Remember way back yesterday, when we wrote about making sure your apps are ready for Windows 7? Today let's shift the focus to Windows Server 2008 R2--specifically, making sure your servers are ready for it.

TechRepublic's Rick Vanover explains how to use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) toolkit to check your server inventory and gauge its readiness for Windows Server 2008 R2. Here's an excerpt:

Once MAP is installed, the first step is to run the Inventory And Assessment wizard; this will discover computers by scanning an IP address range, searching an Active Directory domain, or importing a list of server names from a text file. Figure B shows the first screen of the Inventory and Assessment Wizard.

And here's the aformentioned Figure B:

This is a really helpful walkthrough for any IT guru who hasn't yet determined whether Windows Server 2008 R2 will slide comfortably into the organization's existing server setup.

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