Microsoft offers a new tool that goes by the promising name Works With Tool for Windows Server 2008 (WWT). It allows you to test applications in order to see if they work properly under Windows Server 2008. Neil Hutson, a Microsoft evangelist, claims that you can “perform automated tests” with this free utility. I just played a little with the beta version today.

(more…)

eWEEK reports that Windows Server 2008 RC1 will be available this month. The article also states that WSV (Windows Server Virtualization) will be included. This will probably be the most interesting enhancement in RC1. Microsoft confirmed the Feb. 27 launch date of Windows Server 2008 and that WSV will be released 180 days thereafter.

(more…)

Whenever I have to deal with Microsoft’s update services, I get confused about the different terms. When I configured the security health validator (SHV) policy of NAP (Network Access Protection) in Windows Server 2008, I was puzzled again by the difference of the phrases “Automatic Updates”, “Windows Update” and “Microsoft Update”.

(more…)

Andy Malone reports that Windows Server 2008 RC0 is now offered to TAP customers (Technical Adoption Program). He also thinks that it will be available for download on MSDN soon. Alessandro Perilli of virtualization.info has learned that RC0 will contain Windows Server Virtualization (WSV) aka Viridian.

(more…)

When I first read about NAP (Network Access Protection), Microsoft’s new Network Access Control (NAC) solution in Windows Server 2008, I was quite surprised how complex it has become. All the papers, I have read about its infrastructure, were somewhat confusing. This post lists all the important NAP components accompanied by a brief description of their function. Just in case you didn’t read my post about the NAP essentials yet, I recommend having a look at it first.

(more…)

Microsoft’s Windows Server Division weblog announced that Windows Server 2008 RTM (release to manufacturing) is now scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2008. Originally, Microsoft planned the product launch for February 2008. Since it usually takes some months until a Microsoft product becomes finally available thru distribution channels this amounts to a delay of several months. It is a bit disappointing for me because we expected the RTM in Q4 2008.

(more…)

Network Access Protection (NAP) is certainly one of the most interesting new features of Windows Server 2008. Originally, it was planned to be delivered together with Windows Server 2003 R2. After reading a couple of texts and playing a little with it, I understood why Microsoft postponed it to Windows Server 2008. It is a very complex application having countless different features. This post only contains the core essentials of NAP. Part of it is based on Mitch Tulloch’s chapter about NAP in his Windows Server 2008 book.

(more…)

There are several changes in Windows Server 2008 with regard to the way Terminal Services work in remote administration mode. Some are enhancements; at least one is a change for the worse. This post summarizes the most important changes.

(more…)

Microsoft aggregated some of their step by step guides about Windows Server 2008. I already read some of them and highly recommend them. It is much easier to grasp what is behind a new feature if you actually try it yourself instead of just reading what others wrote about it. Those step by step guides are well written and easy to follow.

(more…)

In my first article about the new features of Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008, I discussed some general enhancements. Today, I will examine the improvements regarding its multi-user mode.

(more…)

Terminal Services in Windows Server 2008 were enhanced by many new features. In this post, I summarized some of the more general improvements. In the next post in this series, I will write about the TS enhancements related to multi-user mode. These posts are partly a summary of Mitch Tulloch’s Terminal Services chapter in his Windows Server 2008 book.

(more…)

Microsoft offers quite few Active Directory related products which can be generally described as Identity and Access (IDA) solutions. It is sometimes difficult to keep track with Microsoft’s enterprise products, not only because MS extends their functionality or releases new ones, but also because their names are constantly changing. In Windows Server 2008, there will be many such changes. In this post I summarized all of Microsoft’s IDA solutions with their new names.

(more…)

Steve Rosa described how he installed Active Directory Domain Services on Server Core in Windows Server 2008. Even though, Active Directory is just another server role, you can’t install it with ocsetup on Server Core. Like on the standard version of Windows Server 2008 you have to use dcpromo.

(more…)

If you are an MCSA or MSCE on Windows Server 2003, you can now try your luck with the beta of the MCSA/MCSE 2008 transition exams. The good thing about these exams is that they are for free. Lukas Beeler took the exam and blogged about his experiences.

(more…)

It is now official! Windows Server 2008 will be launched on February 27th. Joe Wilcox is speculating that the RTM might become available in November. If you didn’t start yet with exploring Microsoft’s new server OS, now might be the right time to so.

(more…)