Server Core, Windows without Windows

[simongrahamuk]

Server Core, Windows without Windows

"One of the most innovative features coming in Windows "Longhorn" Server isn't really a feature as much as a whole new version of Windows. It's called Server Core, and it will only take one-sixth of the disk space of a normal Longhorn installation. It's not expected to need anywhere near as many patches and hotfixes as Windows 2000. It's a version of Windows that does not, in fact, use windows. It's breaking Microsoft's long-standing reliance on graphical interfaces and shaking things up in several of Microsoft's product groups.

Server Core reflects a changing view of servers. "Administrators are accustomed to thinking of servers by their role. That's my file server, that's a domain controller, that's an Exchange server," says Andrew Mason, a Microsoft program manager for Server Core. Some of those roles really don't use much of what is built into Windows.

Server Core also recognizes -- based on painful experience -- that fewer "moving parts" in an operating system equates to fewer vulnerabilities, stability issues and maintenance points. Reducing the amount of code can help reduce the amount of bugs. That's what Server Core is all about."

Full article here.

[ITWombat]

This will be great for virtualisation. You can get more itual servers on the same physical box by cutting down on the GUI overhead.

THe lack of .net is blow though. I wonder if they will do SFu for it. Now that would be nice.

[Norphy]

It's a bit odd they haven't put an IIS option in there either.

[john]

I heard about this on the beta chanel about 6 months ago and TBH I am not keen, but then again I don't live in the command prompt, I can see the point, but its not for me, Exchange 2007 is also going to be like that, in that you can ditch its GUI and use commands to manage it.

[ChrisH]

Hmm I kind of like the idea but would need to see it in action I suppose .

[sidewinder]

Will you still be able to manage it with graphical tools remotely though?

Because as good as the idea is, Id still prefer GUI tools for day to day stuff in active directory etc

[Norphy]

It looks like it. Lets face it, it would be downright daft if it didn't.

[ChrisH]

The GUI stuff from a remote machine will just query the server for what it needs and run what it needs at the client end. Dont worry were not going back in time :P