Should you migrate to Windows Server 2012 R2?

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  Article

  What's new in Windows Server 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 R2?

  At TechEd in June 2013, Microsoft strengthened its focus on its Cloud OS strategy, making it easier for admins to extend their data center to MIcrosoft's cloud. Read Now

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  Article

  Microsoft raises Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter edition pricing

  Microsoft upped the cost of Windows Server 2012 R2 by as much as 28%, while discussing a new licensing option. Read Now

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  Article

  Q&A: Microsoft's Brad Anderson talks Windows Server 2012 R2

  Microsoft's Brad Anderson sat down with SearchWindowsServer.com to discuss new features for Windows Server 2012 R2, and what it all means for IT. Read Now

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  Article

  Anderson talks BYOD management in Windows Server 2012 R2

  In part two of our interview with Anderson, he talks about changes to expect in Windows Server 2012 R2 features, including some to security and enterprise mobility. Read Now

1Storage improvements to Windows Server

One of the immediate benefits of Windows Server 2012 R2 is its improved storage system. Microsoft now offers storage tiering and improved deduplication in its Storage Spaces feature. This section dives deep into what's new, what's changed and what to consider.

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  Storage Spaces gets a refresh in Windows Server 2012 R2

  Windows Server 2012 R2 Storage Spaces presents an alternative to traditional storage area network storage, and includes updates for virtualizing shared storage. Read Now

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  Storage management with Windows Server 2012 R2

  New features in Windows Server 2012 R2, such as native tiering and deduplication, affect storage management. Read Now

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  Storage Spaces enhancements mean reduced capacity requirements

  There are three new features in Windows Storage Spaces: storage tiering, write-back caching and dual parity. What do the additions mean? Better storage performance. Read Now

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  Improve performance with Storage QoS feature

  The new Storage QoS feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 can mean improved storage performance and make the best use of capacity. Here's how. Read Now

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  Windows Storage Spaces give SSDs a boost

  With its storage tiering, Storage Spaces in Windows Server 2012 R2 potentially works best with solid-state drives. Read Now

2Desired State Configuration and PowerShell 4.0

In Windows Server 2012, Microsoft renewed its focus on PowerShell, introducing a slew of new cmdlets and making it simpler to use from a remoting standpoint. In Windows Server 2012 R2, the company stepped up its game, adding a host of new automation features.

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  PowerShell 4.0: All grown up

  A mature PowerShell 4.0 in Windows Server 2012 R2 brings new parameters, simpler implementation and more. Read Now

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  What is Desired State Configuration, and how does it work in PowerShell 4.0?

  The new Desired State Configuration feature in Windows Server 2012 R2 potentially gives admins yet another reason to learn PowerShell. Here's why. Read Now

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  Automated virtualization means easier management in Windows Server 2012 R2 with PowerShell

  Put PowerShell cmdlets to work with Windows virtualization by automating setup, maintenance and configuration tasks in your organization. Read Now

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  Five easy perks when running Windows Server Remote Management

  As Microsoft wants administrators to work with Windows servers off-site, there are some easy steps they can use for Windows Server 2012 Remote Management. Included: PowerShell's Remoting features. Read Now

3Virtualization improvements in Windows Server 2012 R2

As more and more Windows administrators begin to consider Hyper-V their go-to virtualization platform, Microsoft is responding by adding more features with every Windows Server release.

Because it's baked into every release, it's a simpler way to get virtualization up and running in the data center. With features like Live Migration compression, which offers faster migration speeds, Windows Server 2012 R2 makes up a compelling offering for virtualization.

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  Take advantage of VM migration's speed, consistency

  The Windows Server 2012 R2 release means faster and less disruptive virtual machine (VM) migrations in the data center. Read Now

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  Live Migration compression speeds up VM transfers

  Live Migration compression, new in Windows Server 2012 R2, means smaller VM files are transferred more quickly between systems. What is the main benefit? Fewer resent or dropped packets. Read Now

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  Live Migration gets a boost from Remote Direct Memory Access

  The RDMA feature can use high-throughput, low-latency data exchanges to improve Live Migration's performance in Windows Server 2012 R2. Read Now

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  What's new in the Windows Server 2012 R2 VHDX format

  What is extended virtual hard disk, or VHDX)? It's a format that includes performance-enhancing features and capabilities that let virtual servers recover VMs with little to no data loss. Read Now

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  Windows Server data centers get boost from shared virtual disks

  Shared virtual disks in Windows Server 2012 R2 now have capabilities to improve failover clusters in a few ways. Read Now