Microsoft has unveiled a beta version of its Windows Server 8 operating system.
Windows Server 8 updates the code base for Microsoft’s flagship server OS which will permit administrators to test the OS and offer feedback to Microsoft as it finalizes the software for commercial release.
Windows Server 8 contains numerous improvements in virtualization, multi-machine management and application hosting capabilities, stated Bill Laing, Microsoft corporate vice president for server and cloud. With virtualization, Windows Server 8 allows administrators to build virtual networks, allowing different business units or customers to share a single physical network while maintaining complete independence from the other virtual networks. Helping in disaster recovery and continuity of operations, another new feature allows file shares to be moved between nodes without stopping the server applications that use these files.
To run this version, a server will need a 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor, a minimum 512MB of working memory and 32GB on a disk. Users can upgrade to the new beta OS from existing versions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
