News

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Released to Manufacturers

Microsoft released word yesterday that its Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 operating system was sent to equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The milestone marks the final step before public release of new server products. Because the OS is sold preloaded on different manufacturers' servers -- including Dell, HP and NEC -- look for each vendor to set their own release date.

One new feature is the addition of Microsoft's iSCSI Software Target 3.3, which improves overall Hyper-V storage and allows for diskless boot of Hyper-V servers and high-performance clustering nodes. This addition will also support managing PowerShell scripts directly through the OS.

Also, on the virtualization front, the R2 release will reduce power consumption by 40 percent to 50 percent when the system is idle.

Network communication has been improved with the ability to access files using NFS and SMB protocols. The addition of the SMB 2.1 Protocol allows the server to speak natively to Windows 7 clients, which, according to Microsoft, will "almost double the SMB file-protocol performance" compared with the previous OS version.  

To reduce the storage space taken by duplicate flies, R2 features a Single Instance Storage (SIS) filter system that will systematically delete redundancies, increasing the storage capacity and efficiency. A new File Classification Infrastructure also gives server managers the ability to assign business values to files. This allows for files to be automatically governed by user-defined classification rules.  

Microsoft added a customizable Out-Of-Box-Experience (OOBE) with standalone or clustered configurations. This feature enables the customization of storage appliances with user-defined images. It also gives users a two-node failover cluster system, which avoids the server switching to a second node due to an error.

For a complete breakdown of what's new and what's changed for Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, visit the TechNet blog entry here.

About the Author

Chris Paoli (@ChrisPaoli5) is the associate editor for Converge360.

Featured

  • Microsoft Offers Support Extensions for Exchange 2016 and 2019

    Microsoft has introduced a paid Extended Security Update (ESU) program for on-premises Exchange Server 2016 and 2019, offering a crucial safety cushion as both versions near their Oct. 14, 2025 end-of-support date.

  • An image of planes flying around a globe

    2025 Microsoft Conference Calendar: For Partners, IT Pros and Developers

    Here's your guide to all the IT training sessions, partner meet-ups and annual Microsoft conferences you won't want to miss.

  • Notebook

    Microsoft Centers AI, Security and Partner Dogfooding at MCAPS

    Microsoft's second annual MCAPS for Partners event took place Tuesday, delivering a volley of updates and directives for its partners for fiscal 2026.

  • Microsoft Layoffs: AI Is the Obvious Elephant in the Room

    As Microsoft doubles down on an $80 billion bet on AI this fiscal year, its workforce reductions are drawing scrutiny over whether AI's ascent is quietly reshaping its human capital strategy, even as official messaging avoids drawing a direct line.