Free Windows Server 2008 R2 Unleashed by Noel Morimoto

deleted an Active Directory object like a user, group, organizational
    unit container, or the like, the object was effectively gone and the administrator
    would have to create the object from scratch, which would create a whole new series
    of security principles for the new/unique object. The AD Recycle Bin now enables an
    administrator to simply run the recovery tool and undelete objects.
    . Managed Service Accounts— Applications in a network frequently use service
    accounts associated with the security to start a database, conduct data searches and
    indexing, or launch background tasks. However, when an organization changes the
    password of a service account, all servers with applications using the service account
    need to be updated with the new password, which is an administration nightmare.
    With Active Directory 2008 R2 mode, service accounts can be identified and then
    managed so that a password change to a service account will initiate a process of
    ptg
    updating the service account changes to application servers throughout the organi-
    zation.
    . Authentication Mechanism Assurance— Another Active Directory 2008 R2
    feature is the enhancement of claims-based authentication in Active Directory. With
    authentication mechanism assurance, information in a token can be extracted when-
    ever a user attempts to access a claims-aware application to determine authorization
    based on the user’s logon method. This extension will be leveraged by future appli-
    cations to improve claims-based authentication in the enterprise.
    . Offline Domain Join— For desktop administrators who create system images, the
    challenge of creating images is that a system needs to be physically connected to the
    network before the system can be joined to the domain. With Offline Domain Join,
    a system can be prejoined with a file created with a unique system credential written
    to a file. When a Windows 7 client system or Windows Server 2008 R2 server system
    needs to be joined, rather than physically connecting the system to the network and
    joining the system to the domain, this exported file can be used offline to join the
    system to the Active Directory domain.
    When Is the Right Time to Migrate?
    When Windows Server 2008 R2 first shipped in the summer of 2009, many organizations
    wondered about the right time to migrate to the new operating system. It used to be that
    you waited until the first service pack shipped before installing any Microsoft product;
    however, Windows Server 2008 R2 is effectively an update to Windows Server 2008 that is
    post–Service Pack 2. And early adopter beta participants found Windows Server 2008 R2

    When Is the Right Time to Migrate?
    11
    (and Windows 7) to be extremely stable and reliable and, thus, began implementation of
    the operating systems in production environments six+ months before the operating
    1
    systems were released. So, the decision of when to implement Windows Server 2008 R2
    comes down to the same decision on migration to any new technology—identify the
    value received by implementing Windows Server 2008 R2, test the solution in a limited
    environment, and roll out Windows Server 2008 R2 when you are comfortable that the
    product meets the needs of your organization.
    This introductory chapter notes the many features and functions built in to Windows Server
    2008 R2 that have helped other organizations make the decision that Windows Server 2008
    R2 has significant value to plan a migration and new server implementation. Improvements
    in security, performance, and manageability provide benefits to organizations looking to
    minimize administration costs, while providing more functionality to users.
    The cost and effort to migrate to Windows Server 2008 R2 vary based on the current state
    of an organization’s networking environment, as well as the Windows Server 2008 R2
    features and functions the organization wants to implement. Some organizations begin
    their migration process to