The Windows Server 2008 server operating system enables a network server to handle a diverse set of roles — such as print server, domain controller, web server, and file server — and to be the platform for separately acquired server applications — such as Exchange Server or SQL Server.

The Datacenter Edition is optimized for large-scale virtualization; its license allows one server to run an unlimited number of Windows Server instances. It is scalable to 2 TB of RAM and 64 processors. It serves the needs of organizations with large workloads, such as databases or enterprise resource planning. For other needs, see the related products below.

The R2 version updates the Hyper-V virtualization environment, improves power management, enables remote connectivity without a VPN, and adds features designed specifically to work with client computers running Windows 7.

Important: The R2 version requires a 64-bit system. Organizations that want to run Windows Server 2008 on a 32-bit system can receive a donation of this product and then obtain the older SP2 version from Microsoft, either by downloading or by purchasing the DVD-ROM.

Acquiring the Installation Media: To activate this product, you might need a volume licence key or setup code.

Features:

• Under the Software Assurance programme, customers acquire the right to install any new release of products covered in the agreement during the term of their coverage.
• Hyper-V provides tools for creating and managing a virtualized server computing environment, allowing organizations to reduce the amount of hardware needed to run server workloads, to reduce the amount of time it takes to set up hardware and software and reproduce test environments, and to run different operating systems on a single server.
• The Datacenter Edition supports a virtually unlimited number of virtual private network (VPN) connections and authentication of a virtually unlimited number of network access service and network policy server connections.
• Failover clustering and dynamic hardware partitioning minimize disruptions of services and applications.
• Application Server is a new server role in Windows Server 2008. Application Server provides an integrated environment for deploying and running custom business applications that are built with Microsoft .NET Framework version 3.5.

Requirements:

Hardware:
• 1.4-GHz (or higher) x64 processor; 64 processors maximum
• 512 MB or more RAM; 2 TB maximum
• 32 GB available hard-disk space (computers with more than 16 GB RAM require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files)
• DVD drive

Actual requirements depend on system configuration and the applications and features that are installed. Additional hard-disk space might be required for installation over a network. For more information, see Windows Server 2008 System Requirements.

Price: £74.00 + VAT