History of Windows Server

Windows server has significantly evolved since its inception. According to Krause
(2019), several versions of Windows servers have been developed. Windows Server 2003 was
the main operating system widely used across the world. For instance, over the past decade,
several windows servers like Windows Server 2008, 2012, and most recently, Windows 2016 R2
have been used to host server-client-based networks. The evolution of Windows Server has
worked to enable network administrators to manage resources and users in their networks.
The evolution of Windows Server from version 2003 to 2016 R2 has seen the
introduction of Windows containers that make operations possible with few resources. Modi
(2017) asserts that, unlike Windows 2003, the 2016 R2 version is a lightweight and easy
alternative for the development of small applications. This is especially true for applications that
require little resources and may be destroyed in the short run. Consequently, software developers
are able to rapidly test and deploy applications. Furthermore, Windows Server 2016 R2 enables
system administrators to set up temporary containers for employees without using many
resources. This is as opposed to the previous versions, such as Windows Server 2003.
In addition, the Windows Server had evolved over time to include enhanced command-
line options. According to Modi (2017), as opposed to Windows Server 2003 and other versions,
Windows Server 2016 R2 offers Powershell, which entails a combination of the .Net
programming language and the command line. Furthermore, Windows Server 2016 R2 has shell-
style commands that are recognizable to many system administrators. The Powershell
programming language provides a number of capabilities, such as controlling system
information, deploying applications, working with an active directory, obtaining server statistics,
and moving data around a given network.

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Furthermore, the evolution of Windows Server from 2003 to the 2016 R2 version has
worked to include an in-built backup system. As explained by Modi (2017), Windows Server
2016 R2 has Resilient Change Tracking, which is an in-built backup system. This is as opposed
to the previous Windows Servers that required system administrators to purchase third-party
backup support software. The Resilient Change Tracking provides an efficient way of backing up
virtual machines. This is due to the fact that the Resilient Change Tracking provides incremental
backup as opposed to the creation of a full backup. As a result, only contents that have changed
are backed up to a chosen location.
Also, the evolution of Windows Server from version 2003 to 2016 R2 has seen changes
in the licensing structure. As opposed to Windows Server 2003 and other versions, Windows
Server 2016 R2 enables users to license the product per core (Krause, 2019). This is unlike
Windows Server 2003, where licensing is based on concurrent users or seats. The licensing
structure provided by Windows Server 2016 R2 is quite suitable with cloud structures, which is
the way to go for most contemporary organizations.
Conclusively, the evolution of Windows Server from the previous to the current version
offers contemporary organizations and system administrators a number of advantages. As
highlighted in the section above, the introduction of Windows Server 2016 R2 has seen the
introduction of Windows Containers that enable the deployment and testing of applications with
fewer resources. This is as compared with the previous versions of Windows Server. In addition,
the evolution of Windows Server has enhanced the introduction of improved command-line
options. Furthermore, the evolution of Windows Server has enabled in-built backup support and
an efficient licensing structure.

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References

Dowd, C. (2020). The Irish and the Origins of American popular culture. Routledge.
Hirota, H. (2017). Expelling the Poor: Atlantic seaboard states and the nineteenth-century
origins of American immigration policy. Oxford University Press.