Windows Server 2012 is a server operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. It is the successor to Windows Server 2008 and was officially released on September 4, 2012. Windows Server 2012 brought several new features and improvements compared to its predecessor. Some key aspects include:
- Metro Interface: Windows Server 2012 introduced the Metro-style interface, similar to the one found in Windows 8. This interface featured a more modern and tile-based design, providing a touch-friendly environment.
- Server Manager: The Server Manager was significantly enhanced in Windows Server 2012, offering a unified dashboard for managing server roles and features. It made it easier for administrators to configure and monitor server tasks.
- Improvements in Hyper-V: Hyper-V, Microsoft’s virtualization platform, received substantial updates in Windows Server 2012. Features like Hyper-V Replica and Shared Nothing Live Migration were introduced, enhancing the overall virtualization experience.
- Storage Spaces: Windows Server 2012 introduced Storage Spaces, a feature that allows administrators to create virtualized storage pools from multiple physical disks. This provided flexibility and scalability in managing storage resources.
- ReFS (Resilient File System): ReFS was introduced as a new file system designed for fault tolerance and data integrity. While NTFS remained the default file system, ReFS was aimed at handling large-scale data and provided features like integrity streams and improved resilience.
- Dynamic Access Control (DAC): DAC allowed administrators to control access to files and resources based on user attributes and the content of the files, providing a more granular and dynamic access control system.
- Improved PowerShell: PowerShell in Windows Server 2012 was enhanced with more than 2,300 cmdlets, making it a powerful tool for automation and management of server tasks.
- Active Directory: Windows Server 2012 introduced several improvements to Active Directory, including the ability to clone virtual domain controllers, making it easier to deploy additional domain controllers.
- DirectAccess: Windows Server 2012 included improvements to DirectAccess, which is a feature that provides secure and seamless connectivity to corporate networks for remote users.
- NIC Teaming: The operating system introduced native support for NIC (Network Interface Card) teaming, allowing administrators to group multiple network interfaces for fault tolerance and load balancing.
Windows Server 2012 marked a significant step forward in terms of virtualization, storage management, and overall server administration capabilities. It laid the foundation for subsequent versions of Windows Server, such as Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019.