Active Directory, Exchange, Microsoft Clustering, Scripting, MOM, SQL. : Windows Server 2008

Tips - 4

Nirmal Sharma — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:15:00 GMT

A Quick Tip To Disable "Initial Configuration Tasks List" This article explains how you can disable the Initial Configuration Task List at logon. What All Ports Are Required By Domain Controllers And Client Computers? This article explains the...(read more)

Tips - 3

Nirmal Sharma — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:03:00 GMT

Group Policy Offers New Functionality in Windows Server 2008 This article explains the improvements to the Group Policy in Windows Server 2008. Domain Controller Options Not Supported By RODC This article explains the DC Options which are not supported...(read more)

Tips - 2

Nirmal Sharma — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:44:00 GMT

A Quick Tip To Prevent Users From Accessing The Computer Tab This article explains a quick tip which you can use to prevent users from accessing the Computer Tab on My Computer property. A Quick Tip To Create A User Mode Process Dump File This article...(read more)

Tip - Remote Control in Windows Server 2008

Nirmal Sharma — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:34:06 GMT

Microsoft developers have introduced a remote administration tools pack, which ships with Windows Server 2008 CD. The feature, called RSAT - Remote Server Administration Tools, Read more here... http://www.serverwatch.com/tutorials/article.php/3779931...(read more)

Tip - Background Zone Loading, New Functionality in Win Server 2008 DNS

Nirmal Sharma — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 02:57:56 GMT

Microsoft has changed the way DNS loads zone data into memory. Sometimes the DNS server can take an hour or more to load the data with extremely large zone data stored in the Active Directory Services. The result is that the DNS server is unable to serve...(read more)

Tip - How To Take System State Backup In Server Core

Nirmal Sharma — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:36:27 GMT

There is no GUI tool available in Windows Server 2008 Server Core edition to take the System State backup. You need to depend Read more here... http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008/AdminTips/Admin/HowToTakeSystemStateBackupInServerCore...(read more)

Tip - How does Windows Server 2008 resolve Domain Controller Load Balancing problems?

Nirmal Sharma — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:17:12 GMT

This article discusses a new Group Policy setting which solves the Load Balancing issues with the domain controllers. The DC Locator Service has been re-designed in Windows Server 2008 to include a new mechanism. When a client computer finds a preferred...(read more)

Tip - Command Line Tips, Windows Server 2008 Server Core

Nirmal Sharma — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:14:46 GMT

Microsoft has released Windows Server 2008 in various editions. One of them is Server Core. There is no GUI included in the Server Core. You must perform all the commands by using the command-line tools supplied with the Server Core. Here are few important...(read more)

Tip - A Quick Tip To Enable Terminal Services Access For Previous Versions of Windows

Nirmal Sharma — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:13:53 GMT

Allow previous versions of Windows to access Windows Server 2008 Server Core using Terminal Services. Windows Server 2008 runs in higher security level. By default, Windows Server 2008 does not allow previous versions of Windows computers to access the...(read more)

Tip - DFS Offers New Functionality in Windows Server 2008

Nirmal Sharma — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:46:44 GMT

DFS in Windows Server 2008 has been improved. The DFSR, a service running in Windows Server 2008, can now be used to replicate SYSVOL contents. Previously, we had to use FRS for SYSVOL. In Windows Server 2008, the DFS has the following new features added...(read more)

Tip - 'GlobalNames' Zone, A DNS Feature in Windows Server 2008

Nirmal Sharma — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:41:07 GMT

Many Microsoft customers are still using WINS in their networks. WINS is often used as a secondary name resolution protocol for NetBIOS names. WINS uses NetBIOS Over TCP/IP (NBT) for name resolution. Organizations still use WINS because they like having...(read more)

Tip - How To Check If A PSO Has Been Applied To A User Or Group?

Nirmal Sharma — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:38:09 GMT

Checking users' password policies in Windows Server 2008 domain. In Windows Server 2008 you can implement multiple password policies for users or groups. The effective password policies for a user or group are stored in AD Attributes. You need to...(read more)

Tip - Break Server Core registry to disallow processing of Run and RunOnce entries

Nirmal Sharma — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:01:21 GMT

This article will show you how you can disallow processing of Run and RunOnce registry entries. This article applies to Windows Server 2008 Server Core Edition only! Read more here... http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008...(read more)

Tip - A Quick Tip to make sure Adprep /ForestPrep for Windows Server 2008 has run successfully

Nirmal Sharma — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:39:00 GMT

Adprep /ForestPrep must be executed to introduce a Windows Server 2008 in an existing Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 domain environment. This will show you how to make sure that it has run successfully. Read more here... http://www.windowsnetworking.com...(read more)

How does Windows Server 2008 resolve Domain Controller Load Balancing problems?

Nirmal Sharma — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:35:00 GMT

This article discusses a new Group Policy setting which solves the Load Balancing issues with the domain controllers. Read more here.... http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008/AdminTips/ActiveDirectory/HowdoesWindowsServer2008resolvesDomainControllerLoadBalancingproblems...(read more)

Tip - A Quick Tip to designate a domain controller for client authentications.

Nirmal Sharma — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:33:00 GMT

This article explains the use of SRV priority. This applies to Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and Windows Server 2008. Read more here... http://www.windowsnetworking.com/kbase/WindowsTips/WindowsServer2008/AdminTips/ActiveDirectory/AQuickTiptodesignateadomaincontrollerforclientauthentications...(read more)

What’s behind the Server Core technologies introduced in Windows Longhorn Server Operating System?

Nirmal Sharma — Mon, 14 May 2007 19:07:00 GMT

Server Core technology is a new installation introduced by Microsoft in its next generation of Operating System. Server Core runs only a command shell so that you can administer all the roles supported by servers from command line tools. Windows has been designed on modular architecture meaning its components and services are designed in a procedural way. They have small set of procedures created and these procedures were combined to make a complete Windows System.

Basically there are two shell supported by Windows – one is Command Line Shell (CMD.exe) and other one is GUI shell (explorer.exe). The main reasons to segregate these two shells are the following:

1. You have better control on Windows

2. Other or third party shells can be introduced and configured to run at the time of starting Windows.

3. You can run third party or production applications without displaying Desktop to users.

After looking at Server Core technologies of Longhorn I assume that Microsoft has only replaced CMD.exe with Explorer.exe in registry at HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon in entry: Shell in the Right Pane. I’m really not sure about this one but when you replace Explorer.exe with CMD.exe, Windows launches CMD.exe (Command Prompt) rather than Desktop. This really confuses me sometimes – Has Microsoft only changed the entry in the registry to make it Server Core or they have done something more in it? I really don’t have answer to this and need to dig more.

Well, as far as I know, the Server Core technologies or installation makes Windows more secure. This eliminates the hacking and Server is not exposed to hacking anymore now. Server Core runs minimal codes and this gives less access to system thus providing a more secure platform.

I’m still waiting for someone to answer the following questions:

1. What is so different about Server Core in Longhorn?

2. Has Microsoft only replaced Shell entry in registry to make it Server Core or they have done something more?

3. All the services and drivers are started before shell execution. This is already designed since Windows XP released then what’s new in Server Core part.

Server Core - Windows Longhorn

Nirmal Sharma — Wed, 09 May 2007 07:41:00 GMT

What is Server Core in Windows Longhorn?

Well, what do you mean by Server Core? A Server Core is a part in where you can have only least functionality of the server operating system. This is the first time Microsoft has introduced this technology. Server Core feature in Longhorn run the minimal code to support a component service in Windows Operating System such as : DHCP, DNS, File Server etc.

You can have a specific feature run in minimal code without exploiting whole OS code. This is possible by running the Windows Longhorn (Microsoft's Next generation Operating System) in Server Core installation.

This is all about disabling unwanted services in Microsoft Windows Operating Systems (Longhorn). They have done a tremendous job,

I will shout more on this when time permits :)

Okay..time permits me:

Windows Longhorn’s new Server Core installation is going to make unhappy administrators who totally depend on GUI tools because Server Core installation and administration is totally dependent on Command lines – yes I’m right – Command lines.

Microsoft has decided to include Server Core in final release of its new operating system (Windows Longhorn Server). Beta 2 had only five roles and Beta 3 includes three new roles: AD, AD LDS, DHCP, DNS, File, Print, and WMS (AD LDS and WMS are new to Beta 3).

It will support more roles in its final release. There will be total of 8 roles to be supported by Windows Longhorn Server.

What’s in Server Core?

Server Core installation is very simple. You just need to proceed with Server Longhorn and select “Windows Longhorn ServerCore” when installing Longhorn product. There are total of Top 9 features supported by Longhorn Server. These are the followings:

Role-based installation and administration.
Windows Firewall
Windows PowerShell
Server Manager
Server Core
BitLocker
Read Only Domain Controller
Terminal Services
Network Access Protection

Windows Longhorn Server supports total of 18 role-based installations:

Active Directory Certificate Services.
Active Directory Domain Services.
Active Directory Federation Services.
Directory Lightweight Directory Services.
Active Directory Rights Management Services.
Application Server.
DHCP Server.
DNS Server.
Fax Server.
File Services.
Network Policy and Access Services.
Print Server.
Terminal Services.
UDDI Services.
Web Server.
Windows Deployment Services.
Windows Media Services.
Windows SharePoint Services.
Windows Server Virtualization.