Hyper-V Server Now Available!
The free Hyper-V Server is now available here: https://www.microsoft.com/servers/hyper-v-server/how-to-get.mspx
If you have not been paying attention as to what Hyper-V Server is - let me steal some content from the official web page:
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.
And here is the official comparison table:
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 |
||||
Virtualization Rights per Server License |
Each VM Guest requires a server license |
1 Physical + 1 VM |
1 Physical + 4 VMs |
1 Physical + Unlimited VMs |
So go grab a copy and check it out!
Cheers,
Ben