Service Pack for the Free Hyper-V Server Ships with Dynamic Memory, RemoteFX

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HomeThe free standalone Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 with Service Pack 1 has shipped with two features that enhance your virtualization scenarios: Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX.

These features help you better utilize memory resources of Hyper-V hosts and provide rich end user experience for VDI and session virtualization.

After installing the update, both Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX will be available to Hyper-V Server.

For more information about the release and how to configure Hyper-V Server, see Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 SP1 Released on the Virtualization team blog.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 SP1 is free and we hope you enjoy it! Here’s the download link: Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 SP1.

Hyper-V Server is an idea way to host your testing environments for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2. You can spin up known configurations of Windows, run your tests, and revert back to the previous versions.

No Client Access Licenses (CALs) from Microsoft are required to use Hyper-V Server. A Microsoft FAQ explains that "CALs are only required for Windows Server and all Windows Server images that are virtualized, regardless of the virtualization platform."

Dynamic Memory

New in Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 with SP1, Dynamic Memory allows you 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.

RemoteFX

Microsoft RemoteFX, introduces a new set of remote user experience capabilities that enable a media-rich user environment for virtual and session-based desktops. RemoteFX lets you deliver a rich media desktop experience including broad support for USB peripherals to end-users with virtual desktops.

Using new protocol enhancements in Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 and Windows 7 SPI, end users can now access virtual machines on a wide variety of target devices and still get a rich graphics experience with server-side graphics processing.

About Hyper-V Server

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 is a stand-alone product that provides a reliable and optimized virtualization solution enabling you to improve server utilization and reduce 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.

Some of the new key new features that are available in Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 are live migration, cluster shared volume support and expanded processor and memory support for host systems.

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 includes key features such as:

  • Live Migration
  • High Availability with Failover Clustering
  • Cluster Shared Volumes
  • 10 Gb/E Ready
  • Processor Compatibility Mode
  • Enhanced Scalability
  • …and much more.

Use Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 for the following scenarios:

  • Test and Development
  • Server Consolidation
  • Branch Office Consolidation
  • Hosted Desktop Virtualization (VDI)

See Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 R2.

 

Bruce D. KyleISV Architect Evangelist | Microsoft Corporation

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