Windows 2000 Server


Windows 2000 Server	Windows 2000 Professional

Compared to Windows 2000 Professional,
Windows 2000 Server has an additional menu
entry for "Administrative Tools":

( similar to NT4 Workstation and NT4 Server,
but with much more features) with tools
(like: Event Viewer, Performance monitor)
and to manage the Server.

With Windows 2000 Server, Microsoft introduces a new administration method for networks:
Active Directory
with a modified method to define and manage Network Domains, replacing the previous domain
model as used in Windows NT 3.x and NT4 (which could be called an "Enhanced Workgroup" ).

The Windows 2000 Active Directory system includes a "compatibility mode" with the previous
domain model to allow to connect previous versions of Windows (="legacy versions"), which are
not aware of the new Active Directory like Windows 95, 98 and Windows NT4, to a Windows
2000 server.

At the same time, Microsoft makes the effort to modernize the design of their networking method:
All previous Microsoft network systems, starting with the DOS "LanManager" and continuing with
"Windows for Workgroups",Windows NT 3.x,Windows95,Windows98 and even Windows NT4,
require the use of "NetBIOS".
The original Microsoft (and also IBM) protocol "NetBEUI" is just a simple implementation of
"NetBIOS" for small networks.

To be able to use the "TCP/IP" protocol,
Windows networking is using a feature
called "NetBIOS over TCP/IP", which
does have some limitations when used
with Dialup-networking and in
Wide Area-Networks (WAN's)
(the example on the left is from Windows98SE)

With Windows 2000 Active Directory, the use of DNS allows to operate a Microsoft network
without NetBIOS on a network with ONLY Windows 2000 systems. However NetBIOS is still
supported for networking with the "legacy" systems (WfW 3.x, Windows95, Windows98, NT4).

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Compared to Windows NT4 Server, Windows 2000 is much more flexible during the installation:
While it is already required to define during the first phase of an NT4-server installation the role
of the system ("Standalone Server" or "Domain Controller"),the Windows 2000 Server installation
is very similar to a Windows 2000 Professional installation ( it is just asking for the Licensing mode
to be used and the number of clients) : Windows 2000 Server is installed as a "Standalone Server",
which can then in a second step configured to become a Windows 2000 Domain controller by
configuring the Active Directory:
- Windows 2000 Server: Configure Active Directory (created May 5, 2001)
(unlike NT4 server, where a change of system type requires a complete reload, you can un-install the Active Directory )
- Windows 2000 Server: User Management (created May 5, 2001)

Windows 2000 DHCP-server:
- Install DHCP Server (created June 4, 2001)
- Configure DHCP Server (created June 4, 2001)
- Display DHCP Server Information (created June 4, 2001)

Local Network Configuration

Network adapter / protocols / Computers Near Me:
- See Windows 2000 Professional
- Windows 2000 Server: Connection from Windows95/98 (created May1, 2001)
- Windows NT4 WS joining an Windows2000 Domain (created May 9, 2001 )
- Windows XP Professional Joining a Domain (created Dec. 2, 2001)
- Windows XP Home Accessing data on a Domain Server (created Dec. 2, 2001)