Information Articles

The Windows Server 2008 & 2008 R2 Editions are simple, stable, & secure operating systems. Still in widespread use today, the clone of the ever popular Windows 7, these robust solutions are guaranteed to stand the test of time.

Loaded with tools & features, Server 2008 & 2008 R2 are essential for the cost conscious. With a quick download and simple install process. You can get your server up and running in no time with Server 2008 & 2008 R2 from Trusted Tech Team 

Licensing

Licensing requirements are based on a few things. Most importantly:

# of Processors/Cores

and

# of Users or Devices that will be accessing the Server

Don't forget you can call and speak with our licensing experts – (855)-202-8140

There are 3 editions with Server 2008 and 2008 R2.  (R2 stands for “Release 2”)

The licensing policy for both are identical. Most users choose 2008 R2 Editions as they are improved upon editions vs 2008, unless you have software specifically requiring 2008.

Licensing Requirements

Remote Desktop  

Along with licensing hardware and CALs, each user remote accessing (using mouse and keyboard control) the server needs a Remote Desktop CAL. As with standard CALs, there are licensed in User OR Device format.  You will need to license the maximum number of Users or Devices accessing the server in this way.

*Note – Additional CALs can be purchased and added at any time

Edition Features

Both Standard and Enterprise have identical features. The main reason for any upgrade would be to take advantage of the additional Virtual Machines supported with Enterprise, as well as the processor cap is higher, allowing greater processing power.

Windows Server 2012 & 2012 R2

With a heavy industry shift towards cloud computing, Windows Server 2012 is the heart of Microsoft's new Cloud OS platform. Loaded with hybridized features for on-prem / cloud computing, Windows Server 2012 is the agile, available, and scalable solution great for business small & large.

With Windows Server 2012 & 2012 R2, you are sure to get to most out of your server solution, whether it be running a test lab, an AD for a large organization, or a mutual virtual workstation for an entire office, you are safe & secure knowing you have one of the most secure, robust operating systems on your side from Trusted Tech Team.

Licensing

Licensing requirements are based on a few things. Most importantly:

# of Processors/Cores

and

# of Users or Devices that will be accessing the Server

Don't forget you can call and speak with our licensing experts – (855)-202-8140

There are 3 editions with Server 2012 and 2012 R2.  (R2 stands for “Release 2”)

The licensing policy for both are identical. Most users choose 2012 R2 Editions as they are improved upon editions vs 2012, unless you have software specifically requiring 2012.

Licensing Requirements

Remote Desktop

Along with licensing hardware and CALs, each user remote accessing (using mouse and keyboard control) the server needs a Remote Desktop CAL. As with standard CALs, there are licensed in User OR Device format.  You will need to license the maximum number of Users or Devices accessing the server in this way.

*note – Additional CALs can be purchased and added on AT ANY TIME

Edition Features

Now that you know how your licensing options, see the below comparison between editions. The main reason for upgrade between Standard and Datacenter is the access to unlimited Virtual Machines.

*Note – Server standard is the most flexible option. Allows for heavy growth while still being cost effective.

What's Changed in Visual Studio 2017?

Developers all are familiar with Microsoft Visual Studio from it's prior renditions. Being one of the most commonly used developmental program with multiple language support, Microsoft Visual Studio has become an industry leader for building frameworks and elements essential to business. So with a newer edition on the loose, the first question everyone wants to know is what applicable features did it bring to the table? 

Some of the things we noticed immediately:

• The debugging and test experience has been improved, making it easier than ever and more thorough than ever to not only help locate, but help solve issues and bugs.
• Integration with cloud services - new integration with .NET Core, Azure applications, Docker containers among other features. There isn't much need to worry about delay or hang up from any of your connecting elements.
• Improved language support - Regardless of the language you choose to work with, Microsoft has appeared to put more of a focus on providing support for even languages such as javascript.
• More efficient design - Visual Studio now has a smaller footprint and faster responsiveness from top to bottom, making it easier to maximize productivity. 

Take a look at Microsoft's comparison of the different editions of Visual Studio 2017

Overall, the improvements done to app development and cloud integration will definitely pay off if those are the primary focuses of your IDE. New support for multiple languages gives DevOps much more flexibility to create different solutions..

Microsoft's latest edition of SQL Server has arrived, with a lot of bells and whistles included. We've had some time to tinker with SQL 2016 and here is a breakdown of what you're getting when you add or upgrade.

Our primary concern (as yours probably is as well) we had during our experimentation and exploration was: Is SQL Server 2016 worth the cost of upgrading?

Before we tried out the 2016 edition, we heavily utilized SQL 2014 and our findings and opinions will be carrying weight to those used to and comfortable with SQL 2014.

However, if you are on a SQL edition that is 2012 or older, we can outright say that the security enhancements are well worth upgrading. Below is a timeline of the various improvements Microsoft has made throughout SQL Server's timeline.

Let's dig into the top 5 features that we found really advantageous and think you will also enjoy:

1. 100% Encryption

• There is a new feature in SQL Server 2016 called "Always Encrypted". It ensures that the data within your database will always stay encrypted whether it's in a moving, stopped, or active database.

2. In-Memory Optimization

• You might have heard of this before, as it was introduce (in a relatively primitive form relative to now) in 2014. In-memory optimization got an overhaul in 2016, and now greatly increases scalability, being able to adapt with your hardware. As hardware has gotten significantly more powerful throughout the years, the developers at Microsoft have figured out a way to maximize that potential, such as multi-threaded workloads and low latency for all of your operations, among other uses. The number of operations that the database can process has been documented to show an increase of 30 times over!  

3. Polybase

• With the various data stores that are around, it can be quite difficult and frustrating to analyze data that is not structured as a table. Polybase essentially gives you the flexibility to query external data such as hadoop or azure. Simply put, you will not need any additional software tools in order to analyze that data anymore, as SQL Server can do it natively now, improving the efficiency of analytics even further.

4. Query Store

• Admins have the ability to maintain a history of all the query executions plans and can utilize their performance data. It will also identify your queries that have decreased in performance recently and will allow developers to correct the plan.

5. JSON Data

• You can now quickly move your JSON data into formulated tables. For us this was a complete game changer, as almost all of our data is primarily delivered to us in JSON format. With this feature we can formulate structured tables, and efficiently sort our data through multiple queries, helping us optimize our business targeting, purchasing patterns, search trends, among so many other things. This has been definitely our favorite feature of SQL Server 2016.

Conclusion: We love SQL 2016. We utilize it now in our corporate office and our sales/support office. We personally found the JSON Data modifications to be most helpful for our IT staff and highly recommend everyone try the free evaluation to see if you can find a feature that's worth upgrading for. Efficient data management has become one of the quintessential building blocks for companies looking to grow, and with the latest SQL Server, you will have all the tools you need to optimize your data as well.

Evaluation - Click Here

SQL Server 2016 - $849.99

$50 Off Coupon: SQLblog2016

Let us know what your thoughts are or send us any questions you might have!

Support@trustedtechteam.com

Trusted Tech Team

"Your Friendly Neighborhood Nerds"

The nerds here at Trusted Tech Team love analytics! In a recent study we performed alongside our customers, we found that 64% of customers still prefer the look, feel, and installation process of Office 2010. The number was so astounding that we wanted to dig a little deeper and figure out why that was the case.

Out of those 64% of customers, 73% preferred the installation process and ease of activation over the newer version. The biggest factor, without question was that Microsoft Office 2010 does not require a Microsoft account - meaning you don't need to register your personal information in their database. All you need is a product key code, installation file, and you're all set. 

57% stated that they are used to the appearance of Office 2010 and know where to find all the tools/utilities they frequently use on a daily basis. Office 2010 has a very similar feel to Office 2013/2016 and we personally agree with the long-standing love for this suite. Office 2010 is also still continuing to receive security updates until 2020. Re-installation is allowed in the case of a hardware failure or change of computers so no need to worry!

Let us know what your thoughts are or send us any questions you might have!

Support@trustedtechteam.com

Trusted Tech Team

"Your Friendly Neighborhood Nerds"