Moving to the Cloud OS with Windows Server 2012

Moving to a private cloud model is easier than ever before. If you are migrating from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2 (which you must because Windows Server 2003 reaches its end of extended support in July), you already have the basics.

The cloud is all the rage today. It seems everywhere you turn there are numerous articles and stories about the benefits of moving to a cloud environment.

For most companies, there are usually some security and data protection issues that might prevent moving an application to a public cloud service. But these issues go away when using a private cloud approach.
Fortunately, moving to a private cloud model is easier than ever before. If you are migrating from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2 (which you must because Windows Server 2003 reaches its end of extended support in July), you already have the basics.

Specifically, when Microsoft introduced Windows Server 2012, it characterized it as the Cloud OS. In particular, Windows Server 2012 R2 includes a broad set of new features and functions, especially in the area of server management and user self-service, which deliver key attributes of any private cloud deployment.

Characteristics of a private cloud

Windows Server 2012 R2 and Microsoft System Center 2012 let companies build robust private clouds. There are several key properties that characterize such cloud deployments.

A Microsoft-based private cloud lets you pool resources. Going far above the capabilities of server virtualization, a cloud lets you aggregate resources across the entire data center, rather than at the level of an individual server. To that end, a cloud makes a pool of compute, memory, and storage capacity available for use by different applications and workloads. This abstraction decouples the virtualized workloads from the physical infrastructure, allowing dynamic workload placement and independent infrastructure management.

A second attribute of a private cloud is self-service capabilities. Rather than waiting for IT to perform common tasks, a cloud approach could make many IT services available through a web portal. A department or individual visiting the portal would be presented with a list of choices such as setting up a single virtual machine for a new application, providing a server with an appropriate operating system and middleware for a developer building a new application, or deploying a complex service.

This empowers end users, eliminates the need for IT involvement, and generally speeds the delivery of IT services. What makes self-service capabilities possible is the high level of automation that is possible using a cloud powered by Microsoft server and management solutions.

An additional characteristic of a cloud is elasticity. IT can easily scale capacity up or down to meet current demands. This comes in handy in several common business scenarios. When starting a new initiative (rolling out a new customer web service, for example) a relatively small amount of compute, storage, and networking resources can be allocated. If that service is a hit, more resources can be dynamically allocated to match user needs.

Similarly, if a company has variable requirements throughout the year, a cloud can be used to scale services up and down to meet the current workloads. For example, a retailer might want to dedicate more IT resources to its web operations during the holiday or back-to-school shopping booms and then free up those IT resources when sales return to normal.

Getting help from a technology partner

While many companies are contemplating a Windows Server 2003 upgrade due to security concerns, making the move to Windows Server 2012 R2 running on new server hardware can provide a path to a cloud architecture.

When undertaking these efforts, it always helps to have a trusted partner. PC Connection offers resources, migration expertise, and solutions to get you through the process. To get started, check out the Windows Server 2003 end-of-support page. This will give you the basic information from Microsoft that you will need to begin your migration process.

The page includes a link to an end of support assessment tool. By answering a few questions about your current workloads, the tool helps you create a migration strategy that optimizes performance and maximizes value for your business.

Once you have the assessment information in hand, you can then select a suitable server from PC Connection’s wide range of offerings. You will find there are many suitable servers that will meet your price and performance requirements.