How to install Windows Media Services for Windows Server 2008 R2

The Streaming Media Services role is not included in the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. This role includes the latest version of Microsoft Windows Media Services, Windows Media Services 2008 for Windows Server 2008 R2.

Note This article describes how to install Windows Media Services 2008 on the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. It cannot be used to install Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008. For information about how to install Windows Media Services 2008 on the Windows Server 2008 operating system, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

To obtain Windows Media Services 2008 for Windows Server 2008 R2, you must obtain and then run the Microsoft Update Standalone Package (MSU) file for the Streaming Media Services role. You must run this file on the updated platform.

This section describes how to install the Streaming Media Services role on the following installation options of the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system:

• Full installation
• Server Core installation

How to install the Streaming Media Services role on a full installation of Windows Server 2008 R2

Note The Streaming Media Services role includes Windows Media Services 2008.

1. If the following conditions are true, follow the lettered steps below:
   • You are running the Microsoft Windows 2000 Server or the Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 operating systems.
   • The server is running Windows Media Services 4.1.
   • You are updating the server to Windows Server 2008 R2.
     1. Update the server to Windows Server 2003.
        
        Note Before you update the server to Windows Server 2003, back up all the necessary Windows Media Services files. For more information about how to copy these files, see the table in the "Files that you should copy" subsection of the "More information" section.
     2. Update the server to Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information about installing Windows Server 2008 R2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
        http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2.aspx)
2. If you are upgrading from an earlier prerelease version of Windows Server 2008 R2, or from Windows Server 2008, or from Windows Server 2003, you must select the Full Installation option when you install Windows Server 2008 R2. Do not select the Server Core installation option.
   
   Note Custom authentication credentials (user name and password) for the WMS Network Data Source plug-in, the WMS Anonymous User Authentication plug-in, and the Specify distribution credentials property in Windows Media Services are not preserved during the upgrade. You must manually re-enter these values after Windows Media Services 2008 R2 is installed on the updated operating system. For more information, visit the following Web site to view the Windows Media Services 2008 Upgrade and Migration Guide:
   http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=188126 (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=188126)
3. Download and then run the MSU file for the Streaming Media Services role. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Visit the following Microsoft Web site:
      http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b2cdb043-d611-41c9-91b7-cddf6e5fdf6b (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b2cdb043-d611-41c9-91b7-cddf6e5fdf6b)
   2. Download and run the Windows6.1-KB963697-x64.msu file.
4. Start Server Manager. To do this, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Server Manager.
5. On the Action menu in Server Manager, click Refresh, and then wait for the update to finish.
   
   Note You can check the update status on the lower-left side of the status bar in Server Manager.
6. Restart Server Manager.
7. In Server Manager, add the Streaming Media Services role. To do this, click Add Roles under Roles Summary, and then click Streaming Media Services in the Add Roles wizard.
8. If you are updating a server that is running Windows Media Services to Windows Server 2008 R2, you must copy the Windows Media Services files and settings that you backed up in step 1 to the new Windows Server platform. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Stop the Windows Media Services service. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt:
      
      net stop wmserver
   2. Copy the backed-up ServerNamespace.xml file over the newly installed version of this file. By default, this file is in the following folder:
      %windir%\System32\Windows media\Server
   3. Restart the Windows Media Services service. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt:
      net start wmserver

Full installation option notes

• To remove the Streaming Media Services role from active use, follow these steps:
  1. Under Roles Summary in Server Manager, click Remove Roles.
  2. In the Remove Roles wizard, clear the Streaming Media Services check box.
• To remove the Streaming Media Services role from the Roles list in Server Manager and to completely uninstall the Streaming Media Services role, follow these steps:
  1. Under Roles Summary in Server Manager, click Remove Roles.
  2. In the Remove Roles wizard, clear the Streaming Media Services check box.
  3. In Programs and Features in Control Panel, click View installed updates.
  4. Click Streaming Media Services update (KB963697) under Uninstall an update, and then click Uninstall.

How to install the Streaming Media Services role on a Server Core installation of Windows Server 2008 R2

Note The Streaming Media Services role includes Windows Media Services 2008.

1. Install the Server Core installation option of Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
   http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2.aspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/R2.aspx)
2. Install the Streaming Media Services role. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Visit the following Microsoft Web site:
      http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b2cdb043-d611-41c9-91b7-cddf6e5fdf6b (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b2cdb043-d611-41c9-91b7-cddf6e5fdf6b)
   2. Download the Windows6.1-KB963697-x64.msu file.
   3. Run the MSU file for the Streaming Media Services role. To do this, type the following command at a command prompt:
      start /w wusa /quiet Windows6.1-KB963697-x64.msu
   4. To install the Streaming Media Services role, type the following string at a command prompt:
      start /w ocsetup MediaServer
   5. To start the Windows Media Services service, type the following string at a command prompt:
      net start wmserver

Note After you complete the installation, you must configure the Streaming Media Services role from a remote computer by using the Windows Media Services snap-in for Microsoft Management Console (MMC). You can install the snap-in on another computer that is running a full installation of Windows Server 2008 R2. Or, you can install Remote Server Administration Tools for the Streaming Media Services role on computers that are running Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Professional.

For more information about the Remote Server Administration Tools for the Streaming Media Services role, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

This behavior is by design.

Operating system availability

The Streaming Media Services role can be installed only on Full and Server Core installations of Windows Server 2008 R2. For more information about how to obtain the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Supported migration scenarios

Windows Media Services for Windows Server 2008 R2 supports automated migration of digital media files and settings if you are running Windows Media Services 9 Series on Windows Server 2003 or Windows Media Services 2008 on Windows Server 2008. However, if you are running Windows Media Services 4.1 on Windows 2000 Server or on Windows NT Server 4.0, you must first update the Windows Media server to Windows Server 2003 and then update the server to Windows Server 2008 R2. Updating from these earlier platforms directly to Windows Server 2008 R2 is not supported.

Before you update to Windows Server 2003, you must back up necessary Windows Media Services files. For more information about how to copy these files, see the table in the "Files that you should copy" section.

Note Automated migration of custom authentication credentials (user name and password) for the WMS Network Data Source plug-in, the WMS Anonymous User Authentication plug-in, and the Specify distribution credentials property in Windows Media Services is not supported. For more information about migrating these settings, see the Windows Media Services 2008 Upgrade and Migration Guide:

Files that you should copy

The following table lists the files that you should copy together with their descriptions and their default locations on the Windows Media server.

Notes

• You should also back up third-party plug-ins and applications that Windows Media Services uses.
• The copying of log files is optional.

Remote Server Administration Tools

The Remote Server Administration Tools feature in Server Manager provides role administration tools that let administrators remotely manage servers that are running Windows Server 2008 R2. The Streaming Media Services role is not supported by this feature. However, you can install Remote Server Administration Tools for the Streaming Media Services role on a computer that is running Windows 7 Ultimate, Windows 7 Enterprise, or Windows 7 Professional.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Note You can also administer a server remotely from a separate Windows Media server that is running the full installation option of Windows Server 2008 R2.