Introducing Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003

The Windows Server 2003 family provides the following file service benefits:

• Increased dependability .

  Windows Server 2003 ensures higher reliability with new features such as Automated System Recovery (ASR), making it easier to recover your system, back up your files, and maintain maximum availability.

• Greater productivity.

  Windows Server 2003 delivers an enhanced file system infrastructure, making it easier to use, secure, and store files and other essential resources. Employees benefit by always being able to access the resources they need or quickly recover files without costly assistance from a help desk.

• Enhanced connectivity.

  Windows Server 2003 provides new and enhanced features such as remote document sharing, improving connectivity within and across organizations.

New File Service Features

The Windows Server 2003 family provides many enhancements to the file system infrastructure. The features and descriptions in the following list provide a general overview of what's new and improved in File Services for Windows Server 2003:

• Remote document sharing (WebDAV).

  A new feature in Windows Server 2003, remote document sharing increases connectivity to your business through the WebDAV redirector. With the WebDAV redirector, clients can access files in Web repositories through file system calls.

• Automated System Recovery (ASR).

  A new feature in Windows Server 2003, ASR improves productivity by enabling one-step restoration of operating system, system state, and hardware configuration in disaster recovery situations.

• Command-line interface.

  Administrators gain powerful new command-line utilities for many disk management tasks in Windows Server 2003, including performing various disk and RAID configurations, managing shadow copies, and tuning the file system.

• GUID partition table.

  Windows XP, 64-Bit Edition, and the 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Datacenter Edition, support a new disk partitioning style, the GUID partition table (GPT). In contrast with master boot record (MBR) partitioned disks, data critical to platform operation is located in partitions instead of in unpartitioned or hidden sectors. In addition, GPT partitioned disks have redundant primary and backup partition tables for improved partition data structure integrity.

• Higher-performance defragmentation tool.

  The Windows Defragmenter tool can increase disk availability and performance by optimizing files on a volume. Defragmentation in Windows Server 2003 is faster and more efficient than it was in Windows 2000. In addition, it supports online defragmentation of the Master File Table (MFT) and can defragment NTFS volumes of any cluster size .

• Content indexing.

  Content indexing is a fast, easy, and secure way for users to search for information locally or on the network. Users can search in files in different formats and languages, either through the Search command on the Start menu or through HTML pages that they view in a browser.

• Enhanced Distributed File System.

  Distributed File System (DFS) helps businesses deliver highly available file services at a low total cost of ownership. DFS can be used to create one logical file system out of multiple physical systems, making your environment easier for users to use and more efficient in terms of equipment utilization. With DFS, you can create a single directory tree that includes multiple file servers and file shares in a group , a division, or an enterprise, allowing users to easily find files or folders distributed across the network. With the Active Directory directory service, DFS shares can also be published as Volume Objects and administration can be delegated. In Windows Server 2003, DFS now offers a closest-site selection capability, wherein DFS uses Active Directory site metrics to route a client to the closest available file server for a given path . Plus, a single Windows Server 2003 system can host multiple DFS roots.

• DFS File Replication Services.

  File Replication Services (FRS) enables businesses to achieve a low TCO, just as with DFS, by ensuring that data stays synchronized. FRS works in conjunction with DFS by replicating data on file shares, automatically maintaining synchronization among copies across multiple servers. A new feature in Windows Server 2003, the DFS MMC UI allows configuration of replication topologies. The FRS service itself also has new features ”compression of replication traffic and the ability to damp unnecessary replication traffic.

• Enhanced Encrypting File System.

  Windows Server 2003 strengthens the security of your file services with enhanced Encrypting File System (EFS). EFS complements other access controls, providing an added level of protection for your data. EFS runs as an integrated system service, making it easy to manage, difficult to attack, and transparent to use.

• New support for antivirus products.

  Protecting your resources from malicious code delivered by viruses is key to providing secure and reliable file services. Windows Server 2003 enhances the already robust antivirus support for Windows Server by providing new kernel APIs that enable higher performance and reliability from third-party antivirus products. In addition, there is now a Windows Hardware Quality Lab (WHQL) test suite and a driver certification process for antivirus file-system filters.

• Increased CHKDSK performance.

  Because the NTFS file system has always been a true journaled file system, CHKDSK operations are rarely required. In the unlikely event that a disk does need to be checked (less than 1 percent of unplanned outages require such checking), CHKDSK performs twice as fast as it did in Windows 2000.