A server provides services to other computers: signing in, file storage, printing, name resolution, web applications and more. Windows Server is the same core operating system as Windows, tuned for running these services reliably for many users.
Windows Server is sold in editions with different licensing rights. Standard suits most small and medium environments, while Datacenter is designed for heavily virtualised data centres. Always check Microsoft’s current licensing guidance before buying, because rules for cores, virtual machines and client access licences (CALs) change over time.
You can install it in two ways:
| Option | Description | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop Experience | Full graphical interface | Learning, smaller sites, servers managed locally |
| Server Core | No desktop, managed remotely or with PowerShell | Production servers that should be smaller and more secure |
Server Core has fewer components, so it needs fewer updates and offers a smaller attack surface. Many organisations use it for domain controllers and file servers, managing them from a workstation.
Windows Server functions are added as roles (major services) and features (supporting components).
| Role | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) | Central identity and authentication |
| DNS Server | Name resolution |
| DHCP Server | Automatic IP addressing |
| File and Storage Services | File shares, quotas, deduplication |
| Print and Document Services | Shared printers |
| Hyper-V | Virtual machines |
| Web Server (IIS) | Websites and web apps |
| Remote Desktop Services | Shared desktops and apps |
A good practice is to keep roles separated where possible: for example, avoid running a web application on a domain controller. Separation limits the damage if one service is compromised and makes troubleshooting easier.
Most servers today run as virtual machines on Hyper-V, VMware or in the cloud. Virtualisation makes it easy to take snapshots, move servers between hosts and recover quickly. Be careful with snapshots of domain controllers, however: restoring an old snapshot can cause replication problems. Use proper backups instead.
Throughout the course you will build “Northwind Trading,” a company with offices in Hong Kong and London, departments for Sales, Finance and IT, and around 50 users. Picture this company whenever you design something, because real decisions always depend on the organisation behind them.
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