InformationWeek
Defining The Business Value Of Technology
November 2, 1998
NT5: Miles TO Go Before Win2000
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DFS? It's In There
Now that Microsoft has ported Distributed File System to the new NT, administrators can create a single export of their entire file system with a single share, having many servers participating in it as a child node of the directory structure. That is, once a client starts to browse a child node, all requests go to the server on which that part of the share resides, and the application doesn't notice anything different. DFS also can create child nodes that are replicated, providing fault tolerance as well as load balancing. Any file created on one of the replicas is quickly duplicated on its twin.
Though we had some difficulty getting the initial DFS structure set up, we managed to get it to work. In Beta 2, the directory must initially be empty, as the file replication service won't replicate files that previously existed. But our replication directories weren't empty because in our DFS directory tree, we had created a replicated node. We tried stopping and restarting it to make the service recognize that it had a new directory to replicate, but that didn't work. Ultimately, we had to restart the two servers that stored the replicas before the file replication service would work.
To test DFS, we created a map from our DFS root to a system running Windows 2000 Professional. From there, we started to browse files in the DFS structure. By checking the properties on the child node directory, we determined which server the directory was being shared from. We then unplugged the network from this server. The client quickly failed over to the other server without a hitch. Even open files continued to operate as if nothing had happened. Needless to say, we were impressed.
Network setup is substantially easier with the new version of the operating system. There is a networking wizard that sets up all aspects of a network connection, either local or remote, from a single dialog box, with none of the switching between applications required with NT 4.
The wizard can even save a configuration file, which can be copied across the network, on a diskette or E-mailed to another user. When run, the wizard file sets up the network connection on the new machine without requiring user intervention.
Configuration of an existing network connection is also done through a single control panel, whether it's LAN or WAN.
This may not be a huge boon for server administrators, although it could be in the case of a central office administrator who wants to ensure that all branch offices are configured the same way. The bigger issue for administrators will be the ease of supporting end users. Rather than having to talk a user through a complex setup procedure involving different control panels, the administrator can simple send them the wizard file.
Internet Power
Windows 2000 is packed with Internet and intranet features, and more fully integrates those features into its other core business services than previous releases did. Microsoft has steadily added Web-based tools to the operating system, starting with Internet Information Server in NT 4, upgrading IIS in Service Pack 3, and accelerating with Index Server, Certificate Server, Transaction Server (MTS), and Message Queuing Server (MSMQ) in NT 4 Option Pack. A separate Routing and Remote Access Server (RRAS) update added routing and enhanced virtual private network (VPN) services. Deploying these features requires a complex sequence of hot fixes, service packs, registry updates, and configurations.
Beta 2 integrates Option Pack and RRAS servers as core services, adds new VPN, public key, and network-security tools, and streamlines configuration and management with wizards, policies, and the underlying Active Directory. Compared side-by-side with an NT 4/Option Pack/RRAS installation, Beta 2 is easier to install, deploy, and manage, with powerful features that extend an IT department's ability to leverage virtual business relationships.
The new NT attacks Internet and intranet configuration from two separate approaches, offering an automated turnkey setup for connecting small businesses and workgroups to the Internet, while delivering a more comprehensive array of directory, policy, and security services for the enterprise. For small and home offices, the Connection Sharing wizard takes care of setting up simplified versions of all the necessary services: routing, Network Address Translation (NAT), DNS proxy, WINS, and DHCP Server with pre-defined IP address scopes. You don't need anything but an Internet service provider's phone number, your company's user name, and a password. When your server's modem connects with the ISP, the Point-to-Point Protocol connection obtains the IP addresses of the ISP's external and DNS servers. Internally, the Connection Sharing server assigns client IP addresses; clicking a check box configures the NAT to automatically tunnel Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) connections over the Internet. One caveat: You can't edit the Connection Sharing configuration with Windows 2000 enterprise-based tools.
Windows 2000 provides multiple ways to configure VPNs between partners, suppliers, subcontractors, and customers, including PPTP, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP), and IP Security (IPSec). PPTP continues to leverage its large legacy client base, with an improved user interface for both server and client configuration. On the client, the operating system's Connection Wizard manages both dial-up and VPN connections from a single interface, unifying access to configuration settings that span multiple tools in NT 4.
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Read sidebar story, "NDS Offers Stability And Maturity."
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