Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2 and installations of Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 offer Windows PowerShell. A lot has been written on the geekiness of PowerShell, how it wasn’t included in Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2 and how you could enable it anyway. The question however is, how do you get started with ...

As you’re probably aware Windows Server 2008 R2 is not available in a 32bit (x86) version. Only 64bit versions (both x64 and IA64) are available, but Microsoft happily provides 32bit Windows on Windows (WoW) support, so admins can install their favorite 32bit programs on top of their 64bit installations. I’ve dedicated quite some blogposts to ...

Microsoft touts the smaller attack surface as one of the biggest benefits of using Server Core, compared to a Full installation of Windows Server 2008. Because a Server Core installation is optimized, it doesn’t include most of the vulnerabilities found in Full installations. A consequence of these optimizations is a Server Core installation might ...

You know, in terms of deploying servers in a smart way, so you can actually utilize them for as long as their economical lifecycle in a supported fashion without a need to reinstall them, I’ve made a stupid decision in advising IT Pros to deploy Server Core Domain Controllers in the last two years. The problem, you see, is the product team ...

Looking for a complete resource on remotely managing your Server Core box? Look no further! I've done research on the topic the last year and have come up with the following remote management methods: Remotely managing your Server Core using Compmgmt.msc  Remotely managing your Server Core using RSAT  Remotely managing your Server ...

Last time I took a look at Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Beta, I shared the surprise of having Failover Clustering and the possibility to have highly available virtualized workloads on it. This time I look at an implication of having the Windows Enterprise-like Quick Migration and Live Migration features: increased complexity and configuration ...

Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 came with built-in support for serial and USB connected Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) devices. From within the Power Options you could manage your UPS and the shutdown behavior of the box. About UPS Devices UPS devices help prevent loss of data from power loss (“black-outs) ...

Smart-X, the Israel-based company behind CoreConfigurator and former employer of Guy Teverovsky has released a new version of CoreConfigurator for Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008. And I must admit … I’m impressed!     CoreConfigurator 1.2.0.2 Last time I looked at Smart-X CoreConfigurator version 1.1.0.5. I ...

In the past I’ve mentioned a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 is less susceptible to attacks than a full installation of Windows Server 2008: It has less code on disk and in memory, resulting in a smaller attack surface It requires less updates It doesn’t offer a built-in way to browse the web It is deployed by ...

I remember pretty well when Guy Teverovsky shared his CoreConfigurator tool, to help Server Core Systems Administrators perform everyday tasks through a Graphical User Interface (GUI). I still remember the buzz it generated throughout the blogosphere, I still remember the amount of kudos to Guy for building and sharing this tool, I still remember ...