Chapter 1
Installing, Upgrading, and Deploying Server
Network Operating System
A server operating system (NOS) is a type of
operating system that is specifically designed to be
installed and used on a server computer.
It is an advanced version of an OS, having
features and capabilities required within a client-
server architecture. or similar enterprise
computing environment.
It is used to serve the requests of client computers.
It allows and facilitates typical server roles i.e.
Web server, mail server, file server, database server,
application server, print server, etc.
Network Operating System
• These systems run on a server and provide the
capability to manage data, users, groups,
security, applications, and other networking
functions.
• NOS allow shared access of files, printers,
security, applications, and other networking
functions over a small private network.
• each computer that connects to a network
server(Clients) must be running client software
designed to request a specific service.
Network Operating System
• The most popular NOS include;
• Windows Server i.e.
Windows Server 2000
Windows Server 2003, 2003 R2
Windows Server 2008 , 2008 R2
Windows Server 2012, 2012 R2
Windows Server 2016
• Mac OS X Server, and
• variants of Linux such as
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) and
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.
Network Operating System
The popular NOS made by Microsoft and their supporting
operating systems.
NOS (Server) OS (Client)
Windows 2000 Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows
2000
Windows Server 2003 Windows 2000, Windows Me,
Windows XP
Windows Server 2008 Windows XP, Windows Vista,
Windows 7
Windows Server 2012 Windows 8.1, Windows 7
Windows Server 2016 Windows 10, Windows 8.1
Windows Server 2019 Windows 10, Windows 8.1
Windows Server 2022 Windows 11, Windows 10
NOS Features and Functions
An OS controls the host system. It provides
locally significant services.
A NOS controls other operating systems.
It provides services that are used to control
applications running on other computers.
If you have one computer and want to use it for
personal purposes, you will install an OS on it.
An OS allows you to control all features and
functions of the computer.
Cont’d NOS Features and Functions
If you have many computers and want to control
all computers from a single computer, you will
install a NOS on the computer that you want to
use to control the remaining computers, and on
the remaining computers, you will install the OS
that supports the installed NOS.
Companies that make a NOS also make an OS
that takes commands from the NOS and executes
them on the local computer.
The OS that accepts commands from the NOS is
called a client OS.
Functions of Network Operating
A NOS provides several services.
If you need more services, you can install them
separately.
The most common services are the following.
DHCP services: - used to assign IP addresses to clients on
the network.
DNS services: - allow the administrator to map hostnames
with related IP addresses.
E-mail services: - used to configure the server to send &
receive e-mail using .
Web services: - used to host websites & related
applications on the server.
Functions of Network Operating
File and print services: - These services allow the
administrator to share files and printers among clients.
Group policies: - These services allow an administrator to
deploy settings down to the client OS from a central
point. For example; user rights, folder redirection, file
permissions, installation of software, etc.
Directory services: - used to build a centralized database
of objects, such as user accounts that may be used by
clients to log on to the network.
On Windows Server, the directory service is known as
Active Directory.
Functions of NOS
Printing (Providing &Managing access to
remote/network printers).
Enabling & managing access to files on remote
systems.
Determining which user can access what files.
Specifying a storage location for each user.
Preventing users from storing files outside the
allowed storage locations.
Monitoring and controlling file access.
Functions of Network Operating
Granting access to remote applications & resources.
Making resources seem like local resources to the user.
Allowing users to work on a single application from
multiple computers.
Storing the data of the application in a single location.
Providing routing services.
Monitoring the system & security, to provide proper
security against viruses, hackers, & data corruption.
Enable network resources and users management.
Blocking unauthorized accesses
NOS features
The common features of a NOS are the
following.
It is multitasking(can handle many thousands of
tasks simultaneously).
A NOS also runs each service separately (if one
service fails, it does not affect other services)
Stability (A NOS can run for years without
crashing).
NOS features
Most services running on the NOS can be restarted
without a system-level restart ( It means a NOS
does not restart for every change or update).
Multiusers (allows several users to log into the
system simultaneously).
A NOS initiates a separate login session for each
user.
A NOS allows a user to log into the same system at
the same time as another user.
NOS features
High performance (A NOS supports the largest
capacity of hardware devices).
A NOS also supports the hot plug feature which
allows the administrator to replace or upgrade
most of the hardware without shutting down the
system.
NOSs distribute their functions over a number of
networked computers.
Advantages of NOS
Highly stable centralized servers
Security concerns are handled through servers
New technologies and hardware up-gradation
are easily integrated into the system
Server access is possible remotely from different
locations and types of systems
Disadvantages
Servers are costly
User has to depend on a central location for
most operations
Maintenance and updates are required regularly
Difference between Server OS and Client OS :
Server Operating System Client Operating System
It can be used to provide
It can obtain services
services to multiple
from a server.
client.
It can serve multiple It serves a single user at
client at a time. a time.
It is complex operating It is simple operating
system. system.
It runs on the client
It runs on the server. devices like laptop,
computer etc.
Difference between Server OS and Client OS :
Server Operating System Client Operating System
designed to be used on
operates within desktop.
server.
It provides more security. It provides less security.
It has greater processing It has less processing
power. power.
It is more stable. It is less stable.
It is highly efficient. It is less efficient.
Examples: Red Hat, Examples: Windows,
Linux. Android.
Planning
Factors to be considered in selecting NOS
some important factors that should be considered when selecting an operating system for
your dedicated server;
what it will be used for.
the server/hardware Capacity
Price (the budget you’ve set aside for hosting,
upgrade and maintaining a server).
Your knowledge and experience with software use.
The technical knowledge and experience you or
your team has for managing and upkeeping a server.
Factors to be considered in selecting NOS
Longevity : You should look for an operating
system that exists for a long period of time
providing regular security and stability updates.
Technical Support : how much support you need
relating to the operating system you choose.
Management and monitoring tools
Security
Scalability, etc.
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2 is the successor of
Windows Server 2012.
It was announced on June 3rd, 2013, and a preview
release became available for download later that
month, on June 24th.
Upon its official release, Windows Server 2012 R2
was made available in Standard, Datacenter and
Essentials editions.
Windows Server 2012 R2
It is designed to provide an “all-in-one” server and
datacenter platform to optimize and manage daily
business easier and more cost-effective.
Windows Server 2012 R2 brings a lot of new
capabilities to the infrastructure in many different
areas.
There are new features and enhancements in File
Services, Storage, Networking, Clustering, Hyper-
V, PowerShell, Windows Deployment Services,
Directory Services and Security.
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2 delivers significant value
around the following seven key capabilities:
1.Server virtualization
2.Storage.
3.Networking.
4.Server management and automation.
5.Web and application platform.
6.Access and information protection.
7.Virtual desktop infrastructure(VDI)
Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2 capabilities
Server
Storage* Networking
virtualization
New levels of performance High performance and resiliency at a Hybrid networking with breakthrough levels
and cross-platform support fraction of the cost of flexibility and performance
Server Web and Access and Virtual desktop
management and application information infrastructure
automation platform protection
Modern apps built and deployed Consistent and flexible user access
Increased management efficiency to scale on-premises and in the to corporate resources while Great performance, easy to deploy
for a diverse datacenter cloud protecting data and cost-effective
Windows Server 2012 R2 hardware specifications
WS Server 2012
Foundation Essentials Standard Datacenter
R2
Limited to 1 Up to 2 Proc per Up to 2 Proc per
Up to 2 Proc; per
CPU Proc; per server licenses; no licenses; no
server licensing
licensing processor limit processor limit
Min. CPU Req. 1.4 GHz x64 1.4 GHz x64 1.4 GHz x64 1.4 GHz x64
2GB/64GB
X64 RAM STD/
2GB/32GB (16GB 2GB/unlimited 2GB/unlimited
Max
Recommended)
ECC (Error correction
code) memory Yes Yes Yes Yes
multiple NICs multiple NICs multiple NICs supported (Recommend
NIC
supported supported Gigabit (10/100/1000baseT) Ethernet adapter)
Internal optical bay
Yes Yes Yes Yes
drive allowed
160 GB with a 60-
Min. OS Storage
32 GB* GB system 32 GB* 32 GB*
Footprint
partition
SW RAID Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yes; Super VGA (1024 x 768) or higher-
Video Yes Yes resolution monitor
Keyboard, Mouse Yes Yes Yes Yes
* For systems with 16GB+ RAM more disk space will be required.
1.2. Selecting a Windows
Server 2012 R2 Edition
27
WS 2012 R2 Edition
• Microsoft releases all of its operating systems in
multiple editions.
• The Windows Server 2012 R2 Edition you choose
should be based on multiple factors, including:
o The roles you intend the servers to perform
o The virtualization strategy you intend to
implement
o The licensing strategy you plan to use
28
Windows Server 2012 R2 Core Editions
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation
29
Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
• It is the most expensive Windows Server Edition.
• Datacenter is almost identical to the Standard edition with
one big exception.
• With a Datacenter license, you can run an unlimited
number of virtual instances of Windows Server guests on
a single two-processor computer.
• This small difference has a big impact, as companies
might save big by running dozens of OS instances on a
single server.
• It has a list price of $6,155, but if you were able to run 24
virtual instances of Windows Server on a single machine /
license, that could bring your overall IT costs down
significantly which would justify the cost of Datacenter
edition.
30
Datacenter
• Designed for large and powerful servers
• Supports up to 64 processors
• Fault tolerance (hot-add processors)
• Only available to purchase through:
o Microsoft volume-licensing program
o Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),
bundled with a server
31
Standard
• Standard has no limit on users, but unlike with
Foundation and Essentials you will have to separately
purchase Client Access Licenses (CALs) depending on
how many people you need to support.
• Standard supports a maximum of 4 TB of RAM and each
license you buy covers two processors.
• this edition allows you to use Hyper-V to run up to two
virtual instances of the operating system (additional
virtual instances of Windows Server will require cost extra)
on a single piece of physical hardware, making the
Standard edition suitable for a lightly virtualized
environment.
• It has a list price of $822. 32
Standard
It is ideal for physical computing or lightly
virtualized environments.
The licensing for Standard will change and adopt
to the same model as Datacenter, of a processor
plus CAL, where the license will cover up to two
physical processors on a server.
Includes the full set of Windows Server 2012 R2
features
Only differs from Datacenter by the number of
virtual machine instances permitted.
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Standard & Datacenter
Two editions differentiated only by virtualization
rights
Datacenter offers unlimited virtualization.
Standard offers 2 virtual instances and 2 CPU’s.
Both editions require the additional purchase of Windows Server
2012 CALs.
Common licensing structure
Both editions will have a processor + CAL licensing model.
Each software license will cover up two physical processors on a
single server.
Additive licenses available for additional 2 VM’s and 2 CPU’s
Common features across editions
High availability features such as failover clustering are
included.
Same memory and processor capabilities across edition.
Essentials
• Essentials (formerly SBS, or Small Business
Server) is an easy-to-set-up server solution that
supports up to 25 users and 50 devices which
limits it to small offices.
• Essentials supports more powerful hardware with
up to 64 GB of RAM and two processors.
• A two processor Windows Server 2012 R2 license
has a list price of $501.
35
Essentials
Unlike the other Windows Server editions,
Essentials is preconfigured with roles such as
Active Directory, DNS, File Services, IIS, and
remote desktop, making it ideal for
organizations with limited IT bandwidth or less
experienced IT staff.
The licensing for Essentials will continue to be a
server model with no CAL requirements.
Essentials
• Includes nearly all features from Datacenter and
Standard editions, except:
o Server Core
o Hyper-V
o Active Directory Federation Services
• Limited to one physical or virtual server
instance
37
Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation
it is a general-purpose server OS best suited for
low-end servers.
it only supports a single processor and 32 GB of
RAM.
It is also limited to 15 users, making this edition
suitable for only very small offices.
Foundation is available through OEMs only,
which typically means it comes preinstalled on
computers you buy from companies such as Dell
and HPE.
Foundation
It is used for physical computing environments
only.
• No virtualization rights
• One Operating System Enterprise per license
(physical only)
• The licensing for Foundation will continue to be a
server model with no CAL requirements.
• It supports only basic server features:
File and print services
Application support
Windows Server 2012 R2 – Editions
License Type Features Virtualization Rights
• Limited to 1
Foundation Per Server processor only
No virtualization • Up to 15 users
Essentials • Up to 2
Small Business, Per Server processors only
Cloud Enabled • Up to 25 users As Guest OS Only
Standard* Processor + • Full product features
Low density or Two virtual
CALs (parity with Datacenter)
instances
no virtualization
Datacenter* Processor +
High density • No processor limit
CALs Unlimited
virtualization
Supporting Server Virtualization
POSE: Physical operating system environment
VOSE: Virtual operating system environment
Edition POSE VOSE
Instances Instances
Datacenter 1 Unlimited
Standard 1 2
Foundation 1 0
1 POSE or
Essentials 1 POSE or
VOSE
VOSE 41
Server Licensing
Licensing Windows Server 2012 R2 includes
purchasing licenses for both servers and clients.
Original
Retail Volume
Equipment
Licensing
Manufacturer
Datacenter No Yes Yes
Standard Yes Yes Yes
Foundation No No Yes
Essentials No Yes Yes
42
Edition comparison by server roles
AD = Active Directory
RMS = Rights
Datacenter
Server role Standard
Essentials Foundation Management Service
DNS = Domain Name
System
1
Limited to creating
1 1
AD Certificate
Certificate
Services Authorities―there are
no other Active
AD Domain 2 3 Directory Certificate
Services features
Services
(Network Device
AD Federation Enrollment Services,
Services Online Responder
Service). See ADCS role
documentation on
AD Lightweight TechNet for more
Directory information.
Services 2
Must be root of ADDS
forest and domain and
AD RMS4 have all FSMO roles.
3
If ADDS role is
installed, must be root
Full of forest and domain
and have all FSMO
Partial/Limited roles.
Automatically Installed/Configured
Not Available
Edition comparison by server roles
Datacenter
Server role Essentials Foundation
Standard
Application
Server
DHCP Server
DNS Server
Fax Server
File Services 5 5
Hyper-V
Network Policy &
Access Services
Print & Doc
Services
Full
Partial/Limited
Automatically Installed/Configured
Not Available
Edition comparison by server roles
Datacenter
Server role Essentials Foundation
Standard
Remote Access 6 6 6
Limited to 50 RRAS
connections, 10 IAS
Remote Desktop 8 9 connections;
Services7 DirectAccess and
UDDI Services VPN are supported.
7
Requires an additive
Web Server (IIS) RDS CAL for access,
with the exception of
Windows Deploy using the Remote Web
Services Access feature of the
Essentials edition.
Windows Server 8
Only the RD
Essentials Gateway role service
Experience is installed and
Windows Server configured, other
RDS role services
Update Services
including RD Session
(WSUS)
Host are not
supported.
Full 9
Limited to 50
Partial/Limited
Remote Desktop
Automatically Installed/Configured
Not Available
Services connection.
Supporting Server Roles
Windows Server 2012 R2 includes predefined
combinations of services called roles that
implement common server functions
46
Supporting Server Roles
Three basic categories of server roles are:
• Directory services
o Store, organize, and supply information about
a network and its resources
• Infrastructure services
o Provide support services for network clients
• Application services
o Provide communication services, operating
environments, or programming interfaces
for specific applications 47
Directory Services Roles
• Active Directory Certificate Services
• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
• Active Directory Federation Services
• Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services
(AD LDS)
• Active Directory Rights Management Services
(AD RMS)
48
Infrastructure Services
• DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
• DNS Server
• Hyper-V
• Network Policy and Access Services (NPAS)
• Health Registration Authority (HRA)
• Remote Access
• Volume Activation Services
• Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
• Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
49
Application Services
• Application Server
• Fax Server
• File and Storage Services
• Print and Document Services
• Remote Desktop Services
• Web Server (IIS)
50
1.3. Installing
Windows Server 2012 R2
51
Clean Installation
• Necessary when you have a bare metal computer.
• Use if you are willing to reformat an existing disk.
• Creates the most stable environment.
52
Performing a Clean Installation
• Connect and power on all devices.
• Boot from the Windows Server installation DVD.
• Select Language, Time and Currency format, and
Keyboard layout.
• Click Install Now.
• Select your edition of Windows Server 2012 R2.
• Select Custom: Install Windows only (advanced).
• Select the partition on which to install.
• When the installation is complete, set your
password.
53
Performing a Clean Installation
54
Performing a Clean Installation
Select Custom: Install Windows only (advanced)
55
Performing a Clean Installation
Select the Partition/Drive on which to Install Windows Server
56
Performing a Clean Installation
Set the Administrator Password
57
Installing Third-Party Drivers
• If hard drives are connected to a third-party
controller, rather than the one integrated into the
motherboard, the installation procedure may not
detect your hard drive.
• The Where do you want to install Windows? page
will not list hard drives.
• Install a third-party driver to allow the installation
program access to your hard drive to continue
the installation.
58
Working with Installation Partitions
• You can create, manage, and delete partitions on
your hard drive.
• Click Drive options (advanced) and four buttons
will appear:
o Delete
o Extend
o Format
o New
59
Working with
Installation Partitions
Advanced Drive Options Buttons
60
1.4. Upgrading Servers
61
Upgrading Servers
• Setup program creates a new Windows folder in
which to install the new version of Windows
Server 2012 R2.
• The program then migrates applications, files,
and settings from the old OS to the new.
• To minimize risks involved in this complex
procedure, administrators must perform
backups and be able to troubleshoot problems
that may arise.
62
Upgrade Paths
• Windows Server 2012 R2 has very limited
upgrade paths.
• You can only upgrade Windows Server 2008 or
Windows Server 2008 R2, 64 bit versions only, to
their comparable Windows Server 2012 edition.
• For all other Windows versions and editions, you
will have to perform a Clean Installation.
63
Preparing to Upgrade
• Check hardware compatibility.
• Check disk space.
• Confirm that software is signed.
• Check application compatibility.
• Ensure computer functionality.
• Perform a full backup.
• Purchase Windows Server 2012.
64
Performing an Upgrade Installation
• Insert the Windows Server 2012 installation DVD
while your current server is still running, and
run the Setup program.
• The installation program will run the same way as
a clean installation except on the Which type of
installation do you want page, you must select
Upgrade: Install Windows and keep files,
settings, and applications option.
• The Setup program will provide a Compatibility
Report.
65
Performing an Upgrade Installation
Compatibility report page
66