IIS Manager is also enhanced with a new Configuration Editor. This feature lets you access all of the IIS 7.5 configuration settings, including settings such as FastCGI that were hidden in the previous version of IIS.
For added web application security, a new Request Filtering module provides HTTP blocking capabilities that were formerly found in the separate URLScan product. IIS 7.5 also provides improved application security by running every application pool with a unique low-privilege identity. Also included are a new Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) and updated versions of Secure FTP and WebDAV.
Going Green with Core Parking and P-states
Server 2008 R2's Core Parking feature lets the OS dynamically control the number of cores used in a multi-core server. Server 2008 R2's Core Parking continually monitors the CPU utilization of multi-core server systems. Whenever processor cores are underutilized, Core Parking can put those cores into sleep mode to reduce the power required to run the system. When the workload on the remaining cores increases, the suspended cores are reactivated and full processing power returns. For example, Core Parking could enable a server with 64 logical cores to drop back to just a 2-core machine during low-utilization times, then restore the server to a full 64-core system when the workload rises. Notably, with Core Parking one core must always remain active in order to control the state of the other cores.
Another power-management feature built into Server 2008 R2 is the ability to adjust processors' Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) P-states. This feature essentially allows very granular control over a system's power consumption. Altering the P-state of the processor governs the frequency of the CPU. Running the processor cores at lower frequencies is another way to reduce power consumption. Both Core Parking and ACPI P-state status can be controlled through new Group Policy settings.
Best Windows Server OS Yet
Server 2008 R2 adds a lot of value to the Server 2008 OS, with features such as Live Migration, the new ADAC, and the PowerShell ISE. Other important features include enhanced DNS and DHCP security, read-only DFS Replication (DFSR), and the ability to boot from VHD. Connecting Windows 7 to Server 2008 R2 provides even more benefits; for more information, see the sidebar "Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7: Better Together." In addition to the big-ticket items, Server 2008 R2 provides numerous smaller changes. For an overview of these changes, see the sidebar "The Little Things About Windows Server 2008 R2."
I used the beta version to evaluate Server 2008 R2; some features will likely change before the final release. However, Server 2008 R2 is clearly the best release of the Windows Server OS yet.
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