The Minimal Server Interface provides a convenient way to enjoy some of the benefits of Server Core, including a reduced attack surface and fewer reboots, while still maintaining local graphical management capabilities with many MMC snap-ins, local Server...

As we’ve discussed in the past, Features on Demand makes it easy to reduce the footprint of your Windows Servers by removing optional components you don’t need from your server’s local disk. When you install Server Core (the default...

In our previous blog posting , we introduced the Minimal Server Interface. At the end, we noted that there are three particular Windows features (among others, of course) that can be installed on any server running Windows Server 2012: Server Core...

Andrew Mason and I have teamed up with the TechNet Radio team to bring you a live tour of Windows Server and the Minimal Server Interface. About this Video Principal Group Program Manager Andrew Mason and Program Manager Ben Herila join us for today’s...

As Andrew mentioned in our previous blog post , we have made a huge investment this release to enable and improve many new and existing scenarios on Server Core. While Server Core offers a great, minimal footprint system that is capable of running most...

The Windows Server blog introduced many of the changes we have made for Windows Server 2012 for Server Core, the new Minimal Server Interface, and Features on Demand in this posting: http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/archive/2012/03/20/building...

There is a new posting on Server Core on the main Windows Server blog: http://blogs.technet.com/b/windowsserver/archive/2012/03/20/building-an-optimized-private-cloud-using-windows-server-8-server-core.aspx More details will be posted here in the coming...

This morning Bill Laing, Corporate Vice President of Server and Cloud, announced the beta release of Windows Server “8 ”. For anyone who is interested in hearing more about what is in the beta, please go read what Bill has to say. In the coming...

Some Server Core related information was recently posted on the Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform blog that will likely be of interest to Server Core users: Windows Server 8: Server Applications and the Minimal Server Interface

The next version of SQL Server (code name Denali) will include support for Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/nikosan/archive/2010/11/11/future-sql-server-edition-denali.aspx . I'm sure more information will be posted as SQL Server...

Details on the .Net 4 namespaces that work on Server Core are available at: http://www.satter.org/2011/04/net-4-on-server-core.html

The download center link is: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=c2794455-274d-4363-ade6-e69008a24d8a Before installing, be sure to check the Instructions section on the page. .NET Framework 4 on Server Core requires the following...

We have been hearing your questions about whether .NET Framework 4 will be available on Server Core. I’m happy to announce that in Q1 of 2011, there will be a release of .NET Framework 4 supporting installation on the Server Core installation option...

For those of you that used Server Core in Windows Server 2008 you may be familiar with the Oclist.exe tool. This tool was included in Server Core to provide a way to obtain a list of roles and features on Server Core and their installation state. In Windows...

If you are using an IPv6 transition technology on a Windows Server 2008 R2 Server Core installation you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: • IPv6 transition technologies such as ISATAP, 6to4 and Teredo do not work...

There is a new utility available to allow management of your network bindings at the command line on Server Core: NVSPBind. It is available at: http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/nvspbind More information is at: http://blogs.technet.com/jhoward/archive...

Windows Server 2008 R2 introduces a new command-line utility, DISM, the Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool. One of DISM’s many useful features is the ability to use its edition-servicing commands to upgrade an R2 installation without requiring...

There is now a command line utility, tzutil.exe, that can be used to view the current time zone setting as well as to configure the time zone. For those of you using PowerShell that want to script setting the time zone on Server Core, a PowerShell...

Server Core is a new Windows installation option introduced in Windows Server 2008. The original Windows Server 2008 Server Core did not include . NET -- and that limited the things you could use it for. In Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Core includes...

A new version of the Server Core step by step guide has been posted to TechNet, which includes the new Windows Server 2008 R2 commands (DISM.exe, new roles/features, etc): Read online: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753802.aspx Download...

Those of you that installed the beta build may have noticed that we made WoW64 an optional feature in Server Core for R2. In the beta it was not installed by default, which caused its share of headaches due to many installers still being 32bit or using...

Microsoft Technology Platform Adoption labs is offering a training session April 21-23 on Server Core development for Windows Server 2008 R2. This will be offered via a “Virtual Lab” so you can attend from your office, there is no need to travel. However...

A slight detour from the Windows Server 2008 R2 posts this time around to cover a topic that has been coming up recently: UAC on Server Core. UAC is not available in Server Core, since it is a command line only interface, doesn’t have IE, or support...

Much like .NET 2.0 in Server Core, .NET 3.0 and 3.5 are also subsets of functionality. Included are: · Windows Communication Framework (WCF) · Windows Workflow Framework (WF) · LINQ The only functionality not included is the Windows Presentation...

This time I’ll cover what I meant last time by a subset of .NET 2.0, with future posts covering the other additions in more detail. Not everything required for full .NET 2.0 support is included in Server Core. Instead of increasing the Server Core footprint...