Beta Preview: Windows Server 'Longhorn'

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While most people's attention is focused on the impending release of Windows Vista, with release candidate one released earlier this month, the latest build of Microsoft's next Server operating system quietly slipped out of Redmond.

Build 5600 of Windows Server 'Longhorn' is billed as the August Community Technology Preview (CTP), despite arriving in September. Sharing the same build number as Vista RC1 doesn't mean Longhorn Server will ship at the same time as Vista - it's still expected sometime in the summer of 2007 summer. However, build 5600 moves things along in sync with Vista, adding the release candidate for .NET 3.0.

Microsoft has done a lot to simplify setting up Longhorn Server. Once installed, you're presented with a screen of Initial Configuration Tasks. Taking a lesson from Small Business Server 2003, the screen walks you through the initial steps needed to get your server up and running. Vista-style green arrows guide you to the various wizards and dialogue boxes that handle setup. You will need to restart at least once before you finish setup.

If you are already using Windows Server 2003, you won't find Longhorn Server too much of a shock. On the surface there are a lot of similarities - the UI looks much the same, though the start menu is now more Vista-like and adds a search bar. There's a lot of commonality between the Vista and Longhorn code bases, and Vista-like elements pop-up (shorn of Aero) throughout the system. Other obvious changes include a new look to the Explorer. The icons have also been tidied up, and given a dose of the Vista look-and-feel.

Role-based server computing

Windows Server 2003 R2 introduced the idea of server roles to Windows. Longhorn Server takes it a step further. The OS you've installed initially is only the base OS, with the bare minimum of features. You'll need to define the server's role before you can do anything else. The Add Roles wizard helps you through this process.

There's a long list of available roles, from Active Directory systems to web servers and deployment managers (along with the familiar file and print). Just tick the boxes for the services you want to install. The wizard handles dependencies, installing the roles needed to support the role you've chose, as well as additional services not on the role list. Additional steps are added to the wizard as you add roles, so you can configure services before installation. In his build though, the installer's dependency model isn't ready for prime time. Installing SharePoint Services on our test machine took three passes before all the components were installed.

By making sure that only core components install by default Microsoft has begun to deliver on its promise of a reduced risk footprint for servers. The ideas behind Longhorn Server's two-stage installation process make a lot of sense, and when it's finished it'll be a time saver. However, it does mean you'll need to plan your server roles in advance. While you can uninstall roles, good planning can keep changes to the minimum.

Additional features: What you need and what you don't

Other features can be added directly from the Add Features wizard. These include BitLocker (ideal for locking down branch office servers), clustering tools, a new back-up solution, and Microsoft Message Queuing. You probably won't want to install the Desktop Experience, which adds Media Player and desktop themes to your server. At least it's only an option, and not part of the default install.

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