Mysql – How To Install 3rd Party Application on Windows Server 2012 Core

Not really. Run oclist to get a list of "available" (supported) roles and features for Server Core, WSUS isn't one of them.

That said, it's mostly possible (but I sure as hell wouldn't do it). Here's a link to a guide on how to force WSUS onto a Server Core 2008 R2 install, but again, I certainly advise against it, and seeing as how you'll have to install a SQL instance on another machine (since MS SQL Server and their internal database require a GUI), the value of doing so seems rather questionable.

EDIT: Turns out that installing MS SQL Server on Server Core is possible, provided you're using MS SQL Server 2012.

While SQL-Server 2012 has been tested and and is fully supported by Microsoft, this is not the case for SQL-Server 2008R2. However is it still possible to install and run this version of SQL-Server on Windows Server Core installations.

Here's what to do to install SQL 2008R2 on a Server 2008R2 core edition:

• install dot.NET Framework 3.51

  pkgmgr /iu:NetFx2-ServerCore;NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64
  ocsetup ServerCore-WOW64
  ocsetup NetFx2-ServerCore
  ocsetup NetFx2-ServerCore-WOW64
  DISM /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3-ServerCore
  DISM /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3-ServerCore-WOW64
  

• install PowerShell

  pkgmgr /iu:MicrosoftWindowsPowerShell
  

• Prepare a SQL-Server setup configuration file, this example is for SQL-Express:

  ;SQLSERVER2008 Configuration File
  [SQLSERVER2008]
  INSTANCEID="MSSQLSERVER"
  INSTANCENAME="MSSQLSERVER"
  ACTION="Install"
  FEATURES=SQLENGINE,FullText
  HELP="False"
  INDICATEPROGRESS="False"
  QUIET="True"
  QUIETSIMPLE="False"
  
  X86="False"
  
  ENU="True"
  ERRORREPORTING="False"
  INSTALLSHAREDDIR="C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server"
  INSTALLSHAREDWOWDIR="C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server"
  INSTANCEDIR="C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server"
  
  ;The Database Engine root data directory.
  INSTALLSQLDATADIR="D:\SqlData"
  ;Directory for Database Engine TempDB files.
  SQLTEMPDBDIR="D:\SqlData\SysData"
  ;Directory for the Database Engine TempDB log files.          
  SQLTEMPDBLOGDIR="D:\SqlData\SysLogs"           
  
  SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Automatic"
  FILESTREAMLEVEL="0"
  
  ENABLERANU="False"
  
  SQLCOLLATION="SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS"
  
  SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT SERVICE\MSSQLSERVER"
  
  SAPWD = "*********"
  SECURITYMODE = "SQL"
  
  ADDCURRENTUSERASSQLADMIN="True"
  
  TCPENABLED="1"
  NPENABLED="0"
  
  BROWSERSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Disabled"
  SQLBACKUPDIR = "D:\Backups\Sql"
  SQLUSERDBDIR = "D:\SqlData\UserData\Data"
  SQLUSERDBLOGDIR = "D:\SqlData\UserData\Logs"
  

For more information about the configuration file see the TechNet article: How to: Install SQL Server 2008 Using a Configuration File

If you have downloaded an .exe rather than using a DVD/ISO, you have to extract the setup files first:

    SQLEXPRADV_x64_ENU.exe -x

• Run the installed in quiet mode:

  setup.exe /ACTION=Install /IACCEPTSQLSERVERLICENSETERMS /q /ConfigurationFile=C:\SQL2008ForCore.ini
  

• Extract the Service Pack files:

  SQLServer2008R2SP1-KB2528583-x64-ENU.exe -x
  

Installing the service pack from a network drive did not work for me, make sure the files are on a local disk.

• Install the service pack:

  setup.exe /quiet /allinstances /IAcceptSQLServerLicenseTerms
  

You should now be able to connect to the instance from a remote SQL-Server Management Studio. You can also use sqlcmd.exe on the command line.

If you need a local GUI tool to run your queries, you can use Query Express, a small no-install single file application that works in Server Core.

I've been using SQL 2008R2 on Server Core for about six months now. I have not tested it with heavy loads but I don't see why it would behave any different from a version installed on a full-GUI windows.