     |
||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where Does Windows Server 2012 Essentials Fit?Paul Ferrill, CTO, Avionics Test and Analysis Corp | 1/10/2013 |
Microsoft has released a number of versions of Windows Server 2012, including one with the Essentials label. It's meant to be a follow-on product to Windows Small Business Server (SBS) Essentials. The target implementation is any situation where no more than 25 users will be connected to the system. You can actually add more than 25 users to the system, but you'll get a warning that you're exceeding the EULA and need to delete another user to stay in compliance.  33 commentsFunctionality in the 2012 Essentials product is similar to its predecessor in that the focus is on providing a centralized file storage capability for both sharing and backups. Along with the local file capabilities comes a remote access feature that provides secure access to those same files from virtually anywhere you can connect to the Internet. While the SBS Essentials 2011 version is no longer for sale, having been replaced by the 2012 version, the SBS Standard version remains available until June 30, 2013. Windows Server 2012 Essentials has a number of tweaks not found in the main product, including a Dashboard tool meant to help part-time administrators accomplish basic tasks without any advanced Microsoft certification training. When you install Windows Server 2012 Essentials for the first time, you must either create a new domain or join an existing one. This step is required in order to implement the standard Windows Active Directory structure, which controls users and specific access rights. In addition to the normal file and system-level backups, Windows Server 2012 Essentials supports the new file history feature for Windows 8 clients. This feature provides a self-service approach to recovering accidentally deleted or overwritten files. It does require the client to be running Windows 8, so you should keep that in mind. While not included in the base product, there is also a provision to connect your Windows Server 2012 Essentials installation to the Windows Azure backup service for automated off-site storage as well. Speaking of cloud services, there's an add-on to connect your users directly to Microsoft's Office 365 service. The synchronization provides seamless access for users through synchronizing passwords so that they don't have to log in twice. There is an additional cost for both the backup and Office 365 service and depends on how much data you want to protect and the number of users. There are a few things you don't get with Windows Server 2012 Essentials including Hyper-V. You can, however, run Windows Server 2012 Essentials in a virtual machine, which would include Microsoft's Hyper-V server. You also don't have on-site Exchange or SharePoint functionality in this version, which might not be an issue in any case. The bottom line on Windows Server 2012 Essentials is a solid file backup and sharing solution to meet most any small workgroup situation. The blogs and comments posted on EnterpriseEfficiency.com do not reflect the views of TechWeb, EnterpriseEfficiency.com, or its sponsors. EnterpriseEfficiency.com, TechWeb, and its sponsors do not assume responsibility for any comments, claims, or opinions made by authors and bloggers. They are no substitute for your own research and should not be relied upon for trading or any other purpose. |
|
|
|
More Blogs from Paul Ferrill
Paul Ferrill 2/21/2013
12 comments Making the decision to migrate older versions of Windows Server over to the latest version is often avoided because of the headaches involved.
Paul Ferrill 11/28/2012
8 comments Microsoft has a number of tools to help you with your transition to Windows Server 2012. I'll be looking at several of these to help lay out what each does and how they might be of benefit ...
Paul Ferrill 11/26/2012
3 comments If you're embarking on a Windows 8 migration -- or even if you're in testing mode for the time being -- you'll want to download the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows 8.
Paul Ferrill 11/2/2012
6 comments Navigating the waters of Group Policy is not for the faint of heart and requires a combination of knowledge and experience to get it right.
   Dell Information Resources
SPONSORED BY DELL
VIDEOS
WINDOWS CLIENT
WINDOWS SERVER
On-demand Video with Chat
The culture of work is changing. Tech-savvy and always-connected people want faster, more intuitive technology, uninterrupted services, and freedom to work anywhere, anytime, on a variety of devices.
Latest Archived Broadcast
Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) is about more than just a device.
|
||
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
