Microsoft may come of age with Datacenter Server

may come of age with Microsoft`s Datacenter Server version of Windows 2000 will herald Microsoft`s shift into large-scale enterprise systems, and that shift promises to bring pain to large organisations running on a Microsoft operating system. With the release of Datacenter Server Microsoft is faced with a major shift from a vendor of packaged to a provider of solutions that, if they fail, could bring corporates to their knees.

"Microsoft`s strategy for Datacenter Server lies in forming close technical alliances with server OEMs, and stringent testing requirements before hardware is shipped with Datacenter Server," says Microsoft product manager Dave Thomas. and HP will collaborate on marketing the HP NetServer range preloaded with Datacenter Server when the product is launched in August this year. Integration and support will be provided by Datacentrix, with third-party backup from Microsoft-trained engineers at HP. Microsoft has stipulated that server makers who adopt Windows 2000 Datacenter will be subject to stringent "bake-in testing", and will be required to pay for Microsoft`s engineers to help provide customer support.

In accordance with the new enterprise-weight solution, Microsoft is determined to ensure that resellers can respond promptly to support requests, and feels that, given the connection between hardware and software, support should be led by the OEM. Datacentrix, in conjunction with HP, will tailor a support package for its client base, with a high level of Microsoft integration expertise. "The true functionality of the new Microsoft enterprise operating systems can only be enjoyed once complete integration takes place," explains Thomas. "This requires the input from engineers whose skills are at a premium, and companies in the enterprise space need to understand that Microsoft products aren`t simply installed and run - they need finetuning to make them truly effective."

The testing process for server makers` implementations of Windows 2000 DataCenter will be far more rigorous than that demanded for Windows NT 4.0. Testing will involve a DataCenter server running under the simulated load of thousands of clients for two weeks non-stop. "This is new for Microsoft," says Thomas.

All this means that the overall cost of installing and integrating Datacenter will place the Microsoft product firmly in the enterprise league.

Microsoft, too, has acknowledged the heavyweight nature of Datacenter.

Microsoft, having earlier given assurances that the product would "definitely be released to manufacturers way before September" has had to put out the release date way beyond that date. "This is a product we`ll only ship when it`s right," said Microsoft, and it appears that it isn`t quite right yet.