Wrong, wrong, wrong.
It can be hard to admit that.We’re naming the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of an Active Directory domain either a valid name, or using .local TLD and these are both incorrect. Recently, when I was again tasked to build a small (200-ish user) Active Directory domain from scratch, I was again confronted about how wrong those of us in this industry have been. What’s even worse is that Microsoft has been recommending the “Right” way for 14 years!
Microsoft has had an interesting history with creating versions of Windows Server that might fit into different verticals. You might recall the horrible Windows Small Business Server version for an example of how you can’t just slap a bunch of product together and make a good product. What microsoft tends to do is create limits on products that can do more, instead of taking limited products and giving them more options. No where is this more evident than Windows Server 2012 Foundation edition. Read on to see why you might not want to implement this version.
With the recent announcements of Windows Server 2012 licensing and pricing details – much is welcome in the mix. In addition, the “Server Essentials” version of Microsoft’s server has just hit RTM. Not only are we getting more for less, but the server licence looks to also cost less. In addition, the Server versions are being simplified down to Datacenter, Standard and Essentials. I’ll take a look at all of these versions and the big missing piece, Windows Home Server.
Kevin Costain