Questions About Server Core

One of the biggest features to look forward to withthe release of Windows Server 2008 (formerlycode-named Longhorn) is a new version of Windows called Server Core, developed in response to customers asking for Linux-like headless operation. You might bewondering what Server Core is and what it can do for you,so here are answers to some of the most frequently askedServer Core questions.

10. What is Server Core? Server Core is astripped-down version of Windows 2008that provides essential network infrastructure capabilities but does away with allnonessential graphical functions such as the Windows shell,Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Outlook Express, andthe .NET CLR.

9. Is Server Core licensed the same as Windows2008? Yes. Although Server Core has a smallerfeature set than the full version of Windows 2008,Microsoft offers Server Core as an installationoption. Therefore, the Standard, Enterprise, and Datacentereditions of Server Core have the same licensing as theirrespective versions of Windows 2008.

8. How do I install Server Core? During the Windows 2008 installation process, you'll be promptedto install either the full version of Windows 2008 orServer Core. For example, if you're installing Windows 2008 Enterprise Edition, you'd select Windows Server2008 SERVERENTERPRISECORE to install Server Core.

7. Can I upgrade from Windows Server 2003 toServer Core? No, all installations of Server Coremust be clean installs. Because Server Core is anall-new version of the Windows Server OS, thereisn't an upgrade path from any existing versions of Windows Server. However, Windows 2008 R2 should include anupgrade path from Server Core to Server Core R2.

6. How do I manage Server Core? Your primarytool for managing a Server Core installation is thecommand line. Server Core uses a very minimalshell that contains only a blue background anda command window. Note that you need to be familiarwith the Windows shell commands to manage Server Corelocally. If you prefer to use graphical tools, you can manage Server Core remotely using Microsoft ManagementConsole from another Windows Server system.

5. If Server Core isn't graphical, how do I performthe initial system setup? Windows 2008 displaysan Initial Configuration Wizard following thesetup that lets you configure several essentialsystem settings. Server Core, because it isn't graphical,doesn't include the wizard. However, Microsoft providesa Windows Script Host script named scregedit.wsf in thec:windowssystem32 directory that you can use to performmost of the initial system configuration tasks.

4. Can Server Core run applications? Yes, ServerCore can run applications and services. However,Server Core includes only very basic graphical capabilities, so programs that depend onadvanced graphics, such as Microsoft .NET Frameworkapplications, won't run. Most system services and batchfiles work fine.

3. Can Server Core run Windows PowerShell? No,because Server Core doesn't support the .NETFramework, which is a prerequisite for PowerShell. You can't run any applications that dependon the .NET Framework on Server Core. This includesMicrosoft IIS 7.0 ASP.NET applications, Microsoft SQLServer 2005, and Microsoft Exchange Server 2007.

2. How do you view and change Server Coreroles? Because Server Core doesn't have a GUI,you can't use Server Manager to add or removeroles and features from a Server Core installation.Instead, Microsoft provides two new command-line toolsthat are found only in Sever Core: Oclist, which lists all theavailable Server Core roles and shows their current status,and Ocsetup, which is used to add and remove roles fromServer Core.

1. Is Server Core compatible with thenew Windows Server Virtualization? Yes. In fact, combining ServerCore with Windows Server Virtualization is one of its best uses. You caninstall Server Core in the managing orparent partition of a Windows ServerVirtualization system to create a bare-metal–style virtualization platform. Then, guest OSs can be installedin the child partitions.