Not All Microsoft Apps Run On Windows Server 2003

Welcome Guest. | Log In| Register | Membership Benefits

April 25, 2003 (12:12 PM EDT)

Not All Microsoft Apps Run On Windows Server 2003

Amidst the ballyhoo over Windows Server 2003, the new server operating system software that Microsoft launched Thursday, something was forgotten: Many of the company's own applications won't run on Windows Server 2003 without updating. Some never will.

"By and large, the problem stems from IIS (Internet Information Server) 6.0," said Peter Pawlak, a lead analyst with Directions on Microsoft, and the research firm's residing expert on server software. ISS 6.0, the Web server core component of Windows Server 2003, has been completely overhauled and is a significant upgrade over 5.0, said Pawlak. Any application that relies on IIS may be affected by the changes and end up broken.

Although IIS 6.0 has a compatibility mode that allows some apps to run in an emulated 5.0 environment, Pawlak pointed out that in cases, Microsoft made the call to simply forbid some of its software to run in that mode. "Microsoft felt in some cases that would compromise features or security," he said.

Among the Microsoft applications that won't work with Windows Server 2003 -- ever -- are older editions of the Redmond, Wash., company's SQL Server database, including versions 6.5 and 7.0. Microsoft adds official detail on the SQL Server support site.

Other never-going-to-work Microsoft server applications include BizTalk 2000, Commerce Server 2001, Content Management Server 2001, and Mobile Information Server 2001, Pawlak said.

But the biggest no-show, he said, is Exchange Server. No available versions of Exchange Server, Microsoft's e-mail server software, will work on a Windows Server 2003 machine. That includes the most-current Exchange Server 2000 and the still-popular Exchange Server 5.5.

"Exchange is the big one, the most important," said Pawlak. "You have to wait for Exchange 2003, and that won't ship until later in the year."

Microsoft has made it clear that only Exchange Server 2003, formerly known by its code-name of "Titanium" -- will run atop Windows Server 2003.

"The issue is that [Exchange Server 2003] doesn't even exist yet. That's the one piece of Windows Server 2003 that could stymie users making the migration," said Pawlak.

Even so, he doesn't see it as a show stopper for Windows Server 2003. The matter comes down to timing.

"Most companies don't just jump on a server upgrade," he said. They schedule it when it makes sense for their operations, and that could be a year down the road, even two. The delay of a few months between the release of Windows Server 2003 and Exchange Server 2003 won't matter much in the long run.

And there are other options. Exchange Server 2000 can be run on Windows Server 2000 systems, even as other software is deployed on the newer Windows Server 2003.

What annoys Pawlak is the forced nature of the Exchange upgrade if users want to roll out a Windows Server 2003-only environment. "These are the people who will be forced to pay for a new version of Exchange."

Another important member of Microsoft's server application family that may be a fly in the ointment is SharePoint, according to Pawlak. Current versions of both SharePoint Portal Server and SharePoint Team Services won't run on Windows Server 2003, forcing companies to wait for the future release of the 2003 iterations of those apps.

Other applications, while they will run on Windows Server 2003, require updates or service packs before they'll co-exist with the new server software. BizTalk Server 2002 will require the up-coming Service Pack 1, which Microsoft has promised to put into the channel within 90 days.

Before migrating to Windows Server 2003, Microsoft's Internet Security and Application (ISA) Server 2000 must be upgraded with Service Pack 1. And SQL Server 2000 needs Service Pack 3 to function on a Windows Server 2003 server.

While Microsoft has been up front about which of its server applications will or won't run on Windows Server 2003, Pawlak cautions that other vendors' software may be incompatible with Windows Server 2003.

Among the candidates are any application that makes use of IIS, and, said Pawlak, and software that assumes a relatively "relaxed" security environment on installation. The latter problem stems from Windows Server 2003's beefed up security and its lock-down by default mode that starts the software with the most secure features in place.

Workarounds may be possible with many applications, he said, and may be as simple as changing some settings in the security sections of Windows Server 2003 before installing third-party apps.

The smart move?

"Companies should check with the application provider, or do their own testing to make sure there are no issues," Pawlak advised.