A solid foundation for your business
Windows Server Standard 2008 provides a solid foundation for all your server and application requirements, combined with easy deployment and management. The new Server Manager facility provides a unified management console that simplifies and streamlines server setup, configuration and ongoing management. Windows PowerShell, a new command-line shell, helps administrators to automate routine system administration tasks across multiple servers. Windows Deployment Services provides a simplified and highly secure means of rapidly deploying the operating system via network-based installations. And Windows Server 2008 Failover Clustering wizards, full Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) support, plus consolidated management of Network Load Balancing, make high availability easy to implement even by IT generalists.

The new Server Core installation option of Windows Server Standard 2008 allows installation of server roles with only the necessary components and subsystems: without a graphical user interface. Fewer roles and features means minimising disk and service footprints while reducing attack surfaces. It also enables your IT staff to specialise according to the server roles they need to support.

Virtualisation built-in
Windows Server Hyper-V - the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualisation technology - allows you to optimise your server hardware by consolidating multiple server roles as separate virtual servers running on a single physical machine. You can also efficiently run multiple operating systems - Windows, Linux, and others - in parallel on a single server. With Hyper-V and simple licensing policies, it's now easier than ever to take advantage of the numerous benefits of virtualisation.

In addition, applications can be efficiently virtualised using Windows Server 2008 centralised application access technologies. Terminal Services Gateway and Terminal Services RemoteApp allow easy remote access to standard Windows-based programs by running them on a terminal server instead of directly on a client computer - without the need for a complicated virtual private network (VPN).

Built for the web
Windows Server Standard 2008 comes with Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS 7.0), a Web server and security-enhanced, easy-to-manage platform for developing and hosting Web applications and services. A major enhancement to the Windows Web platform, IIS 7.0 includes a componentised architecture for improved flexibility and control. IIS 7.0 enables simplified management, while its powerful diagnostic and troubleshooting capabilities save time, and offer comprehensive extensibility.

Internet Information Server IIS 7.0, together with the .NET Framework 3.0, provides a comprehensive platform for developing applications that connect users and data - enabling your people to visualise, share and act on information. Additionally, IIS 7.0 plays a central role in unifying Microsoft's Web platform technologies - ASP.NET, Windows Communication Foundation Web services, and Windows SharePoint Services.

High security
Windows Server Standard 2008 is the most secure Windows server yet. The operating system has been strengthened to help guard against failure, and to help prevent unauthorised connections to your networks, servers, data and user accounts. Network Access Protection (NAP) helps ensure that connections to your network comply with your organisation's security policy. Active Directory services is a potent Identity and Access management solution. And Read-Only Domain Controller (RODC) and BitLocker Drive Encryption allow you to securely deploy your Active Directory database at branch office locations.

• Xerox cuts development time and cost in half, boosts scalability 500 Percent
• John Lewis Partnership expects to improve network security and cut both costs and carbon emissions
• Tube Lines consolidates with terminal services
• Warwickshire County Council: more than 250 schools access applications from a central virtualisation hub
• Paul Smith improves branch office administration with flexible server solution
• Reed.co.uk expands services with new web environment
• easyJet set to transform customer experience with powerful travel portal Portal

• Minimum: 1GHz (x86 processor) or 1.4 GHz (x64 processor)
• Recommended: 2 GHz or faster
• Note: An Intel Itanium 2 processor is required for Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based systems
• Minimum: 512 MB RAM
• Recommended: 2 GB RAM or greater
• Optimal: 2 GB (full installation) or 1 GB RAM (server core installation) or more
• Maximum: (32-bit systems): 4 GB (Standard) or 64GB (Enterprise and Datacenter)
• Maximum: (64-bit systems): 32 GB (Standard) or 2 TB (Enterprise, Datacenter, and Itanium-based systems)
• Minimum: 10 GB
• Recommended: 40 GB or greater
• Note: computers with more than 16 GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation and dump files
• DVD-ROM driveve
• Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution monitor
• Keyboard and Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device

• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise delivers an enterprise class platform for deploying business-critical applications, and provides the foundation for a highly dynamic, scalable IT infrastructure.
• Microsoft System Centre Data Protection Manager enables you to easily back-up and restore your servers.
• Learn more about Windows Server 2008 Enterprise edition

• System Center Data Protection Manager enables you to perform easy back ups and restore for your servers more info

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