Microsoft releases Hyper-V 2008 Server.

Microsoft released Hyper-V Server 2008 yesterday and it’s now available for FREE download.  This is a bare-metal standalone hypervisor, meaning that you don’t install a host OS on the machine before installing this. You just install this and then create your VM’s and install the OS of choice into your VMs.

I think the best way to think of this is as Server Core but with only one role: Virtualization.  Or think Hyper-V without the overhead of a full Host OS.  Here’s a few cool facts:

The maximum number of guest instances is 192.

The maximum number of Logical processors supported is 24.

The maximum amount of Memory? I don’t know but I know it supports more than 32GB!

Licensing for Hyper-V Server is free however you’ll have to have a license for each guest instance of Windows you install. The screen cap below shows the different licensing options for Hyper-V:

(my advice: Go datacenter and save on licensing).

Jess

With a background in web development and web server administration dating back to 1994, Jess Coburn founded Applied Innovations in 1999. As CEO, he led the company to become a recognized leader in Windows Hosting, specializing in ASP.NET, E-Commerce, and advanced web application hosting. Under Jess's leadership, Applied Innovations became known for making cutting-edge technology accessible and affordable for businesses. Building on this success, Jess expanded his vision by founding QIT Solutions, a managed cloud, IT, and cybersecurity company, where he continues to leverage his extensive industry experience to deliver innovative and secure IT solutions to businesses.

See Full Bio