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What, you were expecting the Rolling Stones maybe?

Back in 1995, Mick Jagger and his pals received a pot of Microsoft gold for supporting the launch of Windows 95. It was a major media event. Last week, without an aging rock star or X Factor wannabe in sight (unless you count Steve Ballmer) there was another, major, Microsoft Launch...

...actually, not so much of a launch as a statement of intent. Had everything come together at the same and right time we would be rushing out to implement Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008.  So I thought it was worth just setting the record straight.

Visual Studio 2008 has been ready since the end of last year, so that is a done deal.

Windows Server 2008 is mostly ready and mostly launched. The new virtualisation capabilities, now named Hyper-V, will not be on the distribution disks – instead, this will be a retro fit 180(ish) days after launch. To be honest, I think that the new hardware demanded by Hyper-V means that all but the biggest (and richest) IT departments won’t notice for a year or so.

Poor old SQL Server 2008 is the hardest hit – it has been delayed until the second half of the year.  I’m not sure what the issues are as there is a technology preview available for download, this story, to be continued.

Back to Windows Server 2008, even without the Hyper-V components, Server 2008 still has a lot going for it...

New Windows Server 2008 feature of the week:

Server Core mode: A Server Core installation provides a minimal, non-GUI, environment for running specific server roles, this reduces what Microsoft call “the attack surface”. The challenge is, not every application can run in this environment, no .NET and no PowerShell for example. But there is support for:

• Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
• Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS)
• DHCP Server
• DNS Server
• File Services
• Print Services
• Streaming Media Services
• Web Server (IIS)
• ...

The official UK launch, interestingly named Heroes Happen Here, is later this month on 19 March at the ICC in Birmingham – but don’t rush out to register. It’s full. I’ll be presenting a seminar for business decision makers thoughtout 2008 so you’ve not missed the boat. Heroes probably happen here.