Server Core - A minimalist approach to managing WS2008

Back in the days of Windows 3.1, you could choose what Windows components you wanted to install. In fact, I remember doing the math at that time, and the number of possible component combinations was in the hundreds of thousands, if not more. If you didn't want a component, you could tell Windows that you didn't want it, and by George, you wouldn't get it.

Since then, however, Windows setup has given customers less and less control over what bits should make it over onto your servers and workstations. The "give 'em everything" approach culminates in Windows Vista, which puts everything on your system including the kitchen sink. With Vista, you turn Windows components on and off rather than install or remove them. (Hence the renaming of the "Add/Remove Programs" wizard to simply "Programs.")

While not having to hunt around for a Windows CD or an i386 folder on the network has a certain appeal, there are also undeniable advantages to minimizing the footprint that Windows makes on a system, including the following:

• Patching Windows has become a bigger and bigger job in recent years; the larger the feature set, the more numerous the required patches.
• The less software you have on a given system, the more likely it is to be reliable, all other things being equal. There are fewer chances for programs and components to interfere with each other.
• Finally, the less software you have, the smaller the "attack surface" and therefore the less likely you are to be bothered with viruses and malware.

Considering how organizations use servers, it's also clear that a full install is often overkill. For example, particularly in medium to large organizations, a certain number of servers are used for a single purpose: file sharing, print sharing, domain controller, infrastructure services (DHCP, DNS), database services, and so forth.

Recognizing the above truths, Microsoft is making Server 2008 available in a special "minimalist" version called Server Core. I was very excited to learn about this, as I have been an advocate for minimalism for many years. As a consultant, I've seen many examples of "less is more" in terms of software setups for both clients and servers

See January's posts:

Command Prompt Interface and other cool tools on WS2008

How to setup Features in WS2008

Configuring a Role in WS2008: NOT as easy as can be

Adding a role to WS2008: Easy as can be

The purpose of roles in Windows Server 2008

Meet Windows Server 2008 'Server Manager' -- your new management cockpit

The Look and Feel of Server 2008