This podcast explores the key changes made to Windows Server 2008 R2 in Active Directory, Group Policy and Terminal Services. Discover how your organization can leverage these improvements for reduced costs, increased control and improved efficiency. 

In this presentation transcript, IT author Jonathan Hassell walks you through some of the key changes made to R2 in three key areas: Active Directory, Group Policy and Terminal Services. 

A new, more flexible identity infrastructure is on the horizon. With the growing adoption of federation standards and protocols, such as SAML 2.0, OpenID, and WS-Trust, both enterprises and end users will benefit from enhanced security, increased privacy, and a better experience. Read this white paper for more information about the new system. 

Organizations want to run the apps they want, and not run the apps they don't want. One of the tools Microsoft has given Active Directory administrators to help in this regard, Software Restriction Policies (SRPs), has been re-engineered in Windows 7 as AppLocker. 

In this paper, Microsoft MVP Darren Mar-Elia provides best practices for leveraging native AD auditing. Then, he’ll discuss what auditors and compliance officers look for when it comes to examining your AD environment. He’ll also explore third-party alternatives to native auditing that greatly enhance AD auditing. Read this paper today. 

Active Administrator™ is a comprehensive and proactive Active Directory management solution. Active Administrator provides four powerful integrated AD management features within one console, including centralized event auditing and reporting, back-up and recovery, Group Policy offline editing and rollback, and simplified delegation of AD rights. 

Explore the newest features in VMware vSphere 5, and find out how vSphere helps businesses accelerate the shift to cloud computing. Learn about the new VM format, support for Apple products, improvements in availability and scalability, and more! 

This white paper examines how to configure an ASA to leverage AD for remote connectivity. Your users will appreciate the ability to connect in to your internal network to access programs and data with the same user name and password credentials as they do when they are in the office. VPN access via the public Internet is very secure and reliable. 

With each new version of Windows comes a new version of Internet Explorer, and in the case of Windows 7, it’s IE 8 (one of these days all Microsoft’s numeric product names might actually line up). What does the Windows 7 administrator or planner need to know about the new IE? 

Learn about the latest security enhancements of active directory and group policy for SMBs, including traditional Group Policy, Group Policy Preferences, AppLocker, BitLocker and more. 

This expert e-guide from SearchWindowsServer.com offers advice for planning and designing an effective security strategy. Find out why it is important to also secure Group Policy settings and learn how managed service accounts boost server security in R2. 

Find out how your business can have a better and more efficient identity management system in this white paper. 

In this expert e-guide, discover what you need to know before migrating to Exchange Server 2010. Explore the new features and tools that Exchange boasts, and which features will not longer be supported. Find out the important prerequisites you'll need before making the transition.