Windows Server 2008

Windows Server "Longhorn" is the codename for the next server operating system from Microsoft. It will be the successor to Windows Server 2003, and will be called Windows Server 2007 or 2008, depending on its release date — it is known that Microsoft intends to keep the year based naming scheme of its server products. According to Bob Muglia, senior vice president of servers and tools at Microsoft, the current release timeframe for Server "Longhorn" is the second half of 2007.

Server "Longhorn" will be the server equivalent of Windows Vista (previously also known by the codename "Longhorn"), and is likely to contain many of the same features, as well as others aimed specifically at high-end users. This is a similar relationship to that between Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 (codenamed "Whistler" and "Whistler Server", respectively).

Beta 1 of Longhorn Server was released on July 27 2005. Beta 2 was announced and released on May 23 2006 at WinHEC 2006, and Microsoft intends on releasing a feature-complete Beta 3 in early 2007.

Supported platforms

It has been confirmed that this version of Windows Server will support x64 (64 bit), as well as x86 (32 bit) processors. IA-64 will be supported in the Datacenter Edition of Windows Server "Longhorn". The IA-64 version will be optimized for high workload scenarios like database server and line of business applications. As such it can't be used as file server or media server.

Editions

Little is currently known about what editions are planned for Server "Longhorn".

Microsoft has mentioned "Cougar" as being the code-name for the Small Business Server product, and "Centro" as the code-name for a new medium-size business product, suitable for companies with 25-500 PCs, also incorporating Exchange as part of the product.[1]

Features

Windows Server "Longhorn" is built from the same code base as Windows Vista, therefore it contains many of the same architectural advances and functional improvements.

Perhaps the most notable new feature of Server "Longhorn" is a new variation of installation called "Server Core". Server Core is a significantly scaled-back installation where no "graphical user interface" is installed, and all configuration and maintenance is done entirely through the command-line, or by connecting to the machine remotely using Microsoft Management Console. Server Core will also not include the .NET Framework, Internet Explorer or many other features not related to core server features. A Server Core machine can be configured for four basic roles: Domain controller, DNS Server, DHCP Server, and file server.

• A new read-only Active Directory domain controller operation mode
• Policy-based networking, improved branch management and enhanced end user collaboration
• Internet Information Services 7
• Improved hot patching, a feature that allows non-kernel patches to occur without the need for a reboot
• Fully componentized operating system
• Image-based setup and deployment tools, using WIM
• Roles-based management tool, a combination of Manage Your Server and Security Configuration Wizard from Windows Server 2003
• A significantly upgraded Terminal Services component, supporting RDP 6.0. The most notable improvement is the ability to share a single application over a Remote Desktop connection, instead of the entire desktop.
• Support for being booted from Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) on x86-64 systems
• Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

See also

• Windows Vista
• Development of Windows Vista
• Features new to Windows Vista; most of this will apply to Windows Server "Longhorn"
• Windows Server System

External links

Microsoft

• New Networking Features in Windows Server "Longhorn" and Windows Vista — lengthy article from Microsoft Technet covering new networking features in detail

Others

• ZDnet UK article
• News.com
• computerperformance.co.uk
• VistaBase Longhorn Server section
• winsupersite.com Preview
• winsupersite.com Preview 2