Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 RTM now available

Volume prices for enterprises will be revealed September 1

Microsoft today announced the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. This puts R2/W7 right on schedule for general release on October 22.

In coordination of this release, Mitchell Ashley has interviewed Windows Server Division product manager Eric Jewett who explains how the much-anticipated Live Migration works. (At 3:11 in the interview). He talks about how Hyper-V cuts over from one running VM to another with no downtime, no loss of state and how the price is right, included for free in the Server). Jewett also mentions that System Center is not a requirement to use Live Migration -- though certainly can be used to help.

At 5:48, the two discuss performance improvements in Hyper-V, particularly mentioning the contentious issue of memory management (VMware is marketing itself heavily against Hyper-V by claiming it handles memory overcommit better than Hyper-V).

The two go on to discuss "green" CPU power consumption improvements of up to 18%, scalability and reliability improvements, and Remote Desktop Services (former Terminal Server) including presentation improvements and the addition of the RDS connection broker. They talk about the many Windows 7 specific additions including DirectAccess support, and BranchCache that locally caches and serves up large non-volatile files from a cache server or Windows 7 user machines instead of downloading them multiple times over a WAN link.

Listen:

Windows Server 2008 R2 is available for download the second half of August if you are a Technet or MSDN subscriber and it will be on the volume licensing price list September 1.

I give Microsoft a lot of grief in this blog for spending too much time and energy chasing competitors ideas instead of developing its own technologies to solve real business problems. But R2, by all accounts, is Microsoft at its best.

Jewett provided several resources for you to evaluate R2’s improvements and capabilities, including these resource links:

Also see:

Network World Clear Choice Tests Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows 7 IPv6 Support

Fear and Loathing: More Windows 7 BranchCache Stuff - Part 1

Fear and Loathing: More Windows 7 BranchCache Stuff - Part Deuce

Fear and Loathing: More Windows 7 BranchCache Stuff - Part Three

Visit the Microsoft Subnet web site for more news, blogs, podcasts. Subscribe to all Microsoft Subnet bloggers. Sign up for the bi-weekly Microsoft newsletter. (Click on News/Microsoft News Alert.)

  • Microsoft releases Linux Hyper-V drivers but still wants to crush Linux
  • Zero-day protection
  • Microsoft utters the F-word: "free"
  • Roll your own XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade on a USB drive
  • Firefox Stays In The Game With Firefox 3.5
  • Usability Testing SharePoint Sites: A little testing can make a big difference
  • Sometimes Slower Can Be Better
  • Giveaways and goodies from Microsoft Subnet and Cisco Subnet

Follow Microsoft Subnet on Twitter

 
Related:

Copyright © 2009 IDG Communications, Inc.

The 10 most powerful companies in enterprise networking 2022