A server for the rest of us: hands-on with Windows Server 2012 Essentials
Last week, Microsoft released the latest version of its server operating system, Windows Server 2012, along with a number of related versions and variants. But one member of the new Windows Server family hasn’t shipped yet—Windows Server 2012 Essentials, Microsoft’s version of the operating system for small networks.
Many small networks get along fine without a server (and with cloud-based e-mail and collaboration, that number has been on the rise). But others still need the sort of network services that a server provides, and they just can’t choke down the administrative burden (or the license fee) for a full-blown Windows Server.
The solution for Windows users has long been to use one of Microsoft’s “lite” server versions: Windows Small Business Server, Windows Small Business Server Essentials, or in some cases Windows Home Server. But all three of those have been eradicated under the Server 2012 license model, and the new Server Essentials is heir to their converged bloodlines.
