Serving up .NET
InfoWorld | at | by Mike
Microsoft is betting that Windows .Net Server will get a spot on customers' crowded to-do lists. To make this happen, Microsoft has packed Windows .Net Enterprise Server RC1 (Release Candidate 1) with impressive new features. The vendor has taken the unprecedented step of allowing customers to download the OS for free (or order CDs), and every copy of RC1 comes with a one-year license.
RC1 embodies Microsoft goal of providing multiple rich paths to system management. The MMC (Microsoft Management Console) remains the primary interface for most administrators. A new role-based management interface, Manage Your Server, organizes administrative tasks, documentation, and guidance (for example, "what to do next") by server roles such as Web, domain, e-mail, and media. This facility is simpler and far more helpful than Windows 2000's Configure Your Server interface. If you access management consoles via Manage Your Server, new features such as task shortcuts and functional groupings will appear.