Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1

Windows Server 2008 R2, now with Service Pack 1 (SP1) provides new virtualization technology that enables you to deliver more advanced capabilities to your business for increased IT efficiency and agility. Whether you want to consolidate servers, build a private cloud or offer Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, the addition of these powerful virtualization features enables you to take your datacenter and desktop virtualization strategy to a new level.

Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 builds on the award-winning foundation of Windows Server 2008, expanding existing technology and adding new features. Just a few of the enhancement in this release include new virtualization tools consisting of an updated version of Hyper-V with Live Migration and Dynamic Memory, Remote Fx in Remote Desktop Services, improved power management, and added features with Windows 7 integration such as BranchCache and Direct Access. Have greater control and the ability to react to business needs faster than ever before with powerful tools such as Internet Information Services (IIS) version 7.5, updated Server Manager and Hyper-V platforms and Windows PowerShell version 2.0.

Virtualization is a major part of today’s data centers. The operating efficiencies offered by virtualization allow organizations to dramatically reduce operational effort and power consumption. Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 provides the following virtualization types: Client and Server virtualization provided by Hyper-V and Presentation virtualization with Remote Desktop Services.

New Virtualization Technology in Hyper-V
Since the Windows Server 2008 release, Microsoft has introduced a new version of Hyper-V. Included as part of the Windows Server 2008 R2 with SP1 operating system, Hyper-V contains a number of core areas of improvements for creating dynamic virtual data centers and cloud computing, namely private cloud. These improvements provide you with increased availability and performance, improved management, and simplified methods for deployment including live migration. And, when combined with System Center, you are able to build out a dedicated private cloud environment to transform the way you deliver IT services to the business, using the infrastructure as a service (IaaS) model.

Expanded Features in Remote Desktop Services
Remote Desktop Services provides users and administrators with both the features and the flexibility necessary to build the most robust access experience in any deployment scenario. To expand the Remote Desktop Services feature set, Microsoft has been investing in the Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, also known as VDI. VDI is a centralized desktop delivery architecture, which enables Windows and other desktop environments to run and be managed in virtual machines on a centralized server.

Improved Web Application Platform
Windows Server 2008 R2 includes many enhancements that make this release the most robust Windows Server Web application platform yet. It offers an updated Web server role, Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5, and greater support for .NET on Server Core. Design goals for IIS 7.5 concentrated on improvements that enable Web administrators to more easily deploy and manage Web applications that increase both reliability and scalability. Additionally, IIS 7.5 has streamlined management capabilities and provides more ways to customize your Web serving environment. The following improvements to IIS and the Windows Web platform are included in Windows Server 2008 R2:
Reduced Effort to Administer and Support Web-Based Applications
Reduced Support and Troubleshooting Effort
Improved File-Transfer Services
Ability to Extend Functionality and Features
Improved .NET Support
Improved Application Pool Security
IIS.NET Community Portal

Improved Power Management and Streamlined Management
The ongoing management of servers in the data center is one of the most time-consuming tasks facing IT professionals today. Any management strategy you deploy must support the management of both your physical and virtual environments. To help with this problem, Windows Server 2008 R2 has new features to reduce the ongoing management of Windows Server 2008 R2 and to reduce the administrative effort for common day-to-day operational tasks.

Increased Scalability and Reliability
Windows Server 2008 R2 is capable of unprecedented workload size, dynamic scalability, and across-the-board availability and reliability. A host of new and updated features will be available, including leveraging sophisticated CPU architectures, increased operating system componentization, and improved performance and scalability for applications and services.
Leveraging sophisticated CPU architectures
Increased operating system componentization
Improved performance and scalability for applications and services
Improved Storage Solutions
Improved Protection of Intranet Resources

Integrated Experience with Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 R2 has many features that are designed specifically to work with client computers running Windows 7, Microsoft’s most current version of the Windows client operating system. Features that are only available when running Windows 7 client computers with server computers running Windows Server 2008 R2 include:
Direct Access to provide simplified remote connectivity for corporate computers
Secured remote connectivity for private and public computers
Improved performance for branch offices
Improved security for branch offices
Improved virtualized desktop integration
Higher fault tolerance for connectivity between sites