In order to complete the exercise in this chapter, you will need the following equipment:

• A PC with Windows 10 Pro, at least 16 GB of RAM, 1 TB of HDD, and access to the internet

It all began many years ago when the need for sharing resources became a necessity. As time went by and demands increased, the development and advancement of computer network technologies also took place. With that, more computers were connected to computer networks and geographical distances were diminished in terms of communication. It created a need for well-defined terms and concepts to describe computer networking. Because of that, different types of computer networks, network topologies, architectures, and components have emerged. 

Let's begin by understanding what a computer network is.

From my experience, people often confuse what a computer network...

Throughout its history, Windows Server has evolved from a simple file server to an operating system that is capable of handling network services in complex environments such as corporate networks. Thus, Windows Server can provide network services such as domain controllers, web servers, print servers, and file servers. It often acts as a separate platform in which enterprise applications such as Exchange Server, SQL Server, SharePoint Server, and others are executed. With its robust performance and advanced security, nowadays, Windows Server is shaping cloud computing.

As you may recall, computer hardware and software represent the physical and logical components...

What would your answer be if someone asked you what Windows Server is? I guess your answer would be more or less like the following: Windows Server is the server's operating system developed by Microsoft as part of the Windows NT family of operating systems. In general, whether it is a server based on Windows Server, Linux Server, or macOS Server, it really does not make any difference as long as the version that is being used continues to provide adequate services within an organization's network. However, looking at them from the perspective of deployment, user interface, managing resources, and maintaining a server, many differences are evident.

Let us take a look at the Windows Server timeline to understand how it has evolved over the years.

In this chapter exercise, you will learn how to download Windows Server 2019.

To download Windows Server 2019 on your Windows 10 computer, complete the following steps:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open Run.
2. Enter microsoft-edge: and press Enter.
3. In Microsoft Edge, click the address bar and enter https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/, and then press Enter.
4. On the Evaluation Center page, click the search icon in the right-upper corner and enter Windows Server 2019, then press Enter.
5. From the Search results, select Windows Server 2019.

6. Select your evaluation file type, and then click Continue.
7. Complete the form as shown...

In this chapter, you learned about computer networks, server's hardware and software, and Windows Server.

Specifically, in the Understanding Computer Networks section, you learned what a computer network is, and were introduced to different types of computer networks, computer network components, computer network architectures, and IP addressing and subnetting. Furthermore, in the Understanding servers section, you learned about server hardware and software; server sizes, form factors, and shapes; and Network Operating System (NOS). Finally, in the Understanding Windows Server section, you learned about the Windows Server timeline.

To make things interesting, the chapter included a chapter exercise that provided instructions on how to download Windows Server 2019 from the Evaluation Center portal. With the things you have learned in this chapter, you will be able...