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Windows Server

Score8.3 out of 10

839 Reviews and Ratings

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What users are saying about Windows Server.
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No world without windows

Verified User
Administrator (10,001+ employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I have been Windows Server over 12 years, most of the problem is server will be hung state when the performance hits high and we need a reboot always

Pros

  • GUI
  • Easy install
  • Manage
  • upgrade

Cons

  • kill process when server hung state
  • performance
  • OS disk space

Return on Investment

  • cost high
  • more disconnection
  • easy to integrate any tool

Usability

Alternatives Considered

Amazon Linux

Other Software Used

CentOS Linux, Amazon Linux, Fedora Linux

Familiar and reliable

Incentivized
Adam Radics
Production Data Systems Superintendent in Engineering at Talison Lithium (201-500 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Almost all of our production systems run on Windows Server platforms. We tend to separate each server out as one role to host a single application or set of applications. All servers we run are virtualised and we utilise data centre licensing on our hosts. Most off-the-shelf applications require Windows Server, and we prefer centralised management of a single platform so it's really the only choice for us (apart from some virtual appliances).

Pros

  • Centralised management. Active directory and group policies make this quite easy.
  • Low resource use. We are able to deploy an increasing number of applications on server core.
  • Bundled services. More and more functionality is Bundled and can be added and removed as roles.

Cons

  • Some of the management tools are still lacking when it comes to remotely managing server core.
  • Some of the more advanced management is nuanced and poorly documented. Anything slightly complex or out of the norm requires a lot of searching.
  • Tech support. It is difficult to access Microsoft for support directly, software assurance should make that easy.

Most Important Features

  • Standardisation. Allowing us to utilise a common platform.
  • Centralised management.
  • Regular security updates.

Return on Investment

  • It is a critical part of our operation, we could not run 99% of our systems without it. It underpins all of our production systems.
  • The latest versions have allowed us to provide controlled access to systems behind a firewall via RDP where we would typically need to purchase another product such as Citrix.
  • With some of the complexity of administering difficult features, we have had to bring in additional external assistance at a cost.

Alternatives Considered

Ubuntu Linux

Windows Server - It's as simple as that!! Reliable, Full-Featured, Secure, Easy to administer.

Incentivized
Michael CravenView profile
Owner/President/CEO in Professional Services at P.C. 911 (1-10 employees employees)

Pros

  • Backup of workstations & itself - reliably, consistently, with Bare-Metal Restore and deduplication
  • File management and Security on a per file/folder/user basis is simple and fully done through an easy GUI
  • DNS, DHCP server functions are easy to configure using the built-in GUI

Cons

  • Windows Server 2019 has deprecated one of the best and most reliable feature of Server 2016 - workstation backups.
  • Windows Server 2019 works great with Azure for cloud functionality, but could use more options to work with out cloud providers.

Most Important Features

  • Security - including NOT having the entire Windows Server codebase open-source (like Linux)
  • Backup (deprecated after Server 2016)
  • GUI for administration of Everything. Virtually no need to use the command prompt at all - which is very archaic in my opinion in this day and age.

Return on Investment

  • Windows Server has made it very simple to maintain my client's central business needs do to Windows Servers simple setup, reliability, and easy administration.
  • I have been able to setup client's businesses much quicker and easier than when using other Server options.
  • With no real downtime, timely security updates and outstanding reliability, Windows Server has made my Computer Consulting business look really good!

Other Software Used

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Microsoft Office 2016 (discontinued), Veeam Backup & Replication

Usability

Windows Server Review

Incentivized
Zakarieya AbderoefView profile
Solutions Architect in Information Technology at Baraka Technology Group (51-200 employees employees)

Pros

  • Easy to use due to its intuitive graphical user interface.
  • Very popular and makes integration easier.
  • Lots of software drivers available.
  • Has many functionalities such as Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, VPN, RDP, VDI server, etc.
  • Many patches and updates available. Maybe abit too much too often.
  • Cost effective and with budget.
  • Remote desktop feature simplifies remote access to this server.
  • It has a built in VPN and ssl certificate feature.
  • Event viewer is available for alerts, although it seems too cumbersome to go through the logs.
  • If you got too many Windows systems to manage, then SCCM is an option.

Cons

  • Microsoft needs to minimize the update frequency by making the product more secure. It can become very exhausting trying to keep updated if you don't have a dedicated support team. It can become challenging where the business is unable to allow downtime for reboots as part of the update process.
  • Prone to security and audit vulnerabilities.
  • The operating system needs more CPU and memory resources compared to other options such as Linux.
  • Understanding the licensing model can be abit confusing.
  • Comes with a standard firewall, but not the most secured one available. Would suggest using a more secured firewall as part of your antivirus software.
  • Due to the number of vulnerabilities and the operating system being a target for hackers, anti-virus software is a must.

Most Important Features

  • Ease of use due to its intuitive graphical user interface.
  • The product is very versatile and can be used in almost any environment.
  • It has many integration capabilities and can attach to a vast array of peripherals.
  • It comes standard with very useful features at no additional cost.
  • It can integrate seamlessly with other Microsoft applications.

Return on Investment

  • Costs savings due to ease of use.
  • When purchased as part of a Microsoft Enterprise Agreements the software can be procured at reduced costs.
  • Time and cost-saving due to lots of information available online to simplify troubleshooting.
  • Windows Server includes lots of value added functionality at no additional costs.
  • The latest version has an anti-ransomware feature to protect company data from being encrypted at no additional costs.
  • Hyper-V feature is also standard and when using the data center edition you can run unlimited VMs as part of the license model.

Alternatives Considered

IBM AIX, SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), Nutanix AOS, VMware ESXi and Hyper-V

Other Software Used

SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), IBM AIX

Server 2019 - the Good and Bad

Incentivized
Rob BattagliaView profile
Owner in Customer Service at We Teach, Computer Educational Services (1-10 employees employees)

Pros

  • File Server
  • VPN Server
  • SQL Host Server
  • DNS Server

Cons

  • DHCP Server could be better - we use the router for DHCP Routing
  • Print Server - not a fan of using the server as a print server since you have to license it. Direct access to printers via IP addresses is a much more efficient way to go
  • Better backup program - we utilize a third-party program that gives us more flexibility when restoring individual files.

Most Important Features

  • File Server
  • SQL Server
  • DNS Server
  • VPN Server

Return on Investment

  • Ability to keep all files in one place and give access to users makes file management easy to control.
  • VPN Access to off-site users is a plus.
  • Secure access to on-site SQL data from our accounting and estimating data is a plus.

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Webroot Endpoint Protection, Trustwave Secure Email Gateway, Microsoft Access, Malwarebytes Endpoint Protection, Foundation Software, Logitech Tap