Windows Server 2008 lineup and introducing Hyper-V, it's "cheap as chips"

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Level Set: What is Virtualization?

I'm going to use a nice paragraph from a PC Advisor article I found:

Virtualisation enables one physical server to host several operating systems, which can be assigned to run certain applications. It means one physical server can be worked harder, often reducing the need for more server hardware, which in turn bring benefits such as lower power bills for data centres.

With that done, here's the beef:

Yesterday at TechEd in Barcelona the Windows Server team announced the new name for Windows Server Virtualization as Hyper-V.    This feature is going to be in Standard, Enterprise and Datacenter editions of Windows Server 2008.  As we've been saying for some time, the Hyper-V functionality will be delivered within 180 days of the launch of Windows Server 2008.  Here are the editions:

  • Windows Server 2008 Standard
  • Windows Server 2008 Enterprise
  • Windows Server 2008 Datacenter
  • Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems
  • Windows Web Server 2008
  • Windows Server 2008 Standard without Hyper-V
  • Windows Server 2008 Enterprise without Hyper-V
  • Windows Server 2008 Datacenter without Hyper-V

The Windows Server team has more info on the Windows Server 2008 announcement if you are interested.

The other big news is that we also have a version which contains just the Hyper-V feature on it's own called Microsoft Hyper-V Server which gives you the Virtualization stuff in a standalone environment.  Why would you need something like this?  Well this product enables you to run other virtualized operating systems like Linux or Sun, even if you don't have Windows.  This is going to be priced at $28 no matter how many processors you have.  We have a phrase in the UK; "Cheap as Chips", chips referring to what our American cousins know as "french fries" or across the channel as "pomme frites". 

At Bells fish and chip restaurant in Durham you'll get a portion of cod and chips for £4.90 which down to some crude maths and an exchange rate that places Microsoft Hyper-V Server at £13 you'll feed two people and have a few pounds left over to get a couple of drinks! All for the same price as Microsoft Hyper-V Server! 

MMmmmm all that talk of food has made me hungry....