Windows Server 2012 R2

Introduction

Windows Server 2012 is a server operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It was released in September 2012 and brought several new features and improvements over its predecessor, Windows Server 2008 R2. Here are some key aspects and features of Windows Server 2012:

1. Metro-style Interface: Windows Server 2012 introduced a Metro-style user interface similar to Windows 8, emphasizing a more modern and touch-friendly design.
2. Server Manager: Enhanced Server Manager provided a unified management console for server roles and features, making it easier to deploy, manage, and configure servers.
3. Hyper-V: Significant enhancements to Hyper-V virtualization platform, including support for virtual hard disk format improvements, live migration of virtual machines between hosts, and scalability improvements.
4. Storage Spaces: Introduced Storage Spaces, a technology that allows administrators to virtualize storage by grouping industry-standard disks into storage pools and creating virtual disks called storage spaces.
5. Resilient File System (ReFS): ReFS was introduced as a new file system, designed for high resiliency and optimized for handling large volumes of data with automatic integrity checks and data scrubbing.
6. Dynamic Access Control: Enhanced security through Dynamic Access Control (DAC), which helps administrators define and enforce centralized access policies across file servers.
7. Improved PowerShell: Expanded PowerShell capabilities with over 2300 cmdlets, making it easier to automate server management tasks.
8. Server Core: Server Core installation option for a minimal footprint, suitable for specific server roles that do not require a full graphical interface.
9. Remote Desktop Services: Improved Remote Desktop Services (RDS) with support for RemoteFX and enhanced virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) capabilities.
10. Active Directory: Enhanced Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) with features like the Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC) for easier management.

Windows Server 2012 was well-received for its performance improvements, scalability, and integration with cloud services, laying the groundwork for future versions such as Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019.