Considerations

Although an integrated Windows server is much like a PC-based Windows server, here are a few differences that you need to consider:

• There may not be a diskette drive available. This means that you cannot use a startup diskette or an emergency repair diskette. However, you can use iSeries™ disk space to back up your files or the entire disk image.
• iSeries tape and disk devices are available.
• LAN adapters, cables, hubs, or switches are not required for TCP/IP communication with the iSeries server or other integrated servers when using virtual networking.
• Installing the Microsoft® Windows operating system with Windows environment on iSeries is different from a typical PC server installation. You first install IBM® i5/OS™ Integrated Server Support, then install Microsoft Windows. You enter much of the configuration information with the i5/OS Install Windows server (INSWNTSVR) command, so some of the typical installation panels do not appear. This command also includes some additional parameters that are specific to integrating the server with i5/OS, such as synchronize date and time.
• On the i5/OS side of server management, an integrated Windows server is represented by a network server description (NWSD), and network interfaces are represented by line descriptions. You can stop and restart the server from i5/OS by varying the NWSD off and on.
• You can do a lot of your user administration tasks from i5/OS, such as creating Windows users.
• Because i5/OS manages storage differently than a PC server (see i5/OS storage management), some techniques necessary to administer storage on a PC server are unnecessary for integrated servers.