Microsoft Server a dire need for Infrastructure
April 12, 2017

Microsoft Server a dire need for Infrastructure

Philip D | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Windows Server

The number one reason to use Windows Server and Active Directory services is because your organization wants to run Exchange as your primary email platform. The number two reason to use Windows Server in your organization is for authentication of users and machines. If you are not running a domain model then your Microsoft Windows Server just becomes a glorified file storage machine that uses NTFS permission of files and folders. In the domain model, the first Windows Server in Active Directory also known as the forest domain root controller becomes the Domain Naming System (DNS). Server translates domain names to IP addresses. Other critical roles of server technology are DHCP. The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol can automatically assign IP addresses to machines. With the growth of Windows Server from Windows NT 3.0 to Windows Server 2016 roles and features plus security features have been added since servers inception from 1993.
  • Authentication of Users and Machines
  • Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
  • New Technology File System (NTFS) Permission of Files and Folders
  • Integration of Exchange 2016 to Windows Server 2012 has a been a tedious process.
  • Power Shell was introduced to run Windows Server as a command line, but many of the PS scripts do not work properly from different version of PS.
  • Active Directory needs direct auditing capabilities without using third party tools.
  • Once Microsoft Server is implemented in the infrastructure with Exchange Server it is difficult to remove that model.
  • Microsoft Server updates every few years forcing the environment to upgrade. Older models are retired with no patching or maintenance and there is still a relative business need.
  • Microsoft Server is a constant evolution. Each new release contains additional roles or features that have been used by hardware or third party in the past.
In the Open Source market the alternative to use Microsoft Windows server is to use a distro or flavor of Linux. Free does not necessarily mean cheap. There is a considerable learning curve to both technicians and users that use a Linux Distro. One of the problems with Linux is its many flavors is that things change rapidly and dramatically. I have had an Own Cloud install on RedHat and within three months the install process has changed. However Microsoft Server has the same sort of draw backs. As an example Exchange Server 2016 using and install process on Server 2012 with Power Shell showed to have consider difficulty. When you are running a paragraph long script in Power Shell things don't happen in order and the install process fails or the product doesn't work.
The domain model is the key to using Windows Server. In the past with Windows Server NT organizations were exploded with multiple domains up into the hundreds at some cases. Now server technologies and replication has brought the domain model down to one in most organizations.