Partition manager server 2003

MiniTool Partition Wizard Server Edition is a professional windows 2003 server partition manager software.

As we know, windows server 2003 is a primary selection for most of the companies, which become a trend. Windows server 2003 is superior to windows server 2000 in both the performance and functionality.

windows server 2000 is out after the emergence of GPT (Globally Unique Identifier Partition Table Format).

Let us know about GPT
GPT is a disk partition structure based on EFI. Comparing with MBR, GPT has more advantages including allowing up to 128 partitions for every disk and support up to 18 gigabit volume as well as allowing primary disk partition table and backup disk partition table for redundancy and also support disk and partition ID (GUID).

MBR supports a maximum volume of 2 TB and every disk has 4 primary partitions at most. While GUID partition table (GPT) can support up to 18 EB volume and every disk has 128 partitions at most. The last but not the least, Operational data is in the partition rather than non partition or hidden sector. In addition, GPT has extra primary and backup partition table for improving the structural integrity of the data partition.

Disks with the GPT partition style appear as GUID partition table (GPT) while disks with a MBR partition style show a master boot record (MBR) in the "Volume" tab which is in the Disk Properties dialog box of the "Disk Management". If the following accidents occur, you can perform operations which are supported by MBR disk on GPT.

For x86-based or x64-based computers running Windows Server 2003 ,operating system must reside in MBR disk not other hard disks such as MBR or GPT.

The operating system loader and boot partition must reside in the GPT disk not other hard disks such as MBR or GPT.

GPT can not be applied onto computers supporting Windows NT 4.0, Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. However, GPT can be moved from computers running Windows Server 2003 to computers running Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP and vice versa.

GPT disk can not be moved from Itanium-based computers onto x86-based or x64-based computers running Windows Server 2003 with Itanium-based versions of Windows and boot operating system. GPT disk must only be used for storing data in none Itanium-based computers.

In a single dynamic disk group can be either MBR or GPT as well as combination of MBR and GPT which are not part of disk group. MBR and GPT disks can be created mirrored volumes, striped volumes, spanned volumes and RAID-5 volumes. But the MBR cylinder alignment restriction might make it difficult to create mirrored volumes. Generally, MBR can be mirrored onto GPT avoiding the cylinder alignment.

MBR disk can be converted into GPT disk while GPT only can be converted into MBR in the case of empty disk.

Professional partition manager server software - MiniTool Partition Wizard Server Edition is a solution to the problem of GPT limitations. MiniTool Partition Wizard Server Edition support the conversion between GPT and MBR. Download the latest MiniTool Partition Wizard Server Edition on http://www.partitionwizard.com/download.html. Launch the software, select disk and right click then you can achieve disk conversion just by clicking mouse. More information about GPT and MBR disk type on http://www.partitionwizard.com/help/initialize-to-gpt-disk.html