SBS 2008 - We have NAP!

One of the killer new security structures in Windows Server 2008 is Network Access Protection (NAP).

Essentially, NAP gives us the ability to delimit who can or cannot access a given network in any way by the status of the updates, antivirus, and other software components of the system the user is trying to connect with.

It was a question that up till now, was not clear as far as SBS 2008: Will we, or won't we have NAP on SBS?

This aught to clear that question up:

Network Access Protection

Now, who was paying attention when the many different Microsofties over many different "Longhorn" presentations over many different conferences over many different years, prior to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 was released, demoed NAP?!?

In our case, while the ears were definitely perked during the product explanations, demos, and some configuration demos, there is definitely lots room to learn the ins and outs of configuring NAP.

Microsoft Press has a book on the topic too: Windows Server 2008 Networking and Network Access Protection (NAP).

NAP will be very high on the To Do list for configuring and figuring out on both of our SBS 2008 test beds RPQ (Right Properly Quick).

We have a number of clients who are anticipating SBS 2008 for this fall ... so we need to be prepared as some of them are particularly conscious of any foreign system plugging into their networks.

And, we are really gearing up ourselves with internal changes in anticipation of SBS 2008 deployment in the next month or so.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

*All Mac on SBS posts are posted on our in-house iMac via the Safari Web browser.

Get Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 Evaluation

Not on the Beta crew for Longhorn/Server 2008 yet?

Go here: Windows Server 2008 Get Beta 3 Site.

Get your copy, install it, and get to know it.

It is role/feature/tool packed. It represents the next frontier for all of us who support W2K3 and SBS servers!

And, it looks amazing.

BTW, SBSers ... we should be proud! Why? Many of the management features like our ToDo list and Server Management Console of been incorporated into Windows Server 2008. May not look exactly the same, but they are modelled on them, and our TechNet presenter, Rodney Buike, mentioned SBS as the foundation for them!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists

TechNet: Future Of the Server Room - Longhorn/Server 2008, SBS, & SBS Cougar

We do not have a computer where we are staying, so I am posting via my UTstarcom connected via wireless. [At least I thought I was. IE on the UT did not allow me to hit the Blogger Post button! :(]

The TechNet - Future of the Server Room tour was jam packed with Longhorn/Server 2008 roles, features, tools, and demos.

I can see a lot of potential in Microsoft's new server OS. While Microsoft has been touting Longhorn for quite a while, from what I was hearing yesterday at the conference,it is only in the new Beta 3 that we are seeing what will be close to the final form.

Look to the new version of Terminal Services with TS hosted applications to be a "killer app". One will not need to log onto a dedicated TS desktop in this case. One will be able to run, say, a TS hosted Word session on the local desktop client with minimal fuss. Talk about potential for recycling old systems as dumb terminals.

Us SBSers will be familiar with the new method of connecting to the TS App server too: RPC over HTTPS. Talk about removing a bandwidth bottleneck by eliminating the VPN connection.

Neat!

Another set of Longhorn features that will be totally relevant to us SBSers is Server Core - a command line only extremely small footprint version of the OS that can run on very low end hardware like say a P IV 1.6 GHz with 512 MB of RAM. And, it will handle all of the local network Active Directory, file sharing, and more without breaking a sweat.

As far as that Branch Office Active Directory is concerned, it can be Read Only with cached credentials. Set everything up in the main office, and send the box over to the branch to be plugged in and turned on. Local users will then authenticate against the already cached credentials hosted on the Core box.

Talk about an important step for the Branch Office scenario.

Branch box get stolen? There are management features in Active Directory to immediately reset all of the relevant accounts along with the now gone Core server.

I am hoping that our application to be on the SBS Cougar beta test will be accepted. Based on what I Have been seeing, SBS Cougar is going to really ROCK!

We received a DVD of Beta 3 which is nice as it will save us somewhere north of 4 GB of download bandwidth.

As soon as I have a bit of time, I will be installing LH/W2K8 Beta 3!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists