Server virtualization, also known as hardware virtualization, is a hot topic in the IT world because of the potential for serious economic benefits. Server virtualization enables multiple operating systems to run on a single physical machine as virtual machines (VMs). With server virtualization, you can consolidate workloads of underutilized server machines onto a smaller number of fully utilized machines. Fewer physical machines can lead to reduced costs through lower hardware, energy, and management overhead, plus the creation of a more dynamic IT infrastructure.

• Microsoft Virtualization Products
• Related Products and Solutions

Imagine a world where infrastructure costs decrease as system capabilities increase. Imagine a world where you can update servers, desktops and apps on a moment’s notice. Welcome to the world of virtualization – where all of this is reality, and virtually anything is possible.

Microsoft Virtualization Products

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.

Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V, the next-generation hypervisor-based server virtualization technology, allows you to make the best use of your server hardware investments by consolidating multiple server roles as separate virtual machines (VMs) running on a single physical machine. With Hyper-V, you can also efficiently run multiple different operating systems—Windows, Linux, and others—in parallel, on a single server, and fully leverage the power of x64 computing.

Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager provides a straightforward and cost-effective solution for unified management of physical and VMs, consolidation of underutilized physical servers, and rapid provisioning of new VMs by leveraging the expertise and investments in Windows Server technology.

Related Products and Solutions

Microsoft Application Virtualization 4.5 (formerly SoftGrid Application Virtualization) allows the flexibility to control virtual application interaction. Administrators wanting to consolidate virtual environments and enable faster, easier administration can use the product’s Dynamic Suite Composition, which sequences and manages packages for middleware applications separately from the main application.

Achieve flexibility and agility in your IT environment, from desktop to data centers, with Microsoft virtualization technologies.

Use automated tools and proven guidance contained within these Virtualization Solution Accelerators to assess your infrastructure, secure server roles, and deploy virtualization technologies. Download these free resources and get started now.

Use Microsoft Virtual PC 2007 to run multiple operating systems at the same time on the same physical computer. Switch between virtual machines with the click of a button. Use virtual machines to run legacy applications, provide support, train users, and enhance quality assurance.

In conjunction with Windows Server 2003, Virtual Server 2005 R2 provides a virtualization platform that runs most major x86 operating systems in a guest environment. Hypervisor technology virtualization is now built into the Windows Server 2008 operating system.