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Lesson 1: Overview of the Windows 2000 Platform
The Microsoft Windows 2000 family of operating systems builds on Microsoft Windows NT technology by adding many features and enhancements. This lesson introduces you to the family of Windows 2000 products. It explains some of the key differences between these products and the environment for which each product is designed.
After this lesson, you will be able to
- Identify the key features of Windows 2000, including features that are specific to Windows 2000 Professional and to Windows 2000 Server.
Estimated lesson time: 10 minutes
Windows 2000 is a multipurpose operating system with integrated support for client/server and peer-to-peer networks. It incorporates technologies that reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) and provides for scalability from a small network to a large enterprise network. Total cost of ownership is the total amount of money and time associated with purchasing computer hardware and software, and deploying, configuring, and maintaining the hardware and software. TCO includes hardware and software updates, training, maintenance and administration, and technical support. One other major factor in TCO is lost productivity. Lost productivity can occur because of many factors, including user errors, hardware problems, or software upgrades and retraining.
The Windows 2000 platform consists of the following four versions:
Table 1.1 describes the features and benefits of Windows 2000.
Table 1.1 Features and Benefits of Windows 2000
| Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Lower total cost of ownership | Reduces the cost of running and administering a network by providing automatic installation and upgrading of applications, and by simplifying the setup and configuration of client computers.
Reduces the amount of calls to support by providing the familiar Microsoft Windows interface for users and administrators, including wizards, interactive help, and more. Reduces the need for administrators to travel to desktop computers to upgrade the operating system. |
| Security | Authenticates users before they gain access to resources or data on a computer or the network.
Provides local and network security and auditing for files, folders, printers, and other resources. |
| Directory services (available only in Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows Windows 2000 Datacenter) | Store information about network resources, such as user accounts, applications, print resources, and security information.
Provide the services that permit users to gain access to resources throughout the entire Windows 2000 network and to locate users, computers, and other resources. Also enables administrators to manage and secure these resources. Store and manage services based on Active Directory technology. Active Directory directory services is the Windows 2000 directory service. The directory is the database that stores information about network resources, such as computers and printers, and the directory services make this information available to users and applications. Active Directory directory services also provide administrators with the capability to control access to resources. |
| Performance and scalability | Supports symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) on computers that are configured with multiple microprocessors. Also supports multitasking for system processes and programs.
Windows 2000 Professional supports up to two microprocessors. |
| Networking and communication services | Provide built-in support for the most popular network protocols, including TCP/IP and network client utilities.
Provide connectivity with Novell NetWare, UNIX, and AppleTalk. Provide Dial-Up Networking, which lets mobile users connect to a computer running Windows 2000. Windows 2000 Professional supports one inbound dial-up networking session. (The Windows 2000 Server products support 256 simultaneous inbound dial-up sessions.) |
| Internet integration | Integrates users' desktops with the Internet, thereby removing the distinction between the local computer and the Internet. Users can securely browse the network, intranet, and Internet for resources, as well as send and receive e-mail messages.
Windows 2000 Professional provides a personal Web server, which enables users to host a personal Web site. |
| Integrated administration tools | Provide the means to create customized tools to manage local and remote computers with a single standard interface.
Provide the means to incorporate third-party administrative tools into the standard interface. |
| Hardware support | Supports universal serial bus (USB), an external bus standard that eliminates many constraints of earlier computer peripherals.
Supports Plug and Play hardware, which Windows 2000 automatically detects, installs, and configures. |
In this lesson, you learned that Windows 2000 consists of a family of four separate products: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server, and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server.