Extended email retention for deleted items in Office 365

Source of information:Office blogs 

Written by: Microsoft office 365 team 

We’ve all been there, you search for an email or calendar invite in Outlook only to find that it isn’t there anymore. Until now deleted items were moved into the Deleted Items folder, then they would disappear after being in that folder for 30 days. With this update, the length of time items remain in the Deleted Items folder is extended to indefinitely or according to the duration set by your administrator. So that email or calendar invite you were looking for is still there if you search for it later—even if you accidentally deleted it.

If you are an Office 365 administrator, this means we’ll be updating the Default MRM Policy for everyone using Exchange Online over the next month. As an administrator, you also have control over this behavior. If you want to keep the 30-day policy or set a custom retention period, that can be done as well and you don’t even need to wait for the change. Also, if you have already created a custom MRM policy, (as long as it has a name other than “Default MRM Policy”), you don’t need to do anything and the change will not impact you.

Create a custom retention policy

You can either edit the name of the Default MRM Policy or create a new policy to opt out of this change. To change the policy name in Office 365 navigate to Office 365 Admin >Exchange admin center > compliance management > retention policies. Next, select Default MRM Policy, click the edit icon and then change the name of the policy.

Exchange admin center for compliance management and retention policies.

Editing experience for retention policies.

Now your policy will not be overwritten and will maintain the settings you’ve specified.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Will this be only for new users or will this policy change for all my users who are already in Office 365?

A. This change will affect all existing and new users in your Office 365 tenant who have been assigned the Default MRM Policy.

Q. What if I customized the Default MRM Policy with other settings and properties, but did not rename it?

A. Modifying the properties in the Default MRM Policy alone will not exclude it from being overwritten by this change. If you have customized your Default MRM Policy and kept the original name, the change will still apply.

Q. Does this policy apply to the Recoverable Items folder?

A. No the change does not apply to the Recoverable Items folder. It is only for the visible Deleted Items folder.

Q. If I already have a custom retention policy, will it also be changed to this new default? 

A. No, custom policies that you have created will not be modified. For example, if the admin has added extra tags, modified the retention period, modified retention enabled of an existing tag etc. the new behavior will not be enforced.

Q. Does this change affect “Move to Archive” actions on the Deleted Items folder?

A. No, this change will not affect any explicit tags set by the users on items in the Deleted Items folder.

Q. If there is a “Move to Archive” action on the Deleted Items folder will that be affected?

A. No, the change will not affect any “Move to Archive” actions on the Deleted Items folder.

Q. Will this change apply both to the primary and personal archive mailbox Deleted Items folders?

A. Yes, the change will apply for the Deleted Items folder in both the primary and archive mailbox.

Q. Will this change affect a Litigation Hold or In-Place Hold?

A. No, this will not an affect Ligation Hold or In-Place Hold.

Q.  How is Microsoft implementing this change?

A. We are instructing the system to ignore the 30 day delete tag on the Deleted Items folder if the retention policy’s name is “Default MRM Policy.” This is why changing the policy name will ensure that the tag continues to work. We are not removing or disabling the tag.

Microsoft Project 2013 - Training and Licensing Explained - Sujata Computers Pvt Ltd

Hi!

A lot has happened in last one week for Sujata - We started our operations in Singapore which is our second overseas operations after Dubai. Secondly, we have been appointed as a distributor by Tally for Maharashtra State. And lastly, we organized two wonderful events for our customers in Pune and in Kolhapur fully sponsored by Fortinet, thanks to Fortinet team for that. 

Today is a pleasant day here in Pune and as I write, India has managed to bat against South Africa as per the plan to put up a decent score in the Cricket WC 2015. That makes my day better. Question comes to my mind if BCCI uses Microsoft Project to manage Indian Cricket Team's plan for the match, This blog is about Microsoft Project licensing and the training that you can opt for. Training will be done by Sujata's team if you are not buying Software Assurance services along with the licenses. 

Sujata Computers Pvt Ltd is a 14 years old Microsoft Gold Partner and a Microsoft Cloud Accelarator Partner headquartered in Pune, India.

What are the editions and version available in Microsoft Project?

Currently, Microsoft offer Project 2013 as a subscription license that is cloud and as a perpetual license.

If you are buying Microsoft Project for less than five users, I recommend you to buy retail pack license as it will be cheaper as compared to Volume License. 

Microsoft offers three different editions under on-premise perpetual licenses for Project Portfolio Management (PPM) and everyday work, enabling you to effectively execute and achieve strategic priorities. 

Perpetual licenses editions are  - 

1. Project Professional - This license type is recommended to a 'Project Manager'. Someone who wants to allocate resources to the project, prioritize work, define timeline etc. 
2. Project Standard - This license type is recommended to a 'Team Member' or someone who's managing project as an 'individual' and there is no team. Someone who is working on a project and updating the status of the tasks that have been assigned to him/her. Someone who manages only tasks and not a team or not a whole project. 
3. Project Server-CALs - Like any other Microsoft server product licensing, Project server is recommended to be bought along with the CALs (Client Access License) equal to either number of users or device accessing the Project Server. 


Important Note - Pre-requsite for Microsoft Project Server license deployment is - 1) Microsoft SharePoint Enteprise Server-CALs licenses 2) Microsoft SQL Server-CALs licenses. Without these two licenses, Microsoft Project Server licensing does not get complete.  

This license type is recommended in a scenario where there are multiple projects need to be collaborated with each other and there is information being shared between different projects. 
So in this case apart from pre-requisite licenses, client would need to buy 1 Project Server license for 1 server deployment each, 1 CAL for either device or user each, 1 Project Professional license for each of the project manager, 1 Project Standard license for each of the team member. Note - Project Professional license do come in bundle offering with CAL license so client does not need to buy CAL separately for Professional license assuming you are buying under Microsoft Volume Licensing. 

Cloud editions of Microsoft Project 2013 are - 

1. Project Online - Usage wise this one is very much equivalent to Project Server on-premise but it is hosted out of Microsoft Cloud/Data-center so one does not have to deploy or manage. One also does not need to procure pre-requisite licenses which can save lot of cost to the client. All this means is that client does not have access to the hardware of Project and hence the direct access to the database. This is recommended to the client who does not mind having data stored at Microsoft's data center and does not want to invest into Project Server licensing but wants to use functionality of it. Also, does not mind logging into browser to use Project. I have elaborated technical difference between Project Server and Project Online later in this blog. 
2. Project Pro for Office 365 - Client can add Project Professional license to Office 365. Functionality remains same as Project Pro on-premise as mentioned above. It is meant for 'Project Manager'. It has to be used through a web-browser.
3. Project Online with Project Pro for Office 365 - As the name itself suggests, this one is a license that gives you functionality of both Project Online and Professional. This is recommended for a 'Project Manager' using Project under Project Online subscription. That means organization has subscribed for Project Online and the user is a manager who will be creating and managing the project in it so he also needs Project Professional functionality.

Whether to buy Cloud/subscription license or on-premise/perpetual license - 

Cloud is recommended for customers who are looking for - 

1. yearly or monthly payment options
2. always wants to use latest version released by Microsoft

Perpetual licenses are recommended to the customers who want to do one-time investment and do not necessarily want to use the latest version of Project always. They can still opt for Software Assurance (SA) if they want to take the version upgrade at a later point of time after the purchase of the licenses.

Project Online vs. Project On-Premises. Which should I choose?

If you are looking for an environment where you do not have to worry about technical maintenance then consider a Project Online environment.

If you are looking for an environment where you can have SQL query access to the databases and where you have full control over the content then consider an On-Premises Solution.

The chart below shows some additional differentiators between Project 2013 On–Line and Project 2013 On – Premises environments.

Key differentiators between Project Server 2013 On Line and Project Server 2013 On Premises

 

Differentiator	On Line	On Premises
Administrative backup and restore for Projects (used to restore a slightly older version of a project without pulling a tape and impacting an entire organization)		x
Archival Environments to retain data		x
Multi-Dimensional Olap Cubes		x
Direct access to SQL Server Databases and OLAP Databases		x
Direct SQL Query Access to Project Server and SharePoint Databases		x
Team Foundation Server Connectivity (including 2012) (Note: The version of Project used must have the Team Foundation Server extensions installed. These extensions are not present, out of the box, in the online version.)		x
Standard Windows Installation (MSI)		x
Event Handlers can use both full trust event handlers and remote event receivers		x
Full access to PSI and CSOM		x
Access to ULS Logs By default ULS Logs are located at  C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\15\LOGS directory		x
As a result of full access to the databases, PSI and CSOM there is more flexibility for Business Intelligence, Dashboards, and Reports		x
Recycling Bin for documents, projects, and sites        Note: –Caution should be exercised when emptying the recycle bin. Once a project or a site is deleted from the recycle bin. It is deleted (gone) and cannot be recovered.	x	x
Project Web Applications (Add applications to PWA)	x	x
SharePoint Permission Mode or ProjectServer Permission Mode	x	x
Monitoring Enhancements	x	x
SharePoint Designer for workflows	x	x
No database administration	x
Security handled by Microsoft	x
Latest and greatest service packs and cumulative updates	x
Click-to-run installation	x
No direct access to SQL Server and OLAP Databases (Reporting is done via OData)	x
Access using CSOM (Note: PSI interfaces do not support O- Authentication)	x
Event Handlers require remote event receivers	x
Extensibility is accomplished via the use of the SharePoint Extensibility Model – (as a result there is no full-trust code)	x

Download Training Options Available with Us - 

https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=C9095231E7A1B4D4!132&authkey=!AH_PF8iapIOZhhs&ithint=folder%2cpdf


More Resources :

1) Project Licensing Microsoft Home Page - https://products.office.com/en-us/project/microsoft-project-licensing
2) Project Top Features - https://products.office.com/en-us/Project/project-top-features
3) Videos and demos of Microsoft Project 2013 - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff628958.aspx
4) Feature and Function comparison between Project Online and Project Server - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn268595.aspx



Hope this has given you a decent idea about Microsoft Project licensing and how to choose the correct edition for yourself. Still, if you have any doubt, please feel free to call me or write to me. I will be happy to provide you free guidance - 

Paresh Lodha
+91-7276000222
Paresh.Lodha@sujataindia.com

Microsoft server 2003 end of life - Webinar

Which one will serve you better Upgrade or lose the advantage Dear Sir/Madam, Starting July 14, 2015, Microsoft will end all support and updates for Windows Server 2003. As your trusted advisor and partner, we’re hosting an exclusive series of webinars to help you with a smooth transition from Windows Server 2003. The last webinar focused on the process of migration. The upcoming webinar, to be held on February 19, 2015 will detail out the practical considerations and best practices of migration from Windows Server 2003. We will also take you through the licensing options available. Register for the webinar now and stay ahead in the game. Regards, Microsoft Team Webinar Details: Date: February 19, 2015 Time: 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm Hosted by Nirmal Puranik Solution Specialist, Datacenter at Microsoft Manpreet Madaan Director, Volume Licensing, Microsoft Learn more about your migration options

Server Virtualization with Microsoft Hyper V

Virtualization may be defined as creating virtual version of something. In IT industry in case of server virtualization, it is all about creating multiple virtual machines (guest) on a single hardware server (host). Originated in 1960s, it involves logical distribution of hardware resources among different guests. With the passage of time it gained popularity because of following benefits: -

·         Cost: - When one is planning to erect a datacenter, major investment goes into physical hardware. Apart from that, to run a data center, one needs space, electricity, false flooring, air conditioning, facilities to repel rodents etc: If one opts for virtualization technology one is saving a lot on above mentioned cost. Lesser hardware requirement means less space, less electricity consumption and less cooling facilities. And this boils down to less investment.

·         Back Up: - The compulsory item of datacenter is back up solution. Taking back up of virtualized server and its redeployment is less time consuming then that of taking back up of hardware server and redeploying it.  Firing up a snapshot is faster than rebooting a typical hardware server.

·         Testing Environment: - If one has testing environment then virtualization is the best option. One can create virtual machines (in accordance with the licensing policy of software) and can use it for testing purpose. If a terrible mistake happens and machine crashes new VM can be created in jiffy.

·             Virtualized servers are the best option when high availability is required.

Hyper-V (a Microsoft product) and formerly known as Windows Server Virtualization, is a native hypervisor. It comes as a separate SKU and it comes bundled with Window server 2012R2.

Windows server 2012R2 comes in four editions

·         Foundation – For up to 15 users and no virtual machine (VM) can be created.

·         Essentials – For up to 25 users and only one virtual machine can be created

·         Standard- for unlimited users and only two virtual machines can be created

·         Datacenter – For unlimited users and unlimited virtual machines can be created.

 (Blog by Pushkar Nath)

Windows Server 2012R2 : Added Features

 Windows Server Essentials Experience - Windows Server Essentials Experience role is available in Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard and Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter.
Windows Server Essentials Experience role enables you to:-

• Protect your server and client data by backing up your server and all the client computers within your network.

• Manage your users and groups through the simplified server Dashboard. In addition, integration with Windows Azure Active Directory enables easy data access for Microsoft online services users (for example, Office 365, Exchange Online, and SharePoint Online users) through their domain credentials.

• Store your company’s data in a centralized location.

• Integrate your server with Microsoft online services, such as Office 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Windows Intune

• Protect your server and client data by backing up your server and all the client computers within your network.

• Manage your users and groups through the simplified server Dashboard. In addition, integration with Windows Azure Active Directory enables easy data access for Microsoft online services users (for example, Office 365, Exchange Online, and SharePoint Online users) through their domain credentials.

• Store your company’s data in a centralized location.

• Integrate your server with Microsoft online services, such as Office 365, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and Windows Intune.

• New features in Active directory 2012

• Office sizes and the number of branch offices are not limited. BranchCache supports any number of offices of any size when you deploy hosted cache mode with multiple hosted cache servers.

• There is no requirement for a Group Policy Object (GPO) for each office location, streamlining deployment. A single GPO that contains a small group of settings is all that is required to deploy BranchCache in any size organization, from a large enterprise to a small business.

• Client computer configuration is automatic. Clients can be configured through Group Policy as distributed cache mode clients by default, however they will search for a hosted cache server – and if one is discovered, clients automatically self-configure as hosted cache mode clients.

• BranchCache is deeply integrated with the Windows file server. BranchCache uses Windows file server’s state-of-the-art technology to divide files into small pieces and eliminate duplicates. This greatly increases the chance of finding duplicate pieces in independent files, resulting in greater bandwidth savings. BranchCache is also more tolerant of small changes in large files. In addition, file division calculations are performed only one time. When a client computer that is running Windows 8 downloads content from a file server or web server that is running Windows Server 2012 and is using new Data Deduplication technology, there is no need for BranchCache to spend CPU cycles calculating how to divide the content – because the file server and web server have already made these calculations.

• Duplicate content is stored once and downloaded once. When identical content exists in a file – or across many files on the content server or hosted cache server – BranchCache stores only one instance of the content, which provides disk storage savings. In addition, client computers at office locations download only one instance of duplicate content, saving additional WAN bandwidth.

• Small changes to large files produce bandwidth savings. BranchCache now divides files and web pages into smaller pieces. BranchCache uses a highly optimized file server chunking system to choose intelligent split points inside of files, providing the ability for client computers to download only the part of the file that is changed.

• Offline creation of content information. When you deploy a BranchCache enabled file server or Web server as a content server, content information is calculated offline, well before a BranchCache client requests a file. This provides faster performance and more bandwidth savings, because content information is ready for the first client that requests the content and calculations have already been performed.

Feature/Functionality	New or Improved	Description
Shared virtual hard disk (for guest clusters)	New	Enables you to use .vhdx files as shared storage in a guest cluster.
Virtual machine drain on shutdown	New	Enables a Hyper-V host to automatically live migrate running virtual machines if the computer is shut down.
Virtual machine network health detection	New	Enables a Hyper-V host to automatically live migrate virtual machines if a network disconnection occurs on a protected virtual network.
Optimized CSV placement policies	Improved	Distributes CSV ownership evenly across the failover cluster nodes.
Increased CSV resiliency	Improved	Multiple Server service instances per cluster node and CSV monitoring of the Server service provide greater resiliency.
CSV cache allocation	Improved	Increases the amount of RAM that you can allocate as CSV cache.
CSV diagnosibility	Improved	Enables you to view the state of a CSV on a per node basis, and the reason for I/O redirection.
CSV interoperability	Improved	Adds CSV support for other Windows Server 2012 R2 features.
Deploy an Active Directory-detached cluster	New	Enables you to deploy a failover cluster with less dependency on Active Directory Domain Services.
Dynamic witness	New	Dynamically adjusts the witness vote based on the number of voting nodes in current cluster membership.
Quorum user interface improvements	Improved	Enables you to easily view the assigned quorum vote and the current quorum vote for each node in Failover Cluster Manager.
Force quorum resiliency	New	Enables automatic recovery in the case of a partitioned failover cluster.
Tie breaker for 50% node split	New	Enables one side of a cluster to continue to run in the case of a cluster split where neither side would normally have quorum.
Configure the Global Update Manager mode	New	Helps the cluster to continue to function if there is a delay with one or more nodes.
Cluster node health detection	Improved	Increases the resiliency to temporary network failures for virtual machines that are running on a Hyper-V cluster.
Turn off IPsec encryption for inter-node cluster communication	New	Helps prevent a cluster from being affected by high latency Group Policy updates.
Cluster dashboard	New	Provides a convenient way to check the health of all managed failover clusters in Failover Cluster Manager.

Feature or functionality	New or updated
Shared virtual hard disk	New
Resize virtual hard disk	Updated
Storage Quality of Service	New
Live migrations	Updated
Virtual machine generation	New
Integration services	Updated
Export	Updated
Failover Clustering and Hyper-V	Updated
Enhanced session mode	New
Hyper-V Replica	Updated
Linux support	Updated
Management	Updated
Automatic Virtual Machine Activation	New
Hyper-V Networking	Updated

Feature/Functionality	New or improved	Description
Role-based access control	New	Role based access control enables you to customize the types of operations and access permissions for users and groups of users on specific objects.
Virtual address space management	New	IPAM streamlines management of physical and virtual IP address space in System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
Enhanced DHCP server management	Improved	Several new operations are available in IPAM to enhanced the monitoring and management of the DHCP Server service on the network.
External database support	New	In addition to Windows Internal Database (WID), IPAM also optionally supports the use of a Microsoft SQL database.
Upgrade and migration support	New	If you installed IPAM on Windows Server 2012, your data is maintained and migrated when you upgrade to Windows Server 2012 R2.
Enhanced Windows PowerShell support	Improved	Windows PowerShell support for IPAM is greatly enhanced to provide extensibility, integration, and automation

Feature/functionality	New or updated	Description
Event logging for Branch Office Direct Printing	Updated	Printing events are now written to the print server when BODP is enabled for the queue
Printer migration for Web Services for Devices (WSD) print devices	Updated	You can now use the Printer Migration Wizard or command line tools to export and import printer settings for WSD print devices
Roaming settings include printer connections	New	Printer settings and some connections are now available in roaming user profiles when you log on using different computers and devices
Easier printing in Windows RT	New	Windows RT users can now easily find and use printers
Near Field Communication (NFC) connections to printers	New	You can configure shared printers to advertise NFC wireless connections to Printers so that users with compatible devices can easily locate, install, and use printers
Common framework for PIN-protected printing support by IHVs	New	A common framework is provided for PIN-protected printing, with an integrated user interface and easier implementation for IHVs
Print and fax services now include user access logging	Updated	Print and fax service logging now includes user name and computer name logging in addition to IP address logging.

• Session Shadowing 

• Online Data Deduplication  

• Improved RemoteApp behavior  

• Quick reconnect for remote desktop clients 

• Improved compression and bandwidth usage 

• Dynamic display handling  

• RemoteFX virtualized GPU supports DX11.1 

• RestrictedAdmin Mode Remote Desktop 

• Remote Desktop Services role services description  

• Removed or deprecated functionality

Feature Name	What’s New	Description
Server Deployment	Server deployment options in Windows Server Essentials include:	Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials must be the domain controller at the root of the forest and domain, and must hold all the FSMO roles.
	1. Windows Server Essentials Experience as a server role in the Standard and Datacenter editions of Windows Server 2012 R2 can be installed as a member server in a domain.	Windows Server Essentials Experience as a server role in the Standard and Datacenter editions of Windows Server 2012 R2 can be installed as a member server in a domain. If an Active Directory domain does not exist, installing the role will create an Active Directory domain, and the server will become the domain controller at the root of the forest and domain, holding all the FSMO roles. You can have more than one server with the Windows Server Essentials Experience role installed in your network.
	2. Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials can be installed on a physical server or as a virtual machine.	As part of your installation process, you can opt to install Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials as a virtual machine by following instructions in a wizard.
Client Deployment	Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials provides improved client deployment options.	The following improvements and changes are made in the client deployment process for Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials:
		The Connector can be used to connect to a server running Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials from a remote location.
		The Connector can trigger automatic VPN dialing in domain-joined clients, so that customers can always be connected to Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials when they are working off-premises.
		The Connector can be configured to connect to other servers running Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials without reinstallation.
		The Connector performance has been improved by reducing its memory and CPU usage.
Users and Groups	The following functionalities are added for managing users and groups :	You can create user groups and add user accounts to them. User account permissions can be managed through their user group memberships.
	1. User groups management	If your server is integrated with Office 365, you can manage your Office 365 distribution groups from the Dashboard.
	2. Office 365 distribution groups management
Server Storage	The following functionalities are added in Server Storage:	You can create shared folders on a secondary server while keeping the same Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path prefix.
	1.Folder management on a second server in a Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials network	You can specify a space quota for a server folder. You receive an alert when a server folder size grows beyond its defined quota.
	2. Server folder quota
Data Protection	Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials includes improved File History.	File History backups are configured per user instead of per device. Also, you can automatically restore your data through File History backups on a new computer if your old computer is no longer functional or is unavailable. The first time you log on to your new computer in the network, you are prompted to restore your files from your File History backups.
Health Reports	Health Reports is integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, and it no longer needs to be installed as an add-in.	The Home page includes the Alerts and Reports tabs. Depending on your business needs, you can customize the system health reports to display items that you want to monitor.
Branch Cache	Branch Cache is integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials.	You can turn on Branch Cache to improve data access if the server running Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials is located offsite. For more information, see Manage BranchCache in Windows Server Essentials.
Office 365 Integration	The following functionalities are available when Office 365 is integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials:	If your server is integrated with Office 365, you can:
	1.SharePoint Libraries management	Manage your Office 365 SharePoint Libraries from the Dashboard.
	2. Office 365 distribution groups management	Manage your Office 365 distribution groups from the Dashboard.
		The integration of Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials with Office 365 is only supported in a single domain controller environment. The Integrate with Office 365 Wizard must be run on a domain controller.
Mobile Devices	You can manage Mobile Devices through the Dashboard.	If your server is integrated with Office 365, you can manage your mobile devices by using the Exchange Active Sync functionalities; for example, you can define email access from a mobile device, set up password policies, and perform a remote wipe of the mobile device.
Client Full System Restore	Client Full System Restore is supported by Windows Deployment Services.	You can create a client restore service by using the Set Up Client Restore Service task, and you can perform client full system restore over the network instead of using an image that is saved on a DVD.
Remote Web Access	Remote Web Access experience is updated.	Remote Web Access is optimized for touch devices and enhanced with rich HTML5 support.
Microsoft online services integration	The integration of Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials with Microsoft online services is updated.	The integration of Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials with Microsoft online services, including Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Office 365, Windows Intune, and on-premises Exchange, is only supported in a single domain controller environment. The integration wizard for these Microsoft online services must be run on a domain controller.

·         Join to Workplace from Any Device for SSO and Seamless Second Factor Authentication across Company Applications.
·         Connect to Applications and Services from Anywhere with Web Application Proxy
·         Manage Risk with Conditional Access Control
·         Manage Risk with Additional Multi-Factor Authentication for Sensitive Applications New features in BITLOCKERS – Bit Locker provides support for device encryption on x86 and x64-based computers with a TPM that supports connected stand-by. Previously this form of encryption was only available on Windows RT devices
 New features in Branch Cache – Branch Cache is a wide area network (WAN) bandwidth optimization technology. BranchCache in Windows Server 2012 provides substantial performance, manageability, scalability, and availability improvements:
 New Features in Failover Clustering - In Windows Server 2012 R2, Failover Clustering offers enhanced support in the following areas.New Features in HYPER – V - The Hyper-V role enables you to create and manage a virtualized computing environment by using virtualization technology that is built in to Windows Server 2012 R2. Hyper-V virtualizes hardware to provide an environment in which you can run multiple operating systems at the same time on one physical computer, by running each operating system on its own virtual machine.
   New Features in  IP Address Management (IPAM) - PAM provides highly customizable administrative and monitoring capabilities for the IP address infrastructure on a corporate network. You can monitor, audit, and manage servers running Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS).
  New features in Print and Document Services in Windows Server 2012 R2. – Print and Document Services enables you to centralize print server and network printer management tasks. With this role, you can also receive scanned documents form network scanners and route the documents to a shared network resource, Windows SharePoint Services site, or email addresses.
New features in Remote Desktop Services –  n Windows Server 2012 R2, Remote Desktop Services offers enhanced support in the following areas:
New features in Windows server essentials 2012 -    

Feature Name	What’s New	Description
Server Deployment	Server deployment options in Windows Server Essentials include:	Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials must be the domain controller at the root of the forest and domain, and must hold all the FSMO roles.
	1. Windows Server Essentials Experience as a server role in the Standard and Datacenter editions of Windows Server 2012 R2 can be installed as a member server in a domain.	Windows Server Essentials Experience as a server role in the Standard and Datacenter editions of Windows Server 2012 R2 can be installed as a member server in a domain. If an Active Directory domain does not exist, installing the role will create an Active Directory domain, and the server will become the domain controller at the root of the forest and domain, holding all the FSMO roles. You can have more than one server with the Windows Server Essentials Experience role installed in your network.
	2. Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials can be installed on a physical server or as a virtual machine.	As part of your installation process, you can opt to install Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials as a virtual machine by following instructions in a wizard.
Client Deployment	Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials provides improved client deployment options.	The following improvements and changes are made in the client deployment process for Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials:
		The Connector can be used to connect to a server running Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials from a remote location.
		The Connector can trigger automatic VPN dialing in domain-joined clients, so that customers can always be connected to Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials when they are working off-premises.
		The Connector can be configured to connect to other servers running Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials without reinstallation.
		The Connector performance has been improved by reducing its memory and CPU usage.
Users and Groups	The following functionalities are added for managing users and groups :	You can create user groups and add user accounts to them. User account permissions can be managed through their user group memberships.
	1. User groups management	If your server is integrated with Office 365, you can manage your Office 365 distribution groups from the Dashboard.
	2. Office 365 distribution groups management
Server Storage	The following functionalities are added in Server Storage:	You can create shared folders on a secondary server while keeping the same Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path prefix.
	1.Folder management on a second server in a Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials network	You can specify a space quota for a server folder. You receive an alert when a server folder size grows beyond its defined quota.
	2. Server folder quota
Data Protection	Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials includes improved File History.	File History backups are configured per user instead of per device. Also, you can automatically restore your data through File History backups on a new computer if your old computer is no longer functional or is unavailable. The first time you log on to your new computer in the network, you are prompted to restore your files from your File History backups.
Health Reports	Health Reports is integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials, and it no longer needs to be installed as an add-in.	The Home page includes the Alerts and Reports tabs. Depending on your business needs, you can customize the system health reports to display items that you want to monitor.
Branch Cache	Branch Cache is integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials.	You can turn on Branch Cache to improve data access if the server running Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials is located offsite. For more information, see Manage BranchCache in Windows Server Essentials.
Office 365 Integration	The following functionalities are available when Office 365 is integrated with Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials:	If your server is integrated with Office 365, you can:
	1.SharePoint Libraries management	Manage your Office 365 SharePoint Libraries from the Dashboard.
	2. Office 365 distribution groups management	Manage your Office 365 distribution groups from the Dashboard.
		The integration of Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials with Office 365 is only supported in a single domain controller environment. The Integrate with Office 365 Wizard must be run on a domain controller.
Mobile Devices	You can manage Mobile Devices through the Dashboard.	If your server is integrated with Office 365, you can manage your mobile devices by using the Exchange Active Sync functionalities; for example, you can define email access from a mobile device, set up password policies, and perform a remote wipe of the mobile device.
Client Full System Restore	Client Full System Restore is supported by Windows Deployment Services.	You can create a client restore service by using the Set Up Client Restore Service task, and you can perform client full system restore over the network instead of using an image that is saved on a DVD.
Remote Web Access	Remote Web Access experience is updated.	Remote Web Access is optimized for touch devices and enhanced with rich HTML5 support.
Microsoft online services integration	The integration of Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials with Microsoft online services is updated.	The integration of Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials with Microsoft online services, including Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Office 365, Windows Intune, and on-premises Exchange, is only supported in a single domain controller environment. The integration wizard for these Microsoft online services must be run on a domain controller.

Blog by Pushkar Nath        .