New Features in Windows 2012
According to the follow ups of Windows Small Business Server 2011 and the Standard version of 2011, Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Storage Server Essentials 2008, Windows Server 2012 is made on its predecessors, and provides next-generation modern versions of the highly advanced technologies, features, and much more capabilities that made each of those previous products so very special at their time.
New Windows Server 2012 offers the following major new features:
Super-simple set up for Domains
As part of installation, Windows Server 2012 offers you to create a new Active Directory (AD) domain, which is similar to SBS Essentials 2011. This is the easiest Active Directory domain set up anyone can ever experience, and once you’ve completed the setup, the bundled Connector application on the client PCs (Windows 7 and 8 are supported), no one has to do any more domain configuration ever again. Windows Server 2012 supports both home-based and business-based versions of Microsoft Windows, but of course only the business versions can connect the domain. But, you home office users will only need to provide an admin login at some point in the Connector Setup. It’s that simple to begin.
New Dashboard Management Console is Super Simple
Because of its “Colorado” server predecessors, Windows Server 2012 completely utilizes a simple management console which is called Dashboard, and so far this is the best yet, with an easy to understand post-installation configuration tasks you can pace through—with automatic update, user accounts, internet server folders, complete Server Backup, remote access, email notifications, latest media sharing, and secure computer connections—to make sure your environment is perfectly optimized and configured to your needs and mission critical tasks.
This version of Windows Server will help you along the way. The integration with Microsoft’s best available Practices Analyzer will activate alerts—throughout the Dashboard, to give you suggestions on how to improve the functioning of your server. If Windows Server falls out of step with what Microsoft thinks is best (in terms of system configuration), you will get a notification with simple instructions to improve your server. At first, these alerts can get a pretty bit annoying, but as outlined in Windows Server 2012 Essentials: Coping with these Alerts—they will settle down after some time, as you can fix issues. Sensibly ignore those you surely know are superfluous, and soon you will be tweaking to your heart’s desire and eventually will get it all perfect and never have to touch it again.
While Windows Server 2012’s more highly advanced windows server management tools and equipment are available from Windows Server Essentials 2012, so basically you won’t need them for most of the part. Just by using the Dashboard, you can easily configure almost all of the server’s features. This type of interface is much easier than the others.