Windows Server

Find here Microsoft IT's early adopter experiences, best experiences, and lessons learned from our own deployments of Windows Server within our global enterprise. By leveraging our best practices, you can make decisions about how best to plan for, deploy, and manage Microsoft solutions in your own environment.

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Windows Server 2012
Windows Server 2008 R2
Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2012

• Delivering Results Using Windows Server 2012 – Dynamic Access Control (Published May 15, 2013)
• Securing Active Directory: An Overview of Best Practices (Published May 01, 2013)
• Consumerization of IT within Microsoft (Updated February 18, 2013)
• Delivering a Scalable Private Cloud Using Windows Server 2012 (Published January 24, 2013)
• Saving Storage Costs Using Windows Server 2012 Deduplication (Published January 11, 2013)
• How Microsoft IT Helped Secure and Improve Payroll Data Access Management with Windows Server 2012 Dynamic Access Control (January 09, 2013)
• Delivering a Robust Remote Access Solution (Published December 11, 2012)
• Microsoft.com Scales Using Windows Server 2012 (Published December 10, 2012)
• Microsoft IT Saves Storage Costs using Windows Server 2012 Deduplication (Published November 07, 2012)
• Using Windows 8 Technologies to Safely and Easily Migrate User Data (Published June 20, 2012)

Windows Server 2008 R2

• Using Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to Actively Manage Consumerization of IT Devices (Published July 27, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Manages a Private Cloud for Microsoft Research & Development (Published July 12, 2012)
• Private Cloud at Microsoft (Published July 03, 2012)
• Venture Integration: How MSIT Manages Mergers and Acquisitions (Published June 21, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Implements Server Patch Management (Updated June 20, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Manages a Private Cloud Infrastructure Using System Center (Published June 11, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Runs Private Cloud (Published May 30, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Planned and Architected Its Private Cloud Infrastructure (Published May 17, 2012)
• How Microsoft Secures Payroll data using file classification Infrastructure (Published April 26, 2012)
• Inside Microsoft IT - Implementing Disaster Recovery in the Datacenter (Published April 23, 2012)
• Inside Microsoft IT - Rolling out BitLocker Administration and Monitoring at Microsoft (Published April 23, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Centralized Disaster Recovery in the Datacenter (Published April 13, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Deployed BitLocker Administration and Monitoring at Microsoft (Published: April 13, 2012)
• Windows Server BranchCache (Published March 07, 2012)
• Wireless Infrastructure (IT Pro Webcast published March 05, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Uses System Center Virtual Machine Manager to Manage the Private Cloud (Updated December 19, 2011)
• How Microsoft IT Centralized Disaster Recovery (Published December 12, 2011)
• Active Directory Rights Management Services at Microsoft (Published December 08, 2011)
• Maintaining High Availability for Microsoft.com (Updated October 26, 2011)
• Microsoft IT Deploys Microsoft BitLocker Administration and Monitoring (Published October 07, 2011)
• How Microsoft IT Developed a Private Cloud Infrastructure (IT Pro Webcast published October 05, 2011)
• Public Key Infrastructure at Microsoft (Published September 30, 2011)
• Optimizing Branch Office Servers by Using Windows Server 2008 R2 with Hyper-V (Published September 27, 2011)
• Developing a Strategy to Simplify Planning and Improve Performance and Reliability (Updated September 22, 2011)
• How Microsoft IT Developed a Private Cloud Infrastructure (Technical Case Study published August 09, 2011)
• Wireless Infrastructure (Video published July 28, 2011)
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning in Action: Japan 2011 (Published July 01, 2011)
• Server Virtualization Technology Update (Published: June 30, 2011)
• How Microsoft IT Implemented Disaster Recovery in the Datacenter (Published June 09, 2011)
• Microsoft IT Leverages its Compute Service to Virtualize SharePoint 2010 (Published June 09, 2011)
• Microsoft IT Uses File Classification Infrastructure to Help Secure Personally Identifiable Information (Technical Case Study published May 11, 2011)
• How Microsoft IT Leverages Internet Information Services 7.5 in Windows Server 2008 R2 (Updated April 29, 2011)
• Using VDI as a Mechanism to Provide Corporate Network Access to Contractors (Published April 07, 2011)
• Deploying a Virtualized Client Data Access and Protection Service (Updated February 02, 2011)
• Enhancing Federation Services for Internal and External Partners (Updated January 12, 2011)
• How Microsoft IT Leverages Security Enhancements from Windows Server 2008 R2 (Updated January 11, 2011)
• Virtualization Cuts Capital and Operating Expenses by 75 Percent at Microsoft (Updated November 29, 2010)
• Windows Server Strategy in the Microsoft IT Datacenter (Published November 29, 2010)
• Improving the IntelliMirror Service at Microsoft Through Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (Updated October 28, 2010)
• How Microsoft Reduces Operational Risk through Business Continuity Management (Updated October 19, 2010)
• Project Carnation: Reducing Energy Consumption through Data Center Storage Consolidation (Updated June 21, 2010)
• Reducing Costs and Improving Systems Management with Hyper-V and System Center Operations Manager (Updated June 16, 2010)
• How Microsoft.com Moved to a Virtualized Infrastructure (Published June 11, 2010)
• Upgrading Active Directory Domain Services to Windows Server 2008 R2 (Published May 28, 2010)
• How Microsoft IT Reduces Operating Expenses Using Virtualization (Updated May 14, 2010)
• The OneLab Initiative: Building Environmentally Sustainable Development Labs (Published April 09, 2010)
• Microsoft CIO Tony Scott Talks About Critical Trends Within IT In 2010 (Published February 24, 2010)
• Improving Branch-Office Services Through Virtualization (Published February 02, 2010)
• Reducing Bandwidth Utilization with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 BranchCache (Published January 28, 2010)
• Enabling Information Security through HBI Information Classification (Updated January 14, 2010)
• Windows 7 Enhances Intellimirror, Microsoft’s End User Backup Solution (Published January 14, 2010)
• Windows 7 & Windows Server 2008 R2 for a Better End User Experience for Managing Distribution, Data and Remote Scenarios (Published December 14, 2009)
• Microsoft IT Strengthens Security with Data Loss Prevention (Updated November 23, 2009)
• Centralized Server Virtualization Drives IT Cost Reduction (Updated October 02, 2009)
• Virtualization Moves Datacenter Functionality to the Branch Office (Updated October 02, 2009)
• DirectAccess is Key to Microsoft IT Remote Access Strategy (Video August 26, 2009)
• Using DirectAccess to Provide Secure Access to Corporate Resources from Anywhere (Updated July 07, 2009)
• Managing Network Access Protection at Microsoft (Updated June 24, 2009)

Windows Server 2008

• Private Cloud at Microsoft (Published July 03, 2012)
• How Microsoft IT Planned and Architected Its Private Cloud Infrastructure (Published May 17, 2012)
• How Microsoft Secures Payroll data using file classification Infrastructure (Published April 26, 2012)
• Windows Server BranchCache (Published March 07, 2012)
• Consumerization of IT (Updated February 28, 2012)
• Server Virtualization Technology Update (Published: June 30, 2011)
• Microsoft Monitors 12,000 URLs More Efficiently with System Center Operations Manager 2007 R2 (Updated June 20, 2011)
• How Microsoft IT Leverages Internet Information Services 7.5 in Windows Server 2008 R2 (Updated April 29, 2011)
• How Microsoft has Architected a Planned Rollout of IPV6 for Improved Security and Computer Management (Published January 25, 2011)
• Microsoft IT Datacenter Virtualization Past, Present and Futures (Published January 11, 2011)
• Implementing Volume Activation for Windows and Microsoft Office (Published September 21, 2010)
• Microsoft Builds a Green Campus to Save Costs and Reduce Carbon Footprint (Published April 19, 2010)
• Enabling Information Security through HBI Information Classification (Updated January 14, 2010)
• Leveraging Software to Reduce Energy Consumption (Updated October 08, 2009)
• Rapid Deployment of Applications on the Microsoft Extranet (Updated July 01, 2009)
• Windows Server 2008 Upgrade Scales for Enterprise File Services (Published June 30, 2009)
• How Microsoft Does IT: Evolution of Information Security Strategy at Microsoft (Published May 08, 2009)
• Securing Business Workflows and Networks for Partners (Updated April 02, 2009)
• Best Practices for Deploying Virtual Machines using Hyper-V Virtualization Technology (Updated March 16, 2009)
• Securing the Microsoft Desktop Environment using Patch Management (Published February 23, 2009)
• How Microsoft Designs the Virtualization Host and Network Infrastructure (Updated February 02, 2009)
• Virtualization Quickly and Effectively Meets the Demands of Rapidly Changing Businesses (Published January 23, 2009)
• Windows Server 2008 - Management and Operations (Updated September 15, 2008)
• Smart Card Deployment at Microsoft (Published September 05, 2008)
• Windows Server 2008 - High Availability - Failover Clustering (Updated June 11, 2008)
• Windows Terminal Services 2008 and TS Gateway (Updated June 11, 2008)
• Securing the Network with Windows Server 2008 (Updated May 26, 2008)
• Internet Information Services 7.0 in Windows Server 2008 Provides an Improved Web and Application Platform (Updated April 10, 2008)
• Windows Server 2008 - High Availability - Server Core (Updated April 10, 2008)
• Microsoft IT's Benefits of a Server Core Installation of Windows Server 2008 (Published March 07, 2008)
• Microsoft IT's Top Five Management and Operations Features in Window Server 2008 (Published March 07, 2008)
• Reducing IT Overhead with Volume Shrink and Storage Features in Windows Server 2008 (Published August 02, 2007)