Looking at Windows Server 2008

I had the pleasure of attending a Windows Server 2008 roll-out event yesterday.  Interesting show, though still a bit too much marketing fluff and not enough details for my taste, but I don't want to look the gift horse in the mouth.

One of the presentations went into showing off how security is improved in Windows Server 2008, starting with the Server Core system/philosophy.[more]

The Powershell command line

I personally find the Server Core model (perhaps that the right word here) interesting.  The idea behind it seems to stem from Microsoft finally hearing the cries of IT professionals that they were supplying their operating systems with too many 'features' turned on by default, and too much potential for danger and mis-use and abuse from customers that were, for lack of a better term, too stupid to know they needed to do more than just insert the disc, walk through the install and then leave a box (PC server) running on the internet.

System Administrators that have worked with Microsoft products dating back a long, long time have known that they were left on the hook to 'secure' the systems and turn off unneeded features, unnecessary services, and remove or disable functions that just aren't needed to keep a server going.  That never (before) stopped Microsoft from having the defaults from the installations blindly install just about everything, until Server 2008 that is.

Server 2008 seems to be going back to the old ways, to the idea that the Administrator of the System knows what the system needs and will be responsible for adding in features and functions as required, which is where Server Core comes into play.  In most cases the System Administrator will now install Windows Server 2008 and wind up looking at a Server Core system and being able to do virtually nothing with the system until after they add features and roles to the system.  Networking is turned off by default.  File and Printer Sharing is off by default.  Features related to those aren't installed automatically, nor is anything else.

A clean system that must have a guiding hand determining what goes into the system.  Gee, when was the last time Microsoft used that approach?  Well, maybe never, but probably more like back into the earliest days of working wiith some of Microsoft's earliest network operating systems.  Before NT even.  Back to the days of running OS2, when Microsoft was developing that operating system with IBM, when they were partnered with 3Com to deliver Network Operating Systems and client software.

Yeah, I know, even back then Microsoft turned on too many features, installed too much extra 'stuff' and left the systems more bloated than they needed to be, but then again for a lot of what got added on, over time, to the network operating system, it wasn't there by default.

It wasn't until Windows NT came along, followed by Windows 95, that Microsoft started pushing too much crap into their operating systems.  Too much functionality really, and too many features that may have had good intentions but just as quickly fell victims to miscreants that exploited holes, and misused features for nefarious purposes.

I love that Microsoft is rediscovering the command line with Powershell (more on that can be found here.  It reminds me of the great old days of working with Microsoft Lan Manager on OS2.  Being able to use command line tools to control a box as much as I would care to.  Not being forced to use a mouse.  Having CONTROL over a system and knowing what was on it.  Yes, that was the old way of doing business and it's good to see Microsoft perhaps rediscovering those ways as they try to move forward in the Network Operating System arena.