Microsoft Windows has become the platform of choice for many businesses today. And with the recent release of Windows Server 2008, many organizations are making the upgrade to this next generation of the operating system. In fact, industry analyst IDC forecasts that by the end of this year, there will be more than 3.5 million installations worldwide of Windows Server 2008.

This growing reliance on the Windows platform to run critical business applications highlights the importance of securing, managing and ensuring its availability. After all, with business objectives on the line, downtime is not an option. Fortunately, a number of proven tools and services are available to help businesses maximize and preserve their investment in their Windows environment, even as they migrate to Windows Server 2008.

A New Foundation
Windows Server 2008 is arguably the most flexible and robust Windows Server operating system to date, with features aimed at providing a more solid foundation for business and application workloads. Windows Server 2008 helps information technology (IT) professionals maximize control over their infrastructure by providing new availability, virtualization, security and management capabilities.

For example, Windows Server 2008 introduces Windows PowerShell, a new command-line shell with more than 130 tools and an integrated scripting language. This environment makes it easier for IT organizations to control and automate repetitive system administration tasks.

In addition, the new Server Manager offers the convenience of a single control panel from which administrators can install, configure and manage the server roles and features of Windows Server 2008.

Because of these enhancements, many organizations are eager to transition to this more robust business platform. As they do, the need to protect their upgraded Windows environment will become a top business priority. To maintain business continuity, IT must seek out solutions that not only recover data, systems and applications but also supports and integrates with the new features of Windows Server 2008.

Comprehensive Protection
Never before has keeping a critical, yet complex, IT environment available been so challenging, especially for understaffed, overburdened IT organizations on a tight budget. Data volumes are growing, backup windows are shrinking and the demand for more efficient management is increasing. Additionally, organizations are also looking for faster and more reliable recovery. While the latest release of Windows Server 2008 introduces new advances to help manage and expand business processes, it is critical for businesses to define a complete data and system protection strategy to ensure business critical information is protected.

Without proper protection, an infrastructure failure, natural disaster, or even simple human error could turn a profitable, productive company into a tailspin from which it might never recover.

To reduce this risk, organizations are replacing their silo-based backup and recovery strategies with a single, more comprehensive approach that maximizes Windows Server 2008 and legacy Window systems by supporting VSS Writer Integration, System State, Active Directory, BitLocker technology and Cluster Failover. This new approach provides IT administrators with complete confidence in their Window environment and recovery strategy. Data protection solutions for Windows Server 2008 should also intrinsically protect all open files.

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