Migration from Windows Server 2003 to 2008/2012

Migration of Windows Operating System from server 2003 to 2008/2012 needs up-gradation of hardware and it is better chance to get improved hosting and take virtualization. Convert any Windows Server 2003 trouble End-of-life into a chance to build more secure, scalable hosting solution considering factors for application.

Latest version of Windows Server is Windows 2012 R2. Applications may prescribe some servers run Windows Server 2008, supported by Microsoft until 2020. To decide whether anyone wants to run Windows Server 2008 or directly Windows Server 2012 R2, analysis of application is necessary. 16-bit applications are compatible with 64-bit OS Windows Server 2012 R2.

Hardware selection entirely depends on application requirements. If anyone keeps same applications running on older servers, it will consider servers towards low powerful spectrum end.

Web Hosting companies are offering smallest Windows 2012 Cloud Server which is a 1 GB RAM server with 1 GB of SSD.

Smallest Dedicated Server provided by Web Hosting companies with 8GB RAM and 2TB of storage + SW RAID.

Requirement of Migration are change of hosting architecture, operating system or hardware require some testing and configuration in order to make compatible applications and to manage security. To test application properly it is necessary having at least two common environments: test environment and production environment.

To manage costs user want to host servers which is used to test environment on their own premises. Databases and websites need to 100% time available that should be hosted in a data center with N+1 full redundancy. Other method is using virtualization to create two or more platforms on single dedicated server.

Due to release of Windows Server 2003, major modification in infrastructure regarding internet has developed virtualization- Virtual Machines (VM) creation, each has own operating system and resource allocation from pool resources in architecture.

Around virtualization Windows Server 2012 R2 is geared. It is possibly making by Hyper-V hypervisor and System Center add monitoring and Windows Server 2012, operations and automation management tools make Microsoft Cloud OS which enable full Microsoft Private Cloud.

Microsoft alters licensing for accommodation of new virtualization follow release of Windows Server 2012. Licensing charge will be in same way, at same cost regarding any version of Windows Server from 2003 to 2012 R2.
For his own server one can purchase Windows Server licenses, number of licenses depends on number of Client Access Licenses and number of processors. Licensing of customers of Web hosting providers based on number of processors in server which can be multiplied by Virtual Machines server. License of datacenter allowing unlimited VM includes the price. If anybody intended to install more than 2 VMs, it is advised to purchase license of datacenter.