1. Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Product Overview
Microsoft.com Home|Site Map
Search Microsoft.com for:
Go
Virtual Server Home|Free Newsletters
Product Information
Product Information
How to Buy
Technical Resources
Virtual Server 2005 R2 Product Overview
Downloads
Published: May 14, 2004 | Updated: December 6, 2005
Support
Community Virtual Server 2005 R2 is the cost-effective server virtualization technology
engineered for the Windows Server System platform. As a key part of any
Partners
server consolidation strategy, Virtual Server increases hardware utilization
Windows Server System and enables organizations to rapidly configure and deploy new servers.
On This Page
Related Links
Introduction
•Virtual Server Evaluation Kit
Virtual Server 2005 R2 Scenarios •Virtual Server FAQs
Product Versions •MOM 2005 Management Pack
for Virtual Server
What’s New in This Release •Virtual Server Migration Toolkit
Key Features and Benefits •Systems Management Server
2003
The Drive to Self-Managing Dynamic
•Automated Deployment
Systems
Services
•Dynamic Systems Initiative
Introduction
In conjunction with Windows Server
2003, Virtual Server 2005 R2 provides a virtualization platform that runs
most major x86 operating systems in a guest environment, and is
supported by Microsoft as a host for Windows Server operating systems
and Windows Server System applications. Virtual Server 2005 R2’s
comprehensive COM API, in combination with the Virtual Hard Drive (VHD)
format and support for virtual networking, provide administrators complete
scripted control of portable, connected virtual machines and enable easy
automation of deployment, and ongoing change and configuration.
Additionally, its integration with a wide variety of existing Microsoft and
third-party management tools allows administrators to seamlessly manage
a Virtual Server 2005 R2 environment with their existing physical server
management tools. A wide array of complementary product and service
offerings are available from Microsoft and its partners to help businesses
plan for, deploy, and manage Virtual Server 2005 R2 in their environment.
Top of page
file:///X|/dev.bluesolutions.co.uk/shops/microsoft/pdf/New%20Folder/VirtualServer2005R2_Overview.htm (1 of 6) [23/01/2006 15:49:51]

2. Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Product Overview
Virtual Server 2005 R2 Scenarios
Virtual Server 2005 R2 addresses four key customer scenarios:
•Consolidate infrastructure, application, and branch office server
workloads. Virtual Server 2005 R2 is ideal for server consolidation in
both the datacenter and the branch office, allowing organizations to make
more efficient use of their hardware resources. It also allows IT
organizations to enhance their overall productivity and rapidly deploy new
servers to address changing business needs.
•Consolidate and re-host legacy applications. Virtual Server 2005 R2
enables re-hosting of legacy operating systems (Windows NT Server 4.0
and Windows 2000 Server) and their associated custom applications from
older hardware to new hardware running Windows Server 2003.
•Automate and consolidate software test and development
environments. Virtual Server 2005 R2 enables businesses to consolidate
their test and development server farm and automate the provisioning of
virtual machines.
•Simplify disaster and recovery planning. Virtual Server 2005 R2 can
be used as part of a disaster and recovery plan that requires application
portability and flexibility across hardware platforms.
Top of page
Product Versions
Virtual Server 2005 R2 is available in two versions, Standard Edition and
Enterprise Edition. Both versions include the same features; the only
difference is in the number of processors supported, as follows:
•Virtual Server 2005 R2 Standard Edition can be installed on servers with
up to 4 processors.
•Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition can be installed on servers with
up to 32 physical processors.
Top of page
What’s New in This Release
Virtual Server 2005 R2 includes the following new capabilities:
file:///X|/dev.bluesolutions.co.uk/shops/microsoft/pdf/New%20Folder/VirtualServer2005R2_Overview.htm (2 of 6) [23/01/2006 15:49:51]

3. Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Product Overview
•Virtual Server host clustering. Support for host-to-host connectivity
lets you cluster all virtual machines running on a host.
•iSCSI support. iSCSI clustering enables guest-to-guest connectivity
across physical machines.
•x64 support. Virtual Server runs natively within a 64-bit Windows host
operating system, providing increased performance and memory
headroom.
•Enhanced PXE booting. PXE boot support has been added to the virtual
machine network adapter. This means that when the appropriate network
infrastructure is in place, you can perform a network installation of a
guest operating system in the same way as physical servers.
•Other improvements. Virtual Server now includes improved
hyperthreading, support for F6 Disk (SCSI driver), and virtual disk pre-
compactor functionality.
•Performance improvements.
For more information about what Virtual Server can do, see the following
section or refer to the Reviewer's Guide.
Top of page
Key Features and Benefits
Virtual Server 2005 R2 benefits customers with the improved use of
hardware resources, increased IT productivity, and more as the tables
below describe.
Increased Utilization of Hardware Resources
Benefit Description
Virtualization Virtualization for operating system and application isolation
on a fully tested and qualified Microsoft stack.
•Broad x86 guest operating system compatibility: Runs
most major x86 operating systems in the virtual machine
guest environment.
•Windows Server guest operating system performance
optimization: Add-ins provide even greater CPU and IO
performance for Windows Server guest operating systems
and certain third-party x86 operating systems.
•x64 host support: Natively runs within a 64-bit Windows
host operating system, providing increased performance
and memory headroom.
file:///X|/dev.bluesolutions.co.uk/shops/microsoft/pdf/New%20Folder/VirtualServer2005R2_Overview.htm (3 of 6) [23/01/2006 15:49:51]

4. Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Product Overview
Availability Flexible clustering scenarios provide high availability for
mission critical environments while improving patching and
hardware maintenance processes.
•Guest to guest: iSCSI clustering for guests to guest across
physical machines.
•Host to host: Cluster all virtual machines running on a
host.
Resource Policy-based control for balanced workload management.
Management
•CPU resource allocation: Supports both weighting and
constraint methods for fine-grained control.
•Memory resource allocation: Supports memory resizing at
virtual machine boot time.
Enhanced IT Productivity and Responsiveness
Benefit Description
Rapid Complete scripted control of portable, connected virtual
Deployment machines enables automated configuration and deployment.
and
Provisioning
•VHDs: Encapsulates virtual machines in portable Virtual
Hard Disks (VHDs), enabling flexible configuration,
versioning, and deployment.
•Virtual networking: Enables flexible networking with guest-
to-guest, guest-to-host, and guest-to-net connectivity.
•Comprehensive COM API: Enables complete scripted
control of virtual machine environments.
•PXE Boot: Network boot allows for provisioning of virtual
machines in the same way as physical servers.
Manage and Use existing server management tools to administer virtual
Migrate machines running on a familiar host operating system.
•Virtual Server Web console: Enables authenticated
administration and client remote access.
•Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Management Pack for
Virtual Server: Provides extensible guest-host mapping for
event and performance management.
•Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 SP1: Reports
virtual to physical machine relationships for inventory
purposes.
•Automated Deployment Services and Virtual Server
Migration Toolkit: Provides command-line tools for
converting from physical to virtual or virtual to virtual,
easing migration to a virtual machine environment.
Cost-Effective and Reliable Solution from a Trusted
Platform Vendor
Benefit Description
file:///X|/dev.bluesolutions.co.uk/shops/microsoft/pdf/New%20Folder/VirtualServer2005R2_Overview.htm (4 of 6) [23/01/2006 15:49:51]

5. Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Product Overview
Integrated Comprehensive testing and support for Virtual Server in
Innovation conjunction with Windows Server operating systems and
Microsoft server applications.
•Windows–qualified drivers: Virtual machines utilize the
Windows host operating systems qualified device drivers,
ensuring robust and stable device support and broad
device compatibility.
• Operating system support: Microsoft extensively tests
Virtual Server in conjunction with Windows Server 2003
and Windows 2000 Server.
• Windows Server System family support: The Windows
Server System Common Engineering Criteria 2005 states,
“To help customers improve the utilization of hardware
resources, all server products will support Microsoft Virtual
Server 2005. Each product must be capable of running
from within a virtual instance.
• Active Directory integration: Enables delegated
administration and authenticated guest access.
Ecosystem Independent software vendors (ISVs) and customers can
Support integrate their offerings with Virtual Server for enhanced
functionality and manageability.
•Management interface: Comprehensive COM management
interfaces are published and utilized by management tool
vendors.
• VHD: The Microsoft VHD file format is available under
royalty-free license, enabling ISVs such as security and
management vendors to natively interoperate with Virtual
Server.
Top of page
The Drive to Self-Managing Dynamic Systems
The Dynamic Systems Initiative (DSI) is a commitment from Microsoft and
its partners to deliver self-managing dynamic systems to help IT teams
capture and use knowledge to design more manageable systems and
automate ongoing operations, resulting in reduced costs and more time to
proactively focus on what is most important to the organization.
Virtual Server 2005 R2 plays an important role in this vision, helping
customers to simplify their IT operations, improve server hardware
utilization and more flexibly provisioning their data center resources.
For more information, see the Dynamic Systems Initiative Web site.
file:///X|/dev.bluesolutions.co.uk/shops/microsoft/pdf/New%20Folder/VirtualServer2005R2_Overview.htm (5 of 6) [23/01/2006 15:49:51]

6. Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 Product Overview
Top of page
Manage Your Profile
© 2006 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use |Trademarks |
Privacy Statement
file:///X|/dev.bluesolutions.co.uk/shops/microsoft/pdf/New%20Folder/VirtualServer2005R2_Overview.htm (6 of 6) [23/01/2006 15:49:51]