An introduction to the server core functionality in Windows Server 2008, as presented at the Microsoft UK Community Day in April 2008

2. Welcome! Community Launch 2008 Mark Wilson Infrastructure Architect/Technology lead for Windows Server 2008 and Hyper-V, Fujitsu Services markw@markwilson.co.uk http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/ { }

3. A community for everyone who is interested in Microsoft's Windows Server technologies - especially Windows Server 2008 Formed in 2007 – just getting started Have run a few events – more to come Find out more (join us!) at http://winserverteam.org.uk/

4. Windows Server 2008: Server Core What? Why? How?

5. Agenda What is server core? And why do we need it? How does it work (architecture) How is it managed? Locally Remotely Questions? (and hopefully some answers!)

6. Demo environment Full installation (x64) UK090922VM3 1 vCPU 1GB RAM Standalone (not domain-joined) Server core installation (x64) UK090922LT Fujitsu-Siemens S7210 Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz) 4GB RAM (joined to my organisation’s Active Directory)

7. What is server core?and why do we need it? Windows Server is frequently deployed to support a single role or a fixed workload Still need to install (and manage) a full installation Server Core is a new installation option: Minimal installation option for WS08 Benefits: Servers optimized by role are easier to manage and maintain Increased reliability and security Less installed and less running

8. Roles and features Not available Full support Partial support Roles: Features: Backup; BitLocker; Failover Clustering; UNIX Subsystem; Multipath IO; QoS; Removable Storage Management; SNMP; Telnet Client; WINS

9. Architecture Server Roles (and Features) NPAS TS WDS etc. Server GUI; .NET Framework; Shell; Internet Explorer; MMC; Media; etc. Server Core Roles (and Features) AD DS AD LDS DHCP DNS File Hyper -V Print IIS Server Core Security; TCP/IP; File systems; RPC and other core sub-systems

10. Server core architecture Configure IP address, join a domain, create users, etc. AD DS AD LDS DHCP DNS File Hyper -V Print IIS Security (logon scenarios), networking (TCP/IP), file systems, WinLogon, RPC, necessary dependencies Command shell, domain join, event log, performance counter, WS-Management, WMI, licensing, WFP, HTTP support, IPSec, etc. Server Core Thin Management Tools (Local and Remote) HAL, kernel, VGA, logon, etc. Disk, network card, etc. Server Core Roles (and Features) Infrastructure Features Core Subsystems Resolved Category Dependencies Hardware Support Components Hardware

11. Server Core Getting started Demonstration

13. How is it managed? Locally: CLI with a few GUI tools that are tied into core features. Remotely: Remote desktop protocol (RDP) Publish Server Core command shell via Terminal Services RemoteApp WS-Management (WinRS and WinRM) MMC snap-ins PowerShell Third-party applications (management agents, anti-virus, etc.)

14. Automatic updates Server core does include the automatic updates client No notification functionality Manage patch deployment via WSUS (or another method) Same patches as for a full Windows Server 2008 installation – just less of them to apply!

15. Server Core Local management Demonstration

17. Getting started Change the machine name (before joining a domain):netdom renamecomputer %computername% /newname:newcomputername Change the computer name (after joining a domain):netdom.exe renamecomputer %computername% /NewName:newcomputername /userd:domainnamesername /passwordd:* Set the IP address for the primary NIC:netsh interface ipv4 set address "Local Area Connection" static ipaddress subnetmask gatewayipaddress Set the DNS server addresses:netsh interface ipv4 add dns "Local Area Connection" ipaddress [index=indexnumber] Join a domain:netdom join %computername% /domain:domainname /userd:domainnamesername /passwordd:* Restart the server:shutdown -r –t 0 Add a domain user to a local group:net localgroup groupname /add domainnamesername

18. More basic commands Enable remote desktop (from a Windows Vista or Server 2008 client):cscript %windir%ystem32CRegEdit.wsf /ar 0 Enable remote desktop (from a Windows XP or Server 2003 client):cscript %windir%ystem32CRegEdit.wsf /cs 0 Disable the firewall (not recommended):netsh firewall set opmode disable Allow Remote Desktop connections through the firewall:netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Remote Desktop" new enable=yes View the current Automatic Updates settings:scregedit.wsf /AU /v The following values correspond to the response generated by the scregedit.wsf script. 1 = Automatic Updates Disabled 4 = Automatic Updates Enabled Enable Automatic Updates:scregedit.wsf /AU 4 Disable Automatic Updates:scregedit.wsf /AU 1 Activate Windows:cscript %windir%ystem32lmgr.vbs -ato

19. Tweaking Set the screen resolution: Run regedit.exe and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEYSTEMurrentControlSetontrolideoBBF118A6-4C44-4FE4-A8A3-965A9A577F98}0000 (or whichever GUID key has a subkey named VolatileSettings with a value of 0000), then change DefaultSettings.XResolution and DefaultSettings.YResolution to the desired values (in decimal format). Change the drive letter allocation for an existing disk (e.g. the CD-ROM drive):diskpartselect volume volumenumberassign letter=driveletter Format additional disks:diskpartselect disk disknumberselect partition partitionnumberformat fs=ntfs label=volumelable quiet Label a disk (e.g. the system disk):label driveletter: volumelable

20. Server Core Remote management with WS-Management, MMC and Windows PowerShell Demonstration

22. Is server core anapplication platform? Microsoft do not see server core as an application platform: “Server core is not an application platform [but it] does support development of management tools, utilities and agents” [Andrew Mason, Microsoft] But think about it from a customer perspective: Smaller attack surface Less patching You can run applications on server core: Cannot have shell or GUI dependencies Cannot use managed code

23. Server Core Installing third party applications {optional} Demonstration

25. The future? MinWin: A minimalistic variation of the Windows kernel, being developed for use in Windows 7 (codenamed MinWin) Publicly demonstrated by Eric Traut (Microsoft Distinguished Engineer) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNsS_0wSfoU Sounds similar to server core but: Server core constrains OS by server roles: Unneeded components removed Dependencies still exist in code (must be present to compile) MinWin consolidates dependencies into the kernel. Code compiles even without any extraneous components resulting in a stripped-down self-contained OS kernel image .NET Framework subset, PowerShell support, limited ASP.NET support, Windows Communications Framework Some extra roles

26. Server core takeaways Server core is a minimal installation option for Windows Server 2008 More secure and less to patch Local management is possible, especially with third party tools such as GNU Wget and CoreConfigurator Remote management is the preferred approach: RDP, TS RemoteApp, MMC, WS-Management, Windows PowerShell Microsoft don’t see server core as an application platform – but why not?

27. Resources (Microsoft) Ask the Core Team: http://blogs.technet.com/askcore/ Server Core blog: http://blogs.technet.com/server_core/ Windows Server 2008 Technical Library: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/library/bab0f1a1-54aa-4cef-9164-139e8bcc44751033.mspx?mfr=true A-Z Command Line reference: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/library/f7cedeb1-4996-4d29-8fcb-b44d9de7cd581033.mspx?mfr=true (not all of these are available in server core) Server Core installation option – step-by-step guide: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/library/47a23a74-e13c-46de-8d30-ad0afb1eaffc1033.mspx?mfr=true Andrew Mason’s TechNet Spotlight video on server core: http://www.microsoft.com/emea/spotlight/sessionh.aspx?videoid=492 SDK: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms723891.aspx

28. Resources(non-Microsoft) Windows Server Team UK: http://winserverteam.org.uk/ My blog: http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/ A few commands to get started with server core: http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/2007/08/a-few-commands-to-get-started-with-windows-server-core.htm Customising server core: http://www.markwilson.co.uk/blog/2008/03/customising-windows-server-2008-server-core.htm Another blog with lots of server core information: Sander Berkouwer: http://blogs.dirteam.com/blogs/sanderberkouwer/ Tools: CoreConfigurator: http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/guyt/archive/2008/03/22/windows-server-core-coreconfigurator-to-the-rescue.aspx GNU Wget (compiled for Windows): http://users.ugent.be/~bpuype/wget/ This slidedeck:http://cid-1453622c71a8a08e.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Public

29. To find out more about Fujitsu and Microsoft’s industrialisation initiative – Accelerated Microsoft – visit http://uk.fujitsu.com/microsoft/

32. © 2008, Mark Wilson. Some rights reserved. CThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Licence. For further details, please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/uk/cbn