Feature comparison: Windows NT, Windows 2000, and the Windows Server 2003 family

Feature comparison: Windows NT, Win...

Updated: January 21, 2005

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Feature comparison: Windows NT, Windows 2000, and the Windows Server 2003 family

The following tables provide a feature comparison based on your upgrade path. For example, if you upgrade from Windows NT 4.0, select the "Windows NT 4.0 to the Windows Server 2003 family" option below. For links to more information about the features in this release, see New Features.

The tables, which are categorized by feature area, display information about improved features that were introduced in earlier operating systems, as well as features that are new to this release.

Some features are not available on some of the products in the Windows Server 2003 family. For more information, click the links in the following tables. For information about Windows Server 2003, Web Edition, see Overview of Windows Server 2003, Web Edition.

Click the option that describes your upgrade path:

Windows NT 4.0 to the Windows Server 2003 family
Windows 2000 to the Windows Server 2003 family

Windows NT 4.0 to the Windows Server 2003 family

Feature area	Features that were added since Windows NT 4.0 and are updated in this release	Features that are new to the Windows Server 2003 family
Server reliability	Improved memory management Robust system architecture Diagnostic tools Safe Mode start Recovery Console Windows File Protection Enhanced Backup utility	Automated System Recovery (ASR) Compatibility Mode
Server availability	Server clusters Network Load Balancing clusters Fewer server restarts Plug and Play Start from mirrored volumes	User State Migration Tool Emergency Management Services
Server scalability	Hardware scalability I2O support Symmetric multiprocessing enhancements Network Load Balancing Server clusters Enterprise Memory Architecture	Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0
Server manageability	IntelliMirror Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Remote Installation Services (RIS) Manage Your Server	Remote Desktop for Administration Remotely administered server support User State Migration Tool Emergency Management Services Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP) Authorization Manager
Performance and tuning features	Winsock Direct I2O support CPU throttling for Web applications or sites Process Accounting for Web applications or sites Predictable, end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) Network Load Balancing New performance tools Disk Defragmenter Event Tracing enhancements	Performance Options New command-line utilities for System Monitor
Authentication and smart card support	Full support for the Kerberos V5 protocol Public key infrastructure (PKI), Certificate Services, and smart cards Virtual private networking Flexible, secure authentication and authorization Internet Authentication Service (IAS) Routing and Remote Access	Stored User Names and Passwords Smart card access through Terminal Server
Additional security features	Encrypting File System (EFS) Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)	TCP/UDP port ownership Software restriction policies
Remote management	Microsoft Management Console (MMC) Scripting with Windows Script Host Remote Installation Services (RIS)	Remote Desktop for Administration Remote assistance Web Interface for Remote Administration (Windows Server 2003, Web Edition only)
Maintenance and product updates	Windows Update	Does not apply
Internationalization features	Multilingual support Multiregional support	New Phonetic Input Method Editor (IME) for Traditional Chinese
Active Directory	Simplified user and network-resource management Flexible, secure authentication and authorization Directory consolidation Directory-enabled applications and infrastructure Scalability without complexity Use of Internet standards A powerful development environment Replication and trust monitoring Message Queuing distribution lists	For a list of the Active Directory features that are new in this release, see New features for Active Directory.
Disk and file management features	Disk Management Disk quota support Distributed File System Distributed Link Tracking Distributed Authoring and Versioning (DAV) High-performance content indexing Encrypting File System (EFS) Removable Storage and Remote Storage	Remote document sharing Command-line support for disk management GUID partition table (GPT). Available on all versions of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and on all versions of Windows Server 2003, x64 Edition. Shadow copies of shared folders
Printer and protocol support	Printers published in Active Directory Broad device and protocol support Plug and Play Internet Printing Protocol Printer management features Network printing features	New command-line support for printing Easier printer driver installation on server clusters
Internet and e-mail services and features	Active Server Pages (ASP) Windows Media Services Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) Application recycling	Microsoft .NET Framework components Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) Services E-mail services (POP3, SMTP) Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Provider
Features for collaboration	Windows Media Services Predictable, end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)	Microsoft .NET Framework Audio Acceleration on the remote access server
Support for existing systems(see also Application support)	Industry standards Support for existing server applications Integration with existing operating systems	Compatibility Mode Program Compatibility Wizard
Application support	Widest range of turnkey applications Comprehensive Internet application services Microsoft Active Accessibility TAPI 3.1 Transaction services Message Queuing Component Services Job objects Host data integration	Compatibility Mode Web gardens in Internet Information Services (IIS)
Management and deployment	Change and configuration management with Group Policy Directory consolidation in Active Directory IntelliMirror Remote Installation Services (RIS) Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Side-by-side component sharing Add or Remove Programs Windows Installer Application management	Remotely administered server support Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP)
Terminal Server features	Centralized deployment of programs Remote access to applications Single application access Terminal Services Manager Remote control	Audio redirection
Development support	Visual Studio .NET Multilingual technology	Automatic generation of link IDs Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
Network protocols and technologies	Winsock Direct DHCP with DNS and Active Directory Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) Network Address Translation (NAT) Virtual private networking Routing and Remote Access Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)	Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Fibre Channel support Automatic configuration for multiple networks Web Digital Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) redirector Internet Authentication Service (IAS) as RADIUS proxy Wireless networking IP version 6 (IPv6)

Windows 2000 to the Windows Server 2003 family

Feature area	Features that were added in Windows 2000 and are updated in this release	Features that are new to the Windows Server 2003 family
Server reliability	Does not apply.	Automated System Recovery (ASR) Compatibility Mode
Server availability	Storage area network (SAN) and network access server (NAS) support Network Load Balancing enhancements	User State Migration Tool Emergency Management Services
Server scalability	Network Load Balancing enhancements	Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0
Server manageability	Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) improvements Remote Installation Services (RIS) improvements	Remote Desktop for Administration Remotely administered server support User State Migration Tool Emergency Management Services Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) Authorization Manager
Performance and tuning features	System Monitor enhancements Performance Logs and Alerts improvements	Performance Options New command-line utilities for System Monitor
Authentication and smart card support	Subordinate certification authority (CA) improvements	Stored User Names and Passwords Smart card access through Terminal Server
Additional security features	Encrypting File System (EFS) improvements Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) monitoring improvements	TCP/UDP Port Ownership Software restriction policies
Remote management	Remote Installation Services (RIS) improvements	Remote Desktop for Administration Remote assistance Web Interface for Remote Administration (Windows Server 2003, Web Edition only)
Maintenance and product updates	Windows Update enhancements	Does not apply
Internationalization features	Improved Japanese Input Method Editor (IME) Improved Korean IME Improved Simplified Chinese IME	New Phonetic IME for Traditional Chinese
Active Directory	For a list of the Active Directory features that are new in this release, see New features for Active Directory.	For a list of the Active Directory features that are new in this release, see New features for Active Directory.
Disk and file management features	File management improvements	Remote document sharing Command-line support for disk management GUID partition table (GPT). Available on all versions of Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and all versions of Windows Server 2003, x64 Edition. Shadow copies of shared folders
Printer and protocol support	Easier print driver installation on server clusters	New command-line support for printing
Internet and e-mail services and features	Does not apply	Microsoft .NET Framework Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) Services E-mail services (POP3, SMTP) Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) Provider for IIS
Features for collaboration	NetMeeting enhancements	Microsoft .NET Framework Audio Acceleration on the remote access server
Support for existing systems(see also Application support)	Does not apply	Compatibility Mode Program Compatibility Wizard
Application support	Does not apply	Compatibility Mode Web gardens in Internet Information Services (IIS)
Management and deployment	Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) improvements Scripting support Remote Installation Services (RIS) improvements	Remotely administered server support Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP)
Terminal Server features	Resolution and color enhancements Group Policy integration	Audio redirection
Development support	Does not apply	Automatic generation of link IDs Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
Network protocols and technologies	Connection Manager improvements	Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Fibre Channel support Automatic configuration for multiple networks Web Digital Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) redirector Internet Authentication Service (IAS) as RADIUS proxy Wireless networking IP version 6 (IPv6)