Server Management Technology and Service

Microsoft Windows Server 2019 is the on-premises release of Microsoft's server operating system. Microsoft Windows Server 2019 incorporates the updates to Microsoft Windows Server 2016 formerly available only via the Semi-Annual Channel. Microsoft Windows Server 2019 features significant enhancements in scale, throughput, manageability, security and compliance, app compatibility, Linux co-existence, Kubernetes technology, and hybrid combinations of on-premises and cloud-hosted assets.

Headline new features of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 are Windows Admin Center for centralizing the management and monitoring of hybrid on-premises/cloud resources, System Insights for utilizing modern predictive intelligence to control on-premises environments, Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection Exploit Guard for host-intrusion defense, container networking using Kubernetes, Cluster Sets technology for building and administering massive high-availability scale-out clusters, and Microsoft's Storage Migration Service for simplifying the upgrade process from outdated versions of Windows Server.

Progent can assist your organization to integrate Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with the latest releases of Microsoft's popular applications by providing expert services such as Microsoft Exchange Server expertise, Microsoft SQL Server 2019 integration expertise, SQL Server 2017 migration expertise, SharePoint 2019 design and deployment, and Microsoft 365 hybrid integration expertise. Progent's solution design, troubleshooting and education services for Microsoft Windows Server 2019 are offered online and Progent also provides onsite support in major metropolitan areas across the U.S. and Canada.

Hybrid Cloud Integration with Microsoft Windows Server 2019
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 makes Microsoft's Azure stack accessible to organizations of any size for building on-premises data centers, private cloud solutions, or hybrid architectures that integrate on-prem IT assets with infrastructure and services provided via the cloud.

Most of modern businesses manage a mix of on-premises and cloud-hosted resources to deliver the appropriate trade-off of control, economy, performance, availability, and security they require. For some industries, regulations demand that certain classes of resources and data be managed internally. In other cases, corporate policies or compatibility issues require line-of-business applications to be hosted locally. Windows Server 2019 provides a cloud-aware solution that allows you to implement and administer powerful hybrid networks that transparently access resources distributed across on-premises facilities and the cloud.

Planning, creating and managing optimized hybrid environments with Microsoft Windows Server 2019 requires a broad range of knowledge and experience. This is outside the comfort zone of most IT staffs maintained by smaller businesses. Progent's roster of subject-matter experts gives you on-demand access to the knowledge you require for any facet of hybrid network deployment and maintenance. Progent's Microsoft-certified and Cisco-certified consultants, project managers, and information security professionals can help you to determine the benefits of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 for your company and build a hybrid ecosystem based on Windows Server 2019 that delivers maximum business value.

A Good Time to Upgrade
The release of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 was accompanied by the notification of End-of-Support (EOS) status for Microsoft's widely used Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 platforms. This means there will be no more security patches on-premises, no other enhancements, no free support options, and no downloadable technical content updates. Because of this, security and compliance issues will become increasingly difficult, maintenance costs may go up, and system stability may drop.

If your organization wants expertise upgrading to Windows Server 2019 from Windows Server 2008 or from any other out-of-date release of Windows Server, Progent offers the skills to make your upgrade process efficient, affordable, and fast. Progent can assist you to:

• Identify and inventory your apps and server roles running on your current servers
• Move your VMs to the Private Progent Cloud or upgrade to the latest release of on-prem Windows Server or to Microsoft Azure
• Optimize your configuration to reduce costs, manage resources, and strengthen security and compliance across hybrid applications

Microsoft Windows Server 2019 has two deployment options: Server Core and Server with Desktop Experience. The Server Core option has a minimal footprint and no traditional desktop interface but supports all server roles. This "headless" mode must be managed remotely, for example via the command line or RSAT. The Server with Desktop Experience alternative is a complete installation and includes a comprehensive graphical user interface (GUI) for local management. Progent's consultants can assist your company to determine the editions and installation options most appropriate for your situation, understand Microsoft's licensing requirements, and pick an optimal on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid network model.

Top New Features of Windows Server 2019
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 features improved expandability, throughput, manageability, Hyper-V virtualization, cybersecurity, hybrid deployment support, disaster recovery, container management, Linux co-existence, and other important enhancements. Editions of Microsoft Windows Server 2019 licensed under the Semi-Annual Channel program are updated twice a year, and so make new features available much sooner than with Microsoft's Long-Term Servicing Channel model.

Microsoft Windows Server 2019 delivers substantial enhancements in capacity compared to Microsoft Windows Server 2016:

Additional notable enhancements in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 include:

• Cluster Sets is a feature that allows orders of magnitude increases in cluster nodes in a virtual data center by combining multiple Failover Clusters into one massive, uniformly managed fabric. Network managers can transparently move VMs throughout the Cluster Set fabric and manage all facets of a Failover Cluster from onboarding to retirement. Clusters joined within a Cluster Set can benefit from added storage and RAM in another cluster without requiring that you buy more equipment. CPU and storage resources do not have to be identical, and robustness matches or exceeds ordinary Failover Clusters.
  
  Before Windows Server 2019, large numbers of Hyper-V clusters for VMs were a hassle to manage and scale
  
  Microsoft Windows Server 2019 introduces Cluster Sets for unified control of failover clusters

• Storage Replica has been added to the Standard edition of Microsoft Windows Server 2019. Storage Replica offers next-generation disaster recovery capability and is discussed in Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Storage Replica deployment. Novel features of Storage Replica in Windows Server 2019 include a test failover option that allows managers to bring a destination volume online momentarily for testing and backup. In addition, you can now control Storage Replica with the new Windows Admin Center, which provides a GUI utility for controlling operations such as cluster-to-cluster and stretch cluster replication.
• Storage Spaces Direct enhancements include duplicate elimination and compression for Resilient File System (ReFS) volumes, integrated support for storage-class persistent memory, the ability to use a low-cost flash drive to act as a witness with dual-server clusters, greater scale (as high as 4 PB for each cluster), twice the performance for mirror-accelerated parity volumes and storage tiers, outlier detection for abnormal drive latency, and the ability to increase availability by selectively delimiting volume allocation. Storage Spaces Direct features are discussed in Microsoft Windows Storage Spaces Direct consulting.
• Storage Migration Service simplifies the process of migrating the volume data from older servers to current releases of Windows Server. You can use Storage Migration Service to move to new physical devices or to VMs. The utility automatically inventories multiple servers and their data; copies files, shares, and policy configurations to their new hosts; and allows destination hosts to assume the identity of your source servers so your users and apps can have access to their data without changing anything. Windows Admin Center's user interface can control many concurrent migration processes.
• Expanded Linux support allows organizations to run Ubuntu Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server within shielded VMs. Microsoft's Shielded Virtual Machines capability is described in Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Shielded Virtual Machines consulting.
• Windows Admin Center is a new browser-based app deployed on-premises for managing servers, clusters, hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) running Storage Spaces Direct, Windows 10 endpoints, and Azure-hosted VMs. Windows Admin Center can be utilized to manage Windows Server 2012 and later. Windows Admin Center is an "in-box" tool and so can be utilized to manage servers on private networks disconnected from the public Internet. By posting the Windows Admin Center gateway server to the public Internet, you can manage your servers securely from anywhere.
  
  
  Windows Admin Center enables you to administer on-premises and Azure-hosted VMs from a single pane of glass

• Container orchestration with Kubernetes, the popular management system for Docker containers, offers improved features like being able to utilize integrated network security to guard both Windows and Linux services. For a discussion of containers on Windows Server, visit Microsoft Windows Server containers expertise.
• Duplicate Elimination and Compression for ReFS Volumes allows 10 times more data on a given Resilient File System (ReFS) volume. Microsoft's ReFS file system, first released in Windows Server 2012, integrates silicon high-performance tiers for handling hot data along with HDD/SDD high-capacity tiers to provide scale and resilience.
• Windows Defender ATP (Advanced Threat Protection) is included with Microsoft Windows Server 2019 as an integrated feature requiring no special activation fee and no agent software to install.
• Encrypted Networks is a new feature that encrypts data traveling between virtual machines communicating within subnets designated as Encryption Enabled. Datagram Transport Layer Security on the virtual subnet prevents anyone with access to the physical network from reading, modifying, or spoofing network data. Data traveling between encrypted subnets is unencrypted.
• A USB Flash Drive connected to your router can be used as a witness in two-server clusters under Storage Spaces Direct. With this economical, easy-to-configure technique, when a server fails and then recovers, the USB drive cluster can let you know which of the servers in the cluster contains the more recent data.
  
  
  Microsoft Windows Server 2019 permits a USB Flash drive to act as a witness in two-server clusters

• Low Extra Delay Background Transport automatically reduces network traffic jams by taking up bandwidth only if the network is being sparingly utilized. LEDBAT allows an organization to distribute massive, important updates throughout an enterprise network without impacting the responsiveness of business-critical services.
• System Insights uses advanced analytics to improve capacity planning. System Insights runs internally on each Windows Server 2019 instance and analyses performance stats and events to forecast capacity requirements in key areas such as utilization for volumes, storage capacity, CPU, and networking.
• Windows Time Service works with the new time synchronization technique called Precision Time Protocol and delivers correct time during a leap second. Microsoft Windows Server 2019 also offers time traceability and software time-stamping. These features provide greater accuracy and precision, comply with UTC and other regulations such as Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and meet the requirements of special time-critical workloads. Since network configuration requires care to implement PTP, NTP remains the default time synchronization technique for Microsoft Windows Server 2019.

Progent's cybersecurity experts can assist your company to follow leading practices to build a modern information security solution that is seamless across on-premises and cloud assets as well as mobile devices. Progent can assist your company to set up centralized cybersecurity monitoring using an optimal combination of cybersecurity solutions from Microsoft and other leading vendors. Progent also offers security audits to verify that your IT environment meets government and industry cybersecurity mandates such as SOX, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS 3.2.

Progent's roster of Cisco-certified CCIE network consultants is one of the largest of any independent IT support company in the United States. Progent can help your organization to plan, implement and maintain a resilient and affordable hybrid network infrastructure that incorporates the modern HA and disaster recovery technologies included with Windows Server 2019. Progent's disaster recovery and business continuity planning consultants can assist you plan and test a comprehensive solution for rebounding quickly from any anticipated catastrophe.

To help your company to manage your Microsoft Windows Server 2019 and Hyper-V virtualized environment, Progent offers a range of expertise such as Windows Admin Center consulting, PowerShell programming, System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) hybrid cloud management expertise, and SCOM consultants. Progent also offers the ProSight line of remote monitoring and management (RMM) outsourcing services that provide small and middle-size businesses (SMBs) an affordable and efficient solution for server and endpoint management.

Download the Datasheet for Progent's Windows Server 2019 Consulting Services
To download the datasheet describing Progent's consulting services for Windows Server 2019, click:
Progent's consulting expertise for Microsoft Windows Server 2019. (PDF - 319 KB)

Progent's Online Consulting and Troubleshooting Services
Progent has two decades of background delivering rapid, top-tier online technical guidance and debugging support and has delivered online support to organizations in every state in the United States and across Canada. (View Progent's Customer Testimonials.) Progent also provides on-premises assistance in major U.S. metropolitan areas. Progent offers on-demand support to assist your company with challenging IT issues or end-to-end project management outsourcing and co-sourcing help.

If you are looking for urgent online technical support from a Microsoft-certified consultant, visit Progent's Online Support Services.

Contact Progent for Help with Windows Server 2019
To find out more about Progent's consulting and troubleshooting services for Windows Server 2019, call 1-800-993-9400 or see Contact Progent.