Designing Systems for Windows NT Server

The requirements and recommendations in this guide are defined in relation to classes of server systems and components used with the Microsoft Windows NT Server operating system.

Windows NT Server is a preemptive, multitasking operating system that includes security and networking services as fundamental components of the base operating system. Windows NT Server runs on both complex instruction set computing (CISC) and RISC processors. Windows NT Server also supports high-performance computing by providing kernel support for computers that have symmetric multiprocessor configurations.

Under Windows NT Server 5.0, new Plug and Play capabilities and OnNow power management capabilities are made available for ACPI-compliant server systems. Other major hardware initiatives for Windows NT 5.0 include the following:

• Support for new bus and device classes, including USB, IEEE 1394, Human Interface Device (HID) class, and Fibre Channel
  
  
• Support for Microsoft Cluster Server
  
  
• Online volume management, hierarchical storage management (HSM), Windows NT Media Services (NTMS), and improvements in backup and recovery support
  
  
• Support for Web-Based Enterprise Management (WBEM) and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) as part of the Zero Administration initiative for Windows, reducing hardware ownership costs
  
  
• Support for I₂O architecture
  
  
• Support for Windows NT Server running on 64-bit platforms

For information about Windows NT Server 5.0 features and capabilities, see http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/.