A few days ago, Microsoft’s Open Source tool Core Configurator 2.0 was released. It allows you to manage Server Core with a nice GUI. I also reviewed Core Configurator 1.0/1.1 a while back. The old version is still valuable because it also runs on Sever 2008 Core, whereas version 2.0 only supports Windows Server 2008 R2.

Core Configurator 2.0 is a completely new tool, as it is based on PowerShell and .Net 2, which are not officially supported on Server 2008 Core. However, there are ways to install PowerShell on Server 2008 Core. Thus, it is perhaps possible to get Core Configurator 2.0 running on R2. The other question is if you really want to install unsupported software on a server. Note that you don’t have to enable PowerShell and .Net before you install the Core Configurator 2.0 on R2 Server Core because its setup program (Start_CoreConfig.wsf) does this for you.

(more…)

Rate this tool: (2 votes, average: 3.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Submit favorite free admin tool | Free admin tools index | Browse free admin tools

One of the reasons why Server Core 2008 is not that popular is because basic configurations have to be made on the command line. Perhaps this alone wouldn’t be a problem: however, most of Server Core’s commands are somewhat longwinded, at least when you compare this system with other CLI-based operating systems such as Linux. This is why, almost immediately after its release, several Server Core configuration tools came up. The Windows Server 2008 R2 edition of Server Core comes with its own configuration tool: Sconfig.

(more…)

• Internet Explorer 8 RC1 has been released.
• Windows Internet Explorer 8 RC1 FAQ for Business
• Windows Internet Explorer 8 RC1 Technology Overview for Enterprise and IT Pros
• Free eBook from Microsoft Press: Windows Server 2008 Core Administrator’s Pocket Consultant. By Mitch Tulloch.
• VirtualBox 2.1.2 has been released. I reviewed version 2.1.0 a couple of days ago.
• Core Configurator 1.2.0.2 is out New: Regional and Language options, Services Panel, Network Connections, Automatic Update
• General availability for the Windows 7 Beta to end. Beta downloads open through February 10th.
• Another Microsoft Licensing Policy Update: What’s Good? What’s Left?
• Upgrading Hyper-V from Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2008 R2 Beta

CoreConfigurator was the first GUI-based management tool for Windows Server 2008 Server Core. It was still a free tool when I first blogged about it. Later, the publisher, SmartX, removed the tool. Now a new version is available that is only free for non-commercial use. I had a quick look at it today.

Installation of the tool is easy. Just copy coreconfigurator.msi to a local drive and launch it from the command line. The setup will copy CoreConfigurator by default to C:\Program Files\SmartX\Smart-X CoreConfigurator . To start the tool you have to navigate to this folder and launch “CoreConfigurator.”

(more…)

• Hyper-V 2.0 Features – Windows Server 2008 R2 will include Hyper-V 2.0 As expected, it will support Live Migration.
• Using Hyper-V with Windows Small Business Server 2008 Documentation Released
• Windows 7 Preview Part 4: Apps, Internet and Devices – I linked to Part 1 – Part 4 yesterday.
• Review: System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 – Jonathan Hassell finds SCVMM 2008 a compelling solution. I agree.
• App-V Resource Kit Tools Available – 5 free useful tools for Microsoft Application Virtualization
• VMWare Server 2: Worse Than Failure – Good to know that I am not the only one who doesn’t like VMware Server 2.0.
• Core Configurator 1.1 available -  New:  Add/ Remove DNS Servers, Server Hardening plus bug fixes. My review Core Configurator
• Windows 7’s best secret feature – Discusses the new Libraries feature. Looks nice.
• Windows Server 2008 SP2 beta will be available for a small group next week – New: Hyper-V RTM and new power profile.
• Wireshark 1.0.4 released – Security related bugs have been fixed.
• AdvancedRemoteInfo update – No Vista support yet, but the author hopes to add this feature soon. My review of ARI

As expected, many Windows admins dislike the idea of configuring a server on the command prompt. Server Core Configurator is the third tool I am discussing that helps configure Windows Server 2008 Server Core. CoreConfigurator (without space between Core and Configurator) is a GUI tool and Core Configuration Console (CCC) is a batch script. Server Core Configurator is something in between.

The tool consists of several VBS scripts with one central script providing the main menu. Similar to a batch script you have to enter numbers to open a submenu, but the menu and the input fields are presented in a graphical window.

(more…)

Rate this tool: (1 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Submit favorite free admin tool | Free admin tools index | Browse free admin tools

A while back I reviewed CoreConfigurator, a GUI tool that allows you to configure Windows Server 2008 Server Core in a more convenient way than using the command prompt. Core Configuration Console (CCC) has similar configuration functionality, but it is not GUI tool. Rather, it is a menu-based batch script that makes it almost as convenient to configure Server Core. These are the things you can do with CCC:

• Network configuration (IP, DNS, reset to DHCP)
• Display server information (see screenshot)
• Change current local user password
• Licensing (install, activate, reset, rearm, display, delete)
• Domain settings (join, disjoin)
• Firewall configuration (disable, enable/disable TS Remote Admin Mode)
• Regional and language-settings
• Time-and-date-settings
• CCC settings (register in PATH, enable autostart)
• Set local administrator password, rename computer
• Shutdown, reboot, logoff

(more…)

Rate this tool: (4 votes, average: 3.75 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Submit favorite free admin tool | Free admin tools index | Browse free admin tools

• Download Server Core CoreConfigurator. The developer removed the download temporarily. As long as nobody complains you can download it at 4sysops.
• Five Microsoft Exchange Server backup worst practices. I don’t share the skepticism about disk backups, but 5 (testing Exchange Backups) is important.
• Enable or Disable UAC (User Account Control) From a Batch File in Windows Vista. Sooner or later you will need this.
• The Stupidity of Microsoft’s Mojave Experiment I have to agree with the analysis at PCMech. It is funny anyway.
• Good review about VMware ThinApp at PC World. This HTTP-based synchronisation feature is interesting.
• Mary Jo Foley discussed scope, Microsoft’s scripting language for the cloud. This sounds all quite interesting.

I seriously doubt this now. Inspired by CoreConfigurator, I tried a couple of other tools with a GUI on Windows 2008 Server Core. I was surprised that most of them worked. I tried two file management tools, a Registy Editor, Microsoft’s Process Explorer, and (that was the fun part) Firefox. I was also tempted to install Office 2007, but I left this exercise to other jokers.

Installing those tools wasn’t a big deal. All you have to do is to launch the setup files. As file managers, I tried FreeCommander and Xplorer. Both are free Explorer alternatives. Most of the features worked flawlessly. With some I had problems though. For example, I wasn’t able to map a network drive with both tools. However, when I mapped a share on the command prompt I was able to access it with both file managers.

(more…)

You might have heard that Windows 2008 Server Core has to be configured on the command prompt because it has no graphical user interface. Guy Teverovsky, the author of CoreConfigurator, proved this is to be a myth. This simple tool demonstrates perfectly that it is possible to manage Server Core with a GUI. Okay, this tool is rather simple, but it allows you to configure all essential settings of a freshly installed Server Core system. Note that CoreConfigurator is not a tool for remotely managing Server Core like RSAT. Teverovsky’s tool runs natively on Server Core.

(more…)

Rate this tool: (10 votes, average: 4.30 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Submit favorite free admin tool | Free admin tools index | Browse free admin tools