After five years of effort and some anticipation, the next generation of Microsoft Windows Server operating system (OS), Windows Server 2008 (WS 2008), will be launched in February 2008.

The key anticipated feature of the new Windows Server is advanced capabilities in server virtualization. Microsoft’s hypervisor-based virtualization technology—the Windows Server virtualization—will be integrated into the new OS. This would enable multiple OSs to run on a single host computer at the same time.

“Windows Server 2008, with built-in Web and future virtualization technologies, would help enterprises to increase the reliability and flexibility of their server infrastructure. New virtualization tools, Web resources and security enhancements would reduce time, costs and provide a platform for a dynamic and optimized data center,” says Eric Rezabek, product marketing manager, Windows Server team, Microsoft.

The virtualization role requires Intel VT- or AMD-V-enabled processors. It also uses a common virtual hard disk format for all the virtual machines created for Virtual Server with a transparent migration path to Windows Server virtualization.

Other key features for WS 2008 server virtualization include Windows hypervisor, 64-bit guest support,
multiprocessor guest support, migration of virtual machines, new device virtualization architecture and offline virtual hard disk manipulation.

The Windows PowerShell is another key feature of the new server. It is a command-line shell and scripting language that provides more than 130 standard command-line tools to enable easier system administration and accelerated automation.

PowerShell introduces the concept of a cmdlet, pronounced as ‘command-let.’ It is a single-function
command-line tool built into the shell. Cmdlet can be used separately and in combination to perform complex tasks. Users can write their own cmdlets and share them with others.

With WS 2008, administrators can now opt to install a minimal environment to avoid extra overhead. In other words, any feature that is unnecessary can be skipped. The installation, called Server Core installation, limits the roles that can be performed by the server but it can improve security and reduce management.

“Server Core installation would benefit enterprises as it would reduce software maintenance. Also, as there are fewer components, it is less exposed to attacks,” says Rezabek. The Server Core installations provide an environment for running server roles that include DHCP Server, File Services, Print Server, DNS Server and Active Directory Domain Services.

Microsoft has also paid more attention to security with WS 2008. The network access protection (NAP) feature checks Windows Vista clients connecting to the network for compliance; they are restricted from accessing the network if they are found lacking. NAP provides health policy validation, network access limitation, automatic remediation, and ongoing compliance with the client components already built into Windows Vista and the server components integrated into WS 2008.

The Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7) feature equips developers to create new and powerful Web applications on a Windows Vista-based desktop and then migrate them to a WS 2008 server when complete. This can be done provided that the same version of IIS7 is running on both the client and server.