Copyright TechTarget - All rights reserved https://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html Techtarget Feed Generator en Sun, 15 Mar 2026 22:37:07 GMT https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver editor@techtarget.com <p>The rise of AI has captured the imagination of business leaders, but for IT managers who work in Windows Server environments, turning the hype into reality is a challenge.</p> <p>Implementing AI requires examining the operational and business considerations to determine if running these deployments in the data center makes more sense than putting these workloads in the cloud. The <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tip/See-whats-coming-in-Windows-Server-2025">upcoming Windows Server 2025 release</a> and its feature improvements in AI could spark more interest in using existing infrastructure to roll out AI-based projects to execute organizations' strategic goals. This article touches on the possibilities of AI with a closer look at the process many organizations must undergo to determine the optimal way to take advantage of this technology.</p> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Why should a business consider implementing AI?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Why should a business consider implementing AI?</h2> <p>AI has no shortage of evangelists who tout its ability to solve a range of problems, such as carrying out predictive maintenance to avoid unexpected downtime, monitoring applications and analyzing data.</p> <p>Incorporating AI could transform businesses in several ways, but organizations must understand <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/feature/Deriving-value-from-generative-AI-with-the-right-use-case">where AI brings value</a> and where human intelligence is still necessary. AI outperforms humans when processing large amounts of data, identifying patterns and automating repetitive tasks. But when it comes to creativity, nuanced decision-making or human-driven tasks, AI has its limitations.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Where AI can be useful and where it is lacking"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Where AI can be useful and where it is lacking</h2> <p><b>Analytics</b>. AI-driven analytics tools can process large data sets faster than any human could, turning raw data into actionable insights. In business scenarios, AI can analyze customer behavior and supply chain data to optimize pricing strategies, forecast inventory needs and personalize marketing campaigns. With AI's help to crunch numbers, business managers can make smarter, data-driven decisions to boost profitability and operational efficiency.</p> <p><b>IT operations</b>. AI can identify and automate labor-intensive IT jobs, such as managing patches, running maintenance scripts or automating an action in response to declining system health. For example, if an IT performance metric exceeds the limit set by the administrator, then AI can automatically correct the problem without human intervention. For an IT team that manages hundreds or thousands of systems, this can be a tremendous benefit. Similarly, AI-powered chatbots can manage common help desk requests to let IT teams focus on more strategic tasks.</p> <p><b>Where AI falls short.</b> While AI is excellent for repetitive tasks and handling data, it's not always the right fit. In situations that are not static, such as negotiating agreements or managing complex stakeholder relationships, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/feature/Jobs-that-AI-cant-replace-and-why">AI lacks the human intuition</a> that can be necessary to address unique issues. Similarly, AI struggles with regulatory and compliance environments that need specialized knowledge or ethical considerations. Creativity and strategic development -- areas that call for fresh thinking and innovative problem-solving -- can be beyond AI's scope.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Cost-benefit analysis and ROI"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Cost-benefit analysis and ROI</h2> <p>Analyzing the financial implications and potential return on investment (ROI) is crucial for any IT project and AI is no different. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/news/366612765/Walmart-SF-49ers-share-generative-AI-experiences">Measuring ROI for AI projects</a> typically involves assessing time savings, efficiency gains and the ability to shift staff toward higher-value tasks. But how do you measure these effectively?</p> <p>For instance, deploying AI to automate customer service with a large language model (LLM) can deliver quick ROI by significantly reducing the workload for support teams. However, specialized AI applications, such as those used in niche manufacturing tasks, may require more substantial upfront investment and provide mixed value due to shifting workloads, changing service demands or evolving project requirements.</p> <p>A clear cost-benefit analysis starts with defining tangible outcomes, setting measurable metrics linked to business goals and comparing these to the overall investment in AI technology, infrastructure and training. While ROI is often measured financially -- such as determining the time it takes for cost savings to exceed the project's investment -- it can also be evaluated in terms of time-to-value. This could mean improvements in work production, higher sales or increased customer satisfaction.</p> <p>Microsoft offers several resources to assist with calculating ROI for AI deployments. The company commissioned Forrester to produce Total Economic Impact (TEI) studies and developed its AI Business School provide <a target="_blank" href="https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/paths/transform-your-business-with-microsoft-ai/" rel="noopener">frameworks</a> to assess AI's financial impact, focusing on automation, productivity gains and cost reductions. With Microsoft tools such as &nbsp;Cost Management and Cloud Cost Optimization services for Azure, IT managers can analyze potential cost savings, particularly related to cloud infrastructure, <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/sustainability/tip/Best-practices-for-resource-optimization">resource optimization and scaling</a>. These resources include customizable templates and case studies to help IT leaders build business cases and project scopes tailored to their needs.</p> <p>Key elements that factor in the cost-benefit and ROI of AI deployments include deployment models, model selection and complexity. For instance, the decision between cloud vs. on-premises deployments can significantly affect costs. Cloud-based AI services provide scalability and flexible pay-as-you-go pricing, making them more adaptable and cost-efficient for handling dynamic workloads. On-premises AI might have higher upfront costs due to hardware investments but lower long-term expenses for large-scale deployments with stable workloads.</p> <p>Similarly, the choice between custom-built AI models vs. prebuilt models influences ROI. Custom-built models require higher investments in development, training and data collection but may deliver more tailored insights. Prebuilt models, while quicker to implement and more cost-effective initially, may lack the deep business-specific insights needed for certain tasks. The type of AI model -- whether a basic LLM or a specialized data analytics model -- also plays a role in determining financial return based on the complexity of the business case.</p> <p>Proof of concept or pilot programs are effective methods to evaluate AI's value before committing to full-scale deployment. These controlled tests measure performance, optimize configurations and assess AI's effect on real-world operations without the financial risk of a large-scale rollout.</p> <p>The upcoming Windows Server 2025 will usher in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/feature/Will-Windows-Server-2025-release-spark-VMware-migrations">new features designed to optimize AI deployments</a> and reduce costs. With tighter integration with Azure, enhanced virtualization capabilities, and better support for AI workloads, it offers several cost-saving benefits. Features such as improved resource allocation and advanced containerization options can help reduce the infrastructure footprint to maximize efficiency in both on-premises and hybrid environments. AI-powered automation and monitoring tools in Windows Server 2025 will assist with server management with the potential to reduce manual intervention and optimize resource use throughout AI operations.</p> <div class="youtube-iframe-container"> <iframe id="ytplayer-0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GIcwYS3enHE?autoplay=0&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;widget_referrer=null&amp;enablejsapi=1&amp;origin=https://www.techtarget.com" type="text/html" height="360" width="640" frameborder="0"></iframe> </div> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="What are the operational considerations for deploying AI?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>What are the operational considerations for deploying AI?</h2> <p>Once a business commits to adopting AI, IT teams must address several operational considerations for a successful deployment. For teams managing Windows Server environments, the challenges are both technical and logistical, requiring careful planning and alignment with the organization's goals. Key considerations include upskilling, security protocols, environmental impact and supply chain dependencies.</p> <h3>Implications for IT teams</h3> <p><b>Skill sets and upskilling needs. </b>AI deployments can introduce a range of new technical requirements IT teams must manage, such as machine learning frameworks, data processing tools and automation software. <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/upskilling">Upskilling</a> existing staff through AI-specific training or certifications from Microsoft is crucial to ensure IT teams can integrate AI effectively with the existing infrastructure.</p> <p><b>Security considerations. </b>Security is a paramount concern when deploying AI, especially when sensitive data or intellectual property is involved. IT teams must implement a comprehensive set of security controls, both soft -- policies and training -- and hard -- tools and firewalls -- to protect data integrity. Data loss prevention and access management policies are essential for governing data flow and preventing unauthorized access. AI models trained on sensitive data need continuous monitoring to prevent vulnerabilities. Strict policies must also be enforced to avoid leaks of proprietary or confidential data through AI output.</p> <p><b>Environmental impact. </b>AI workloads are <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcio/feature/Generative-AI-energy-consumption-grows-but-ROI-role-unclear">notoriously resource-intensive</a>, which can have significant environmental consequences. However, Microsoft attempts to address this issue in Windows Server 2025 with energy-efficient AI processing capabilities designed to reduce power consumption. IT teams can use these sustainability features to optimize server performance and align with the company's broader environmental goals. An organization can use energy-efficient processors and enhanced resource management tools to lower its environmental footprint while still meeting the computational demands of modern AI workloads.</p> <p><b>Supply chain dependencies.</b> AI deployments -- especially those in on-premises environments -- often rely on specialized hardware, such as GPUs or AI-specific processing units. These components are subject to supply chain risks, including potential delays or shortages that could slow AI projects. As best they can, IT teams must prepare for these contingencies and explore their options, such as using <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/tip/Understanding-the-role-of-AI-in-cloud-computing">cloud-based AI infrastructure</a> as an interim measure.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Microsoft adds AI enhancements to Windows Server 2025"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Microsoft adds AI enhancements to Windows Server 2025</h2> <p>Windows Server 2025, due out in late 2024, introduces a range of features designed to optimize AI workloads, making it an attractive option for IT managers who want to scale AI initiatives efficiently.</p> <p>One standout feature is the update to GPU partitioning (GPU-P) through which <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tip/Windows-Server-2025-Hyper-V-updates-promise-speed-boost">multiple VMs share a single physical GPU</a>. This capability maximizes resources to run several AI workloads concurrently without needing multiple dedicated GPUs. Additionally, VMs using GPU partitions can automatically reboot on another node during system migrations or when hardware issues arise to avoid disruption of critical AI tasks​.</p> <p>Another key enhancement in Windows Server 2025 is the live migration for GPU-P to let IT teams balance AI workloads and perform hardware or software maintenance without interrupting running VMs. These features, coupled with Nvidia's advanced GPU support, make Windows Server 2025 well-suited for resource-intensive AI tasks, such as training and <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/What-is-AI-inference">inferencing</a>. With centralized management tools available via Windows Admin Center, IT managers can effectively manage and optimize GPU resources across on-premises or hybrid environments to keep AI deployments scalable and cost-efficient.</p> </section> <section class="section main-article-chapter" data-menu-title="Should AI workloads run on-premises or in the cloud?"> <h2 class="section-title"><i class="icon" data-icon="1"></i>Should AI workloads run on-premises or in the cloud?</h2> <p>One key decision for most IT projects is whether to deploy on-premises or in the cloud. Both options have pros and cons, which need to be evaluated based on available resources, scalability requirements and risk management strategies. On-premises deployments provide full infrastructure control but come with higher upfront costs and limited scalability. A cloud-based deployment gives flexibility, capacity scaling and cost efficiency but may introduce concerns with data security and long-term costs.</p> <p>Understanding these operational considerations will help IT teams navigate the complexities of AI deployment on Windows Server to determine what meets the organization's technical and strategic needs. The following table compares the pros and cons for deploying AI in on-premises and cloud-based environments.</p> <table class="main-article-table" style="height: 68px; width: 656px;"> <thead> <tr style="height: 18px;"> <td style="width: 175.2px; height: 18px;"><b>Factors</b></td> <td style="width: 213.25px; height: 18px;"><b>On-premises deployment</b></td> <td style="width: 258.35px; height: 18px;"><b>Cloud deployment</b></td> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr style="height: 10px;"> <td style="width: 175.2px; height: 10px;"><b>Resources</b></td> <td style="width: 213.25px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Complete oversight of hardware resources and configurations.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: Requires significant investment in specialized hardware, such as GPUs.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td style="width: 258.35px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Access to on-demand resources without large upfront hardware investments.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: May face limitations in regions with poor network connectivity.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 10px;"> <td style="width: 175.2px; height: 10px;"><b>Budget</b></td> <td style="width: 213.25px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Once hardware is purchased, ongoing costs are limited.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: High initial costs for hardware, ongoing maintenance and power.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td style="width: 258.35px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Flexible, pay-as-you-go pricing models can reduce upfront costs.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: Costs may rise with scale, especially for continuous AI workloads.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 10px;"> <td style="width: 175.2px; height: 10px;"><b>Scalability</b></td> <td style="width: 213.25px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Ideal for predictable, steady workloads that don't require scaling.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: Scaling up requires significant investment in additional hardware.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td style="width: 258.35px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Scalable to meet change in demand.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: Costs increase rapidly when scaling up resources.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 10px;"> <td style="width: 175.2px; height: 10px;"><b>Risk</b></td> <td style="width: 213.25px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Full control over data security and compliance within the organization.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 177.15pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: Greater risk of hardware failure, requiring internal redundancy planning.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> <td style="width: 258.35px; height: 10px;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Pros</b>: Cloud providers typically offer built-in redundancy and recovery options.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 195.9pt;"> <p><b>Cons</b>: Potential security risks, such as data breaches, if not managed correctly.</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Deploying AI in Windows Server environments has the potential to improve efficiency, security and data-driven decision-making. However, understanding the business objectives and operational considerations -- from cost-benefit analysis to skill set requirements and deployment models -- is essential to make this deployment a strategic asset that drives long-term value.</p> <p><i>Dwayne Rendell is a senior technical customer success manager for an Australian cybersecurity MSP. He has more than 15 years of experience in IT and specializes in service delivery, value realization and operations management of digital service portfolios. Dwayne has experience in multiple sectors, including health and government. He holds an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business.</i></p> </section> Organizations tasked with assessing AI workloads on Windows Server must weigh all the variables to determine the best approach to adopt this budding technology. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/ai_g1183318665.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tip/How-to-evaluate-AI-for-Windows-Server-environments Fri, 11 Oct 2024 15:28:00 GMT <p>Microsoft improved <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/Microsoft-Azure-Stack">Azure Stack</a> HCI this week and integrated it with core cloud offerings including Azure Arc, giving the hyper-converged infrastructure service more purpose in the enterprise.</p> <p>These new features and others in Azure Stack HCI version 21H2, launched during Microsoft's virtual Ignite conference this week, address infrastructure, management and security of Azure Stack HCI clusters. A few of the infrastructure updates include GPU enablement for AI and machine learning, the ability to do a soft kernel reboot, and thin provisioning capabilities.</p> <p>Management-level improvements allow administrators to carry out multi-cluster monitoring and create and manage virtual machines (VMs) from an Azure portal, as well as guest operating systems inside VMs.</p> <p>In terms of security updates, the server core is part of all Azure Stack HCI integrated systems that can now offer baseline protection against present and future security threats, according to Microsoft.</p> <p>The latest version is also <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcloudcomputing/news/252489560/Microsofts-Azure-Arc-reaches-GA-milestone">Azure Arc</a>-enabled by default, offering administrators visibility across multiple deployments to access whatever Azure service best suits their needs, the company said. Both third-party and internal corporate developers gain self-service machine control from Azure to help organize and better control distributed virtualization environments. Also, managed service providers and system integrators can use all these new capabilities with Azure <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/lighthouse/overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lighthouse</a> for better scalability.</p> <p>More tightly tying Azure Stack HCI to Azure Arc makes sense given the emphasis being placed on remote workers located at home, branch offices and edge locations, according to one analyst.</p> <p>"This is a pretty significant move given how much Microsoft is investing in Azure Arc," said Gary Chen, IDC's research director of software-defined compute. "I think you will see a lot of uses for HCI among multiple edge locations, so connecting it to Azure Arc seems a natural thing to do."</p> <p>The tighter integration could also be an attempt to work better with hybrid cloud offerings provided by Microsoft's OEM partners, allowing users to extend workloads across environments.</p> <p>"It looks like a way to be friendlier with hardware vendors such as Dell," said Ezra Gottheil, principal analyst with Technology Business Research. "They are trying to catch up with their partners' hybrid clouds approach and Azure Stack HCI is one of the ways of doing that. It gives users a chance to use their own data center or those of others and make them all look seamless."</p> <p>In addition, Microsoft delivered Azure Virtual Desktop for Azure Stack HCI. The new offering, now in preview, lets corporate users launch a more modern cloud service for desktop and application virtualization, with support for a number of on-premises applications. Users can now use the new infrastructure services with both Windows 10 and 11.</p> <p>Lastly, Microsoft unveiled a handful of updates for Windows Server on Azure, including Azure Automanage, which allows IT admins as well as internal developers to automate a number of IT management operations.</p> <p>New <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automanage/automanage-virtual-machines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">features in Automanage</a>, which supports Windows Server, Linux virtual machines on Azure and Azure Arc-enabled servers, allow IT admins to do custom configuration profiles to Windows and Linux VMs, support Azure Arc-enabled server VMs on Azure Stack HCI, and apply Automanage services to Linux and Windows Server VMs residing on all Arc-enabled servers.</p> <p>The new version of Automanage for Windows Server includes a feature called Hotpatch, capable of quickly deploying security updates with having to reboot a server. Other features include SMB <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/smb-over-quic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over QUIC</a> lets admins safely access new file servers remotely over untrusted networks, and Extended Network for Azure, which permits migration of Windows Server workloads to Azure while preserving the original IP addresses.</p> Azure Stack HCI users now have more management features, better integration with Arc and the ability to run Windows virtual desktops. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/code_g122204403.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/news/252508963/Microsoft-Azure-Stack-HCI-adds-Arc-virtual-desktop-support Tue, 02 Nov 2021 14:16:00 GMT <p>Driven by the ever-increasing user demand for the online version of Office and interest in migrating on-premises workloads to Azure, Microsoft revenue soared again. The company reported first-quarter revenue of $45.3 billion, a 22% increase, and net income rising 48% compared with the year-ago quarter.</p> <p>Microsoft's cloud revenue for the quarter surpassed $20 billion for the first time, rising some 36% over last year's first quarter. Office commercial products and cloud services grew by 18% thanks largely to Office 365 commercial revenue, which jumped 23%. Microsoft expanded its 365 consumer edition subscriptions by 15% to 54.1 million. Microsoft Dynamics products and cloud services increased by 31%, boosted mainly by <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/news/252497157/Microsoft-Dynamics-365-adds-customer-journey-orchestration">Dynamics 365</a>'s revenue growth of 48%.</p> <p>Speaking to financial analysts, Microsoft CEO and Satya Nadella said <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchitchannel/news/252486542/Microsoft-identifies-digital-transformation-opportunities">digital transformation projects</a> were a major factor in the quarter's results, as more users begin to clearly see the financial benefits of moving their workloads from on-premises environments to the cloud.</p> <div class="imagecaption alignLeft"> <img src="https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineImages/nadella_satya.jpg" alt="Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO">Satya Nadella </div> <p>"The case for digital transformation has never been more urgent," Nadella said. "Digital technology is a deflationary force in an inflationary economy. Businesses small and large can improve productivity and the affordability of their products and services by building tech in density."</p> <p>Server products and cloud services revenues rose 35% primarily on the strength of Azure and other cloud services revenue growth of 50%. Personal computing offerings also made notable gains, up 12% to $13.3 billion, with Windows OEM revenues up 10%, despite many OEMs constrained by supply chain shortages. Windows commercial products and services increased 12% year-over-year.</p> <p>"Despite ongoing supply chain constraints, our Windows OEM performance was better than expected in what is still a growing PC market," Nadella said. "There has been a structural shift in PC demand emerging from this pandemic, and we are delighted with the early response to Windows 11."</p> <p>While sales of PCs remain strong, Microsoft reported sales of its own <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/remotework/A-Microsoft-Surface-Device-for-Every-Role">Surface</a> device fell 17% compared with last year's first fiscal quarter due to supply chain shortages.</p> <p>Nadella said the company is working with a variety of OEM partners and hopes to offer a wide selection of <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchenterprisedesktop/news/252507245/Microsoft-designs-latest-Surface-models-for-Windows-11">Windows 11 devices</a> "at every price point and form factor" by the end of this year. Likewise, the company is working with a wide range of software developers to create a "new class" of Windows 11-based applications that take advantage of the edge and AI capabilities.</p> <p><a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/news/252486662/ITs-move-to-Azure-drives-Microsoft-revenues-skyward">Azure</a> remains at the heart of Microsoft's success in the cloud market, as it steadily closes the gap with archrival's Amazon's cloud business. Amazon leads the worldwide infrastructure as a service (IaaS) market with 41% market share and $26.2 billion of revenue in 2020, compared with Microsoft's $12.7 billion in revenue that year, according to <a href="https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021-06-28-gartner-says-worldwide-iaas-public-cloud-services-market-grew-40-7-percent-in-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data reported in June</a> by IT research firm Gartner.</p> <p>Nadella said key to that success has been building "many more" data center regions and partnering with the mobile operations of AT&amp;T and Verizon in the US, the European-based Telefonica and British Telecom and Telstra and Singtel in Asia Pacific.</p> <p>"Every organization will need a <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatamanagement/feature/The-top-6-use-cases-for-a-data-fabric-architecture">distributed computing fabric</a> across the cloud and the edge to rapidly build and deploy applications," Nadella said. "That's why we are positioning Azure to be the world's computer."</p> <blockquote class="main-article-pullquote"> <div class="main-article-pullquote-inner"> <figure> The only potential hiccup for Microsoft could be slowing PC sales due to supply chain shortages. </figure> <figcaption> <strong>Gordon McKenna</strong>CTO, Public Cloud, Ensono </figcaption> <i class="icon" data-icon="z"></i> </div> </blockquote> <p>By investing aggressively in new regions and rolling out additional data centers, Microsoft is putting its money where its mouth is, said Gordon McKenna, CTO of public cloud at Ensono<span>, an IT services provider.</span></p> <p>"The only potential hiccup for Microsoft could be slowing PC sales due to supply chain shortages," McKenna said. "But they are focusing on Azure and Teams, and so should continue to grow in sectors that are currently dominating the remote work era."</p> <p>In other highlights, Microsoft reported that revenue for LinkedIn increased 42%, fueled by the 61% growth of the company's Marketing Solutions group.</p> Microsoft reported revenues of $45.3 billion, a 22% gain over last year's first fiscal quarter. The company saw cloud revenue for the quarter surpass $20 billion for the first time. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/rms/onlineimages/money_g656093868.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/news/252508732/Microsoft-earnings-soar-on-the-wings-of-Azure-Office Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:58:00 GMT <p>As organizations prepare to deploy new servers or make the switch to Windows Server 2012, one of the decisions they will have to make involves whether to use Server Core. There are a number of compelling arguments both for and against the use of Server Core.</p> <p>One of the first things you might consider is what Microsoft has to say about using Server Core. Although I have not seen any blanket recommendations from Microsoft specifically related to Server Core, Microsoft has stated that Windows PowerShell is going to be the <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tip/How-to-upgrade-to-PowerShell-5">preferred administrative tool</a> going forward. The statement loosely implies that Server Core might also eventually become the preferred deployment type.</p> <h3>Advantages of Windows Server Core</h3> <p>One of the main benefits to a Server Core deployment is that <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/Server-Core">Server Core</a> has a smaller attack surface than that of a standard Windows Server deployment. There are a number of Windows Server components that do not get installed in Server Core deployments, such as Internet Explorer, Server Manager and the Control Panel.</p> <p>Another benefit to performing Server Core installations is that you can work to greatly reduce the patch management burden. According to <a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/keithmayer/2012/10/19/server-core-in-windows-server-2012-improved-taste-less-filling-more-uptime-31-days-of-favorite-features-in-winserv-2012-part-19-of-31/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some Microsoft estimates</a>, the number of patches that need to be applied can be reduced by one-third or more simply by using Server Core. The actual degree to which patch management can be reduced depends on what server roles are installed.</p> <p>Probably the single greatest benefit of using Server Core is that it is great for virtualization. Server Core consumes fewer system resources than a full-blown Windows Server deployment, which makes it fast and efficient. More importantly, Server Core deployments demand less CPU overhead and less memory, and have a smaller storage footprint than a comparable deployment using a full version of Windows Server.</p> <p>There are considerable <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/feature/Server-Core-vs-GUI-Is-Server-Core-ready-for-prime-time">benefits to using Server Core</a>. This raises the big question of why more organizations aren't using it. Just as there are benefits to using Server Core, there are also some major disadvantages.</p> <h3>Disadvantages of Windows Server Core</h3> <p>The most obvious disadvantage to using Server Core is the steep learning curve. Early versions of Server Core only allowed administrators to manage Windows through a Command Prompt window or through remote management tools. It is now possible to manage Server Core installations using Windows PowerShell. Microsoft has taken measures to simplify PowerShell in <a href="https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/definition/Windows-Server-2012-WS-2012">Windows Server 2012</a>; however, PowerShell can still be a bit intimidating to those who have not taken the time to learn it.</p> <p>Another major disadvantage to using Server Core is that not all server roles will work in a Server Core environment. Even Windows Server 2012 does not allow all server roles to function in Server Core environments. The following are the only roles that are compatible with Server Core:</p> <ul class="indentfix"> <li class="indentfix">Active Directory Certificate Services</li> <li class="indentfix">Active Directory Domain Services</li> <li class="indentfix">DHCP Server</li> <li class="indentfix">DNS Server</li> <li class="indentfix">File Services (including File Server Resource Manager)</li> <li class="indentfix">Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services</li> <li class="indentfix">Hyper-V</li> <li class="indentfix">Print and Document Services</li> <li class="indentfix">Streaming Media Services</li> <li class="indentfix">Web Server (including a subset of ASP.NET)</li> <li class="indentfix">Windows Server Update Server</li> <li class="indentfix">Active Directory Rights Management Server</li> <li class="indentfix">Routing and Remote Access Server and the following subroles:</li> <li class="indentfix">Remote Desktop Services Connection Broker</li> <li class="indentfix">Licensing</li> <li class="indentfix">Virtualization</li> </ul> <p>Just as there are many server roles that are not compatible with Server Core, there are also a number of applications that do not work in Server Core environments. While some vendors have begun to adapt applications to work in Server Core environments, the vast majority of them are not compatible with Server Core.</p> <p>Even if the primary applications that you plan to run on a server are designed to work with Server Core, there might be certain support applications that do not work with Server Core. For example, your current antivirus solution may not be Server Core-compatible. Likewise, some backup agents will not work in Server Core environments.</p> <h3>Conclusion</h3> <p>There are tremendous benefits to deploying Server Core. However, compatibility issues and other logistical concerns might prevent you from using Server Core on some -- or even most -- of your servers.</p> <p>The good news is that your deployment type no longer has to be a permanent decision in Windows Server 2012. It is possible to deploy a full version of Windows Server 2012 and then later switch to Server Core if necessary. This capability could prove to be useful if you have servers running applications that are not currently compatible with Server Core, but might offer Server Core compatibility in the next version. It is also useful for applications that require a full version of Windows for installation but can function in a Server Core environment once the initial installation has completed.</p> <p><b>About the author<br> </b><i>Brien Posey is an eight-time Microsoft MVP for his work with Windows Server, IIS, Exchange Server and file system storage technologies. Brien has served as CIO for a nationwide chain of hospitals and health care facilities, and was once responsible for IT operations at Fort Knox. He has also served as a network administrator for some of the nation's largest insurance companies.</i></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> Our expert breaks down the advantages and disadvantages of deploying Server Core in Windows Server 2012. https://cdn.ttgtmedia.com/visuals/digdeeper/1.jpg https://www.techtarget.com/searchwindowsserver/tip/Deciding-whether-to-run-Server-Core-2012-in-Windows-Server-2012 Wed, 09 Jan 2013 10:47:00 GMT 60 webmaster@techtarget.com