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Windows NT Servers
The Windows Server operating system was first introduced in the 1990s, and Microsoft branded it with “NT” (short for “New Technology”) up until the year 2000. The company had several releases of the NT version of the operating system. -
Windows NT 3.1
The original release of the Windows NT server was not version 1. Instead, it was Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1, with the release numbering designed to match the version of the standard operating system at the time. This first release came out in 1993 as a 32-bit system and was developed to support new server hardware. This began the evolution of the Windows Server line of operating systems. -
Windows NT 3.5
The next version, Windows NT Server 3.5, was released in 1994. This version enhanced the server functionality to support interconnectivity with both Unix systems and Novell NetWare. Because Unix and Novell servers were the standards at the time, this approach was essential for Windows NT Server to be competitive in the market. The interconnectivity meant servers with the Windows operating system could be incorporated in an existing network running on Unix or Novell. -
Windows NT 3.51
Windows NT Server 3.51 came out in 1995 to align with the regular operating system release of Windows 95. The server version supported computers running Windows 95 and provided some improvements to make the system more stable. The upgrade also provided the ability to manage the software licenses on client computers, including installing and updating operating system elements on client computers over the network. -
Windows NT 4.0
One of the most important components of the 4.0 release was Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS). This free addition is now the most popular web management software in the world. Apache HTTP Server is in second place, although up until 2018, Apache was the leading web server software. -
Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise Server
Windows NT Server had additional service packs to support increasingly complicated networks, and this led to the release of Windows NT 4.0 Enterprise Server in 1997. The Microsoft Transaction Server and Message Queue enhancements were designed to handle interactions with congested networks. The updates also added the ability to manage operating systems for server clusters and provided integration for public-key encryption services. -
Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition
This was the last enhancement to the NT operating system series, and it provided a bridge for 16-bit DOS applications to interface with 32-bit desktop environments. The release also supported connections with non-Windows systems. -
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The Evolution of Windows Server
In 2000, the branding for Windows servers changed. Microsoft dropped the “NT” and released Windows Server 2000 to highlight its relevance for modern systems. After that, the server versions were named based on the year each edition was released. -
Windows Server 2000
Windows Server 2000 provided the initial functionality for many features of the operating system still in use today. The main features included:
-XML support
-Active Server Pages creation
-Active Directory use for user authentication
The release also included specialized versions for different server environments, with Advanced Server and Datacenter Server editions as well as the standard Windows Server operating system. -
Windows Server 2003
The main goal of the change was to reduce the need to reboot the system, specifically by providing the ability to install updates and patches without needing to restart.
Microsoft provided updates to the security features. This was also the first time the company included the .NET framework in the server operating system.
Another major addition with the 2003 release was the ability to define server roles. This allowed the operating system to be customized for specific tasks, like a DNS server. -
Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows Server 2003 R2 came out as a free upgrade to the Windows Server 2003 edition.This release focused on enhanced security, especially user authentication.This was based on Active Directory, which remains the foundation for user authentication today.The R2 also included a new feature, Active Directory Federation Service. This gave network administrators more flexibility when managing server permissions,such as the ability to include external devices when enabling “single sign-on” permissions -
Windows Server 2008
This release saw more improvements to Active Directory and changes in the interaction between the operating system’s software support features and network services.A major enhancement came with Microsoft’s Hyper-V system. This virtualization product allowed Windows Server users to create virtual machines (VMs), which was increasingly important to IT teams. This may have been included for competitive reasons, to prevent Windows users from looking elsewhere for a VM system. -
Windows Server 2008 R2
The major change with this version involved the transition from being based on Windows Vista to being based on Windows 7. This brought the system to a 64-bit environment.
Many of the other updates were technical and not very visible to users, since they focused on supporting services. The release saw additional updates to Active Directory, this time in support of better group policy implementation. -
Windows Server 2012
Microsoft added new functionality to Windows Server 2012 to become competitive in the cloud, and even marketed the new version as “Cloud OS.”
Specific changes to support this included:
-Updates to the storage system, which is mediated by Hyper-V
-Addition of the Hyper-V virtual switch
-Inclusion of Hyper-V Replica
PowerShell and Server Core were also updated with the release. The other major change was a new Essentials edition aimed at smaller, networked businesses. -
Windows Server 2012 R2
Many of the changes were improvements to functions needed to integrate with cloud services. This included rewrites to both security protocols and network services.
The release also saw more updates to PowerShell, among them the introduction of the Desired State Configuration system. This enhanced the management of network configurations. Another change involved improved functionality for storage systems and Web services were also enhanced. -
Windows Server 2016
It came with a new server option, Nano Server. This was a scaled-down server implementation with limited interfaces, making it more secure from attacks.
Another introduction with this release was Network Controller. This console program gave administrators the ability to manage all network devices, whether physical or virtual, from a single location.
To support the use of containers, VM systems were enhanced to interact with Docker and to support encryption for Hyper-V. Additionally. -
Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2019 has the following new features: Container services:
-Support for Kubernetes (stable; v1.14)
-Support for Tigera Calico for Windows
-Linux containers on Windows
Storage:
-Storage Spaces Direct
-Storage Migration Service
-Storage Replica
-System Insights
Security:
-Shielded Virtual Machines
-Improved Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP)
Administration:
-Windows Admin Center
-SetupDiag
-OpenSSH included