.. ivative of the user account password, in a secure portion of the registry protected by access control and an obfuscation function. The account information in the registry is only accessible to members of the administrators group. Windows NT Server, like other operating systems, allows privileged users who are administrators to access all resources on the system.
For users who require enhanced security, strong encryption of account password derivative information provides an additional level of security to prevent administrators from intentionally or unintentionally accessing password derivatives using registry-programming interfaces. Strong encryption protects private account information by encrypting the password data using a 128-bit cryptographically random key, known as a password encryption key. NT World Wide Web Service. (IIS v.4) The Web is transforming the way organizations communicate and conduct business. Each day, companies are finding new ways to exploit Internet technology, not only for tapping into virtually unlimited reservoirs of information, but for building new communications infrastructures that are easily accessed with browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
Intranets and extranets are an increasingly common means for establishing powerful avenues of communications, internally as well as externally for communicating with customers, partners, and suppliers. By unifying the Web server into the operating system, Windows NT Server minimizes the traditional scenario in which additional software, and sometimes hardware, must be licensed to design, deploy, and manage Web applications.3 Windows NT Server includes software required for creating intranets, commerce-enabled Web sites, and extranets. Included tools run the gamut from basic, entry-level Web page creation software to sophisticated scripting tools. Custom and line-of-business applications: More and more businesses need the flexibility of buying or building applications, depending on the tasks at hand.
Today there are literally thousands of applications designed from inception to maximize the management and performance features of Windows NT Server. If an organization needs an application that is not available off the shelf, Windows NT Server meshes seamlessly with rich development tools — including the Microsoft Visual Studio development system — and Microsoft SQL ServerTM to provide a unified, easy-to-use environment for unlimited application development potential. The combination of Web and operating system services in Windows NT Server 4.0 makes it possible for the first time to deploy scalable and reliable Web-based applications. Windows NT Server 4.0 incorporates Internet Information Server 4.0 (IIS)services, enhancing the operating system into a singular, cohesive platform that combines easy, reliable applications services with comprehensive Web services.
IIS also supports multiple Web server scenarios, ranging from simple Web sites on a corporate intranet to large Internet Service Provider (ISP) Web-hosting farms. Specifically, IIS 4.0 accommodates multiple Web sites with support for host headers, Web Site Operators, per-Web site bandwidth throttling, and enhanced Web-based administration. Crash Protection allows customers to run multiple applications reliably on the Web server. If one application crashes, the Web server and other applications will continue to run, and the failed application restarts upon the next request.
IIS 4.0 provides the highest levels of integration with Windows NT Server. By integrating the Web server with the base operating system, Windows NT Server and IIS 4.0 provide organizations with an integrated platform for managing their network, Web and applications.4 Certificate Server 1.0. Certificate Server is a general-purpose, highly customizable server application for managing the issuance, revocation, and renewal of digital certificates. Digital certificates are used for public-key cryptography applications, such as server and client authentication under the Secure Sockets layer (SSL) or Private Communication Technology (PCT) protocols. With Certificate Server, organizations can perform authentications on a corporate intranet or across the Internet.
IIS 4.0 includes an integrated certificate server that is tightly integrated with the Windows NT Server security model allowing organizations to issue and manage Internet standard X.509 digital certificates. This release also offers security enhancements for international banks. Using Server Gated Crypto technology, international banks are able to offer the strongest (128-bit) encryption for its online transactions. Future of Windows NT Much has changed since the 1996 launch of Windows NT Server 4.0. Customer requirements for a server operating system have evolved to include support for applications, Web services, communications, and much more.
As most organizations have sought to keep computer system costs down, they have demanded more versatility from their server operating systems. One multipurpose server can often replace several disparate, single-purpose servers–an efficiency that helps simplify and consolidate the computing environment. Further, the server operating system has taken an increasingly critical role in conducting everyday business, and networks and computing systems have grown more complex. Security issues have become more important: As organizations have more of their business wrapped up in the network, they have more to protect. Windows NT has been consistently improved, enhanced, and updated to meet those requirements. Windows NT has become the most comprehensive server operating system, combining best of class application services, file and print services, communications services and Web services.
Yet at the core is a stable code base that has proven to be a strong and versatile performer for organizations of all sizes, earning broad industry support in the form of products and services built around Windows NT Microsoft has made several comprehensive improvements to Windows NT, with the addition of an Option Pack, Service Pack 6 and two specialized versions –Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition and Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. Windows NT Option Pack contains Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS), Microsoft Message Queue Server (MSMQ), Internet Connection Services for Remote Access Service (RAS), and improved Internet Information Server (IIS) technologies. Service Pack 4 contains updates for Windows NT Server 4.0 for Year-2000 compliance and Euro currency, new management and security features, as well as improvements to the reliability and usability of the product.5 It also provides Windows NT with font support for the Euro, the proposed single currency of the European Union. This support enables users to input and display the Euro symbol in applications that are Euro symbol-enabled.
Service Pack 4 includes the new Euro currency symbol in core fonts. The rich features of Windows NT Server make it an ideal network operating system. It is the ideal platform for enterprise computing, providing a unified, high-performance environment for the Web, for building applications, and for communications and collaboration. Bibliography Bibliography Minasi, Mark.
Windows NT Server 3.51. Network Press. CA, 1996 Kadnier, Griffith. Windows NT 4, The complete reference.
McGraw Hill, CA. 1997 Braginski and Powell, Running Microsoft Internet Information Server, Microsoft Press, Wa.1998 ZDNet, http://xlink.zdnet.com/cgi-bin/texis/xlink/xlink/s earch.html, 1999 Microsoft Developers Network, http://msdn.microsoft.com/, 1999 NT Insider http://www.ntinsider.com/, 1999 Computers and Internet.
