As a developer, you need to have a good understanding of the Windows Server operating system to effectively develop and deploy applications. Windows Server 2012 is the latest version of Microsoft’s server operating system, and it offers many new features and enhancements that make it easier to manage your infrastructure and improve your application performance.
What is Windows Server 2012?
Windows Server 2012 is a server operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released in September 2012 and is the successor to Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2012 comes in four editions: Foundation, Essentials, Standard, and Datacenter.
Foundation and Essentials are designed for smaller organizations with limited IT resources, while Standard and Datacenter are aimed at larger businesses with more demanding IT environments.
The Benefits of Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 offers a number of benefits for developers, including:
Benefit |
Description |
|---|---|
Improved Performance |
Windows Server 2012 includes many performance enhancements that can help applications run faster and more efficiently. |
Better Manageability |
Windows Server 2012 has a new server manager dashboard that makes it easier to manage your infrastructure and applications. |
Improved Security |
Windows Server 2012 offers improved security features that can help protect your applications and data from threats. |
Scalability |
Windows Server 2012 supports a wide range of hardware configurations and can scale to meet the needs of even the largest applications. |
Features of Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2012 includes many new features and enhancements that can help developers improve application performance and manage their infrastructure more effectively. Some of the most important features include:
Improved Performance
Windows Server 2012 includes many performance enhancements that can help applications run faster and more efficiently. The new version of the operating system includes improvements to the kernel, networking, and storage subsystems, as well as support for advanced hardware configurations.
Server Manager Dashboard
The server manager dashboard in Windows Server 2012 makes it easier to manage your infrastructure and applications. The dashboard provides a single, unified view of your servers and applications, and lets you quickly perform common management tasks.
Hyper-V 3.0
Hyper-V 3.0 is the latest version of Microsoft’s virtualization platform, and it includes many new features and enhancements. Hyper-V 3.0 supports more virtual CPUs and memory per virtual machine, and includes improved networking and storage performance.
Storage Spaces
Storage Spaces is a new feature in Windows Server 2012 that allows you to create virtual disk pools from multiple physical disks. Storage Spaces provides a scalable and cost-effective storage solution, and supports features such as thin provisioning and data deduplication.
Data Deduplication
Data Deduplication is a new feature in Windows Server 2012 that can help reduce storage costs by eliminating duplicate data. Data Deduplication works at the block level, and can be configured to run automatically on specified folders or volumes.
How to get started with Windows Server 2012
If you’re interested in learning more about Windows Server 2012, there are several resources available to help you get started. Microsoft offers a number of training courses and certifications for Windows Server 2012, and there are many books and online resources available as well.
Training Courses
Microsoft offers several training courses for Windows Server 2012, including:
Course |
Description |
|---|---|
Installing and Configuring Windows Server 2012 |
This course covers the basic installation and configuration of Windows Server 2012, including how to install and configure roles and features. |
Administering Windows Server 2012 |
This course covers the administration of Windows Server 2012, including how to manage users and groups, configure file and print services, and monitor performance. |
Designing and Implementing a Server Infrastructure |
This course covers the design and implementation of a Windows Server 2012 infrastructure, including how to plan and deploy Active Directory, file and storage solutions, and network services. |
Certifications
Microsoft offers several certifications for Windows Server 2012, including:
Certification |
Description |
|---|---|
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Windows Server 2012 |
This certification validates your skills in installing, configuring, and administering Windows Server 2012. |
Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Server Infrastructure |
This certification validates your advanced technical skills in designing, implementing, and maintaining a Windows Server 2012 infrastructure. |
Books and Online Resources
There are many books and online resources available to help you learn more about Windows Server 2012. Some recommended resources include:
- Windows Server 2012 Inside Out
- Windows Server 2012 Unleashed
- Microsoft TechNet
- Windows Server 2012 Documentation
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the system requirements for Windows Server 2012?
The minimum system requirements for Windows Server 2012 are:
- 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor
- 512 MB of RAM
- 32 GB of available disk space
However, these are minimum requirements and you may need more powerful hardware to run certain applications or services.
What are the different editions of Windows Server 2012?
Windows Server 2012 comes in four editions: Foundation, Essentials, Standard, and Datacenter. Foundation and Essentials are designed for smaller organizations with limited IT resources, while Standard and Datacenter are aimed at larger businesses with more demanding IT environments.
What is Hyper-V?
Hyper-V is Microsoft’s virtualization platform and is included with Windows Server 2012. Hyper-V allows you to run multiple virtual machines on a single physical server, which can help reduce hardware costs and improve application performance.
What is Storage Spaces?
Storage Spaces is a new feature in Windows Server 2012 that allows you to create virtual disk pools from multiple physical disks. Storage Spaces provides a scalable and cost-effective storage solution, and supports features such as thin provisioning and data deduplication.
What is Data Deduplication?
Data Deduplication is a new feature in Windows Server 2012 that can help reduce storage costs by eliminating duplicate data. Data Deduplication works at the block level, and can be configured to run automatically on specified folders or volumes.
What is the server manager dashboard?
The server manager dashboard in Windows Server 2012 makes it easier to manage your infrastructure and applications. The dashboard provides a single, unified view of your servers and applications, and lets you quickly perform common management tasks.