What will run on Windows Server 2008 -- and when

Now that Microsoft has released to manufacturing Windows Server 2008, the next obvious question is which applications will run on it -- and when? Are we in for a Windows-Vista-like experience, where even some of Microsoft's own applications didn't work with its new operating system for weeks, if not months?

There is going to be a delay between Windows Server 2008's availability and the time when some of Microsoft's key enterprise apps will fully support Windows Server 2008, Microsoft officials acknowledged.

In part, this is because Microsoft's various product divisions -- just like third-party software vendors -- need to wait for the final Windows Server 2008 bits to do real tests and tweaks for compatibility, the Softies said. But because the Windows Server sales cycle is longer, and the total number of server-based applications are fewer than client-based ones, the lag is likely to take less of a toll on customers, Microsoft execs claimed.

All Microsoft server applications have been required by Microsoft itself to meet the "Certified For Windows Server 2008" technical bar since last year. And going forward, all Microsoft server applications also are going to have to "go the extra mile" and obtain the "Certified For Windows Server 2008" logo, officials said.

Microsoft's first priority is to make sure back-up, security, amangement and storage apps (from both Microsoft and third-party vendors) are Windows-Server-compatible, officials said.

A number of Microsoft back-end apps already run on Windows Server 2008, Microsoft officials noted, including Exchange Server 2007 Service Pack (SP) 1; Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 SP 1; SQL Server 2005 with SP2; and System Center Operations Manager 2007, among others.

But there also are a couple of older Microsoft server apps that won't ever be updated to run on Windows Server 2008 -- specifically Systems Management Server 2003, System Center Reporting Manager, ISA Server 2004 and ISA Server 2006.

A number of Microsoft server apps that won't support Windows Server 2008 until the latter half of 2008, when service packs providing Server 2008 compatibility are released. Apps that fall into this category include Commerce Server 2007 (via Service Pack 2); Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 (via SP1); System Center Virtual Machine Manager (via version "Next," or 2.0); and, of course, SQL Server 2008, which isn't due to go to manufacturing now until the third quarter of 2008.

Microsoft's BizTalk Server team isn't yet ready to talk about which versions of its products will run on Windows Server 2008 and when; they are planning to address dates by the end of this calendar quarter, Microsoft officials said.

Is late 2008 too late for businesses kicking the Windows Server 2008 tires?

For customers it might be less of an issue than for channel partners trying to get up-tos-speed about these new Microsoft products before they have to go out and sell them.

"My question to Microsoft is: Are they going to get the back office applications, install scripts, installation instructions, system requirements and other system dependencies such as IIS 7.0 updated prior to RTM of W2K8 and NOT 10 or more months like they did with SQL Server 2005," said Scott Hill, CIO of RightSize IT, a Microsoft Gold reseller partner based in Texas. "I would love to see on the product pages, TechNet, etx, W2K8 links for status for the position of each product team."

Microsoft Windows Server team members emphasized that they are willing to be transparent about what will work on Server 2008 and when. Microsoft is redying a Knowledge Base article that it will publish to the Web this week that will list which Microsoft apps will be supported when. At the same time, Microsoft is working with hundreds of third-party vendors whose products work on Windows Server, said Tony de Freitas, head of channel and partner strategy for the Windows Server group.

De Freitas said that 850 ISVs have enrolled 1,000 applications in Microsoft's Early Access Program for the Windows Server 2008 software logo program. There will be 40 "Certified For" Windows Server 2008 applications available as of the product launch on February 27, 2008, and another 40 "Works With" certified applications by that same date, de Freitas said. Microsoft is making available to customers and partners application-compatibility tools, planning and assesment tools and migration tools -- including a technical preview of a new IIS 6 to 7 migration tool -- to ease compatibility issues, de Freitas added.

Microsoft partner Hill said he's concerned that some third-party wares are not going to support Windows Server 2008 in full until late this year or early 2009. He cited security vendor Sophos as an example, noting that the 64-bit version of its Control Center product that will work with Windows Server 2008 isn't slated to ship until December or January.

"Another year before we can remove a legacy Windows Server 2003 32-bit system for management?" Hill said. "The first team that always migrates and eats the 'dogfood' is the IT group. How can I ask my staff and clients to learn, migrate, and use the new operating systems if the major 3rd party vendors can't get their products ready?"

Which apps are you counting on to run -- and sooner rather than later -- on Windows Server 2008?