A virtual evolution in IT shops large and small has begun. Microsoft's Virtal Server is the enterprise tool to free an infrastructure from its physical limitations providing the transformation into a virtual environment--this book shows you how.
This book will detail the default and custom installation of Microsoft's Virtual Server 2005, as well as basic and advanced virtual machine configurations. It will also discuss the requirements for a server virtualization and consolidation project and the cost savings surrounding such an effort. Furthermore, the book will provide a thorough understanding of the benefits of a virtual infrastructure and a comprehensive examination of how Virtual Server can ease administration and lower overall IT costs. Lastly, the book delivers a thorough understanding of the virtual evolution which is underway in many IT organizations and how the reader will benefit from shifting from the physical to a virtual world.
* Examines in detail the default and custom installation of Microsoft's Virtual Server 2005
* Addresses th important topics of server requirements and the cost implications involved
* Looks at addressing IT costs and the benefits to the organisation

Microsoft hails the latest version of its flagship server operating system, Windows Server 2008, as "the most secure Windows Server ever." However, to fully achieve this lofty status, system administrators and security professionals must install, configure, monitor, log, and troubleshoot a dizzying array of new features and tools designed to keep the bad guys out and maintain the integrity of their network servers. This is no small task considering the market saturation of Windows Server and the rate at which it is attacked by malicious hackers. According to IDC, Windows Server runs 38% of all network servers. This market prominence also places Windows Server at the top of the SANS top 20 Security Attach Targets. The first five attack targets listed in the SANS top 20 for operating systems are related to Windows Server. This doesn't mean that Windows is inherently less secure than other operating systems; it's simply a numbers game. More machines running Windows Server. More targets for attackers to hack.
As a result of being at the top of the "most used" and "most hacked" lists, Microsoft has released a truly powerful suite of security tools for system administrators to deploy with Windows Server 2008. This book is the comprehensive guide needed by system administrators and security professionals to master seemingly overwhelming arsenal of new security tools including:
1.Network Access Protection, which gives administrators the power to isolate computers that don't comply with established security policies. The ability to enforce security requirements is a powerful means of protecting the network.
2.Enhanced solutions for intelligent rules and policies creation to increase control and protection over networking functions, allowing administrators to have a policy-driven network.
3.Protection of data to ensure it can only be accessed by users with the correct security context, and to make it available when hardware failures occur.
4.Protection against malicious software with User Account Control with a new authentication architecture.
5.Increased control over your user settings with Expanded Group Policy.
...to name just a handful of the new security features. In short, Windows Server 2008 contains by far the most powerful and complex suite of security tools ever released in a Microsoft Server product. Securing Windows Server 2008 provides system administrators and security professionals with the knowledge they need to harness this power.

* Describes new technologies and features in Windows Server 2008, such as improvements to networking and remote access features, centralized server role management, and an improved file system.
* Outlines steps for installing only the necessary components and subsystems of Windows Server 2008 in your environment. No GUI needed.
* Describes Windows Server 2008's security innovations, such as Network Access Protection, Federated Rights Management, and Read-Only Domain Controller
* Includes coverage of monitoring, securing, and troubleshooting Windows Server 2008
* Covers Microsoft's Hyper-V virtualization technology, which is offered as an add-on to four of the eight versions of Windows Server 2008 and as a stand-alone product