And there is much more.

Timing Is Everything
The question is: Will it be ready on time? Microsoft has been working at this OS for more than five years, but there is a still lot to do.

For one thing, the integration of Server Manager with PowerShell is a great idea and is one of the main justifications for the upgrade, but since it was an afterthought -- it was announced after the release of Beta 3 and has yet to show up in any actual build -- it will take considerable time. Integrating the two means that every single command in Server Manager and every single snap-in that integrates to it -- File Server Resource Management, Windows Deployment Services, Active Directory Domain Services, and so on -- must be re-written to produce commands in PowerShell. That can't be a small undertaking.

Another note: Though WS08 comes in both x86 (32-bit) and x64 (64-bit) editions (an IA64 edition will also be available), this will be the last time Microsoft releases a 32-bit edition of its server OS. WS08 Release 2, which is expected to ship in 2009, will no longer include a 32 bit version.

There is no doubt that WS08 heralds a new age in Windows computing: One that will see massive moves to dynamic datacenters as everyone virtualizes their Windows service offerings. One that will see the end of 32-bit computing. One that will see the introduction of a "non-Windows" Windows through Server Core. And one that will fully support server consolidation and the elimination of server proliferation.

What will be its rate of adoption? When will organizations move to this new OS? We think the migration won't begin until Microsoft releases Windows Server Virtualization -- and since it aims to do so 180 days after the release of WS08, it may well be one that even Bill Gates will miss as he retires from active Microsoft duty.

Danielle Ruest and Nelson Ruest are IT professionals specializing in systems administration, migration planning, software management, and architecture design, and the authors of The Definitive Guide to Vista Migration and the upcoming Complete Reference To Windows Server 2008. You can reach them at info@reso-net.com.

	Additional Resources
	Microsoft has, of course, a number of resources to help install and manage WS08. They include the Windows Server 2008 Home Page" and the Windows Server 2008 TechCenter. The book Introducing Windows Server 2008 by Mitch Tulloch from Microsoft Press offers interesting insights from the Windows Server Programming Team. For more information on Windows Server 2008 administration, you can attend a one-day workshop from the authors at Interop in New York on October 22, 2007. They are also conducting workshops on consolidation and virtualization this fall in Los Angeles, Denver, Dallas, and San Francisco. And if you want to try Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 for yourself, you'll find it at Microsoft's download page.