The Operating System for Large-Scale Virtualization and Scale-Up Workloads
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter is optimized for large-scale virtualization on small to large server systems and for workloads that require the highest levels of scalability, reliability, and availability to support large, mission-critical applications.
With unlimited virtualization use rights and a hypervisor-based virtualization technology, Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter provides the flexibility and cost savings to easily run large numbers of virtualized Windows Server instances.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter supports the memory and processing needs of large-scale, business-critical workloads such as ERP, databases, server consolidations, and custom and line-of-business applications. Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise contains all the features of Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise plus:
Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise contains all the features of Windows Server 200 R2 Enterprise plus:
Large-Scale Virtualization
Server virtualization technology lets you optimize system utilization and resources and realize significant infrastructure and management cost savings. Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter provides an ideal platform for enterprise-scale virtualization.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter features Hyper-V, a flexible high-performance hypervisor-based virtualization technology.
In addition, Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter licenses include unlimited virtualization rights, meaning that you have rights to run an unlimited number of Windows Server instances on servers licensed with Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter. This gives you the benefits of virtualization while helping to reduce license management headaches and costs, thus helping you:
Logically consolidate servers and streamline management.
Reduce the cost associated with power, cooling, and data center space.
Increase the availability of your systems. (The quick migration feature enables you to easily move running virtual machines between their physical hosts.)
Reduce server sprawl by using multiple virtual machines hosted on a physical server.
Increased Scalability
As organizations rapidly grow and change, IT infrastructures must remain flexible and scalable to help support, manage, and secure expanded functionality, an influx of additional users and locations, and increasingly robust applications.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter easily scales to adapt to the increased needs of data warehousing and transaction processing. This scalability also allows for improved resource planning. Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter provides:
Support for up to 64 x64 Sockets (256 logical processors) and 2 terabytes of RAM.
Support for a virtually unlimited number of virtual private network (VPN) connections.
Authentication and authorization for a virtually unlimited number of network access service and network policy server connections.
High Availability
Succeeding in the global marketplace requires that remote employees and international customers and partners have around-the-clock access to information. A disruption in services can result in diminished productivity and lost opportunities.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter offers features that enhance the availability of your applications and services, including failover clustering, dynamic hardware partitioning, and the Windows Server 2008 R2 High Availability Program.
Advanced Identity and Access Management
Today, employees are doing more business in more places—and on a wider variety of devices. At the same time, information loss, whether via outright theft or accidental leakage, is a growing concern for many enterprises.
To keep people productive while securely managing the flow of data across your organization through multiple devices in a security-enhanced environment, Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter delivers advanced identity and access management features.
The new authentication architecture in Windows Server 2008 R2 helps you guard against malicious software attacks and helps prevent data and confidential information from being distributed inappropriately. Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter enables you to:
Provide federated access to internal resources for external users through Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS).
Improve security and more easily ensure regulatory and privacy compliance with Advanced Certificate Management Services.
Gather more audit detail for management and compliance with Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS).
