TABLE OF CONTENTS Well, now that we have figured out how we are going to configure the hardware and install the operating system, we can turn our attention to the actual requirements to install Windows Server 2003. This section begins by performing the same ritual required in any technical manual, you know the one list the minimums and then point out how woefully inadequate they are when compared to actual production requirements. The difference here is that we also outline some best practices and reasoning behind the recommendations. We ll also discuss how to properly use the Microsoft Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) and the importance of conducting a hardware inventory
We can start with a look at the minimum hardware requirements and the recommendations for deploying Windows Server 2003 as a terminal server (Table 3.3).
| Hardware | Minimum Requirement | Recommendation and Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | 133MHz | Dual processor with fastest available processor and bus speeds. Processors with larger L1 and L2 cache may improve performance for some applications through Terminal Services and should be tested thoroughly to determine the benefits. Processors that support hyperthreading may actually be a deterrent to some applications and server platforms. Review your hardware vendor s information on how to disable hyperthreading on your specific platform. Thorough testing should be performed to determine the benefit, if any, of hyper-threading on your platform. |
| Memory | 128MB |
