Windows Server Technology Intelligence

What is Windows Server?

Windows Server is Microsoft's enterprise operating system designed for running server workloads. It provides the foundation for web hosting, application serving, directory services, file sharing, and virtualization in enterprise environments. Major versions include Windows Server 2019, 2022, and the upcoming releases.

The operating system powers Internet Information Services (IIS), Microsoft's web server that hosts ASP.NET, PHP, and static websites. Windows Server also runs Active Directory for identity management, SQL Server for databases, and integrates with Azure for hybrid cloud scenarios.

Detection of Windows Server indicates a website running on Microsoft's server platform, typically using IIS as the web server. It's common in enterprise environments, .NET-based applications, and organizations invested in the Microsoft ecosystem.

Windows Server Features

IIS Web Server: HTTP/HTTPS hosting. Application pools. Virtual directories. URL rewriting. SSL management.

Active Directory: Identity management. Group Policy. LDAP directory. Single sign-on. Federation services.

Hyper-V: Virtualization platform. Container support. Live migration. Resource management. Clustering.

.NET Hosting: ASP.NET Core. .NET Framework. WCF services. Web API. SignalR.

Security: Windows Defender. BitLocker. Credential Guard. Just Enough Administration. Shielded VMs.

Azure Integration: Azure Arc. Hybrid cloud. Azure Backup. Azure Site Recovery. Azure Monitor.

Windows Server Use Cases

Enterprise Web Hosting: Corporate websites. Intranet portals. SharePoint sites. IIS applications.

.NET Applications: ASP.NET web apps. Enterprise applications. Web APIs. Microservices.

Active Directory: User authentication. Domain services. Group policies. Identity federation.

Database Hosting: SQL Server. Analysis Services. Reporting Services. Data warehousing.

File Services: File sharing. DFS replication. Storage Spaces. Backup targets.

Virtualization: Hyper-V hosts. Container hosts. Virtual desktops. Lab environments.

Windows Server Code Examples

PowerShell Administration

# Install IIS Web Server
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server -IncludeManagementTools

# Create new website
New-IISSite -Name "MyWebsite" `
            -PhysicalPath "C:\inetpub\wwwroot\mysite" `
            -BindingInformation "*:80:www.example.com"

# Configure application pool
New-WebAppPool -Name "MyAppPool"
Set-ItemProperty "IIS:\AppPools\MyAppPool" -Name "managedRuntimeVersion" -Value "v4.0"
Set-ItemProperty "IIS:\Sites\MyWebsite" -Name "applicationPool" -Value "MyAppPool"

# Enable HTTPS
New-WebBinding -Name "MyWebsite" -Protocol https -Port 443
$cert = Get-ChildItem -Path Cert:\LocalMachine\My | Where-Object {$_.Subject -match "example.com"}
(Get-WebBinding -Name "MyWebsite" -Protocol https).AddSslCertificate($cert.Thumbprint, "my")

Web.config for IIS

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<configuration>
  <system.webServer>
    <rewrite>
      <rules>
        <rule name="HTTPS Redirect">
          <match url="(.*)" />
          <conditions>
            <add input="{HTTPS}" pattern="off" />
          </conditions>
          <action type="Redirect" url="https://{HTTP_HOST}/{R:1}" />
        </rule>
      </rules>
    </rewrite>
  </system.webServer>
</configuration>

Windows Server Benefits

Microsoft Ecosystem: Active Directory. SQL Server. SharePoint. Exchange. Seamless integration.

.NET Platform: Native ASP.NET. .NET Core hosting. Visual Studio integration. Development tools.

Enterprise Support: Microsoft backing. Long-term servicing. Security updates. Premier support.

GUI Management: Server Manager. Windows Admin Center. Remote Desktop. Familiar interface.

Azure Hybrid: Cloud integration. Azure Arc. Consistent management. Hybrid scenarios.

Compliance: Security certifications. HIPAA, PCI ready. Audit logging. Compliance tools.