ThinManager customers

Upgrading to Windows 2003 Server

If you haven't upgraded to Windows 2003 yet, you should probably start thinking about it. Time marches on, and so does Microsoft's endless supply of new operating systems.

Microsoft has provided what they believe are the top 10 benefits from Windows 2003 Server, and you can read them by clicking HERE if you wish. Some of the things that we believe will be popular with our customers are listed below.

2003 Server Enhancements

  • As can be expected, security was much more of an issue, and Microsoft has responded in numerous little ways, such as defaulting most services to "disabled" instead of "enabled" like they were in Windows 2000.
  • For people who don't use the low-level configuration that often, many of the administrative tools now allow drag-and-drop changes, and there are more wizards around to help you when you get stuck.
  • If you are in the mood, you can now connect directly to the console session with a terminal server client.
  • Automated System Recovery (ASR), introduced, I believe, in Windows XP, is a new backup option that helps when a server needs to be rebuilt. Although this should not be often, when necessary ASR could be a real timesaver. Prior to ASR, after a large-scale failure, you needed to reinstall Windows, configure all physical storage to the original settings, and then perform a complete restore of the data.
  • Windows Server 2003 Active Directory Fast Recovery with Volume Shadow Copy Service and Virtual Disk Service (Microsoft's description, not mine). 2003 brings something called Volume Shadow Copy to help the administrator keep backups current. Take a look at the Microsoft white paper here. A more interesting overview can be found in the Microsoft flash presentation.
  • Using Active Directory you can now restrict Terminal Server sessions to the functionality allowed by an administrator. See Microsoft's description here.

But wait - there's more...

Windows 2003 has also improved the way that servers can work together. In fact, with 2003 it is probably better to invest in two less expensive 2003 Servers than one huge server, and then to share the workload between the two. This is especially true when using ACP's Smart Session (server load balancing) to allow a Thin Client to pick the least used machine. With this feature enabled you can actually take almost obsolete equipment, install 2003 Server, and use it as a valuable member of the team - even if it may only be able to host a few sessions. Plus you get a backup if some other server in the group fails.

Want to see an excellent comparison of Windows 2000 with Windows 2003? A company in the UK has put together a very good evaluation of most of the differences, rating each one (with little stars) as to how important they feel the feature will be to 2000 users. Jump directly to their website and read their analysis:

http://www.rhebus.com/techinfo/2k3comp.htm

One of the best points they make is that it is not unreasonable to view Windows 2003 as an evolutionary step from Windows 2000. They feel that if it had been presented that way by Microsoft (as a service pack instead of a new version), the upgrade would have been an obvious decision, taking care of dozens of minor problems and bringing in some useful features. But 2003 is a completely new operating system, and changing the OS is never something that should be approached lightly.

Still on NT 4.0?

If you are still running NT 4.0, Microsoft feels you pain - and wants your update dollars. To help convince you what a good idea it is to step into the twenty-first century (and we have to agree that 2003 is a vastly superior product) they have created an entire webpage just for NT users who have been dragging their feet.

The Microsoft File Server Migration Toolkit is designed to simplify the move to Windows 2003 and, hopefully, minimize the impact of the upgrade on users. The toolkit is actually a software product, and is available for free download. Read the details about the product and register for the download on Microsoft's website.

For an overview of Microsoft's entire Server strategy, visit the Microsoft Server site.

Additional Benefits for ThinManager Users

Along with the added Windows benefits, ACP Enabled Thin Clients running under ThinManager 2.5 can take advantage of the newer version of RDP that ships with Windows 2003 Server and provide high color (16 bit) and sound without the need for Citrix software. These features were previously only available to users who installed the full version of MetaFrame.

One thing to be aware of - when using RDP with an ACP Enabled Thin Client you currently loose the simple form of serial port redirection. While this will be added in an upcoming release, users needing serial ports should contact ACP to find out how to upgrade to ACP's high-speed serial module.

Windows Server 2003 support is, as of this writing, set to continue until 30th June 2010, so an upgrade will let you put it out of your mind for some time. But not forever. Look for a follow-up article in 2009.

For more information on ACP Industrial Thin Client computers, please visit our web site at http://www.thinmanager.com

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