Availability Improvements in Windows Server 2003

New capabilities in Windows Server 2003 provide better uptime by reducing the probability of OS failures, by supporting redundancy so that failures have less impact, and by making problem detection and repair faster and easier. However, obtaining higher levels of application availability requires more than a reliable OS: in most cases, applications must also be designed to work with the high-availability features of the hardware and OS, otherwise the added cost of these systems may be unjustified.

In general, high application availability is a function of three inputs—technology, people, and process. The latter two inputs, while frequently neglected in many IT shops, are every bit as important as the first. (These factors are discussed in more detail in “Five Nines? Is It Even Possible?” on page 3 of the June 2001 Update.) However, this article is limited to a discussion of how technology—in this case new capabilities in Windows Server 2003—can help improve application availability.