Longhorn Server test to go public

Microsoft said it is releasing its first public test version of Windows Server 'Longhorn' as the software behemoth works to get the release out the door.

Microsoft said it still plans to finalise the code this year - a stage known as releasing to manufacturing - though the launch event for the product may not come until next year.

Ward Ralston, a senior technical product manager in Microsoft's Windows Server group, said: "The odds are the launch will be in 2008 but we haven't signed up for a specific launch date."

Businesses will be able to download the code once Microsoft releases it to manufacturing, though most enterprises go through a fairly lengthy testing process with new server releases. Server makers set their own schedule for adding the software onto new systems. Ralston said Redmond feels it is on track with the product and is looking to get a broad array of testers to try out the new test version, Beta 3.

He said: "We're trying to get as many testers as we possibly can get." The first two beta versions and other community technology preview versions have been released only to select testers, which includes some of Microsoft's early adopter customers, developers and internal Microsoft users.

Beta 3, like a recently released private test version, is "feature complete", Ralston said, including new features just added to the program such as the PowerShell command line interface and several new server roles. Microsoft released Beta 2 of Longhorn Server to developers last May. The next milestone, after Beta 3, would be a near-final "release candidate" version, Ralston said.

One analyst said recent test builds of the product appear to be in remarkably good shape. Directions on Microsoft analyst Michael Cherry said: "I'm very impressed with how stable it is." Cherry said it was important Microsoft has been able to add in PowerShell, noting it has many technology initiatives, some of which have been slow to find their way into products.

Not everyone is convinced the product will be wrapped up this year, however. Even with Microsoft shipping the broadly available beta, Gartner analyst John Enck said his firm believes there is a 40 per cent chance Microsoft will release the software to manufacturing this year and a 60 per cent chance it won't happen until 2008.

Ina Fried writes for CNET News.com