Windows Server 8 improves scalability, scope

15.09.2011
Every once in a while, you get a glimpse of something in the tech world that takes your breath away. For consumers, the iPad's eye candy and extreme usability, for instance, have the power to change the way they relate to computers. For enterprise administrators, data center managers and system managers, the features and improvements in are right up there in significance. It's really a game-changer in the world of server operating systems.

Last week, I participated in a two-day workshop where Microsoft engineers, managers and product architects shared their vision of Windows Server 8 and demonstrated its new capabilities. It quite frankly knocked my socks off. Because of the tie-in between the client version of Windows and the server version, we were not permitted to bring code home or play with the preview in our labs; however, that's coming, and I'll update this piece as soon as possible with a screenshot gallery showing the most interesting new parts of Windows Server 8.

Since a comes out today, and we can all get our grubby little hands on it, here's a guide to what to look for in the release that you'll find interesting and exciting.

Microsoft explains that during the initial planning phases for Windows Server 8, the company sought to create and improve features that center around these four specific OS design imperatives:

Microsoft set out to put a fully mature hypervisor into the box. Hyper-V is now a fully isolated, multitenant environment. It also now includes tools to help deliver service-level agreement performance, enable billing for usage and metering to different business units and organizations, and offer self-service features for end users.