MCITP Guide to Microsoft
Windows Server 2008 Server
Administration (Exam #70-646)
Chapter 12
Application and Data Provisioning
Learning Objectives
•
•
•
•
•
Plan for, install, and use application servers
Plan for application deployment
Plan how to make applications available remotely
Configure offline data access
Understand System Center Configuration Manager
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Learning Objectives (cont’d.)
• Understand Windows Server Update Services
• Install and use Windows System Resource Manager
• Plan for a Network Load Balancing cluster
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Understanding the Application Server
Role
• Application server role
– For organizations that use customized software built
from Microsoft application development and Web
products
• Line-of-business (LOB) applications
– Customized software
– Shape specialized business strategy to achieve a
unique market niche or soar ahead of the competition
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Understanding the Application Server
Role (cont’d.)
• Server-based applications
– Software applications run from a server by remote
network clients or by other software
• Client/server applications
– Some processing may occur on a client and some on
the server
– Or processing may be split between different
applications on the same server
– Or among different servers
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Understanding the Application Server
Role (cont’d.)
• Application Server Foundation (ASF)
– Offers development tools, including:
• Microsoft .NET Framework with Windows
Communication Foundation
• Windows Workflow Foundation
• Windows Presentation Foundation
• ASP.NET
• COM+
• Internet Information Services (IIS)
• NET.TCP Port Sharing
• Distributed transaction support
• Message Queuing
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft .NET Framework
• Provides a consistent environment to develop and
run applications
• Elements
– Common language runtime (CLR)
– Class library (including application programming
interfaces (APIs))
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft .NET Framework (cont’d.)
• Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
– Unites several Web-based, transaction, and message
queue communications into a common programming
model
– Enables applications to communicate with one
another efficiently
– Enables loose coupling
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft .NET Framework (cont’d.)
• Windows Workflow Foundation (WF)
– Development environment and runtime engine
– Helps programmers build applications that follow the
actual program or human workflow process
– Program mirrors each step in a process
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Figure 12-1 Workflow of
a hiring process
Courtesy Course
Technology/Cengage Learning
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft .NET Framework (cont’d.)
• Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
– Framework in which to develop user interfaces in a
program
– Uses the Extensible Application Markup Language
(XAML)
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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ASP.NET
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Active Server Pages.NET (ASP.NET)
Used to create Web-based applications
Free download from Microsoft
Development environment built on CLR
Enables a Web-based server to run scripts
Program that operates through IIS
Application server role contains services that assist
ASP.NET
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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COM+
• Older framework for running applications prior to
.NET Framework.
• Component Object Model (COM)
– Standards for building software from individual
objects or components
• COM+
– Enhancement to COM
– Enables features such as publishing application
services and the ability to subscribe to these services
– Provides for load balancing of client requests for
applications across multiple servers
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Internet Information Services (IIS)
• Advantages for using the application server role with
IIS
– Offer Web sites created using Microsoft Web
development tools
– Web applications can be built using the capabilities of
WCF, WF, and WPF
– Web applications can take advantage of ASP.NET
capabilities
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Net.TCP Port Sharing
• Permits several network applications to share
incoming communications via one TCP port
• Ports
– Also called sockets
– Used for application communication
• “Well-known” ports
– Numbered 0 through 1023
• Port sharing
– Shared by several network applications, while
keeping the number of open ports to a minimum
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Distributed Transaction Support
• Updates to databases performed in an “all-or-none”
fashion
– Either all of the transactions are posted or none of
them are posted
– Vital protection to ensure that databases cannot get
out of synchronization
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows Process Activation Service
• Enables IIS applications built using WCF to use IIS
features that do not require message-derived
activation via HTTP
• IIS application pools
– Group similar Web applications into pools or groups
for management
• World Wide Web Publishing Service (W3SVC)
– Requires WAS
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Message Queuing
• Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ)
– Installed with the application server role
– Ability for applications to use messaging and
message queuing services between applications
• Messages
– Placed in message queues
– Applications retrieve messages from the appropriate
queues
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Message Queuing (cont’d.)
• Activity 12-1: Installing the Application Server Role
– Objective: Learn how to install an application server
Figure 12-2 Add Roles Wizard
Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Application Deployment Planning
• When application offered to the user
– Plan what is necessary to provide that application
within the user environment
• Understand how clients will access the application
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Server-Based Application Planning
• Plan on having enough server resources
– CPU, memory, and disk space
• Consider how clients will access the server
– Terminal Services or VPN
– Local network or Internet
• Consider reliability and bandwidth sufficient for the
number of users
• Consider user training
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Distributed Computing Planning
• Distributed computing
– Involves many of the same issues as server-based
computing
– Take into account hardware on all systems involved
and the network connections between hardware
• Database server
– May be slow when multiple users do resource-intense
database queries
– Provide regular database maintenance
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Client-Based Application Planning
• Client-based applications
– Likely to be already installed on the client’s computer
– Or download from a server through the network
• User training just as important as for server-based
applications
• Licensing
– Ensure there are enough licenses
• Updates
– Plan how to perform regular application updates
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Web-Based Application Planning
• Consider using application pools to make
applications more reliable
• Modes
– Integrated mode
– Classic mode
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Using Applications Remotely
• Make applications available to remote users
– Microsoft Application Virtualization Management
– Terminal Services RemoteApp
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft Application Virtualization
Management
• Enables client to run an application from a server
– As though the application is actually installed on client
– Runs in a virtual partitioned space on the client
computer
– Streamed from a server
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft Application Virtualization
Management (cont’d.)
• Advantages:
– Applications are installed only on the virtual
application server
– Applications can be managed centrally through an
App-V management console
– Applications can be used in a standard way to
achieve standard outcomes and to standardize client
support
– Application updates are made on the virtual
application server
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft Application Virtualization
Management (cont’d.)
• Advantages (cont’d.)
– One client can run the same application multiple
times simultaneously
– Applications that cannot be run using Terminal
Services can generally be run as virtual applications
– Clients can run two or more different applications that
would normally conflict with one another
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft Application Virtualization
Management (cont’d.)
• Principal components:
– Microsoft Application Virtualization Management
Server or App-V server
– Microsoft Application Virtualization Client or App-V
client software installed on each client computer
– Microsoft Application Virtualization Management
Console or App-V management console
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Microsoft Application Virtualization
Management (cont’d.)
• Compatible with:
–
–
–
–
–
Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2
Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Terminal Services RemoteApp
• Consider as you are planning application
deployment
• Used on the client without loading the remote
desktop normally required for Terminal Services
• Enables user to run a program on a terminal server
– Client experiences this as just another program
running on her computer
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Terminal Services RemoteApp (cont’d.)
• Benefits of using TS RemoteApp
– No separate software to purchase
– Applications are installed on the terminal server and
not on the client
– Application updates are made on the terminal
– Application is run on the terminal server
• .rdp files can be made available to clients through a
server’s shared folder
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Terminal Services RemoteApp (cont’d.)
• Limitations to using TS RemoteApp
– Cannot run different versions of the same application
simultaneously on a client
– Host the application on a single terminal server
• Cannot use multiple terminal servers that are
administered by TS Session Broker
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Configuring Offline Data Capabilities
• Take advantage of offline capabilities
– Folder cached in client’s computer storage
– Can be accessed even when network is down
• As soon as client is connected to network
– Client files synchronized with those on server
• Shared files
– Cached in the client’s disk storage each time the
client logs off or shuts down the computer
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Configuring Offline Data Capabilities
(cont’d.)
• Activity 12-2: Configuring Offline Access Using the
Share and Storage Management Tool
– Objective: Learn to use the Share and Storage
Management tool to configure offline access for
shared folders
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Using System Center Configuration
Manager
• Comprehensive applications and operating systems
management environment
• Intended for large organizations
• Capabilities:
– Deployment of operating systems on a network
– Deployment of applications on a network
– Inventory of hardware and software resources on a
network
– Management of how computers are configured
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Using System Center Configuration
Manager (cont’d.)
• Capabilities (cont’d.)
– Management of operating system and application
software updates
– Assessment of software use frequency
– Remote control for diagnosing problems on servers
and clients
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Using System Center Configuration
Manager (cont’d.)
• Microsoft SQL Server must be installed
– Administers applications through using an SQL
Server database
• Sites
– Primary and secondary
– Other types of sites can be established
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Table 12-1 Microsoft
System Center
Configuration Manager
capabilities
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows Server Update Services
• Package of services you can obtain from Microsoft
• Enables Windows Server 2008 to obtain the latest
Microsoft product updates
– Operating system updates and patches
– Security patches
– Updates and security patches for Microsoft
applications
– Service packs
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows Server Update Services
(cont’d.)
• Upstream WSUS server
– Obtains the updates and service packs from Microsoft
– Supplies them to other WSUS servers for distribution
to clients
– Connects to the Microsoft Update Web site
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows Server Update Services
(cont’d.)
• Windows Server 2008 server that will host WSUS
requires
–
–
–
–
–
IIS 7.0 or above
Windows Authentication
ASP.NET
.NET Framework 2.0 or above
Microsoft Report Viewer Redistributable 2005 or
higher
– Microsoft SQL Server 2005 with Service Pack 1 (or
above)
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Figure 12-7 Using an upstream WSUS server
Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows System Resource Manager
• Install through Server Manager
• Manage how processor and memory resources are
used in Windows Server 2008
• Establish resource policies
– Resources can be allocated for different types of
application environments
• Does not attempt to manage processor resources
until processor load is 70 percent or higher
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows System Resource Manager
(cont’d.)
• Resource policies that come packaged with WSRM
–
–
–
–
Equal per user
Equal per session
Equal per process
Equal per IIS application pool
• Activity 12-3: Installing the WSRM Feature
– Objective: Install the WSRM feature
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows System Resource Manager
(cont’d.)
Figure 12-8 Add Features Wizard
Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Windows System Resource Manager
(cont’d.)
• Activity 12-4: Using WSRM
– Objective: Use WSRM to configure resources
Figure 12-9 Connect to computer box
Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Figure 12-10 Selecting Resource Allocation Policies
Courtesy Course Technology/Cengage Learning
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Using a Network Load Balancing (NLB)
Cluster
• Two or more computers seen by users as single
computer
• Each computer in the cluster
– Runs the same application(s)
– Uses the same virtual network adapter
– Constantly ensures the other computers in the cluster
are live
• Installed through Server Manager
• Microsoft considers an NLB cluster to be a better
solution to load balancing than DNS round robin
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Summary
• Application server role
– Based on the Application Server Foundation
– Includes components such as Microsoft .NET
Framework, ASP.NET, COM+, IIS, NET.TCP Port
Sharing, distributed transaction support, and
Message Queuing
– Contains built-in components: Windows
Communication Foundation, Windows Workflow
Foundation, and Windows Presentation Foundation
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Summary (cont’d.)
• Application deployment planning includes:
–
–
–
–
Server-based application planning
Distributed computing planning
Client-based application planning
Web-based application planning
• Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager
– Coordinate deployment of applications, operating
systems, and software updates
– Windows Server Update Services also coordinates
updates
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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Summary (cont’d.)
• Windows System Resource Manager
– Optimize server resource use
• Network Load Balancing cluster
– Distribute the load across servers
MCITP Guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2008,
Server Administration (Exam #70-646)
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