Ravindra Kulkarni
The Server Core installation lets you install a minimal OS for running just the chosen server
roles that would not even need a GUI. This means that you don’t have the huge ‘‘attack’’ surface
that will ensue from all the service requirements. One more thing: Once you install just Server
Core you can stand your server up in a secure environment, both physical and online, and
worry only about securing the services you are actually running. Once Server Core has been
installed you can then open Server Manager (remotely or via scripting) and install, among many
others, the following server roles:
■ Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS)
■ Application Server
■ DHCP Server
■ DNS Server
■ File Services
■ Print Services
Here are some more benefits of the Server Core installation alternative:
■ Lower maintenance. You only need to maintain on the server what is actually installed
on the server. Why worry about maintaining File Services on a server that is nothing more
than a simple domain controller?
■ You need less disk space. The Server Core requires only about 1 gigabyte (GB) of disk
space to install and approximately 2GB for operations after the installation.
■ Less management. Management costs in realms like security, availability, and service
level are far less than previous installation scenarios. You would not have to worry about
supporting a bunch of services and code that you are not using.
IgNiTeD SoUL 