Server 2008 CAL Pricing
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Server 2008 CAL
Robust Features for Optimum Flexibility
Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 is a platform server that includes a robust set of features. Whether you want to consolidate servers, build a private cloud, or offer Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, the features of Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 offer you the flexibility to deliver advanced capabilities to your business for increased IT efficiency and agility.
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Hyper-V builds on the architecture and functionality of Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V by adding multiple new features that enhance product flexibility.
The adoption of virtualization in the enterprise has increased flexibility in deployment and life cycle management of applications. IT professionals deploy and use virtualization to consolidate workloads and reduce server sprawl. Additionally, they deploy virtualization with clustering technologies to provide a robust IT infrastructure with high availability and quick disaster recovery. Even so, customers are looking for more flexibility.
Core Scenarios for Hyper-V
Hyper-V provides a dynamic, reliable, and scalable virtualization platform combined with a single set of integrated management tools to manage both physical and virtual resources, enabling you to create an agile and dynamic data center. Hyper-V enables:
Dynamic Memory
New in Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1, Dynamic Memory enables customers to better utilize the memory resources of Hyper-V hosts by balancing how memory is distributed between running virtual machines. Memory can be dynamically reallocated between different virtual machines in response to the changing workloads of these machines. Dynamic Memory thus enables more efficient use of memory while maintaining consistent workload performance and scalability. Implementing Dynamic Memory means that higher levels of server consolidation can be achieved with minimal impact on performance. Dynamic Memory also means larger numbers of virtual desktops per Hyper-V host for VDI scenarios. The net result for both scenarios is more efficient use of expensive server hardware resources, which can translate into easier management and lower costs. Historically, different methods have been used to deploy operating systems and applications to physical and virtual computers. For virtual computers, the .vhd file format has become a de facto standard for deploying and interchanging preconfigured operating systems and applications. Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 supports two important updates concerning .vhd files.
Server Consolidation
Businesses are under pressure to ease management and reduce costs while retaining and enhancing competitive advantages, such as flexibility, reliability, scalability, and security. The fundamental use of virtualization to help consolidate many servers on a single system while maintaining isolation helps address these demands. One of the main benefits of server consolidation is a lower total cost of ownership (TCO), not just from lowering hardware requirements but also from lower power, cooling, and management costs.
Businesses also benefit from server virtualization through infrastructure optimization, both from an asset utilization standpoint as well as the ability to balance workloads across different resources. Improved flexibility of the overall environment and the ability to freely integrate 32-bit and 64-bit workloads in the same environment is another benefit.
Business Continuity
Business continuity is the ability to minimize both scheduled and unscheduled downtime. That includes time lost to routine functions, such as maintenance and backup, as well as unanticipated outages. Hyper-V includes powerful business continuity features, such as live backup and quick migration, enabling businesses to meet stringent uptime and response metrics.
Disaster recovery
A key component of business continuity. Natural disasters, malicious attacks, and even simple configuration problems like software conflicts can cripple services and applications until administrators resolve the problems and restore any backed up data. Leveraging the clustering capabilities of Windows Server 2008, Hyper-V now provides support for disaster recovery (DR) within IT environments and across data centers, using geographically dispersed clustering capabilities. Rapid and reliable disaster and business recovery helps ensure minimal data loss and powerful remote management capabilities.
Testing and Development
Testing and development are frequently the first business functions to take advantage of virtualization technology. Using virtual machines, development staffs can create and test a wide variety of scenarios in a safe, self-contained environment that accurately approximates the operation of physical servers and clients. Hyper-V maximizes utilization of test hardware which can help reduce costs, improve life cycle management, and improve test coverage. With extensive guest OS support and checkpoint features, Hyper-V provides a great platform for your test and development environments.
Dynamic Datacenter
Hyper-V, together with your existing system management solutions, such as Microsoft System Center, can help you realize the dynamic data center vision of providing self-managing dynamic systems and operational agility. With features like automated virtual machine reconfiguration, flexible resource control, and quick migration, you can create a dynamic IT environment that uses virtualization to not only respond to problems, but also to anticipate increased demands.
Expand Desktop Deployment Options with VDI
Much of the interest in virtualization solutions is in the server world. However, equally exciting advances are being made in server-based desktop virtualization, where processing happens on a server optimized for capacity and availability while graphics, keyboard, mouse, and other user I/O functions are handled at the user’s desktop.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Remote Desktop Services extends the functionality of Session Virtualization from delivering session-based desktops and applications to also enabling the delivery of virtual desktops in a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). With Remote Desktop Services, both virtual and session-based desktops and applications are now available on the Windows 7 Start menu right alongside programs that are installed locally.
VDI with Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 benefits from a rich end user experience with support for rich media and USB devices with Microsoft RemoteFX as well as a great better together story with Windows 7 as the guest OS due to increased VM density with Dynamic Memory and near-invisible integration of virtualized desktops in Windows 7.
Virtualize with Hyper-V
Reduce Costs & TCO
You are under increasing pressure to reduce costs and ensure the best return on investment possible. With Microsoft Virtualization you can lower your total cost of ownership (TCO) by:
- Reducing power consumption and datacenter space
- Increasing hardware utilization
- Lowering upfront costs, including licensing fees
- Simplifying application and desktop lifecycle management
- Lowering operational costs for both maintenance and training
- Leveraging your Windows Server skills already in place
- Utilizing already purchased Windows Server capabilities
Increase Availability of Services
Microsoft Virtualization gives you the opportunity to increase the availability of services, thereby increasing end user satisfaction. With Microsoft Virtualization you can increase availability by:
- Improving service levels
- Minimizing disruption t services
- Enhancing desktop business continuity
- Providing access to applications regardless of location
- Reducing application and user data deployment time
Improve Business Agility
Microsoft Virtualization helps your business become more flexible and adaptable. You can provide the IT resources your organization needs when you need them, and improve business agility by:
Integrating physical, virtual, and application management
Accelerating responses to changing business needs
Performing flexible desktop deployments
Easily migrating to a new version of Windows
Providing capacity on demand
Virtualize with Microsoft
Comprehensive Virtualization Solutions
Microsoft virtualization offerings span from the desktop to the datacenter and into the cloud. Regardless of where you plan to use Microsoft virtualization, we provide comprehensive and customer-centric solutions that give you more choice, flexibility, integration and cost savings than VMware.
A Platform You Know with Virtualization Built-In
Microsoft believes virtualization should be an integral part of your IT infrastructure, so we built Hyper-V into Windows Server 2008 R2. This means you can easily integrate it with your existing infrastructure and management tools. Since Hyper-V is the “Windows you know,” you can use the in-house expertise you already have. In fact, if you know Windows, you know virtualization.
Unlike VMware vSphere, which adds another layer to your infrastructure and requires a separate skill set and training, with Microsoft you don’t have to spend valuable resources and time on learning a new skill set. There’s no need to dedicate specialized IT staff to manage your hypervisors.
Physical, Virtual and Cross-Platform Management
The more you virtualize, the more complex your environment can become—and the more critical management is to enabling a cost-effective, dynamic infrastructure. Microsoft System Center Management Suite Datacenter (SMSD) gives you a wide variety of integrated management functionality for your physical and virtual environments, and is the only solution that lets you manage Hyper-V and VMware, all through one pane of glass.
Microsoft lets you manage virtual and physical environments and uses common deployment, provisioning, monitoring, and backup methodologies across both. VMware’s answer to management is to use Virtual Infrastructure Enterprise and Virtual Center, but even this combination falls short: you still can’t manage multiple hypervisors, physical resources or applications.
Virtualization for the Desktop
Microsoft provides more comprehensive, flexible virtualization solutions than VMware for desktop virtualization.
The chart below will clarify some of the feature differences between Microsoft and VMware’s desktop virtualization offerings. Notice that Microsoft’s solution is more scalable and flexible, while offering integrated management for both virtual desktops and physical computers.
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