Having received numerous emails that the link to CCC is broken, I’d like to clarify that CCC is available from the downloads-page. This is the only place where it’s available, because this gives me the ability to keep track of the number of downloads.

So, if you’re looking for CCC or the newer version CCC R2 you can grab it here!

The latest release of CCC is for R2-versions of 2008 ONLY. This is because the syntax of certain commands have changed, so we decided to not autodetect and fork in this case since the if/else-handling in batch-files leaves a lot to wish for.

If you still want CCC for the old Core-version it’s still available under downloads also.

Features in the latest version have expanded a little and now the list looks like this:

Computer Settings
Network And Disk Configuration
Network Configuration
Manual Configuration
DHCP Configuration
IPv6
Disable Network Connection
Enable Network Connection
NetBios
WINS
Speed – Duplex (not working)
Disk Configuration
Create Partition
Format Volume
Change Drive Letter
List Volumes
List Disks
List PageFile
Config Pagefile
More Options
Turn On Automatic Pagefile
iSCSI Start Graphical Client [ NEW IN R2 ]
iSCSI Start Service
iSCSI Add Targetportal
iSCSI List Targets
iSCSI Logon Target
iSCSI Add Persistent Target
More Options
iSCSI Remove Target Portal
iSCSI Remove Target
iSCSI List Persistent Target
Task Manager
Screen Resolution
Server Information
Change Current Local User Password
Change Server Name
License Options
Windows Update
Domain Settings
Join Domain
Disjoin Domain
Change Workgroup
Control Panel
Regional and Language Settings
Time And Date Settings
List Installed Applications
iSCSI Control Panel
Multipath IO Control Panel [ NEW IN R2 ]
Firewall / Remote Settings
RDS Admin Enable/Disable
Remote Event Viewer Enable/Disable
Remote Service Mgmt Enable / Disable
Remote Shared Folder Enable / Disable
Remote Scheduled Tasks Enable / Disable
Remote Reliability and Performance Enable / Disable
Remote Volume Mgmt Enable / Disable
More Choices
Remote windows Firewall Mgmt Enable / Disable
WinRM Enable / Disable
Firewall Enable / Disable
Firewall Status
Roles And Features
List Installed Roles/Features
List Installed Roles/Features without IIS
List Not Installed Roles/Features
List Not Installed Roles/Features without IIS
Search For Roles/Features
Search And Add Roles/Features [ NEW IN R2 ]
Search And Remove Roles/Features [ NEW IN R2 ]
Help on installing Roles/Features
Quick Config
Will run quick configuration guide (ip, rename computer, reboot, join domain)
CCC Settings
Install CCCR2 in Windows-folder
Register in Path
Enable Autostart
Disable Autostart
About CCCR2
Shutdown / Reboot / Logoff
Reboot
Shutdown
Logoff

Download CCC and CCCR2 here!

Why you should care about it? Well, I think that in the future most of your server workloads will be on one of these babies. No GUI since you won’t need it. All your management will be remote anyway, either through MMC, WinRS or even better automated through System Center Operations Manager.

But now you’ve installed Server Core? Finding it hard to manage? Some admins do NOT get along with that command prompt. And some admins are so young they don’t even remember that it actually was the only thing you had back in the days…

If you’ve read this far and still wonder what Server Core is you better hop on over to Andrew Mason’s blog. He’s Mr Server Core over at Microsoft and the guy who got it all started.

How do you actually manage it then? Well, there are actually at least 7 ways of taking care of that:

1) Local command prompt.
2) Remote Desktop Connection
3) Remote MMC
4) WinRS
5) Powershell / WMI
7) SSH

The local command prompt requires you to know which command does what. It’s not that hard to actually type the commands, the hard part is usually figuring out which command to use. You can find the Server Core reference sheet over at Microsoft.com, which will get you started.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753802(WS.10).aspx
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc778084(WS.10).aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=8dd99ac0-4a59-41e9-8037-f33760d560f0

There are also a bunch of software available that will help you with the configuration. CCC, Core Configuration Console, is one of them. It’s written by me and Robin Granberg and is available for Windows Server 2008 Core. There’s not an R2 version available yet, but there might be in the future. CoreConfigurator by SmartX is another one and finally there’s Server Core Configurator over at Codeplex. In R2 Microsoft has added their own little utility called sconfig which will help you get the ball in motion.

In the next post we’ll take a look at the local command prompt and Remote Desktop. The last option needs some configuration before it works, but I’ll get to that!

All CCC versions available at http://www.nullsession.com/downloads

This is the final release of CCC for Windows Server 2008 Core. If a “bug” is reported (it’s more of a typo in a batch-file…) we’ll fix it, but no new functionality will be released.

Please report all bugs to ccc (a t) nullsession.com since it’s the official feedback address.

Note that this version is for Windows Server 2008 Core, NOT for the R2 release since commands and syntaxes have changed. Some stuff still works, but you’re on your own.

We’re currently looking at developing a new version for Windows Server 2008 R2 Core, but this depends on the amount of time and choice of development path.

This edition will be named the RG edition after Robin Granberg from Volvo who has co-developed CCC. Most of the work on this edition is done by him, so he deserves the credit for it. Thanks Robin, you rock!

Download the zip-file or ISO for direct usage in virtual machines.

Features of CCC 0.98

SERVER INFORMATION DISPLAY

ENABLE WINDOWS UPDATE

DISABLE WINDOWS UPDATE

CHECK FOR UPDATES

LIST INSTALLED PATCHES

TASK MANAGER

SCREEN RESOLUTION

[ NEW ]

ISCSI REMOVE TARGET
ISCSI REMOVE TARGET PORTAL
ISCSI CONFIGURE SERVICE
ISCSI ADD TARGET PORTAL
ISCSI LIST TARGETS
ISCSI LOGON TARGET
ISCSI ADD PERSISTENT TARGET
ISCSI LIST PERSISTENT TARGETS

[ NEW ]

SELECT DISK
PARTITION DISK
SELECT VOLUME
CHANGE LETTER
FORMAT DISK
LIST VOLUMES
LIST DISKS

[ NEW ]

LIST PAGEFILE
SELECT PAGEFILE
CONFIG PAGEFILE
AUTOMATIC PAGEFILE

NETWORK CONFIGURATION
CONFIG WINS
DHCP CONFIGURATION
CONFIG NIC SPEED [ NEW ]
DISABLE NIC [ NEW ]
ENABLE NIC [ NEW ]
DISABLE IPV6 [ NEW ]
ENABLE IPV6 [ NEW ]
ENABLE NetBios [ NEW ]
DISALBE NetBios [ NEW ]
DCHP NetBios [ NEW ]

INSTALL LICENSE
ACTIVATE LICENSE
DISPLAY LICENSE INFO
DISPLAY EXPIRATION DATE
RESET LICENSE
DELETE LICENSE

LIST ALL INSTALLED
LIST ALL INSTALLED WITHOUT IIS
LIST ALL NOT INSTALLED
LIST ALL NOT INSTALLED WITHOUT IIS-COMPONENTS
SEARCH ROLES/FEATURES

INSTALL CCC IN C:\WINDOWS
REGISTER IN PATH
AUTOSTART CCC
REMOVE AUTOSTART CCC

QUICK CONFIG CHECK
QUICK CONFIGURATION CONFIRMED
CHANGE PASSWORD FOR CURRENT LOCAL USER

DOMAIN JOIN
DOMAIN LEAVE
WORKGROUP CHANGE

REGIONAL AND LANGUAGE SETTINGS
DATE AND TIME SETTINGS
INSTALLED APPS
RENAMECOMPUTER

ENABLE REMOTE FIREWALL MGMT
DISABLE REMOTE FIREWALL MGMT

ENABLE WINRM
DISABLE WINRM

DISABLE FIREWALL
ENABLE FIREWALL

FIREWALL STATUS
ENABLE REMOTE TS ADMIN MODE
DISABLE REMOTE TS ADMIN MODE
ALLOW PREVIOUS VERSIONS
DISALLOW PREVIOUS VERSIONS
CHECK CREDSSP VALUE

ENABLE REMOTE EVENT VIEWER
DISABLE REMOTE EVENT VIEWER
ENABLE REMOTE SERVICE MGMT
DISABLE REMOTE SERVICE MGMT
ENABLE REMOTE SHARE MGMT
DISABLE REMOTE SHARE MGMT
ENABLE REMOTE SCHEDULED TASKS MGMT
DISABLE REMOTE SCHEDULED TASKS MGMT
ENABLE REMOTE RELIABILITY/PERFORMANCE
DISABLE REMOTE RELIABILITY/PERFORMANCE
ENABLE REMOTE VOLUME MGMT
DISABLE REMOTE VOLUME MGMT

REBOOT SERVER
SHUTDOWN SERVER
LOGOFF

All CCC versions available at http://www.nullsession.com/downloads

I’m currently in the process of finalizing the next version of CCC. This time I’ve had some help from another developer who’s name is Robin Granberg. I’ll let him introduce himself in another post, all I know about him is that he works at Volvo in Köping here in Sweden. And that he can code stuff in batch-files of course.

We’ve developed some really nifty features in this version, but I won’t tell you anything until it’s released though. In true “under-promise, over-deliver” manners. I think this will be the last version for Windows Server 2008 Core. There will most likely be a separate version for Windows Server 2008 Core R2, since some of the commands syntax has changed.

I’m also looking at another script for Hyper-V Server, there is a version available out of the box, but I have some more tricks up my sleeve. I just have to check if it actually works good enough for a release into the wild.

Core Configuration Console 0.91 is ready for release today. Some new functions in this release:

Server information in main menu
Enable / Disable Windows Update
Check for updates
List installed patches
Screen resolution (640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×1024, 1600×1200)
List roles / features
Search roles / features
Enable / Disable Firewall Groups
Enable / Disable WinRM
Enable / Disable Remote TS
(including set/unset CredSSP)

Download at:

All CCC versions available at http://www.nullsession.com/downloads

Bugs? Email ccc@nullsession.com!

All CCC versions available at http://www.nullsession.com/downloads

Update: See http://www.nullsession.com/2009/06/18/release-of-ccc-0-98/ for the latest release!

CCC has had a number of downloads by now (more than anticipated I’d say). The feedback I’ve got so far is the ability to add/remove roles, list installed roles, configure some services that we’re not handling right now and screen resolution. In the making at the moment is a minor update to make some of it work, it’ll probably be released closer to the weekend or beginning next week.

Update: It is released, see http://www.nullsession.com/2008/10/21/ccc-091ccc-091/

Have any more wishes for CCC? I’m thinking iSCSI but that’s a lot of parameters, which all differ each time you use it… We’ll see if I come up with a clever plan.

Read what others say about Core Configuration Console:
http://4sysops.com/archives/free-core-configuration-console-ccc-basic-server-core-setup/
http://www.windowsreference.com/free-utilities/core-configuration-console-ccc-cli-tool-for-win-server-2008-server-core-setup/

Tomorrow I’m speaking and doing a demonstration at the Swedish launch of Hyper-V at Rival at Mariatorget. I’ve spent two days setting up a really cool demo showing off some new infrastructural changes in Microsoft software. If you’re there you’ll see it, otherwise I’ll tell you when I can. Yeah, I know, but I can’t tell…

All CCC versions available at http://www.nullsession.com/downloads

OUTDATED! See http://www.nullsession.com/2009/06/18/release-of-ccc-0-98/ for more information!

———————————————————————-

As I promised at the Windows Server 7 TAP Summit I’d make my Server Core configuration script publicly available. Well, here it is. I chose to call it Core Configuration Console, which’ll be CCC for short. If you find any bugs or miss anything, email ccc@nullsession.com and I’ll see what I can do.

This version of CCC is tested on Windows Server 2008 Core and later. It might even work on the full installation version of Windows, but that kinda defies the point so I haven’t tested it…

Core Configuration Console (CCC) version 0.9 contains the following functionality:
(might have missed something…)

Network configuration (IP / Dns-settings / Reset to DHCP)

Lists and lets you select which interface to configure.

Firewall configuration (Disable / En-/disable TS Remote Admin Mode)

Change Local User Password

Changes the password of the currently logged on local user.

Domain Settings (Join / disjoin)

Start control panel items

Licensing (install / activate / reset / rearm / display / delete)

Quick Configuration (Password / IP / Computername / Domain)

Will guide you through the basic configuration of your Core server.

The quick configuration guide restarts automatically after the reboot post server name change to let you join the domain. If you select not to change the name of the server you’ll be able to join the domain the first run.

Autostart of CCC

Registers CCC in registry to start on logon. This can also be disabled.

Download CCC.zip

To use: Download, unzip, place on USB-stick and copy it to your server. Start with CCC.bat from the directory you copied it to. Recommended directory is C:\Windows.

Please either leave comments or send an email to ccc@nullsession.com with bugs/feedback/feature requests.