Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 provides a simplified, reliable, and optimised virtualisation solution, enabling improved server utilisation and reduced costs. Since Hyper-V Server is a dedicated stand-alone product, which contains only the Windows Hypervisor, Windows Server driver model and virtualisation 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.

IT Pros can easily to leverage their existing knowledge and skills with Microsoft virtualisation products, as well as the collective knowledge of the community, minimising any learning curve. In addition, with Microsoft providing comprehensive support for Microsoft applications and heterogeneous guest operating systems, customers can virtualise with confidence and peace of mind.

When to Use Hyper-V Server 2008

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2008 is a great choice for users who want a basic and simplified virtualisation solution for consolidating servers as well as for development and test environments.

Hyper-V Server 2008 only offers the most basic of virtualisation features, making it ideal for:

Test and Development Basic Server Consolidation Branch Office Consolidation Hosted Desktop Virtualisation (VDI) Users who require richer and more robust virtualisation features, such as Quick Migration, multi-site clustering, large memory support (greater than 32 GB of RAM), and more than four processors 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 virtualisation rights (one free virtual instance for Standard Edition, four free virtual instances for Enterprise Editions, and unlimited virtual instances for Datacenter Edition with the purchase of a license of Windows Server 2008).

The following table outlines which Hyper-V–enabled product would suit your needs:

Virtualisation 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
Guest Virtualisation Rights Included in Host Server License	None—Each Windows Guest VM Requires a License	1 Physical + 1 VM*	1 Physical + 4 VMs*	1 Physical + Unlimited VMs (Free)

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