May 2012 - SQLHA

May 14, 2012

Switching Between Server Core and Full GUI with Windows Server 2012

It’s been awhile, so I figured I’d write a more technically-focused post. I’m putting together my TechEd session for Orlando (DBI313: Deploying SQL Server 2012 Using Windows Server Core) which is on Monday, June 11th at 1:15 PM. I’m hoping to show some Windows Server 2012 stuff, and in testing, I did find something interesting which may trip some of you up.

As I hope you already know, with Windows Server 2008 R2, you can configure Windows in one of two ways: with the full-blown user interface or in a Server Core configuration which just gives you a command prompt when logged in. Unlike Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 allows you to switch between Core and full GUI, and even adds what I call a “halfway house” known as MinShell. MinShell allows some GUIs to run – namely MMC snap-ins.

There is one caveat that isn’t well documented. While you can switch between Core and Full, how you started will determine the initial step. If you installed the full GUI, switched to Core, and then want to change back – no problem. If you first install Server Core and then decide to go with a GUI, the payload that has the interface is not installed by default (much like .NET 3.51, as I blogged about here). First, you’ll see the error as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Error when trying to switch to the full UI

Shown in Figure 2, when you examine things with dism, you’ll see the payload isn’t there.

Figure 2. UI payload not enabled

Like .NET 3.51, you’ll have to install the payload as part of the enabling of the UI as shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Adding the package

You’re not done just yet. You also have to enable the feature Server-Gui-Shell (either with dism or using PowerShell [Add-WindowsFeature featurename]). An example is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Adding the GUI shell feature

Once you reboot, you will see the full Windows Server 2012 GUI. You may see some instructions that also tell you to enable Server-Gui-Mgmt–Infra, but as you can see in Figure 5 which was done in testing this blog post, it’s enabled when you add Server-Gui-Shell.

Figure 5. Management tools enabled

Hope this helps some of you out there!

May 14, 2012

An Update: Windows Server 2012, .NET Framework 3.51, and SQL Server

Back in March, I wrote a blog post entitled “Windows Server 8, SQL Server 2012, and .NET Framework” where I talked about the various versions of .NET Framework as they relate to SQL Server 2012, and how I encounteded that .NET 3.51 was not available by default in WIndows Server 2012 (then known as Windows Server 8). I filed a bug against this and the official word is out: it’s not changing (my bug was closed as “By Design”). Microsoft published a blog post today on this very topic – .NET 3.51 will be a Feature On Demand. And why are they still using Windows 8 and not Windows Server 2012? Arg.

I think this decision is myopic and boneheaded, considering that SQL Server is one of the biggest deployment scenarios for Windows Server 2012 (regardless of what version or versions of SQL will ultimately be supported on it). This adds complexity to a base Windows installation for a Windows Server 2012-based deployment. Yes, it’s just another check on a list to ensure is done, but a pretty major one.

While I showed you how to get the payload from the installation media and the new blog post walks through other ways to get it, in my opinion, it’s an even stupider assumption to make that servers will have internet connectivity. Many mission critical servers when installed do not and will not. That means Windows Update (aka WU) is an impossibility for many. So you’re back to my method of getting it from the install media.

Don’t like it? I know I don’t. Make your voice heard. I have already tried the official route and was shot down, but I say there’s strength in numbers. Maybe if there’s enough outcry Microsoft will change this by RTM … but don’t look for me to turn blue holding my breath.

EDIT: Here is a link to a Connect item. Please add your comments about your scenario and how it will affect you. Don’t just do a +1.

May 4, 2012

The Importance of Connect Item 636516

Happy Friday everyone! This one is a quick blog post. There’s an Microsoft Connect item out there – 636516 to be exact – that you guys should go vote for. What is it and why should you care? Read on …

With the new AlwaysOn availability groups feature in SQL Server 2012, we can have readable replicas that will give folks near-real time access to data. This is a big step forward from where we are with solutions like log shipping and database mirroring which have their issues in this arena. However, as it works in SQL Server 2012, if the connection to the primary read/write replica is lost, the readable replica is not usable until that connection is established again. It’s not the end of the world, but in reality, it should probably allow you to use that readable replica even in a disconnected state. That’s what 636516 is all about.

So if you want to be able to use your readable replica when it can’t connect to the primary read/write one, click on the link above and vote. What would help even more is if you added a comment with your use case scenario and how it would impact you. That will help them even more to decide whether or not this will be fixed in a future version of SQL Server.

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