XP Pro vs. Windows Server 2003?

Does someone know what the _important_ differences are between these two?

Mitch & Murray (from downtown)
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

I use Win2k3 svr as my workstation. Primarily, the benefit is that I can run server software such as IIS, SQL Server, Oracle, Biztalk locally.

Since it came out after XP, the code has been through the security review process at MS.

XP Pro is limited to 2 CPU's, server goes up to 4,8,?

Most XP drivers work on 2k3, so device support hasn't been an issue.

It might have some server based app optimizations, not sure.

AEB
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

I use 2k3 as well, only problem is I can't find a working Cisco VPN client =(

GiorgioG
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

"Primarily, the benefit is that I can run server software such as IIS, SQL Server, Oracle, Biztalk locally."

What exactly about Windows Server 2003 makes that so?  Couldn't you do that with a local install on XP Pro?

Sorry if I am being a bit slow on the uptake here.  40+ you know.

Mitch & Murray (from downtown)
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

SQL Server, yes. You can run MSDE or MS SQL Developer Edition on XP Pro. If you need to run specific editions of MS SQL, you'll need the appropriate server-platform OS.

BizTalk, no, because that's limited to a server-platform OS.

Brad Wilson (dotnetguy.techieswithcats.com)
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

It's funny, but from a practical perspective many of the "differences" are arbitrary "read a registry key and complain if it isn't the right version". For instance have fun installing anti-virus software if you install the server edition. On the other hand have fun installing the "real" production versions of many MS apps if you have XP Pro (though in practice you can install virtually all of them in "developer" editions -- IIS, SQL, Biztalk, etc -- most anything that you want to run runs perfectly fine on XP Pro.

Cheers.

Dennis Forbes
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

win2k3 has all sorts of security differences, in iis6 and elsewhere.
things like regular users can't run cmd.exe, just administrators. (by default).

there's certainly much more but i haven't spent enough time to know.

mb
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

The difference that I notice most is that XP Pro has a limited version of IIS - single IP address and 10 connection limit. This is irritating if you're a web developer.

WD
Tuesday, February 24, 2004

I've heard you can't run ActiveSync on server.

dmooney
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

ActiveSync 3.7.1 works fine for me on W2K3.

jonathan
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

IIS6 and the security on websites is quite different.
If you're going to deploy ASP/ASP.NET on Win2K3 allow a week to sort out the security.
All of a sudden web.config starts needing impersonate lines. I haven't yet sat down and figured out the security model yet, but it took longer than I'd expected for us to get an ASP.NET site working on 2K3 (and of course security errors are sooo helpful)

Peter Ibbotson
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

I also use Server 2k3 as my main OS for various reasons, and have found it to work very well.

In what context do you want to know the differences? They really are two different classes of OS - what makes you think you need one over the other? If you answer that then we can give you some differences relevant to your particular situation.

James U-S
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

"BizTalk, no, because that's limited to a server-platform OS."

Don't they do a developer edition any more?... Let me see... They do - same spec as the enterprise version.

Duncan Smart
Thursday, February 26, 2004

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