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Mitigating Dependencies to Improve Compatibility with Server Core

  • Article

6/22/2010

You cannot add system-binary files to Server Core. However, the following table shows ways that you can make an application compatible with Server Core.

Application type Procedure

Commercially available application that you are licensed to use.
  • Request that the software vendor release a version of the application that is compatible with Server Core, or offer a support program for Server Core.
  • Use a full installation of Windows Server as the platform if Server Core compatibility issues cannot be resolved by the software vendor.

Application that you own or support, and to which you have source-code access.
  • Resolve dependency issues in the source code and then compile a new version of the application.
  • Use a full installation of Windows Server if recompiling is not an option.

Application that you own or support, but without source-code access.
  • Investigate if you can use a subset of application functionality on Server Core without recompiling the application.
  • Use a full installation of Windows Server.

For example, if an application uses an API in an Internet Explorer DLL that is not present in Server Core, you can have the application use an equivalent API that is included in Server Core, or create your own equivalent implementation.

Mitigating a Dependency on an Optional Feature

An application might have a dependency on an optional feature. An optional feature is part of the reference platform, but is not enabled by default. The Server Core Application Analyzer tool reports dependencies on optional features. For information about this tool, see Identifying Dependencies by Using Server Core Application Analyzer. For a dependency on an optional feature to be resolved, the optional feature must be enabled in the reference platform.

An example of an application with a dependency on an optional feature is a .NET application where the reference platform is Server Core for Windows Server 2008 R2. .NET support is an optional feature, which means the binary files for .NET must be enabled on the Server Core platform before the .NET application can run.

The name of the optional feature shown by the Server Core Application Analyzer tool does not match the name used at the command line to enable the feature. The Server Core Application Analyzer tool displays a name that allows you to identify the feature. For information about using the feature name with a command-line utility to enable the feature, see the following documentation.

Windows Server 2008 R2

To enable an optional feature, use the DISM.exe utility. For more information, see this Microsoft Web site.

Windows Server 2008

To enable an optional feature, use the OCSetup.exe utility. For more information, see this Microsoft Web site.

See Also

Concepts

Verifying That an Application Runs on Server Core
Identifying Dependencies by Using Server Core Application Analyzer