Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition - 5 User Box
Designed for departmental and standard workloads, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, delivers intelligent file and printer sharing, more secure Internet connectivity, centralized desktop policy management, and Web solutions that connect employees, partners, and customers. Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, provides high levels of dependability, scalability, and security.
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Compare the features of the Windows Server 2003 family using this set of tables, which is organized by function.
Windows Server 2003 Standard Features:Key: 
= Feature included 
= Feature partially
supported 
= Feature
not included
1 Applies to 64-bit versions only.
2 Not supported in 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003.
3 May be limited by lack of support by OEM hardware.
4 Both the 32-bit version of Datacenter Edition and the 64-bit version of Enterprise Edition support up to 64 GB RAM.
5 The 64-bit version of Datacenter Edition supports up to 512 GB RAM.
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Key Dependability Features
Here are some of the key features responsible for the increased dependability of Windows Server 2003:
• XML Web services. IIS 6.0 security settings
are enforced during setup by default to ensure that only required services
are running. This change from
earlier versions significantly reduces initial security risks. Using the IIS
Security Lockdown wizard, server functionality is enabled or disabled based
on the administrator's requirements.
• Directory services. Active Directory security settings for users and
network resources span from the core to the edge of the network, helping you
make
a secure end-to-end network a reality.
• Update management. The Auto Update feature provides the ability to systematically
download critical operating system updates, such as security fixes and security
patches. Administrators select when to install these critical operating system
updates.
• Internet firewall. Connecting to the Internet is more secure with the
built-in Internet Connection Firewall. The integration of an Internet Firewall
in
the operating system also reduces capital costs necessary to connect to the
Internet.
• Remote access. Dial-up users can be quarantined via administrator policy.
They can be prevented from accessing the network until their system is verified
to have administrator-specified software, such as virus detection updates.
• Server hardware support. Driver verifiers check new device drivers to
help keep the server up and running.
• Application verification. Applications running on Windows Server 2003
can be tested and verified using the Application Verifier tool, which detects
subtle discrepancies, such as software heap corruptions and compatibility
issues.
•
File services. Windows Server 2003 performance has increased considerably
since Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 and Windows 2000 Server.
• Assisted support. Microsoft incident submission and management allows
users to submit electronic support incidents to Microsoft, collaborate with support
engineers, and manage submitted incidents from Windows Server 2003.
• Server event tracking. Administrators can create accurate reports of
uptime using the new server shutdown tracker, which records Windows events for
server
shutdowns in a log file.
Key Productivity Features
Here are some of the key features that enhance productivity:
• Manage Your Server Wizard. Administrators can
use the straightforward interface of this wizard for setup and ongoing management
of a server. The
wizard makes it easy to perform such common tasks as adding new users and creating
file shares.
• Configure Your Server Wizard. The easy-to-use Configure Your Server Wizard
steps administrators through the process of setting up various server roles,
such as a file server, print server, remote access server, and other roles,
and helps ensure that components are installed and configured correctly the
first time.
• Remote server administration. With Remote Desktop for Administration
(formerly known as Terminal Services in Remote Administration mode), administrators
can manage a computer from virtually any other computer on the network. Remote
Desktop for Administration is specifically designed for server management.
• Remote assistance. Administrators can use Remote Assistance to control
a remote desktop computer. If administrators or helpdesk staff are invited
by a remote user, they can use Remote Assistance to connect to a remote computer
from a computer running Windows XP or any edition of Windows Server 2003.
After connecting to the remote computer, the person giving assistance can
view the remote computer's screen and chat in real time with the system user.
If the person requesting assistance allows it, the assisting person can even
control the remote computer's mouse and keyboard.
• Shadow Copy of Shared Folders. This feature provides consistent, point-in-time
versions for network shares. Administrators can view network folder contents
as they existed at one time. End users can recover accidentally deleted files
or folders on network shares without requiring system administrator intervention.
• Terminal Server. When using Terminal Server, a user can access programs
running on the server from a variety of devices. For example, a user can access
a
virtual Windows XP Professional desktop and x86-based applications for Windows
from hardware that cannot run the software locally. Terminal Server provides
this capability for client devices that run Windows as well as those that
do not.
Key Features for Connecting
Here are some of the key features for connecting people, partners, systems, and customers:
• IIS 6.0. IIS 6.0 is a Web service in Windows
Server 2003 that makes it easier to share information among partners, customers,
and employees over
an intranet, the Internet, or via an extranet. IIS 6.0 provides an updated
architecture that meets the most demanding needs in the areas of dependability,
versatility, and manageability.
• Web application server role. Windows Server 2003 is also a full Web application
server. It integrates the .NET Framework with core server resources to help
users develop, deploy, and manage applications and XML Web services. The
.NET Framework provides a fully managed, protected, and feature-rich application
execution environment, simplified development and deployment, and seamless
integration with a wide variety of programming languages. Windows Server
2003 is built on industry standards that allow customers to extend existing
applications and quickly develop new ones. Developers can build directly
on the application server, using XML Web services and managed code, and then
run these applications on any Web application platform. This level of easy
application development encourages internal and external business process
innovation and increases business opportunities.
•
Microsoft Windows Media Services. Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition,
includes Windows Media Services for distributing streaming audio and video
over corporate intranets and the Internet.
• Wireless LAN support. This feature provides security and performance
improvements for wireless local area networks (LANs), such as automatic key management,
user authentication, and authorization prior to LAN access. Windows Server
2003 Standard Edition, makes it much easier to use and deploy wireless services.
XML Web Services and .NET
Microsoft .NET is deeply integrated into the Windows Server 2003 family. It
enables an unprecedented level of software integration using XML Web services,
those discrete, building-block applications that connect to each other—as
well as to other, larger applications—via the Internet.
Integral to the Microsoft platform, the .NET Framework provides the ability to build, host, deploy, and use more secure and connected solutions quickly and reliably through XML Web services. The Microsoft platform provides a suite of developer tools, client applications, XML Web services, and servers necessary to participate in this connected world.
These XML Web services provide reusable components built on industry standards that invoke capabilities from other applications independent of the way the applications were built, their operating system or platform, or the devices used to access them.
With XML Web services, developers can integrate applications inside enterprises and across network boundaries with partners and customers. This advance in computing—opening the door to federated collaboration and more efficient business-to-business and business-to-consumer services—can have a significant potential impact on revenue. Millions of others can use these components in varied combinations to produce highly personal, intelligent computing experiences.
Other .NET benefits in the Windows Server 2003 family help application developers to:
• Leverage their existing investments. Existing Windows–based
applications continue to run on Windows Server 2003 and can be easily repackaged
as XML Web services.
• Write less code and use the programming languages and tools they know.
This is made possible by the application services built into Windows Server 2003,
such as Microsoft ASP.NET, transaction monitoring, message queuing, and data
access.
• Use process monitoring, recycling, and built-in instrumentation to provide
reliability, availability, and scalability for their applications.
All of these benefits are in the improved Windows Server 2003 application platform.
Conclusion
Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition, provides
a comprehensive server platform that is easy to deploy, manage, and use—and
helps businesses to lower TCO. Thanks in part to the support of many Microsoft
third-party hardware and software partners, Windows Server 2003 Standard Edition,
helps organizations achieve the greatest return on their server investments.
