critical
  • Integration with DHCP and DNS
  • Runs basically everything
You really don't have much of a choice when it comes to enterprise class operating systems, particularly in the public sector. Fortunately, Windows Server gets the job done and it get it done well. Running it as the core of your environment or even for hosting a small application is always feasible, especially if you opt for datacenter licensing.

Centralized Management

Rating: 7 out of 10
August 19, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
6 years of experience
We manage Windows Server for a few of our clients who need it for computer lab deployments or data sharing among office staff. In a Windows environment, it's the only way to go to get good control over devices and easily provide access to shared resources like drives and printers over the network.
  • Manage accounts
  • Share printers
  • Organize files
If you run a Windows or mixed environment and want to share resources, Windows Server is the way to do it. It can do quite a bit, but because of that, it is a very complex set of tools, so be prepared to invest a lot in getting it set up and maintaining things.

Windows Server - It's as simple as that!! Reliable, Full-Featured, Secure, Easy to administer.

Rating: 10 out of 10
July 08, 2021
We are using Windows Server at our business for multiple uses. First, it is being used as a File Server - allowing us to have a large repository of data without upgrading individual workstations. Second, we are using Windows Server 2016 do to it's ability to perform workstation backups - reliably. The backup function supports Bare-Metal Restore (and has been put the test multiple times and works great!) and also supports deduplication - it only stores 1 copy of each duplicate file from All of our workstations (why take space to store Windows 10 files, etc. multiple times).
They have deprecated that function in Windows Server 2019.
  • Backup of workstations & itself - reliably, consistently, with Bare-Metal Restore and deduplication
  • File management and Security on a per file/folder/user basis is simple and fully done through an easy GUI
  • DNS, DHCP server functions are easy to configure using the built-in GUI
If you have one user or 1000's of users (especially using Windows), Windows Server is a no-brainer! The only reason I would suggest going with a Linux server is if you have old hardware (Windows Server is more process intensive than Linux).
But, Linux is open-source, so anyone can publish updates/security updates, but on the flip side, malicious people also have full access to Linux's codebase allowing for much easier writing of exploitations/viruses/malware/ransomware.

Windows Server Review

Rating: 9 out of 10
June 28, 2021
ZA
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
20 years of experience
I have been supporting Windows Servers for many years and the product has evolved significantly over the past years. The product is used throughout the enterprise for running the smallest applications to running large business-critical applications. The product is being used as an operating system either on a bare metal server or within a virtual machine running on top of VMware, Hyper-V, or Nutanix. We use the product to authenticate users on our domain via an active directory. It is also used to provide DHCP and DNS services. On one project we used it for configuring virtual desktops using terminal services and we could provision desktop clients in a browser. Previously we also used it for VPN access but then switched to a FortiGate firewall as it is more secure.
  • Easy to use due to its intuitive graphical user interface.
  • Very popular and makes integration easier.
  • Lots of software drivers available.
  • Has many functionalities such as Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, VPN, RDP, VDI server, etc.
  • Many patches and updates available. Maybe abit too much too often.
  • Cost effective and with budget.
  • Remote desktop feature simplifies remote access to this server.
  • It has a built in VPN and ssl certificate feature.
  • Event viewer is available for alerts, although it seems too cumbersome to go through the logs.
  • If you got too many Windows systems to manage, then SCCM is an option.
It can be basically deployed in any environment from the smallest branch or home office to running your mission-critical applications in large data centers. Its basic features are very easy to deploy and manage by even a junior engineer who understands Microsoft Operating Systems. The advanced features can be easily learned as there are many training options and support forums to assist.

Windows Server

Rating: 9 out of 10
June 04, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
5 years of experience
Windows Server is used in our Information Technology department and most of our applications hosted on it. Our databases are also deployed on the windows server platform. We have deployed our applications and databases as well as our virtualization of physical servers using windows server technology. We have virtualized our servers.
  • Easy to Use
  • User community is strong
  • Frequent Updates
  • Security updates are frequent
  • Hardware independent
Easy to configure and install, even an internee can use it and understand it, whenever you are stuck in anything you just have to read the Microsoft articles and will get the solution for any condition.

Windows Server, Expensive but worth it

Rating: 9 out of 10
June 02, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
15 years of experience
We use Windows server for all server related functions including DC, DNS, DHCP, File, Print, etc..
  • File Sharing
  • Print management
  • Active Directory
  • DNS, DHCP
I feel that Windows Server is the best server OS to run a small to medium business on. Yes, there are other cheaper options out there, but they require much more in depth knowledge and offer limited support. Ease of use plus customization and comfort will always make Windows Server OS my first choice.

The Reliable Server Operating System

Rating: 9 out of 10
May 28, 2021
TH
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
5 years of experience
Windows Server is the backbone for our organization which runs web and desktop applications to support end users in managing their daily tasks and assignments. One of the best features is that it is a part of Microsoft Eco System so if you are using other Microsoft Services i.e. Active Directory, SQL Server and Power BI so they can easily be integrated.
  • Integration with other Microsoft products and services.
  • Failover management.
  • Web server management IIS.
  • Network management.
  • Firewall.
Overall experience was good bundle of managing features that could make monitoring a lot easier whole in one package to support and integrate with other applications of Microsoft i.e. Software Center, Active Directory, SQL Server, IIS and many more. UI can be made much simpler and with upcoming advancement in threats there is always a space for enhancement.

King of users management in real world

Rating: 9 out of 10
May 25, 2021
IA
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
14 years of experience
Windows Server is being used by my organization for managing All AD (Active Directory), users in the domain, and all related servers and services Company wide. All servers are Microsoft windows based i.e Microsoft Exchange server for managing users' corporate email to worldwide, and azure and other servers are providing service to cloud users globally.

Windows Server addresses the following business problems:
Management of all users in a single domain.
Due to this solution, we can implement Policies as per requirements or whenever we need them.
  • Users management is very simple & quick with all required policies.
  • Windows Servers secures users data & privacy.
  • Reporting and bind monitoring is very easy.
Windows server is well suited in:
  • Large scale organizations where the number of users is high and management of policies must be required to handle users.
  • Critical data environment.
  • Minimum downtime areas with low cost with smooth services.

Windows server is less appropriate in:
  • Small offices.
  • No need for domain work, it can be managed in workgroups.
  • No need to deploy policies on users.

One of the core components of IT

Rating: 8 out of 10
May 20, 2021
UA
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
2 years of experience
Windows Server has been in the industry for many years and it has been available in different flavors with multiple use cases over the years. it has been one of the favorites of [the] system and network administrators in terms of ease of use. In our organization, it is being mainly used for active directory services and it is also our domain controller and NTP server.
  • Simple to setup
  • Not all services are required you can enable selected services
  • Any service can be enabled with a few clicks
  • Support for high availability with clustering
  • Wide user base
  • Highly scalable
Windows Server has a lot of features built-in and it has been getting new features and feature updates with every new release. it can be used as [a] domain controller, NTP server, web server, radius server, NAC server, etc. it also supports virtualization and has its own hypervisor, therefore a full blown virtual infrastructure can be made on Windows Server.

Windows Server Review

Rating: 9 out of 10
May 20, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
10 years of experience
The most basic feature in Windows Server is obviously the Active Directory. This is basically a central place where you create, update, block, and cancel user accounts. Those accounts enable every worker of the company to log on to any computer (unless you configure it not to) and to each receive everywhere their personal authorization. As this implies you can also configure what each user can do, use, and access.
  • Active Directory
  • Shared folders and printers
  • DNS
Once you have four or more computers it is appropriate to move the maintenance to a central location rather [than] looking after each computer separately. Especially if you have several branches at different physical locations it makes sense to not only access everything from one location but also easily connect between them and allow [users] to work at either branch.

Windows Server Review

Rating: 9 out of 10
May 19, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
8 years of experience
We leverage Windows Server as the primary backbone for most of of the applications that the University runs. This includes deployments in Azure as well for applications we choose to live in the cloud. The use of Windows Servers give our department level admins a familiar interface to be able to manage their applications.
  • Ease of use GUI
  • Driver compatibility
  • Update Frequency
If they are looking for a product that will be easy for them to configure and use then I don't really believe there is a better option available. If this was an app that they are looking to configure once then never touch it again I could see possibly pushing them toward a Linux solution but unlikely.

Windows Server - No other choice needed

Rating: 9 out of 10
May 19, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
15 years of experience
Windows Server is being used at our organization as our main DNS, DHCP, AD, print and file servers. Everything we do is handled by Windows Servers. It allows us to manage users, security and push out policy as needed. Windows Server has been very stable on the latest versions which means productivity and efficiency for us.
  • security
  • file print
  • file storage
Windows Server is best for medium to large businesses where security is a top concern. Having the ability to use group policy for security, mapped drives, printers and automation is key. It is also easy to manage users using active directory. Exchange integration with Azure is also great.

Server 2019 - the Good and Bad

Rating: 10 out of 10
May 15, 2021
RB
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
20 years of experience
Windows Server 2019 Standard is being used by our company as a main file server as well as a SQL server for accounting and estimating programs. All of our desktop and laptop computers are connected to it and it also serves as our DNS server. Off-site users can access the data via a VPN connection. Server 2019 solves the problem of giving secure access to data to all of our staff.
  • File Server
  • VPN Server
  • SQL Host Server
  • DNS Server
Best suited as a domain controller, file server, SQL server, VPN server and DNS server. You would be better off allowing your router to control DHCP processes. And direct access to printers via IP address is better than having the server be used as a printer server. Having the router work as a DHCP server will also keep the server out of the loop when it comes to direct access to the internet.

Windows Server, gold standard

Rating: 8 out of 10
May 13, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
18 years of experience
Windows Server is the [backend] server platform for all of our of our servers. It is used to run all of our virtual machines. We use it to run all of our critical services such as Active Directory, Domain Name Services, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Sharepoint, Remote Desktop Services, Print Servers, File Servers, etc
  • Easy to use
  • GUI or CLI
  • Lots of available roles
  • High Up time
  • Typically reliable security patches
Anyone working in IT will typically have to deal with Windows Server at some point in their career. I have found that it typically works well for any role you put it into. There are typically smaller niche products that sometimes do a better job at a specific task that Windows Server does. But I find using these products can at times get confusing and be very time consuming. Getting a standard education in Windows Server really does let you be a jack of most all trades

Windows Server Review

Rating: 10 out of 10
April 27, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
25 years of experience
Windows Server is the primary server operating system at our corporation. It is used for file servers, print servers, mail servers, web servers, and application servers. There are currently various versions deployed with a current movement to standardize on Windows Server 2019 Standard. Over 95% of our current installed server base is virtualized and running on VMware's hypervisor product.
  • Windows Server is a very stable platform.
  • Windows Server is extremely versatile and can be used for a variety of roles.
  • Windows Server is easy to administer and install.
In my opinion, Windows Server is the easiest server platform to use for things like print servers, file servers and web servers. It is also well suited to act as a platform for a variety of third party platforms. I would not use some of its more specific networking functions like routing or VPN as there are fair more efficient dedicated solutions for these uses.

Windows Server offers a great all-around solution for almost any server need

Rating: 10 out of 10
April 23, 2021
GJ
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
12 years of experience
We use Windows Server for our primary server operating system. It's primary used for our hypervisor as well as VM's. We use various Windows Server roles and functions such as AD, DNS, DHCP, file server, printing, web, and more. This allows us to have an easy to manage operating system that is centrally managed.
  • Hypervisor
  • Active Directory
  • DHCP
  • Ease of Deployment
  • Security Updates
If you're a Windows shop, or heavily use O365 and Office, Windows Server fits in nicely with its ability to manage Windows clients using Active Directory. Likewise, Active Directory and Exchange integrate well with O365. If you are primarily a Mac client enterprise, Windows Server is less appropriate. Using Windows Server as a hypervisor, regardless of workstation OS, is also a great use case.

Reliable all around Server/Networking Environment

Rating: 8 out of 10
April 14, 2021
MG
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
20 years of experience
We use Windows Servers like domain controllers, file servers, and RDS servers.
  • Great Price Performance Ratio
  • easy to maintain
  • integration into o365/azure
To run any small to enterprise size environment Windows Server scales to size and demand.

Windows Server is the only server operating system that you will need

Rating: 10 out of 10
April 11, 2021
PT
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
2 years of experience
We are currently using Windows Server on multiple machines to manage our active directory and other services as well as for hosting some virtual machines for specific tasks to aid in the performance and reporting for our customer service team to improve the experience that our customers receive upon each phone call.
  • Windows Server is very stable and reliable.
  • Windows Server has a wide range of functions that can be completed on the system.
  • Windows Server can handle our workloads.
If you want a reliable system with a Windows interface, then Windows Server is your best choice. If you want a server system that can run on very minimal hardware, then Linux would be the better choice. However, Windows Server is far superior to Linux in the vast amount of software that can be installed and ran as well as is supported natively.

Stable and Flexible Workhorse Operating System

Rating: 10 out of 10
April 09, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
25 years of experience
Windows Server is our organizations primary server operating system. It's used to support needs across the entire organization, from authentication, file and print to database, application and web servers.
  • Easy to manage
  • Wide Application Compatibility
  • Stable operating system environment
  • Flexible, suitable for a number of different roles
Window Server is well suited for internal infrastructure functions like authentication, DHCP, DNS and file and print services via Active Directory. Highly recommend for application server roles as well, web server via IIS assuming the correct security is put in place or for internal use, Database via SQL Server or 1,000's of third party applications. We tend to avoid placing Windows servers directly on the internet but assuming you have the correct security place in it's a great platform.

Windows Server is the bedrock of Infrastructure

Rating: 9 out of 10
April 08, 2021
Verified User
Vetted Review
Verified User
Windows Server
10 years of experience
Windows Server is the backbone of our server infrastructure. It handles our User Identity management via Active Directory, File and Storage management for tens of thousands of users across 100 sites, Print services, Software Assignment via App-V management. Without Windows Server our entire infrastructure would be unable to function as it is run 100% on it.
  • Identity Management
  • File and Directory Services
  • Print Server
Windows Server is the best base to do most forms of infrastructure building on. It is stable, well-designed, and allows flexibility without requiring tremendous commitment for specific configurations. You can select to access it via the GUI, or via command-line/Powershell, enabling you to reduce the footprint based on how you want to interact with it.
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