14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is offering a taste of its latest Windows server operating system available as a free download. Multiple Virtual Hard Drive Images containing Windows Server 2008 Enterprise can be grabbed straight from Microsoft, permitting the integration of the platform in a virtual machine running on two different Microsoft virtualization solutions. In this context, Hyper-V or Virtual Server 2005 is necessary for the deployment of Windows Server 2008 Virtual Hard Drive Images. Microsoft is offering both full and core installations of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise virtualized and tailored for Hyper-V and Virtual Server 2005.
"The Microsoft VHD format is the common virtualization file format for Virtual PC, Virtual Server 2005 and Hyper-V that provides a uniform product support system, and provides more seamless manageability, security, reliability and cost-efficiency for customers. This VHD release is available in English only. Both virtual machines available via the download are running Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition. One is the default full installation, and the other has been configured as a default Core installation," reads an excerpt out of the overview for the Virtual Server 2005 and Hyper-V VHDs of Windows Server 2008.
Microsoft informed that the virtual hard disks contain copies of Windows Server 2008 Enterprise which were last updated with patches on May 8. Users intending to deploy the VHDs should have available a machine with at least a 2.0 GHz (x64) processor featuring Hardware Assisted Virtulization, and in excess of 2.5 GB physical RAM available. The Windows Server 2008 Enterprise FULL installation, as well as the Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Server CORE installation, can be downloaded as a single compressed ZIP file containing the entire image, but also as multi-part archives.
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise FULL and CORE installations for Virtual Server 2005 are available for download here. Windows Server 2008 Enterprise FULL and CORE installations for Hyper-V are available for download here. Windows Server 2005 can be grabbed here. Windows Server 2008 Release Candidate 0 Enterprise with Hyper-V Beta can be downloaded from here. Hyper-V RC1 is here.