Improve remote management with Windows Server on WAAS

Recently, Cisco and Microsoft joint forces to launch a new product called Windows Server on WAAS.

This product allows companies to deploy applications and infrastructure services among branches and datacenters located in various locations though the integration of Windows Server 2008 with Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS)

With this product, organizations can substantially reduce the need to manage multiple servers within branches, thus eliminating any redundancy and duplication issues. Imagine if each branch manages its own set of domain controller, it can be difficult to consolidate later on when there is a need to centralize all applications.

Many organizations in the past chose to maintain their own server within their branch simply because of connection issues to main office data centers. But with Cisco WAAS’s WAN Optimization solution, it’s capable to significantly improve the performance of the centralized applications to branch users with decreasing WAN usage.

To improve remote branch management, Windows Server on WAAS can be deployed at branches as well as in the data center.

The branch appliance includes Windows Server 2008 Server Core installation on the Cisco WAAS platform, which communicates over the WAN to a Cisco WAAS appliance in the data center.

Windows® branch services include:

• Active Directory read-only domain controller
• Microsoft Domain Name System (DNS) Server
• Microsoft Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Server
• Microsoft Print Services

WAN optimization functionality is managed by the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, while Windows Server can be managed remotely by Microsoft System Center.

So if your organization is seeking for ways to reduce the number of devices within your branch offices as well as the need to mantain many servers, do check out the new Windows Server on WAAS