Distributed File System (DFS) is a technology that lets you group shared folders on different servers into one logically structured namespace. As the name suggests, the files are distributed across various file servers and locations, and you can use DFS to access the shared folders of those servers from a single path. The components of DFS are Namespace and Replication. This article covers the DFS Namespace. Additionally, we are using two servers running Windows Server 2022 (SR1-technig and SR2-technig) to install and configure the distributed file system namespace.

Install Distributed File System (DFS) on Windows Server 2022

The DFS technology is part of the File and Storage Services, and you need to install this role on your system. I will install the DFS Namespace using the Server Manager.

1. Open Server Manager.
2. Click Manage > Add Roles and Features.
3. Click Next on the Welcome screen.
4. Select Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
5. Select the server where you want to install DFS and click Next.
6. On the Server Roles page, expand File and Storage Services and select DFS Namespaces.
7. Click Add Features and then click Next.
8. On the Features page, select the features that you want to install and click Next.

9. Click next on the Select feature wizard, and confirm the installation selection. Review the installation summary and click Install.
10. Wait for a few seconds. The installation might take some time. Click Finish to close the wizard.

Note: You must install the Distributed File System (DFS) on all the servers where you want to implement DFS.

How to configure distributed file system namespace

After the installation, you can create your Namespace following the below procedures. But, first of all, let’s create a folder on each server and share them in the network. To do that, I create a new folder on each server and put a text file in it.

Once the installation is complete, you will need to configure the DFS namespace. Here are the steps on how to do it:

1. Open the DFS Management console.
2. Right-click Namespaces and select New Namespace.
3. In the New Namespace Wizard, enter the namespace name and click Next.
4. Select the type of namespace that you want to create and click Next.
5. Select the servers that will host the namespace and click Next.
6. Review the configuration settings and click Create.

The following are the real example:

1. On server SR1-technig, I create a new folder SR1-Sales, and a text file SR1-TextFiles.
2. On server SR2-technig, I create another folder, SR2-Sales, and a text file, SR2-TextFiles.

Moreover, I share these folders on the network. If you do not know how to share files on the network, please read the Share Files over the Network:

To see whether your folder is shared on the network, press the Windows +R buttons and write the \ServerName in the Run and enter. You see the shared folder appear.

How to create Distributed File System (DFS) Namespace

Once the namespace is created, you can start adding shared folders to it. Here are the steps on how to do it. Now let’s create a namespace by the name of Sales in the DFS Management.

1. Right-click the namespace that you want to add the shared folder to and select New Folder.
2. In the New Folder Wizard, enter the folder name and click Next.
3. Select the shared folder that you want to add to the namespace and click Next.
4. Review the configuration settings and click Create.

Following are the real scenario of adding shared folders to the namespace.

1. In the server manager window, click on administrative tools.
2. Find the DFS Management and open it.
3. You see the two components of the DFS on the left-hand side; right-click on the Namespace> New Namespace.

4. Write or browse the server’s name to host the Namespace and click next.

5. Enter the name of the Namespace. I name the namespace Sales.

6. Click on the Edit Settings button to customize the users’ permissions for the shared folders in the Namespace, and then click the Ok button. Click next.

There are two types of namespaces: domain-based namespaces and standalone namespaces. Domain-based namespaces can be stored on one or multiple namespace servers and in Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS). Standalone namespaces, on the other hand, are stored on one namespace server. If you choose to create a domain-based namespace, you will need to enable Windows Server 2008 mode.

7. Select the type of Namespace and click next.

8. After reviewing all the settings, click on the Create button.

9. Finally, you have created the Namespace and now close the Wizard by clicking on the Close button.

Create DFS Folders

It is time to bring together all those shared folders from different servers under one Namespace in one server. To do that:

1. In the DFS Management, open the Namespace.
2. Right-click on the newly created Namespace and then New Folder.

3. Click on the Add button to connect the folder to the target path.

4. Browse for the target path, select the shared folder, and click the Ok button.

5. Click on the Ok button to return to the New Folder Wizard, give the folder name, and click the Ok button.

6. Again, right-click on the Namespace, Create New Folder > Add button, browse or write another server’s name, select their shared folder, give it a name, and then click on the OK button.

You can add multiple shared folders from multiple servers and add them into one Namespace.

Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box. Type ComputerName and press Enter to check the new namespace you created. If you open that namespace folder in the network, you will see subfolders that are shortcuts to the folders you added to your namespace. These subfolders are linked to the shared folders on other servers. Now, you can access all of those shared folders from different locations under a single path.

Conclusions

In this article, you learned how to install the Distributed File System (DFS) namespace on Windows Server 2022 and configure the DFS namespace to group shared folders from different servers into one namespace. Since this article is already long, we will cover DFS replication in another session. Please feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comment section below.

Related: How to Install and Enable Data Deduplication on Windows Server 2022

The post Install and Configure Distributed File System in Windows Server 2022 appeared first on TECHNIG.

When you store a massive amount of data in your system disks, you may find duplicated data. The duplicated data will impact storage efficiency. This probability is more actual when you save more similar files in your storage. For example, consider an educational center that stores thousands of students’ files with a high volume of similar contents and structures. Fortunately, data Deduplication technology can manage duplicated data and improve storage efficiency. Data Deduplication is a process that eliminates the excessive copies of data and decreases the storage capacity requirements. In this article, we write on How to install and enable data Deduplication on Windows Server 2022. So, tune in with us till the end.

Important note: Data Deduplication can deduplicate data on NTFS and ReFS only.

Install data deduplication on Windows Server 2022

You can install the data deduplication feature on the windows server through the Server Manager, PowerShell, and Windows Admin Center. I will use the Server Manager to install the Dedup roles and features on Windows Server 2022 in this session. Follow me with the steps below to install:

1. Open the Server Manager.
2. On the server manager dashboard, click on Add roles and Features. (Or on the Manage >Add Roles and Features)
3. In the Before You Begin wizard, click on the Next button.
4. Select the installation type: Role-based or feature-based installation, and click next.
5. Select the destination server and click next.
6. Find the File and Storage Services in the Server Roles wizard and expand it. Expand the File and iSCSI Services.

7. Find the Data Deduplication feature and tick it. Click on the Add features button.
8. Click on the Next button till the Installation button activates. And click on the Install button. Wait for a few seconds; the feature will install.
9. Finally, close the wizard.

How to enable data deduplication on Server 2022?

After installing the data deduplication feature on your Windows Server, now you should enable it on a volume.

1. Determine on which volume you are going to apply the data deduplication. (You cannot implement it on the C drive)
2. Open the Server Manager dashboard.
3. On the left-hand side, click on File and Storage Services.

4. Click on the Volumes.
5. Right-click on the desired volumes, and click on the Configure data deduplication.

6. You see, the data deduplication is disabled by default. Click on the drop-down menu to enable it. Select a proper answer from the three options below:
   1. General-purpose file server: it is used for general purpose (I select this one here)
   2. Virtual desktop infrastructure server: choose this option if you use it for virtualization.
   3. Virtualized backup server: Select this option if you use the virtual machine as a backup server.

7. Additionally, You can input a number to tell the server that starts deduplicating your files in a volume after some days. By default, it is three days. Here I want my server to deduplicate right now; that’s why I choose the 0 number.

8. If you want to exclude some files and folders and do not want them to be deduplicated, click on the Add button and select the folder. Or write file extension and click enter.

How to Schedule the Deduplication on Windows Server 2022?

Additionally, in the Deduplication setting wizard, you see the Set Deduplication Schedule button. Click on that to schedule the Deduplication on your server.

You can set the time to start the Deduplication process and specify the Deduplication’s day, hours, and duration. Moreover, you can create a second schedule for throughput optimization. After you set the scheduled time, click Ok.

How to Run Data Deduplication process on Volumes?

Now that you have installed the Data deduplication feature and enabled it on your Windows Server. You should know that it does not start deduplicating immediately. It will start running in the background when the system is idle or according to the time you specified in the schedule. However, you can run the Deduplication job on the targeted volumes manually. To illustrate it further, I have an E: drive on my system and want to implement the Deduplication process. To do that, I run the PowerShell as an administrator and write the following command, and enter.

Start-DedupJob –Volume "Name_of_Volume" –Type Optimization

Conclusions

To conclude, you learned to install and enable data deduplication on Windows 2022. Data deduplication is a great way to enhance the efficiency of your storage on a Windows server. I hope you can benefit from this feature on your server to save storage space. You can write down in the comment section your thoughts and questions.

The post How to Install and Enable Data Deduplication in Windows Server 2022 appeared first on TECHNIG.

You can set up a local network with central authentication and join that network to use the shared resources. If you want to join your windows 11 client computer to an active directory domain, and don’t know where to start, you are in the right place. In these tutorials, you learn how to join the computer running Windows 11 operating system to a domain from PowerShell and computer settings.

Related: How to Set Static IP Address on Windows 11

Important notes before joining your computer to a domain!

1. Ensure the network connectivity
2. Set a unique name for your client’s computer
3. Make sure to have e DNS connection
4. Log in as an administrator account
5. Know the domain name you want to join

Join Windows 11 computer to a domain from computer settings

This is a common graphical method to join your computer to the domain environment. To do that, follow the steps below:

1. First of all, open the system properties: press Windows+R to open the Run and write sysdm. Cpl then clicks ok.
2. Click on the ‘change’ button in the system properties dialogue box.

3. Select the radio button before the domain name and input the domain name in the text box; click ok.

4. A security window pops up asking for the username and password of the domain you want to join. Write them and enter.

5. A tiny window welcomes you to the domain; click Ok.
6. A window will prompt you to restart the computer. After the restart, your computer is a member of the network.

How to join your computer to the domain using PowerShell?

Another easy way to join the Active Directory Domain is through PowerShell. You can add your computer to a network using PowerShell with the below steps:

1. Search the Windows PowerShell in the search box and run it as administrator.
2. Write the Add-Computer –DomainName “Domain-Name” –Credential “Domain-UserName” in the PowerShell window and enter.

3. A tiny window shows up asking to enter the Domain-Password. Enter the password and enter.

4. Restart your computer, and then you are a member of the network.

How to check if your PC is joined to a domain or Workgroup?

There are multiple ways to check whether your computer is a domain member or a WORKGROUP. The most accessible and most convenient of them is through Command Prompt:

1. Open the Command Prompt from the Start Menu.
2. Write the Systeminfo |findstr /I “domain” and enter. In the second line, you will see either the domain is a workgroup or a member of a domain.

Another way to check if your computer is joined to a domain is through the system properties:

1. Go to the setting of your computer. Click on the System, scroll down, find the About option, and click on it.
2. Click on the hyperlink “Domain or Workgroup.”
3. In the system properties dialogue box, click on the change button.
4. If the workgroup radio button was selected, you are not a member of any domain. Else, if the domain radio button is selected, you are a member of the domain.

Conclusions

There are multiple ways to add your computer to a domain. And the easiest and most convenient of them is through PowerShell and computer settings that we talked about. Write your questions in the comment section of this page.

The post How to Join Windows 11 to Domain using PowerShell appeared first on TECHNIG.

When you create a file server, the File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) is a must-have tool. You can use the FSRM to set limits for storage, classify files and folders, and control the types of file(s) you want to store on the file server. Moreover, the FSRM feature is not installed by default on Windows Server 2022 and the previous versions. You can install this feature manually using PowerShell or Server Manager. You will learn how to install the FSRM on Windows Server 2022. Additionally, you will learn how to restrict a folder by storage size and data type.

Install File Server Resource Manager on Windows Server 2022

There are two ways to install this feature on Windows Server 2022:

1. Install Using PowerShell

An easy and quick way to install the FSRM on Windows Server 2022 is using PowerShell.

1. Search the PowerShell in the Search box or open it from the Start Menu on Windows Server.
2. In the PowerShell window, write: Install-WindowsFeature FS-Resource-Manager and enter.

It may take a few seconds to install. After the FSRM is installed, you can write the: Get-WindowsFeature |More to check whether it is installed successfully or not. If the installation was completed, you see the X sign in front of its name.

2. Install the FSRM through Server Manager

Another way to install the File Server Resource Manager on Windows Server is via the Server Manager.

1. Open the Server Manager in your Windows Server. Click on Manage and Add Roles and Features on the top right-hand side.
2. Click on Next in Add Roles and Features Wizard.
3. Select the installation type: Role-based or Feature-based installation, and click Next.

4. Choose the destination server and click next.

5. Find the File and Storage Services feature in the Select Server Roles window and expand it. Under the File and Storage Services, there are two more options. You expand the File and ISCSI Services.

6. Find the File Server Resource Manager feature and select (Check) it, and a new window pop up; click on Add Features, and click next.

7. In the Select Feature window, click Next, and in the Confirm the Installation Selections window, click on the Install button.

After the installation, open the Server Manager. Click on the Tools menu, and see the File Server Resource Manager added there.

Configure File Server Resource Manager

When you open the File Server Resource Manager feature, there are five sub-features under it. You can use those sub-features according to the requirement. In this article, we discuss the most important of them: Quota Management and File Screening Management.

Quota Management

People use Quota Management to limit the space allowed for the volumes or folders and notify the admin or the user via email or other notifications. When you open the Quota Management, there are two other sub-container:

1. Quota: This container contains all the existing and upcoming quotas with details.
2. Quota template: it carries all the existing and ready templates.

How do create quotas?

1. Right-click on the Quota container and click on Create Quota.
2. In the Create Quota window, specify the folder path that you want to restrict. You can do it by browsing or writing the path of that folder.

3. In the same window, a question asking how do you want to configure quota properties? Beneath that question, there are two options.

1.  If you check the “Drives properties from this quota template”, then open the drop-down menu. And select the limited space amount from the existing templates, and click Create.
2. Alternatively, if you check the second answer (Define custom quota properties), click on the Custom Properties button. The Custom Properties button lets you specify the quota properties yourself.

4. If you want a custom quota, specify the space limit and types of quotas in the custom properties windows. There are two types of Quotas:

1. Hard quota specifies not to exceed the defined amount.
2. Soft quota is just for monitoring.

5. Now click on Add button for the notification thresholds.

6. In the threshold window, specify when and how notification should notify the admin or user. And what type of notifications (Email, Event log, Command, or Report) should notify the admin or the user.

7. After defining the type of notification, click Ok to close the threshold windows. Then click again Ok to close the quota properties window. Finally, click on Create button in the Create Quota, and a new window asks you to save the newly created template. If you want to save the template, give it a name and click on Ok. Else, check the Save custom quota without saving the template and click the Ok.

File Screening Management

You can use file screening management to control the types of files users can store in the folder or volumes. If you expand the file screening management, you will see three options:

1. File Screen: you can see and create new file screens.
2. File Screen templates: it keeps many pre-made templates that you can use.
3. The third option is file Group: it consists of files in one group.

How to Create New File Screen

1. Right-click on File Screen and click on Create File Screen.
2. Specify the path of the folder or volumes you want to implement the restriction.

3. Question asking how do you want to configure file screen properties? If you check the Drive properties from this file screen template, open the drop-down menu beneath that and select the type of file you want to ban. Click create. You are done!

4. On the other hand, if you create a custom file screen, check the Define custom file screen properties. And click on the Custom Properties button.

5. In file screen custom properties, define the type of file screens you want. There are two types of file screens:

1. Active screening: this type does not allow users to save unauthorized files.
2. Passive screening: allow users to save files (It is for monitoring)

6. Additionally, in the File Screen Custom properties window, click on the Create button if you want to create a new file screen. Or, select one option from the file groups column and click on the Edit button to bring changes to the existing file groups.

7. Define the type of notification (Email message, event, comment, or report) from the top menu and click Ok to close the window.

8. After you customize and select the file screen, click on the Create button. A new window shows up asking do you want to save the newly created template. If yes, give the name and click Ok. Else, check the Save custom file screening without saving the template and click Ok.

The Conclusion

To conclude, File Server Resource Manager is a feature in Windows Server that enables users to have extra monitoring of their files. In the article, you learned how to install the FSRM feature in Windows Server 2022 and limit folder size, and prevent unauthorized files. Write down your questions in the comment section.

You may find the below article useful!

Windows Server 2022 Backup Installation and Configuration

How to Create and Configure Storage Pool on Windows Server 2022

How to Configure NTFS Permissions on Windows Server 2022

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Sharing physical resources is the primary purpose of virtualization. in Hyper-V we assign physical resources like; CPU, RAM, and disk space for every Virtual Machine at the time of configuration. But other resources like External disks, USB flash drives, and other plug play are configured when needed. In this article, I explain how to share host resources with the virtual machine in Hyper-V.

In Hyper-V, even if you want to copy a file from the USB flash drive to your virtual machine, you have to go a long way: You must create a virtual switch, connect your host and virtual machine to the same virtual switch, and give your virtual machine access to your USB flash drive. I will go through this process step by step in this article.

Create Virtual Switch in Hyper-V

When you create a Virtual Switch in Hyper-V, you will see three types of virtual switches. Each of these switch types has its advantages, so you have to choose the right type of Switch.

External Switch

External Switch provides a connection between virtual machines, hosts, and the physical network. It means that your virtual machine can connect to the internet as well. When you connect your virtual machine to an external switch, your virtual machine will be accessible by the host, physical network and the internet.

Internal Switch

You can use an Internal switch to separate your host network from your virtual network. Your virtual machines can communicate with each other and with the host, using an internal switch. But can not communicate with the physical network.

Private Switch

Virtual machines connected to a private switch can communicate with each other, but can not communicate with the host or physical network.

Now that you have understood virtual switch types follow the steps below to create a virtual switch.

1. Open Hyper-V Manager and click on Virtual Switch Manager.

2. Click on the New virtual network switch and select External, Internal or Private, then click on Create Virtual Switch. To share local resources with a virtual machine in Hyper-V, you must create an external switch or internal Switch because just external and internal switches provide the connection with the host. A Private Switch doesn’t provide the connection between virtual machines and the host machine.

3. Name your virtual Switch; you can see it as you type the name. Choose the Internal network connection type for your virtual Switch, then press OK.

Now that you have created a virtual switch make sure that it has been created appropriately by clicking on Virtual Switch Manager in Hyper-V Manager. You can change your switch type easily from Virtual Switch Manager. Now let’s connect the virtual machine to the virtual Switch.

Check out if you want to know how to create a virtual switch by using Windows PowerShell.

Connect Virtual Machine to Virtual Switch

Both the host and the virtual machine must be connected to the same virtual Switch in order to share your host resources with the virtual machine. When you create an external or internal switch in Hyper-V, your host connects automatically to that Switch, but your virtual machine doesn’t. You have to connect your virtual machine to the virtual switch manually. I explain how to connect the virtual machine to the virtual switch step by step.

1. Open Hyper-V Manager, right-click on the name of your virtual machine and click on Settings. Or, if your virtual machine is running, maximize your virtual machine window and click on the File and click on settings.

2. Click on Add Hardware, select Network Adapter and click on Add.

3. Select the virtual Switch from the list and click OK. You can also remove any virtual switch that is not needed by selecting that virtual Switch and clicking on Remove.

4. Before you go to share local resources in Hyper-V, make sure that your host is connected to your virtual Switch. Open Control Panel, click on Network and Internet, and then click on Network and Sharing Center.

When creating a virtual switch, make sure it is the right type of Switch that you need. If you want to connect your virtual machine to the internet, create an external switch, and if you’re going to separate your virtual network from the host network, then create a Private Switch.

Configure to Share Host’s Local Resources With Virtual Machine

You can share; printers, clipboards, external hard disks, internal disk drives, USB flash drives, and other plug and play devices from the Local Resources. In Hyper-V, if you want to copy a file into your virtual machine, it doesn’t provide you with the copy and paste option from the host to the virtual machine, so you have to share it via file-sharing or share the disk or USB itself. Follow the steps below to configure resource sharing.

1. Right-click on the Virtual Machine name and click on Connect. The following screen appears, then click on Show Options.

2. Click on Local resources to see local devices, check the devices you want to share with the virtual machine, and then click on Connect. If the resource you want to share is not in the list, click on More.

3. The following screen appears, select your resource from that list and click OK. I want to share Local drive C and a USB Pendrive which is plugged into my computer.

4. After your virtual machine is connected, log in with a username and password. Check the File Explorer, drive and devices you shared before will appear under Redirected drives and folders.

Sharing local resources look complicated, but it gets easier when you understand the process well. If you create the correct type of switch, connect your host and virtual machine to the virtual switch properly, so you will not find issues to share local resources with the virtual machine in Hyper-V.

Check out this article to know more about the installation of Hyper-V on Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022.

Check out this article if you want to know How To Connect Hyper-V Machines To Internet?

The post How to Share Host resources with Virtual Machine in Hyper-V appeared first on TECHNIG.

Here you can download Windows Server 2019 ISO file. The full version of Windows Server 2019 is accessible with a fast direct link from the Microsoft website where you can easily download the Windows Server 2019 ISO file from the below link.

The installation of Windows Server 2019 is the same process as the old style. Just download the Window Server 2019 iso file and install it on Hyper-v,  VMware virtual machine, or a physical computer. 

For more information about what is new in Windows Server 2019, follow the article.

What’s new in Windows Server 2019

Windows Server 2019 is built on the strong foundation of Windows Server 2016 – which continues to see great momentum in customer adoption. Windows Server 2016 is the fastest adopted version of Windows Server, ever! We’ve been busy since its launch at Ignite 2016 drawing insights from your feedback and product telemetry to make this release even better.

We also spent a lot of time with customers to understand the future challenges and where the industry is going. Four themes were consistent – Hybrid, Security, Application Platform, and Hyper-converged infrastructure. We bring numerous innovations to these four themes in Windows Server 2019.

Hybrid cloud scenarios:

We know that the move to the cloud is a journey and often, a hybrid approach, one that combines on-premises and cloud environments working together, is what makes sense to our customers. Extending Active Directory, synchronizing file servers, and backup in the cloud are just a few examples of what customers are already doing today to extend their data centers to the public cloud. In addition, a hybrid approach also allows for apps running on-premises to take advantage of innovation in the cloud such as Artificial Intelligence and IoT. The hybrid cloud enables a future-proof, long-term approach – which is exactly why we see it playing a central role in cloud strategies for the foreseeable future.

At Ignite in September 2017, we announced the Technical Preview of Project Honolulu – our reimagined experience for the management of Windows and Windows Server. Project Honolulu is a flexible, lightweight browser-based locally-deployed platform and a solution for management scenarios. One of our goals with Project Honolulu is to make it simpler and easier to connect existing deployments of Windows Server to Azure services. With Windows Server 2019 and Project Honolulu, customers will be able to easily integrate Azure services such as Azure Backup, Azure File Sync, disaster recovery, and much more so they will be able to leverage these Azure services without disrupting their applications and infrastructure.

Security:

Security continues to be a top priority for our customers. The number of cyber-security incidents continues to grow, and the impact of these incidents is escalating quickly. A Microsoft study shows that attackers take, on average, just 24-48 hours to penetrate an environment after infecting the first machine. In addition, attackers can stay in the penetrated environment – without being noticed – for up to 99 days on average, according to a report by FireEye/Mandiant. We continue on our journey to help our customers improve their security posture by working on features that bring together learnings from running global-scale data centers for Microsoft Azure, Office 365, and several other online services.

Our approach to security is three-fold – Protect, Detect and Respond. We bring security features in all three areas to Windows Server 2019.
On the Protect front, we introduced Shielded VMs in Windows Server 2016, which was enthusiastically received by our customers. Shielded VMs protect virtual machines (VM) from compromised or malicious administrators in the fabric so only VM admins can access it on known, healthy, and attested guarded fabric. In Windows Server 2019, Shielded VMs will now support Linux VMs. We are also extending VMConnect to improve troubleshooting of Shielded VMs for Windows Server and Linux. We are adding Encrypted Networks that will let admins encrypt network segments, with a flip of a switch to protect the network layer between servers.

On the Detect and Respond front, in Windows Server 2019, we are embedding Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) which provides preventative protection, and detects attacks and zero-day exploits among other capabilities, into the operating system. This gives customers access to the deep kernel and memory sensors, improving performance and anti-tampering and enabling response actions on server machines.

Application Platform:

A key guiding principle for us on the Windows Server team is a relentless focus on the developer experience. Two key aspects to call out for the developer community are improvements to Windows Server containers and Windows Subsystem on Linux (WSL).

Since the introduction of containers in Windows Server 2016, we have seen great momentum in its adoption. Tens of millions of container images have been downloaded from the Docker Hub. The team learned from feedback that a smaller container image size will significantly improve the experience of developers and IT Pros who are modernizing their existing applications using containers. In Windows Server 2019, our goal is to reduce the Server Core base container image to a third of its current size of 5 GB. This will reduce the download time of the image by 72%, further optimizing the development time and performance.

We are also continuing to improve the choices available when it comes to orchestrating Windows Server container deployments. Kubernetes support is currently in beta, and in Windows Server 2019, we are introducing significant improvements to compute, storage, and networking components of a Kubernetes cluster.

A feedback we constantly hear from developers is the complexity of navigating environments with Linux and Windows deployments. To address that, we previously extended Windows Subsystem on Linux (WSL) into insider builds for Windows Server, so that customers can run Linux containers side-by-side with Windows containers on a Windows Server. In Windows Server 2019, we are continuing on this journey to improve WSL, helping Linux users bring their scripts to Windows while using industry standards like OpenSSH, Curl & Tar.

Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI): 

Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI): HCI is one of the latest trends in the server industry today. According to IDC, the HCI market grew 64% in 2016 and Gartner says it will be a $5 billion market by 2019. This trend is primarily because customers understand the value of using x86 servers with high performant local disks to run their compute and storage needs at the same time. In addition, HCI gives the flexibility to easily scale such deployments.

Customers looking for HCI solutions can use Windows Server 2016 and the Windows Server Software-Defined program today. We partnered with industry-leading hardware vendors to provide an affordable yet extremely robust HCI solution with a validated design. In Windows Server 2019 we are building on this platform by adding scale, performance, and reliability. We are also adding the ability to manage HCI deployments in Project Honolulu, to simplify the management and day-to-day activities in HCI environments.

Finally, Windows Server customers using System Center will be excited to know that System Center 2019 is coming and will support Windows Server 2019.

We have much more to share between now and the launch later this year. We will bring more details on the goodness of Windows Server 2019 in a blog series that will cover the areas above.

Sign up for the Insiders program to access Windows Server 2019

In order to free download Windows Server 2019 iso file, you need to register for the insiders program. We know you probably cannot wait to get your hands on the next release, and the good news is that the preview build is available today to Windows Insiders. Join the program to ensure you have access to the bits. For more details on this preview build, check out the Release Notes.

We love hearing from you, so don’t forget to provide feedback using the Windows Feedback Hub app, or the Windows Server space in the Tech community.

Frequently asked questions

Q: When will Windows Server 2019 be generally available?

A: Windows Server 2019 will be generally available in the second half of the calendar year 2018.

Q: Is Windows Server 2019 a Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release?

A: Windows Server 2019 will mark the next release in our Long-Term Servicing Channel. LTSC continues to be the recommended version of Windows Server for most of the infrastructure scenarios, including workloads like Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft SharePoint, and Windows Server Software-defined solutions.

Q: What are the installation options available for Windows Server 2019?

A: As an LTSC release Windows Server 2019 provides the Server with Desktop Experience and Server Core installation options – in contrast to the Semi-Annual Channel that provides only the Server Core installation option and Nano Server as a container image. This will ensure application compatibility for existing workloads.

Q: Will there be a Semi-Annual Channel release at the same time as Windows Server 2019?

A: Yes. The Semi-Annual Channel release scheduled to go at the same time as Windows Server 2019 will bring container innovations and will follow the regular support lifecycle for Semi-Annual Channel releases – 18 months.

Q: Does Windows Server 2019 have the same licensing model as Windows Server 2016?

A: Yes. Check more information on how to license Windows Server 2016 today on the Windows Server Pricing page. It is highly likely we will increase pricing for Windows Server Client Access Licensing (CAL). We will provide more details when available.

OK, hope you enjoy the free download Windows server 2019 iso file. If you have any questions feel free to ask us in the comment section.

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Here is all the system administrator (MSC shortcut commands) you need to access faster to each service consoles in Windows server 2016 and other Windows Servers. It might not complete command list, but you can add the new command to this list via command section.

All MSC Shortcut Commands in Windows Server

The complete Windows Server management – Keyboard Shortcuts and Commands for quick access to managing Windows servers inside your network environment.

Active Directory Shortcut Commands

Windows Server Shortcut Commands

Server Core Shortcut Commands

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You can free download the Windows server 2012 R2 ISO file from the below direct link. The Windows Server 2012 R2 provides a wide range of new and enhanced features and capabilities spanning server virtualization, storage, software-defined networking, server management, and automation, web, and application platform, access and information protection, virtual desktop infrastructure, and more.

Download Windows Server 2012 R2 ISO File

Windows Server 2012 R2 is available for download from the Microsoft Evaluation Center. To download the Windows Server 2012 R2 ISO file for free, you need to register and obtain the download link. Here is a direct link to download the Windows Server 2012 R2 ISO file.

Windows Server 2012 R2 Benefits

At the heart of Microsoft’s Cloud OS, Windows Server helps customers transform the data center, taking advantage of technological advances and new hybrid cloud capabilities to increase resilience, simplify management, reduce cost, and speed the delivery of services to the business.

Related: MCSA Lab Manual Articles

Windows Server 2012 R2 is a proven, enterprise-class cloud and data center platform that can scale to run your largest workloads while enabling robust recovery options to protect against service outages. It helps accelerate time to value by simplifying your underlying infrastructure and allowing you to reduce costs by taking advantage of industry-standard hardware. Windows Server 2012 R2 helps you build, deploy, and scale applications and websites quickly and gives you the flexibility to move workloads between on-premises environments and the cloud. It enables you to provide flexible, remote access to corporate resources while managing identities across your data center and federated into the cloud, and it helps you protect critical business information.

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Here you just learn about backup and restore Group Policy Object in Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. This method works the same for other Windows server as well. Group policy objects backup will helps you protect GPOs configuration. It is easy to create and edit group policy object from Group Policy Management on Windows Server. But takes to much time to completely configure the settings of each GPOs. Having a backup save you time and effort to reconfigure settings of a new GPO.

Backup and Restore Group Policy Object

To back up the created GPO in Windows Server, navigate to Group Policy Management console from server dashboard or type ‘gpmc.msc‘ in windows run and then press enter to open the Group Policy Management Console.

1. Type “gpmc.msc” on run and press enter to open the group policy management console.
2. Expand the domain and your domain name.
3. Now, expand the Group Policy Objects to see all GPOs created by you.

4. In Group Policy Management expand the domain name and group policy objects in order to see all created objects.

5. To create a backup from all GOPs, right-click the Group Policy Objects and click Back up all. 

Remember, this will backup all modified and non-modified GPOs which you have created for the domain. The other configuration like linked objects, Enforced, and Block Inheritance to domain organizational units will not back up. The full configuration back up just done a full system back up with Windows backup services.

6. Now in Back Up Group Policy Object page, click Browse and choose wherever to want to save backups and type some description in the description box, then click Back Up button.

7. Good, the backup task was accomplished successfully. Let’s check how do we can restore the deleted GPO from backup data.

Restore Group Policy Object

To restore GPO, right-click the Group Policy Objects and click Manage Backups. In the Manage Backups page brows to the backup directory or location on the hard disk.

You see backup contents in GPO backup folder. But if you want to restore a policy object, select GPO and click Restore button.

Click OK, if ask you ‘Do you want to restore the selected backup? and selected backup will restore the Group Policy Objects.

Now you can link and apply it to your OUs in your domain.

Hope this helps you solve the backup and restore of group policy object on Windows server. If you have any issue, just write us in the comment box.

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These are the complete MCSA Lab manual articles for Windows Server 2012 R2 to Windows Server 2019. Each article is a simple step by step guide to an objective’s of MCSA exams like 70-410, 70-411, and 70-412. I have written these step by step articles in my spare time, so these are not but free articles. Hope you tell us our mistakes and let us know the problems.

Your suggestion and feedback will make our next articles better, and get us to know to serve you the more guides and articles.

Complete MCSA Lab Manual Articles

We have categorized the articles to easily find and manage. It doesn’t compel you to start from beginning to end. Each article is clearly explained in a separate post which help you to do your practice within a short time and get the appropriate knowledge of MCSA related objectives.

1. Installation and Configuration

How to Install Windows Server 2012 R2?

• A step by step guide to install Windows Server 2012 R2. This is the first step of MCSA Lab manual articles for beginners to Windows Server.

Windows Server 2012 R2 Initial Configuration

• Windows Server 2012 R2 Initial Configuration for newly installed. After installation, you need to configure the initial requirements of the server.  The essential configuration is changing hostname, set IP address, update Windows, Desktop configuration, and activate the Windows Server etc.

2. Active Directory

Install Active Directory in Windows Server 2012 R2

• The step by step guide to Install Active Directory in Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2. Installation and configuration of AD DS in Windows Server 2012 R2 is a bit different from earlier Windows Servers. Dcpromo.exe command has been removed and added some new features like metro, dashboard, and server manager with a new style.

How to Create Object in Active Directory?

• Active Directory objects represent the physical entities that make up a network. An object is an instance of the storage of a class. A class is defined in the Active Directory schema as a specific set of mandatory and optional attributes.

How to Create User Account Using PowerShell?

• How to create a User Account with Windows PowerShell in Active Directory. This is the account creation of MCSA Lab manual articles.

Manage Group Accounts in Active Directory using PowerShell

• Related to creating objects in Active Directory for creating and managing Group Accounts in Active Directory. You can perform the tasks on all Windows Servers from 2008 to 2016. Using PowerShell to manage Active Directory is not hard if you try to understand the PowerShell CmdLets structures.

How to Enable Active Directory Recycle Bin On Server 2012 R2

• In Windows Server 2012 R2, you can enable Active directory to recycle Bin from Active Directory Administrative Center using a graphical interface. I also have written a topic about how to enable active directory to recycle bin using PowerShell in Windows Server 2008 R2. Because in Windows Server 2008 you cannot enable AD Recycle bin with Active Directory Administrative Center.

Creating Active Directory Snapshots On Server 2012 R2

• The Active Directory snapshots are a point-in-time view of Active Directory from Windows Server 2008, which are created by using the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS). In Windows Server 2012 R2 we are going to simply create Active Directory Snapshots using Ntdsutil.exe command.

Applying Password Settings Objects on Server 2012 R2

• The Password Settings Objects (PSO) which introduced in Windows Server 2008, applying password policy for AD DS Fine-Grained Password and Account Lockout in Windows Server. When you configure the password policy from Group policy for an Organizational Unit (OU), you can not apply the settings for other AD objects. So with password settings objects, you can do the task easily. I’m going to apply Password Settings Objects for domain admin account in Windows Server 2012 R2.

3. IP and DNS deployment

Install and Configure DHCP Server on Server 2012 R2

• This MCSA lab manual articles going to show to process of installing and configuring DHCP Server. Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is the core networking protocol to deploy Internet Protocol (IP) address automatically for network clients. In a small to medium and large networks, the IP address deployment has performed by DHCP Server. A DHCP Server assigns IP addresses to client computers and reduces IP management tasks. The DHCP protocol is available on most used Wireless Access point devices with preconfiguring of basic DHCP services for home users.

Configure Windows IPv4 Networking with Netsh

• Configuring Windows IPv4 Networking with Netsh or Network Shell. Netsh is a command-line utility included in Microsoft’s Windows NT line of operating systems beginning with Windows 2000. It allows local or remote configuration of network devices such as the NICs.

Install and Configure DNS in Windows Server 2012 R2

• Install and configure DNS Server which is a standard network protocol and a hierarchical distributed naming system for computers, services, or any resource connected to the Internet or a private network.

4. Remote Access Policy & Remote Management

How to Install and Configure RSAT In Windows 8.1?

• Manage the network Windows Servers remotely with your Windows 8 or 8.1 using Remote Server Administration Tools. The Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows 8.1 will help you as IT or System administrators to manage roles and features that are installed on server computers that are running Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2. For the remote controlling task of Windows Servers, your client computer must be pro or enterprise edition of Windows 8.1.

Configure Remote Desktop Protocol in Windows Server?

• Remote desktop protocol (RDP) provides a user to connect to another computer over the network connection. In Windows operating system the RDP is disabled by default. If you want to use it you must enable and give permission to the appropriate user or group. It’s all about controlling a Server remotely over the internet or private network.

Configure WinRM on Windows Server 2012 R2

• This article is going to show you how to configure WinRM in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 10 or Windows 8.1. The Windows Remote Management (WinRM) is the Microsoft implementation of WS-Management Protocol, a standard Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)-based, firewall-friendly protocol that allows you to control Windows Servers and clients remotely through a command-line interface.

Installing Network Policy Server (NPS) on Server 2012 R2?

• This MCSA lab manual articles is about installed and configure the Network Policy Server (NPS). NPS in Windows Server is used to create and enforce network access policies for client health, authentication and authorization of connection requests. You configure the NPS as a Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) server…. So let’s Installing the Network Policy on Windows Server.

How to Configure Network Access Protection (NAP)?

• The step by step guide MCSA Lab manual articles to configure Network Access Protection (NAP). The NAP is a Microsoft technology for controlling network access of a computer, based on its health. With NAP, system administrators of an organization can define policies for system health requirements. For instance, System health requirements are whether the computer has the most recent operating system updates installed. The computer host-based firewall is installed and enabled etc.

5. Install and Configure Server Core

How to Configure Windows Server 2012 R2 Core?

• The Windows Server Core is a minimal server installation option for computers running on the operating system. Server Core provides a low-maintenance server environment with limited functionality. Starting with Windows Server 2012, it is possible to transition between Full Server and Server Core without reinstalling the operating system.

Convert Server Core to Full Gui and Vice Versa

• In this MCSA Lab manual articles which is related to Windows Server 2012 R2 Core configuration, I’m going to show you how to convert Server Core to Full GUI and Convert from Gui to Windows Core? Before doing a conversion to full GUI and vice versa, you must know the basic configuration of Windows Server 2012 R2 Core.

6. Windows Server 2012 R2 Deployment

How to Install and Configure WDS In Windows Server 2012 R2?

• The MCSA Lab manual articles of Windows Deployment Services in Server 2012 R2. Windows Deployment Services is a Microsoft server technology for network-based installation of Windows operating systems and It is the successor to Remote Installation Services of Server 2003.

Configure Windows Deployment Services on Server 2012 R2?

•  In part 2 of Windows Deployment Services, we will show you how to add Windows Images for deploying, creating Boot Image and Capture Image for capturing the reference PC which is a custom image’s of a Windows operating system. So I don’t talk any more and let’s deploy clients with Windows Deployment Services using Windows Server 2012 R2.

Deploying Windows 10 Using WDS Server 2012 R2

• Deploying Windows 10 using Windows Deployment Services on Windows Server 2012 R2 is the third parts of Windows Deployment articles. You can read the previews articles about, How to Install and configure the WDS from below links.

Customizing Windows Image Using DISM for Windows Deployment?

• Windows Deployment is the core task of network infrastructure when a system administrator wants to install clients operating system too fast at a short period of time. To customize Windows image with Deployment Image Service and Management (DISM) tool will help you to create a thin image which contains all necessary software, Apps and drivers.

7. File and Print Server

Install and Configure Print Server In Windows Server 2012 R2

• Printers are the essential required network devices in a small office to enterprise network offices. In your office you might need one printer, so you don’t need to install and configure the print server in a Windows server, but when you need to deploy for a large office you must know the deployment of printers for office users.

Install and Configure Distributed File System (DFS) on Server 2012 R2

• The Distributed File System (DFS) provides a simplified view of file resources in Windows Server across multiple servers and sites while enabling efficient replication of folder contents between servers. In this article, we are going to show you the installation and configuration of distributed files system (DFS) in Windows Server 2012 R2.

8. Group Policy Management

How to Backup and Restore Group Policy Object?

• Backup and restore Group Policy Object in Windows Server will help you to protect GPOs configuration. It is easy to create and edit a group policy object for Windows System administrators but takes to much time to complete the task.

How to Deploy Software Using Group Policy?

• As a network administrator, you know software deployment is the most important task for System Administrator. So let’s go through How to Install the software using group policy for network clients. It’s not difficult but needs some basic networking and Windows Server knowledge.

How to Redirect Folder in Windows Server 2012 R2?

• Folder Redirection is the way to keep profile folders to a network location or other location in the local computer. Typically user-profiles and settings are stored in local profile. By redirecting folders, you can access to data regardless of which computers you are logged in.

9. File and Storage Encryption

File and Disk Encryption Using Bitlocker In Server 2012 R2

• To configure file and disk encryption using Bitlocker in Windows Server 2012 R2, you need to know the basic of Bitlocker driver encryption tools. The Windows Server 2012 R2 supports two different types of file and disk encryption, BitLocker and Encrypting File System (EFS). In this article, we are going to Configure disk encryption using Bitlocker in Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 10.

10. Hyper-V Configuration

Hyper-v Beginner: A Practical Guide to Virtualization

• A practical guide to virtualization with Hyper-v in Windows client and Windows Server. The Hyper-v let you create and manage a virtualized computing environment by using virtualization technology (VT) that is a built-in feature in Windows Server 2008 and Windows 8.x. In this article, we are Installing Hyper-v in Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2. But the installation is the same on all Windows 10 and Server that supports Hyper-v as virtualization software.

Essential Hyper-V Configuration – Hyper-V Beginner

• The essential Hyper-V configuration article is related to MCSA lab manual articles. In this article we will do the initial Hyper-V configuration for our Virtualization Lab in Windows 8.1, 10 or Windows Server 2012 R2 and Server 2016.

How to Connect Hyper-v Machines to the Internet?

• In Hyper-v you can connect Hyper-v machines to the Internet with two methods that I’m going to explain all step by step. This article is for those, who know the basic of Virtualization with Hyper-v. If you don’t know about Hyper-v Virtualization software, I recommend you to read the previews articles of Hyper-V installation and configuration posts.

How to Convert VHD to VHDX Using Hyper-V and PowerShell?

• Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) is the hard disk format of Microsoft Hyper-v, a compatible hard disk format with Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-v server 2008. But in Windows Server 2012, Microsoft has changed the VHD format to VHDX, like the old file documents (.doc) to .docx. So here I’m going to show you how to convert VHD to VHDX using Hyper-v manager and PowerShell command line.

Conclusion

We already work on MCSA Lab manual articles and it is not complete yet. We will add more articles related to MCSA Windows Server 2012 R2 in the future. Hope you find the articles helpful and suggest us to complete the MCSA Lab Manual Articles better.

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The Next generation of Microsoft Windows Server vNext or Windows Server Technical Preview is ready. It is the preview release and not even beta version. You can download from the bellow Download link. http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-technical-preview?i=1

Go to the server section in Microsoft web site and log in then register to download the new Windows Server vNext.  I have this direct link, if it’s work for you. Download Windows Server vNext. It is the Windows Server Technical Preview 64-bit ISO.

The Installation Guidelines is upon installation, you will be prompted to activate. A product key is not required for the ISO installation but for VHD installation requires the following product key.

Windwos Server Product Key: JGNV3-YDJ66-HJMJP-KVRXG-PDGDH

What’s New in Windows Server Technical Preview?

This the Microsoft description about new technologies and changes to new generation of Windows Server. It is not yet complete, but let’s see what Microsoft decide to do for Next Server.?

• What’s New in Active Directory Federation Services. Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) in Windows Server Technical Preview includes new features that enable you to configure AD FS to authenticate users stored in Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directories. For more information, see Active Directory Federation Services Overview.

• What’s New in Hyper-V in Technical Preview. This topic explains the new and changed functionality of the Hyper-V role in Windows Server Technical Preview, Client Hyper-V running on Windows 10 Technical Preview, and Microsoft Hyper-V Server Technical Preview.

• Windows Defender Overview for Windows Server Technical Preview. Windows Defender is installed and enabled by default in Windows Server Technical Preview, but the user interface for Windows Defender is not installed. However, Windows Defender will update antimalware definitions and protect the computer without the user interface. If you need the user interface for Windows Defender, you can install it after the operating system installation by using the Add Roles and Features Wizard.

• What’s New in Remote Desktop Services in Windows Server Technical Preview. For the Windows Server Technical Preview, the Remote Desktop Services team focused on improvements based on customer requests. We added support for OpenGL and OpenCL applications, and added MultiPoint Services as a new role in Windows Server.

• What’s New in Storage Services in Windows Server Technical Preview. This topic explains the new and changed functionality of Storage Services. An update in storage quality of service now enables you to create storage QoS policies on a Scale-Out File Server and assign them to one or more virtual disks on Hyper-V virtual machines. Storage Replica is a new feature that enables synchronous replication between servers for disaster recovery, as well as stretching of a failover cluster for high availability..

• What’s New in Failover Clustering in Windows Server Technical Preview. This topic explains the new and changed functionality of Failover Clustering. A Hyper-V or Scale-out File Server failover cluster can now easily be upgraded without any downtime or need to build a new cluster with nodes that are running Windows Server Technical Preview.

• What’s New in Web Application Proxy in Windows Server Technical Preview. The latest version of Web Application Proxy focuses on new features that enable publishing and preauthentication for more applications and improved user experience. Check out the full list of new features that includes preauthentication for rich client apps such as Exchange ActiveSync and wildcard domains for easier publishing of SharePoint apps.

• What’s New in Windows PowerShell 5.0. Windows PowerShell 5.0 includes significant new features—including support for developing with classes, and new security features—that extend its use, improve its usability, and allow you to control and manage Windows-based environments more easily and comprehensively. Multiple new features in Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC) are also described in this topic.

• What’s New in Networking in Windows Server Technical Preview. With this topic you can discover information about new networking technologies, such as Network Controller and Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) Tunneling, and new features for existing technologies, including IP Address Management (IPAM), DNS, and DHCP. Detailed information about what’s new is available for these networking technologies:

  • GRE Tunneling in Windows Server Technical Preview. This preview release introduces a new feature that enables Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) for the Windows Server Gateway.

  • What’s New in DNS Client in Windows Server Technical Preview. Window DNS Client provides enhanced support for computers with more than one network interface.

  • What’s New in DHCP in Windows Server Technical Preview. The DHCP Server role no longer supports Network Access Protection (NAP).

Just test on VMware or Hyper-v server. It’s not recommended to install of real network environments. The technical preview is only for testing and fixing bugs and errors.

Download Windows Server

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