The operating system for large-scale virtualization and scale-up workloads
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter is optimized for large-scale virtualization on small to large server systems and for workloads that require the highest levels of scalability, reliability, and availability to support large, mission-critical applications.
With unlimited virtualization use rights and a hypervisor-based virtualization technology, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter provides the flexibility and cost savings to easily run large numbers of virtualized Windows Server instances.
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter supports the memory and processing needs of large-scale, business-critical workloads such as ERP, databases, server consolidations, and custom and line-of-business applications.
Large-Scale Virtualization
Server virtualization technology lets you optimize system utilization and resources and realize significant infrastructure and management cost savings. Windows Server 2008 Datacenter provides an ideal platform for enterprise-scale virtualization.
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter features Hyper-V, a flexible high-performance hypervisor-based virtualization technology.
In addition, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter licenses include unlimited virtualization rights, meaning that you have rights to run an unlimited number of Windows Server instances on servers licensed with Windows Server 2008 Datacenter. This gives you the benefits of virtualization while helping to reduce license management headaches and costs, thus helping you:
- Logically consolidate servers and streamline management.
- Reduce the cost associated with power, cooling, and data center space.
- Increase the availability of your systems. (The quick migration feature enables you to easily move running virtual machines between their physical hosts.)
- Reduce server sprawl by using multiple virtual machines hosted on a physical server.
Increased Scalability
As organizations rapidly grow and change, IT infrastructures must remain flexible and scalable to help support, manage, and secure expanded functionality, an influx of additional users and locations, and increasingly robust applications.
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter easily scales to adapt to the increased needs of data warehousing and transaction processing. This scalability also allows for improved resource planning. Windows Server 2008 Datacenter provides:
- Support for up to 64 processors and 2 terabytes of RAM.
- Support for a virtually unlimited number of virtual private network (VPN) connections.
- Authentication and authorization for a virtually unlimited number of network access service and network policy server connections
High Availability
Succeeding in the global marketplace requires that remote employees and international customers and partners have around-the-clock access to information. A disruption in services can result in diminished productivity and lost opportunities.
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter offers features that enhance the availability of your applications and services, including failover clustering, dynamic hardware partitioning, and the Windows Server 2008 High Availability Program.
Failover Clustering
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter provides robust, rapid failover clustering that is easy to manage and automatically takes action in the event of a failed node, maintaining service so that users experience minimal disruption. Failover clustering in Windows Server 2008 Datacenter supports up to 16 nodes and provides:
- Dynamic failover for both planned and unplanned server downtime.
- Scalability by adding nodes as your needs increase.
- Geographically dispersed clustering.
High availability is also about avoiding downtime before it occurs. The risk of downtime due to driver issues has been decreased in Windows Server 2008 Datacenter, because nonessential functions have been removed by default. The result is a singularly productive operating system, optimized for running the most demanding data center workloads.
Dynamic Hardware Partitioning
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter further enhances server availability with dynamic hardware partitioning. Windows Server 2008 Datacenter works with one or more isolated hardware partitions, each assigned its own processors, memory, and I/O host bridges that are independent from any other hardware partitions. You can hot replace or add additional processors and memory to these partitions without restarting the server. This increases the reliability, availability, and serviceability of your servers; for example, you can replace a processor that shows signs of failing or add spare processors to a partition as demand increases.
Windows Server 2008 High Availability Program
For customers whose business demands the highest levels of availability, Microsoft offers the Windows Server 2008 High Availability Program. Microsoft developed this optional program to provide customers with mission-critical server requirements with the highest quality server hardware configurations, support for Windows Server 2008 Datacenter, and change-management processes for the most reliable and complete Windows Server solutions.
The Windows Server 2008 High Availability Program provides the support you need to ensure maximum uptime for your applications.
Advanced Identity and Access Management
Today, employees are doing more business in more places—and on a wider variety of devices. At the same time, information loss, whether via outright theft or accidental leakage, is a growing concern for many enterprises.
To keep people productive while securely managing the flow of data across your organization through multiple devices in a security-enhanced environment, Windows Server 2008 Datacenter delivers advanced identity and access management features.
The new authentication architecture in Windows Server 2008 helps you guard against malicious software attacks and helps prevent data and confidential information from being distributed inappropriately. Windows Server 2008 Datacenter enables you to:
- Provide federated access to internal resources for external users through Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS).
- Improve security and more easily ensure regulatory and privacy compliance with Advanced Certificate Management Services.
- Gather more audit detail for management and compliance with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
Feature Summary
Windows Server 2008 Datacenter offers the following features over and above the Windows Server 2008 Standard:
- Support for 2 terabytes of RAM (64 GB on 32-bit systems)
- Scalable up to 64 x64/64-bit processors or 32 x86/32-bit processors
- Unlimited virtual image use rights
- Hyper-V–based unlimited virtualization
- Support for a 16-node failover cluster
- Hot Add/Replace Memory and Processors with supporting hardware
- Fault-tolerant memory synchronization
- Cross-file replication (DFS-R)
- Virtually unlimited Network Access Service connections (RRAS)
- Virtually unlimited Network Policy Server connections
- Total of 65,535 Terminal Server connections
- Advanced identity management
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