As announced by Microsoft on April 24, 2003, Windows 2003 Server is now generally available. This means hosting companies will be starting to offer the Windows 2003 operating system as an option to their clients.
Digex said, in a press release on April 24, 2003, that they would have “immediate availability of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 within the Digex Managed Platforms service line.” Other hosting companies that were contacted have not been so quick to give a time when they would have a Windows 2003 package available.
It is yet to be determined if security concerns over the operating system are the reasons behind no official release date being given for new servers using the new operating system or not. There is no doubt that everyone has questions about the security of the new software release.
Last year alone, there were many different viruses and worms that propagated though Microsoft’s operating system, causing millions of dollars worth of damage, including Nimda and Code Red. Everyone in the computer industry is now wondering if Microsoft has gotten the security right.
Microsoft has said that Windows 2003 Server is shipped secure. The reason the product is said to be secure by Microsoft officials is because in default configuration IIS (Internet Information Server) is disabled. Web hosting companies will have to turn on the web server to serve web pages for their clients. The big question is if the software will still be secure once the web server is turned on.
Security might be on every ones mind but hosting companies are also looking for the cost savings promised by Microsoft.
Microsoft has announced a new Web Edition with the release of the Windows 2003 Server. There are no Client Access Licenses (CALs) and the cost is significantly less at a price of $399. The price tag for the Standard Edition is $999, which is the same as it is for Windows 2000, says Microsoft’s Windows 2000 site. With a $600 dollar per server savings, the hosting industry will start seeing more competitors in the budget-hosting segment with servers running on Windows 2003 Server; a segment now only containing a handful of Windows hosts.
Servers running open source operating systems like FreeBSD and Linux currently fill the budget hosts segment of the market. Microsoft has seen this as an issue for a while now and is expecting the addition of the Web Edition to allow more budget hosting packages on the Microsoft operating system.
The trend for non-Windows based hosting companies to start deploying services based on the Web Edition of the Windows 2003 Server has already started thanks to Microsoft’s new licensing and pricing structure. One such company to announce plans to start selling servers with Windows Web Edition is RackShack.net.
RackShack.net has been a RedHat Linux and Cobalt Raq shop since they were started but they have posted on their site that they would be releasing, on May 1, 2003, prices for systems with “Windows Web Edition powered by Ensim.” While requests for comments sent to RackShack.net were unanswered in time for publication, posts on their users forum have said the cost of the Windows operating system was the reason behind them not having Windows dedicated servers in the past.
The real test for Windows 2003 Server will be if developers will want to rush to it or not. Microsoft said they have made some major stability changes to IIS 6.0, which ships with Windows 2003 Server.
The developers that were contacted to see if they were rushing to get their hands on Windows 2003 Server did not have definitive answers. One developer said “I have not had much time to even look at the differences so I cannot give an answer to that question.”
One thing is for sure; Microsoft has released its Web Edition of the server to compete against the open source alternatives. Now Microsoft just has to hope developers will bite at the chance to get hosting for about the same cost as the open source alternatives.
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
More Web Hosting Articles Articles
More By Developer Shed
developerWorks - FREE Tools! |
Effective governance for lean development isn’t about command and control. Instead, the focus is on enabling the right behaviors and practices through collaborative and supportive techniques. Hear from Scott Ambler on how it is far more effective to motivate people to do the right thing than it is to force them to do so. Learn how to form a lightweight, collaboration-based framework that reflects the realities of modern IT organizations. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
This whitepaper presents the benefits of successfully introducing static analysis into your organization using IBM Rational Software Analyzer. Additionally, it identifies some common pitfalls that can hinder the effective use of static analysis tooling as well as presents 10 simple strategies designed to help you quickly realize the value of static analysis using Rational Software Analyzer. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
This tutorial shows new users of IBM WebSphere Business Monitor Version 6.0.2 how to perform the "Hello World" equivalent for monitoring business process applications. It is intended to help you get familiar with the capabilities of the product. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Join this Rational Talks to You teleconference on December 6 at 1:00 pm ET to participate in an agile application development discussion and get your questions answered on using IBM Rational Method Composer in a distributed environment.Get your questions answered! FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Because access to government information continues to be an area of concern for many U.S. citizens with disabilities, the U.S. government enacted Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in 2001 to ensure that government agencies create accessible Web content, enabling all citizens to access the information they need. A fully accessible Web site makes Web content accessible to all individuals, including those with disabilities, who may be accessing Web content via a variety of user agents. Common user agents include standard Web browsers, text-only browsers, assistive devices and mobile devices such as cell phones or personal digital assistants (PDAs). FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
As organizations have grown increasingly dependent on online software, the risk of malicious attacks has also become far more serious. Fortunately, well-governed organizations can protect their Web applications by injecting vulnerability assessments and ethical hacks into their software development and delivery processes. This paper describes 12 of the most common hacker attacks and provides basic rules that you can follow to help create more hack-resistant Web applications. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Get a free trial download of the latest version of IBM Rational Performance Tester V7.0.1, a load and performance testing solution for teams concerned about the scalability of their Web-based applications. Combining multiple ease-of-use features with granular detail, Rational Performance Tester simplifies the test-creation, load-generation and data-collection processes that help teams ensure the ability of their applications to accommodate required user loads. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Whether you are creating new applications or modifying existing ones, managing integration of new components with traditional z/OS elements is a critical part of building and deploying modern applications. Listen to this webcast to see how IBM can help you optimize your development process using an IDE like Rational Developer for System z that integrates with management tools, such as ClearCase to manage your application development on mainframes. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
In this webcast, IBM Rational will discuss the importance of Web application security and will share techniques and best practices to introduce application security testing into current QA processes including: understanding common security vulnerabilities and techniques to integrate security testing with defect tracking and remediation systems in an effort to safeguard sensitive online information. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
User communities play an important role in communication and collaboration around products, solutions and other areas of special interest to members. Successful communities are able to provide the right mix of content and services to deliver a value proposition that resonates with each audience. Join Tom Inman, VP of Marketing for Information and Platform Solutions as he introduces the new LeverageINFORMATION community. During this webcast, learn about the value provided by the community and how customers and partners derive value from the community in addressing their own technical and business challenges. FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools! |