Microsoft are slowly selecting potential testers for their next Windows Server release, code named R2. In an email to testers today the software giant begins:
"Due to the outstanding contributions you made during the recent Windows SP1 beta, the Microsoft® Windows Server 2003 Beta Team would to extend the opportunity to participate in the upcoming "R2" beta program. The core of this release is built on the Windows Server 2003 SP1 platform and adds optionally-installable components that our customers have requested. This beta will all incorporate a number of key features that are of interest to customers who want to take advantage of new technologies available in the next release of Microsoft® Windows Server 2003."
According to Microsoft the beta will begin in the "early part of December" and will finish in Q4 of 2005. Microsoft have issued several Guest ID's for this beta but in order to prevent leaks the ID's are different (capital letters in different places).
News source: Microsoft Beta Place
"Due to the outstanding contributions you made during the recent Windows SP1 beta, the Microsoft® Windows Server 2003 Beta Team would to extend the opportunity to participate in the upcoming "R2" beta program. The core of this release is built on the Windows Server 2003 SP1 platform and adds optionally-installable components that our customers have requested. This beta will all incorporate a number of key features that are of interest to customers who want to take advantage of new technologies available in the next release of Microsoft® Windows Server 2003."
According to Microsoft the beta will begin in the "early part of December" and will finish in Q4 of 2005. Microsoft have issued several Guest ID's for this beta but in order to prevent leaks the ID's are different (capital letters in different places).
News source: Microsoft Beta Place
Build 11 24 November 2004
* Made code to start/stop programs and services multi-threaded for faster execution
* Added a few more descriptions for possible error messages when starting/stopping services
* Fixed bug that caused crash in GUI when loading a profile with a filename longer than 20 characters
* Added auto-arrange to the main profile window (icons will arrange themselves as the window is resized)
I hope Microsoft opens up on this one, I really, really, really want to test it.
Personally, I don't really see the fun in testing a server OS. Seems a bit too risky to actually *test* it in a real environment, and if you don't, you aren't really testing it so you basically aren't helping out and just wasting Microsoft's resources.
Considering that the Theme service was turned off by default in 2K3, it will be very unlike for a new VS to be introduced. Beside, people who will be deploying Server OS aren't really the right audience for the new VS introduction.
I don't think that Microsoft expect anyone to be testing this product in the production environment. Larger networks usually have an isolated network for testing purposes such as this one.
A few months back, I requested greater improvements in Server roles depending on the department of an organization, I need a better out of the box experience if I'm setting it up for a finance or purchasing department, it needs to be more aware. It would also be nice if they finally include Process Control, only available to Datacenter Server into both Standard and Enterprise edition, we admins running Standard and Enterprise want to tune our applications too to better take advantage of TCP/IP based Services and applications.
The branch management features should also be something to check out.
Microsoft has also admitted this isn't a major difference from Server 2003, you can still use your existing CALs, plus its really just a role up of all the out of band technologies, Active Directory User Mode, Windows SharePoint Team Services released after Server 2003 to give Admins a break on the unnecessary downloading. Features such as the next generation Terminal Services, NAT were dropped for Longhorn Server instead.
But the real problems are found mostly for Server betas when you put them in a network environment.
For features such as branch management, you might have to use your kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom for that.
LOL
Plus, its done by a human being, we are not all perfect.
What is Windows SP1? Really now...
Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!
Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.