So did you all hear the big news? Rackspace Cloud now has Windows Cloud Server running both 2003 and 2008 in 32-bit and 64-bit modes! Okay it’s still in Beta but they’ve got it! Now as you all know, I am a hardcore Linux fan but I can’t escape the fact, there are just some things that only work on Windows or just simply work better on Windows. I use WebEx for seminars and remote trainings for example.  The desktop sharing feature doesn’t yet function on Linux. I used to run a Windows XP virtual machine running via VirtualBox. That is fine but it isn’t running 24/7 and it isn’t a server.

I was happy to hear that RackspaceCloud offered Windows Cloud Servers.  I setup a Windows Server 2003 32-bit system with 512MB of RAM to try it out. My first problem was trying to connect. My Linux admin mindset took over and I tried to connect via SSH console. My root user didn’t work and I got frustrated, realized I wasn’t on Windows and used Remote Desktop Protocol. As soon as I logged in, my server setup tool came up. All in all, it was just like setting up a windows server on a physical box. Only difference, it’s cheaper overall and I can destroy it in a few second if all else fails.

I decided to test some software. I currently use a piece of software called SpiceWorks. It is an IT management tool based out of Austin. Since we do engage in MSP (Managed Service Provider), we decided to start implementing it. It can manage virtually any operating system and it’s web based but it must be installed on a Windows Server. My Rackspace Cloud server is going to be my central SpiceWorks server. Now I can deploy management agents to my customer systems. Before, I had to install it on the customer server and then I had to log into every customer server to see how their network is doing. Now, I just have one location. The only problem I think I have is that I need to upgrade my RAM. That is the only application running, as I run more, I’ll need more.

Here is a very basic breakdown

Pros:

• Cheaper cost of deployment/server
• Ease of access via RDP
• Ease of use. No different than a physical server

Cons:

• Security Concerns being that it sits on a cloud
• A few glitches to be seen every now and again (still in Beta though)
• Downtime of the cloud environment can cause issue with server uptime

It is definitely a solid system. Now I do have real concerns about the server that the cloud is hosted on going down but it hasn’t happened to me yet. There are also security concerns being that it’s essentially a shared environment but just do your due diligence with security and you should be fine. I am sure that there are some features that are either missing or incomplete but give it a month or two and it’ll be out of Beta and ready for full usage!

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