Microsoft Releases First Public Beta of 'Longhorn' Server

Published: May 2, 2007

by Alex Woodie

Microsoft last week made available the first public beta of the next version of Windows Server, codenamed "Longhorn." While there are no major changes with Longhorn Beta 3, Microsoft has made several minor improvements and additions, and the product is now "feature complete," according to a Microsoft product manager. The new operating system is on track to ship by the end of the year, the software giant says.

Beta 3 is expected to be the final milestone in the development of Windows Server Longhorn. Beta 3 comes on the heals of the April Community Technology Preview (CTP), an unexpected release that brought several improvements and new features not included in the first two betas, which shipped in July 2005 and May 2006 and were only open to a select few testers.

Microsoft says it made some changes with Beta 3, although at least some of the enhancements were also included with the April CTP. (Apparently, in the Microsoft scheme of things, the features are not really "there" until they're included in a full beta.)

The enhancements Microsoft claims for Beta 3 include: the addition of Windows PowerShell into the product; improvements to Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) to allow customers to implement new policies and make it easier to set up a relationship between trusted partners; additional roles and enhanced functionality in the Server Core implementation option, such as print services and Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services; new remote administration tools in the Server Manager module; the activation of Windows Firewall with Advanced Security by default; the integration of Network Access Protection (NAP) with Microsoft Update and Windows Update to enable administrators to decide which updates are critical and must be supported on PCs attempting to log on to Longhorn networks; and a new administrative interface that simplifies setup and offers better scalability and performance.

"There is a ton of new stuff to experience," says David Lowe on Windows Server Division WebLog, adding that Longhorn is "feature-complete" with Beta 3.

In a press release, Microsoft said the product is on track to deliver the product during the second half of 2007. The only thing it lacks, in addition to a round of public testing to chase down the inevitable bugs, is a formal name. The fact that Microsoft hasn't yet labeled this product "Windows Server 2007" seems to indicate some lingering doubt on Microsoft's part that it will, indeed, ship the product by the end of the year.

Everything else seems to be falling into place. With last week's announcement, Microsoft even outlined the various versions of Windows Server Longhorn, which are all available for download with Beta 3. These include Standard Edition, a general purpose operating system providing most server roles and features, and providing both full and "Server Core" installation options; an Enterprise Edition, which provides more scalability and availability over Standard Edition, including failover clustering and ADFS; a Datacenter Edition, which provides support for more memory and processors over Enterprise Edition, including unlimited virtual image use rights; a Web Server edition designed to be used specifically as a Web and application server (it won't support other server roles); and Windows Server Longhorn for Itanium-based Systems, to be used with Intel's 64-bit processors, and which, like Web Server, doesn't support other roles.

Interested parties can download Longhorn Beta 3 from www.microsoft.com/getbeta3. They will also be able to order a Beta 3 Evaluation Kit DVD in the coming weeks. People attending upcoming Microsoft events, such as the WinHEC conference that will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center May 14-16, will also be given DVDs containing Longhorn Beta 3.

A new Web server, Internet Information Services (IIS) version 7.0 is also part of Longhorn, and for those users ready to get started with IIS 7.0, Microsoft announced a "go live" license for IIS7 that allows customers to host Web applications and .NET 3.0 Web services on Longhorn Beta 3 in live production environments.

Microsoft is ramping up several programs to get the word out about Longhorn. One of these is a new Longhorn technical library that provides developers and technical users with thousands of pages of Longhorn documentation, implementation guidelines, and resources. The technical library can be accessed on Microsoft's Windows Server Tech Center Web site at www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/longhorn/default.mspx.

For those just a smidgen less technically inclined, Microsoft has put together a 279-page Longhorn reviewer's guide that provides a comprehensive overview of Longhorn's features and functions. Interested parties can download the 9 MB Word document at www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsserver/longhorn/evaluate/review-guide.mspx.

Microsoft has also set up a Longhorn learning portal on the Internet where interested parties can attend five clinics about the new features and functionality in Longhorn, including courses on virtualization, security and policy management, branch office management, centralized application access, and server management. Microsoft is also hosting a series of interactive, online events with executives and product managers, including Windows Server general manager Bill Laing, director of Windows server program management Iain McDonald, group program manager Alex Hinrichs, director of product management Joseph Landes, senior product manager David Lowe, and senior technical product manager Ward Ralston. To sign up for these events, check out Microsoft's upcoming May events at www.microsoft.com/communities/chats/vcs/07_0508_TN_Longhorn.ics.

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