Do more with less? The HP and Microsoft partnership extends Windows Server 2012 features with the release of Windows Server 2012 R2. Combining the HP ProLiant Gen8 features with the advanced virtualization and scalability features of Windows Server 2012 R2 empowers IT users and provides flexible access to corporate resources while protecting corporate information.

Editions:
– Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter: for highly virtualized private cloud environments
– Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard: for physical or minimally virtualized environments
– Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials: a unique cloud-enabled offering for up to 25 users
– Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation: a Windows Server experience for as many as 15 users

This new release enhances server virtualization, storage, networking management, and application platform support.

What’s New

– Server Virtualization – Supports 64 TB virtual disk format with online resize capability, and compression to accelerate live migration of VHD/VHDX files
– Storage – Gives you the ability to transfer large scale file systems between multiple nodes within a cluster, and Windows Azure Hyper-V recovery manager ensures robust recovery using Hyper-V replica
– Network – Introduces Software Defined networking via Hyper-V network virtualization and Hyper-V extensible switch, and enables SR-IOV capable devices to be directly accessed by the VMs

Features

Go Beyond Virtualization

– Windows Server 2012 R2 is a complete virtualization platform that delivers a fully isolated, multi-tenant environment. It includes tools to help guarantee service-level agreements (SLAs), enables chargebacks through use-based billing, and supports self-service delivery.
– Increase scalability and performance through a high-density, scalable environment that can perform optimally as it adapts to your changing needs.
– Get connectivity to cloud services using a common identity and management framework for reliable security-enhanced, cross-premises connectivity.

Enjoy the Power of Many Servers With the Simplicity of One Platform

– Flexible storage. Improve performance, availability, and resource efficiency with the storage of your choice.
– Continuous availability. Provide cost-effective, highly available services with protection against a wide range of failure scenarios — for a single server or an entire data center.
– Management efficiency. Automate a broad set of management tasks and simplify the deployment of server roles as you move toward full, lights-out automation.

Benefit From a Platform With Apps Already Built and Deployed

– Enables you to build hybrid and symmetrical applications across the data center and the cloud.
– Provides frameworks, services, and tools to increase scalability and elasticity for applications and websites that are multi-tenant aware.
– Build mission-critical applications and take advantage of open frameworks, open source applications, and various development languages.

Flexible User Access to Data and Applications

– Access from virtually anywhere, from any device. Seamless, on-demand access to a virtualized work environment from virtually anywhere, including branch locations and public connectivity services.
– Full Windows experience anywhere. A rich, personalized user experience on popular devices, while adapting to different network conditions quickly and responsively.
– Enhanced data security and compliance. Central audit and access policies enable granular access to data and corporate resources based on strong identity, data classification, and simplified administration for remote access.