Some would say that's not a problem, since you can just bypass the features you don't need. Yet, then there are the potential vulnerabilities in those unneeded services, or the need to reboot when a patch is issued for a service you don't even use.

Thankfully, Windows Server 8, now , will enable a core that can selectively add and remove components, much like Linux, so businesses can only run what they need.

David Cross, Partner Program Manager in Windows Server group, discussed on the Tuesday how the Windows Server 8 Server Core could be used to build more efficient cloud services. Microsoft spent one year and $10 million dollars talking to cloud solution builders to learn how best to tailor its offerings for them. Since large cloud deployments can include thousands of servers, optimizing the servers to have a small footprint and dedicated functions was one clearly-defined need.

Windows Foundation

Since Windows NT Advanced Server was released in 1993, Windows Server has been delivered as a "monolithic component" now known as "Windows Foundation", which included Windows Explorer, .NET framework, desktop shell, drivers, multimedia support, and Internet Explorer. You could then install server roles and optional features on top of that.