Windows Server 2008 R2 released to MSDN and TechNet

David M Williams
Monday, 17 August 2009 13:01

IT Industry - Market

Hot on the heels of last week’s Windows 7 release, Windows Server 2008 R2 has now been made available on Microsoft's technical subscription programmes.

Windows Server 2008 R2 is the latest version of Microsoft’s Windows Server operating system. The “R2” should not deceive you; it is not simply Windows Server 2008 with "a bit more."

Earlier this decade Microsoft detailed a roadmap that planned for major server releases every four years with an interim server release midway. For the most part this has stuck to plan.

Windows Server 2003 was released, logically enough, in April 2003. A midway release, Windows Server 2003 R2, was released in December 2005. Exceeding the planned timeline just slightly Windows Server 2008 was released in February 2008.

Windows Server 2008 R2 is now with us, being the midway release between Server 2008 and the next major server product. The fact it has only been a mere 16 months possibly foreshadows the next major version getting back on track for a 2011 release.

It is no coincidence that 2008 R2 follows Windows 7 so closely. In fact, both products – despite being aimed at different market segments – share the same core and are part of the same three-wave launch.

Beginning last week and concluding next week Microsoft is making an astounding 893 different operating system builds available. Wave one included all English x86 and x64 versions of Windows 7. Wave two, this week, has brought Windows Server 2008 R2 as well as major international Windows 7 editions. Finally, next week, the final batch of international editions of both client and server will be available.

Where Server 2008 R2 differs from the original Server 2008 is that it is built on the same core operating system as Windows 7, just as Windows Server 2008 shared Windows Vista’s core and Windows Server 2003 had commonality with Windows XP.

As such, 2008 R2 automatically inherits enhancements built in to Windows 7 like native support for virtual hard disks, improved multi-core processor performance, wider device support, support for solid state drives, native WWAN facilities, in-process thread scheduling without kernel mode involvement and many more.