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Microsoft

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

By Mark W. Kaelin May 1, 2007, 6:20 AM PDT

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A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

By Mark W. Kaelin

By Mark W. Kaelin

In late April 2007, Microsoft released the Beta 3 version of Microsoft Server, code named Longhorn. The evaluation copy is our best indication yet of what features will be included in the next official release of Microsoft Server. In this first look gallery, we show you the basic installation and configuration screens found in Beta 3.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Begin installation

Begin installation

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Click and wait

Click and wait

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Certification

Certification

We obtained our Product Key from MSDN.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

The whole thing

The whole thing

You can install everything or just the core elements. We went for the kitchen sink.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Just the core

Just the core

No minimum for us.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Accept

Accept

What’s the worst that can happen.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

No upgrade

No upgrade

No previous operating system to upgrade, but if there were, you would have that option. Of course, I don’t recommend that, ever.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Where

Where

With VirtualPC there isn’t much choice.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Time for lunch. The installation process took quite a while. And required several reboots to complete.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Be sure to allocate some time for this process — or you are setting yourself up for frustration.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Progress, but another reboot is coming — but you knew that didn’t you.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

After three reboots, I think we may be almost finished.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

This screen stayed up for a good 10 minutes. It may have been because of the virtualization I was using for the installation, but it took some real patience to keep from shutting it down.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

The Longhorn logon screen finally.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Server Manager

Server Manager

Here is the Summary page of the Server Manager. Net admins will be spending plenty of time in this tool, I suspect.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Wizard magic

Wizard magic

Much of the configuration in Longhorn is performed via a Wizard.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Roles

Roles

Plenty of server roles to choose from.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Just click off your desired roles and the Wizard takes care of the rest.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Features

Features

You will have to add features as you need them.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

There are many more features than you will ever want to install.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Diagnostics

Diagnostics

Diagnostics are always important for effective server administration. Longhorn Beta 3 offers some basic diagnostic tools.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

More configuration

More configuration

This is where you can tweak more configuration settings.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Event viewer

Event viewer

Sometimes you can’t tell what is going on without checking a log. Longhorn Server Beta 3 event log files are accessed from this screen in the Server Manager tool.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Services

Services

This screen in the Server Manager is where admins can get down to the nitty-gritty of their server operation.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Reliability

Reliability

Longhorn Server provides some basic performance and reliability monitoring tools.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

A server isn’t much good if it is not reliable.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Device manager

Device manager

This screen is familiar to almost everyone using a Windows operating system. Troubleshooting a bad-acting device usually leads here.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Task scheduler

Task scheduler

Automated and scheduled mean you can actually spend time with the family.

firewalla731490f.jpg
firewalla731490f.jpg
A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Firewall

Warner Bros.

Firewall

This screen in the Server Manager is where admins configure the built-in firewall to conform to their specific environment.

Warner Bros.
A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Firewall monitoring

Firewall monitoring

You may have to check out who is trying to break through your firewall.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Security associations

Security associations

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Group policy

Group policy

The Server Manager Configuration tree is where you set establish your group policies and settings.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Administrator

Administrator

The Administrator dialog is also similar to Windows Vista. Should a server have Music and Saved Games folders?

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Computer

Computer

The Computer dialog, reached via the Start Menu, is much the same.

m_win81.png
m_win81.png
A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Control Panel

Control Panel

The Control Panel is also very familiar — perhaps a few less icons.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Many of the configuration tools we saw in the Server Manager can also be reached by navigating the Start Menu.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Help

Help

Help files are available.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

I decided to install a few server roles to see how the process worked. This is the Wizard progress screen.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

I am making progress, but it is not a quick process.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

More progess and light at the end of the tunnel. The system has rebooted itself a couple of times in the interim.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Another reboot and I am almost done.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Oh look, another restart.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

This message appeared more often then I care to remember. No wonder network administrators and IT professionals get frustrated. Granted, I was working with a virtual machine, but even on a dedicated fast server, the configuration process is going to take awhile to complete.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Now there are some roles to see in the Server Manager.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

As a server, you really can’t just pull the plug on Longhorn. A graceful exit requires a comment.

A first look: Microsoft Longhorn Server Beta 3

Roles and Features are now installed and I am ready to start serving.

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By Mark W. Kaelin
Mark W. Kaelin has been writing and editing stories about the information technology industry, gadgets, finance, accounting, and tech-life for more than 25 years. Most recently, he has been a regular contributor to BreakingModern.com, aNewDomain.net,
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