Hyper-V Server 2008 Announced

  • Article

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.

So, the big question I'm getting from my customers is - When do I use Hyper-v Server 2008 and when do I use Windows 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, and more than four processers 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.

More Information:

  • Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 is a stand-alone product that will be available via the Microsoft Download Center free of charge.
  • Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 does not require CALs for the product itself.
  • CALs will be required for all Windows Server virtualized operating systems which are hosted on Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008.