Windows Server 2012 R2: Configuration, Roles, Features Report

This report provides an overview of server management with a focus on Windows Server 2012 R2. It covers hardware configuration requirements, operating system roles and licensing, and key features such as Active Directory Domain Services. The report also includes a comparison between IPv4 and IPv6, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each for an organization. Furthermore, it details the differences between basic and dynamic disks, outlining their respective functionalities and use cases. The document concludes with references to support the information presented, offering a comprehensive guide to Windows Server 2012 R2 management.

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Server Management
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Server Management 1
Table of Contents
Windows Server Hardware Configuration......................................................................................2
Server operating system Roles and licensing..................................................................................3
Roles and features of Windows Server 2012 R2.............................................................................4
Roles of Windows Server 2012 R2..............................................................................................4
Features of Windows Server 2012 R2.........................................................................................4
Basic and Dynamic disks.................................................................................................................5
Comparison between IPv4 and IPv6 for the organization...............................................................6
Reference.........................................................................................................................................7

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Windows Server Hardware Configuration
Microsoft is providing best server for managing different operations of an organization
that are related to their CRM, ERP, and other works. As an IT administrator, I suggest to North
Wind Traders Corporation that they should go for Windows Server 2012 R2 for managing
Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) (Ateik, 2013). They are required minimum
hardware for installation of Windows Server 2012 R2. Windows Server 2008 is not providing
better performance in case of AD DS (blackbaud.com, 2012). Following items are required for
the installation of server, which are as:
Component Minimum Requirement Microsoft
Recommended
Processor for Server 1.4 GHz 2 GHz or faster
Memory 512 MB RAM 2 GB RAM or greater
Available Disk Space in the Server 32 GB 40 GB or greater
Optical Drive for CD/DVD DVD-ROM drive DVD-ROM drive
Display for processing and
monitoring
Super VGA (800x600)
monitor
XGA (1024x768)
monitor
These requirements are basic for the server installation and proper working. They can
also use Windows Server 2016 for making their system more powerful as well ( Vigo, 2017).
System requirements:
 Processor: 1.4Ghz 64-bit processor
 Optical Storage: DVD drive (if installing the OS from DVD media)
 RAM: 512 MB
 Network: Gigabit (10/100/1000baseT) Ethernet adapter
 Internet: Broadband access (optional)
 Disk Space: 32 GB
 Video: Super VGA (1024 x 768) or higher-resolution (optional)

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 Input Devices: Keyboard and mouse (optional)
Server operating system Roles and licensing
Server operating system is having different features for managing lots of operations with
efficient performance. They are providing a better solution for different services as Active
Directory Domain Services. Many organizations are having their different sites for working and
websites as well. In addition, they require server operating system for managing different
domains from a single space, such as headquarter of an organization (Poulton & Camardella,
2014).
Windows Server 2012 R2 is available in different editions, such as standard and
datacenter. Standard edition is providing limited virtual machine connections. In case of
datacenter, they are providing unlimited virtual machine connection. Both are cost effective but
standard edition is suitable for the North Wind Traders Corporation (Garvis, 2013).
Windows Server 2016 is also feasible and more reliable with high performance. Hence,
North Wind Traders Corporation can also implement this server for cloud computing services in
future. Hardware requirements are changed in this case. However, same configuration can also
work. Licensing process is also same as other system with few changes (Poulton & Camardella,
2014).
Windows Server 2016 is having new features for better performance, such as Active
Directory Federation Services, windows defender, remote desktop service, failover clustering,
IIS 10, Hyper-V and Windows PowerShell 5.1 as well as Nano server.

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Roles and features of Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2 is best for the managing different domain with high
performance. There are numerous features in the windows server 2012 R2 (Thomas , 2013).
Roles of Windows Server 2012 R2
 Active directory Certificate Services
 Remote access
 Active directory rights management services
 Terminal services application sharing
 Active directory Domain Services
 Web services (IIS)
 Active directory federation services
 Windows essentials
 Application server
 WINS server
 File services
 Windows development services
Features of Windows Server 2012 R2
 Automatic Virtual Machine Activation
 IP address management
 Windows control Panel
 Storage control Management services
 RODC – read only domain Controller
 Data DE duplication
 Windows PowerShell
 Dynamic memory
 Server license logging
 Network load balancing
 Windows server update services

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Basic and Dynamic disks
Basic disks are providing simple partitions in the disks, which are primary and logical
volume. It is mostly used by windows systems. It supports clusters disk and universal serial bus
(USB) drives. As it is used by the MS-DOS operation system. Hence, it used master boot record
(MBR). Windows can also support GUID Partition Table (GPT). In the basic disk, user can
extend the size of partition using the unallocated partition in the same disk (Microsoft, 2018).
These operations can be performed on the basic disks:
1. Primary and extended partition can be created and deleted by the user
2. Logical drive can be created and deleted within an extended partition
3. User can make active any formatted partition after formatting
Dynamic Disks is having advanced features that are not provided by the basic disks, such
as spanned and striped volumes. It is also provide fault tolerant volumes such as RAID-5 and
mirrored volumes. Dynamic disks are supported both the partition styles, such as MBR, GPT.
Dynamic disks are allowed these operations:
1. Simple, mirrored, RAID-5, Spanned and striped volumes can be created and deleted
in the dynamic disks by user
2. Simple and spanned volume came be extend in this disk.
3. Mirrored volumes can be dived in two volumes in this disk
4. It also provides repairing facility
5. Any missing and offline disk can be reactivated by user
Both disks are uses according to their needs. Therefore, basic disk is used for the normal
purposes as well. Dynamic disks are used for the special purposes, such as backup and recovery
of disks.

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Comparison between IPv4 and IPv6 for the organization
IPv4 and IPv6 are uses for providing IP addresses to the computer systems as well as
numerous services between nodes, such as fragmentation, authentication and many others.
Windows Server 2016 is supporting advanced IP address management ( Vigo, 2017). There are
few basic differences between the IPv4 and IPv6 mention below:
Description IPv4 IPv6
Address Address length is 32 bits,
which is small according to
current needs as per the users
(Ali, 2012)
It is having 128 bits for
addresses that is much enough
for present and future
requirements
Netmask It used subnet mask for host
portion (Darwich, 2011)
It is not required
Fragmentation It allows sender and receiver
for fragmentation
IPv6 allows only sender to
fragment the packet
(Goldstein, 2017)
ICMP service It used it for communication
network information (Hogg &
Vyncke, 2008)
It provides some new
attributes, such as destination
unreachable
IP header option It has various options for
transmission (News, 2018)
It has no options
Maximum transmission unit 576 is the minimum MTU for
IPv4 (Sabarinath, 2018)
1280 is the lower boundary for
IPv6.
Network address translation It is a basic firewall function
(Vaughan-Nichols, 2003)
IPv6 is not required it
Renumbering It provides manual
reconfiguration
It is a best feature of it
especially within the /48
prefix.

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Reference
Vigo, J. (2017, December 11). Windows Server 2016: A cheat sheet. Retrieved from
www.techrepublic.com: https://www.techrepublic.com/article/windows-server-2016-the-
smart-persons-guide/
Ali, A. (2012). Comparison study between IPV4 & IPV6. International Journal of Computer
Science Issues, 9(3), 314.
Ateik, T. (2013). Installing Windows Server 2012 (step by step). Retrieved February 1, 2019,
from https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/msgulfcommunity/2013/03/06/installing-
windows-server-2012-step-by-step/
blackbaud.com. (2012). Install Windows Server 2008 R2. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from
https://www.blackbaud.com/files/support/infinityinstaller/content/installermaster/
tkinstallwindowsserver2008r2.htm
Darwich, J. (2011). Comparative study of Mobile IPv4 and Mobile IPv6. SWEDEN: University
West.
Garvis, M. (2013). Windows Server 2012: Roles & Features. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/canitpro/2013/04/23/windows-server-2012-roles-
features/
Goldstein, P. (2017). IPv4 to IPv6 Protocol Upgrade: How to Answer "Should I Enable IPv6?
Retrieved September 16, 2018, from https://biztechmagazine.com/article/2017/07/ipv4-
ipv6-protocol-upgrade-are-you-ipv6-ready
Hogg , S., & Vyncke, E. (2008). Chapter 1: Introduction to IPv6. Retrieved 09 01, 2018, from
https://www.networkworld.com/article/2271109/lan-wan/chapter-1--introduction-to-
ipv6.html
Microsoft. (2018). Basic and Dynamic Disks. Retrieved February 1, 2019, from
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/desktop/fileio/basic-and-dynamic-disks

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News, C. (2018). ITU plan to shift internet from IPv4 to IPv6 panned by engineers. Retrieved
September 11, 2018, from https://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/3033386/itu-plan-to-
shift-internet-from-ipv4-to-ipv6-panned-by-engineers
Poulton, D., & Camardella, D. (2014, September 30). Installing and Configuring Windows
Server 2012 R2. Retrieved from www.pearsonitcertification.com:
http://www.pearsonitcertification.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2248808&seqNum=2
Sabarinath. (2018). IPv4 vs IPv6: What is the difference between IPv4 and IPv6. Retrieved
Sepetember 21, 2018, from https://techlog360.com/ipv4-vs-ipv6/
Thomas , O. (2013). Top 5 Roles for Deploying Windows Server 2012. Retrieved February 1,
2019, from https://www.itprotoday.com/windows-78/top-5-roles-deploying-windows-
server-2012
Vaughan-Nichols, S. (2003). Mobile IPv6 and the future of wireless Internet access. Computer,
36(2), 18-20.