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Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 provides a simplified, reliable, and optimized virtualization solution, enabling improved server utilization and reduced costs. Since Hyper-V Server is a dedicated stand-alone product, which contains only the Windows Hypervisor, Windows Server driver model and virtualization components, it provides a small footprint and minimal overhead. It easily plugs into customers’ existing IT environments, leveraging their existing patching, provisioning, management, support tools, processes, and skills.

IT Pros can easily to leverage their existing knowledge and skills with Microsoft virtualization products, as well as the collective knowledge of the community, minimizing any learning curve. In addition, with Microsoft providing comprehensive support for Microsoft applications and heterogeneous guest operating systems, customers can virtualize with confidence and peace of mind.

Key Benefits

  • Improved server utilization

  • Small footprint

  • Minimal overhead

When to Use Hyper-V Server 2008

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 is a great choice for customers who want a basic and simplified virtualization solution for consolidating servers as well as for development and test environments. Hyper-V Server 2008 only offers the most basic of virtualization features, making it ideal for:

  • Test and Development

  • Basic Server Consolidation

  • Branch Office Consolidation

  • Hosted Desktop Virtualization (VDI)

Customers who require richer and more robust virtualization features, such as Quick Migration, multi-site clustering, large memory support (greater than 32 GB of RAM), and more than four processors on the host server, should use Windows Server 2008. Windows Server 2008 provides business continuity, disaster recovery, greater scalability for consolidating large workloads, and flexible and cost-effective virtualization rights (one free virtual instance for Standard Edition, four free virtual instances for Enterprise Editions, and unlimited virtual instances for Datacenter Edition with the purchase of a license of Windows Server 2008).

The following table outlines which Hyper-V–enabled product would suit your needs:

Virtualization Needs

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 Standard

Windows Server 2008 Enterprise

Windows Server 2008 Datacenter

Server Consolidation

Test and Development

Mixed OS Virtualization (Linux and Windows)

Local Graphical User Interface

High Availability—Clustering

Quick Migration

Large Memory Support (Host OS) > 32 GB RAM

Support for > 4 Processors (Host OS)

Ability to Add Additional Server Roles

Guest Virtualization Rights Included in Host Server License

None—Each Windows Guest VM Requires a License

1 Physical + 1 VM*

1 Physical + 4 VMs*

1 Physical + Unlimited VMs (Free)

* Each additional Windows guest VM requires a license.

If you need to acquire and host new server licenses, Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter provide the best value.

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Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 Release Candidate Now Available

Assessment Tool

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