Windows Server 8 Is Looking Good
The hype around the Windows 8 client may not be at Kim Kardashian divorce levels, but it sure out pulls Carrot Top news. Windows Server 8 may end up being more important to IT, but it's getting less press than a Kevin Federline rap concert.
We at Redmond magazine know different -- we know how important this new server software actually is. This is why we paid Microsoft MVP and top-rated author Brien Posey to take a look at an early version to tell us what it all means.
First, Posey is impressed: "In Windows Server 8, Microsoft has taken a much bolder approach and is creating an OS that's by far the most innovative since Windows 2000 Server," he writes.
Like the original NT, which mimicked much of the Windows client, Windows Server 8 takes cues from Windows 8 client by adopting the Metro interface. Even with this interface, Microsoft is pushing Windows Server 8 to go GUI-free by adopting the Server Core version.
Trying to keep ahead of VMware, Server 8 will boast a scalable version of Hyper-V -- one that supports "up to 63 host servers, and organizations will be able to host up to 4,000 virtual machines (VMs) within a single cluster," Posey explains.
Finally, Windows Server 8 can virtualize storage. "Windows Server 8 will make it possible to create storage pools so that physical storage is completely abstracted. This means that the underlying physical storage becomes nearly irrelevant. Just a Bunch of Drives (JBODs), SATA and Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) are all supported for physical storage, and the way in which storage virtualization is implemented reduces the need for SANs," Posey says.
If you care about Windows Server, Posey's piece is a must read.
What do you want to see in the next version of Windows Server? Tell us all by writing [email protected].
Posted by Doug Barney on 01/18/2012 at 1:19 PM