IT people tend to be known for a lot of things (both good and bad), but the classic geeky poster seems to be a mainstay for most technical professionals.  Among block diagrams, Dilbert comics that take thinly-veiled shots at clueless management, and software architecture posters, it seems like there’s something for everyone. 

Of course, posters can actually be informational and useful.  Microsoft has recently made a Windows Server 2008 R2 Feature Components Poster available for free download.  While it would be difficult to print this out (it’s roughly 44” x 24” in full size), it provides a really clear, concise overview of the new features in Windows Server 2008 R2.  The list of sections includes:

  • Active Directory Domain Services
  • Hyper-V
  • File Services
  • Remote Desktop Services
  • BranchCache
  • DirectAccess

The content helps illustrate that the R2 release isn’t just a minor upgrade – there’s probably a lot more in here than most administrators are aware of.

You’ll also find a sidebar of acronyms and plenty of useful notes and tips.  While it’s no replacement for complete documentation, I think these posters do a great job of providing a lot of information in a limited space.