WinHEC: Windows Server 2008 R2 to support 256 CPU cores

November 6, 2008 Microsoft Corp. today said the next advancement of its Windows Server operating arrangement will calibration up to 256 analytic processors.

Microsoft defines a analytic processor as the amount of concrete processors assorted by the amount of cores as able-bodied as the amount of threads, said Bill Laing, accumulated carnality admiral for Windows Server and solutions, during a keynote accent at the company's Windows Accouterments Engineering Conference (WinHEC).

Thus, Windows Server 2008 R2 will be able to, for example, abutment a arrangement with 64 concrete processors anniversary with two cores, anniversary acknowledging two accoutrement (64 by 2 by 2 = 256), said Laing.

Windows Server 2008 today supports up to 64 analytic processors.

Windows Server 2008 R2 is due in 2010, said Laing, who aswell accustomed its affiliation with the next adaptation of Microsoft's SQL Server database, code-named Kilimanjaro, due in the aboriginal bisected of 2010.

Windows Server 2008 R2 will be the aboriginal adaptation of the server operating arrangement that will alone appear in 64-bit versions. Though it is advised a accessory upgrade, R2 will cover some new features, such as hundreds of pre-written "cmdlets" for its PowerShell script-based administration interface for Windows Server.

Some IT administrators adopt to administer servers through argument interfaces because they accede it added absolute and economical. For those who wish almost-the-same attention but through an easier-to-use graphical interface, R2 will aswell cover an Active Directory Administrative Center congenital anon on top of PowerShell, Laing said.

Laing aswell accustomed the affiliation amid the accessible Windows 7 applicant operating arrangement and Windows Server 2008 R2. He showed how IT administrators would be able to bound and deeply administer annex appointment and limited PCs through R2.

He aswell reminded the audience, mostly engineers at Microsoft's accouterments partners, that R2 will cover a adaptation of the Hyper-V server virtualization software that will accept the adeptness to do Live Migration, or move about virtualized workloads after disruption or downtime.

R2's adaptation of Hyper-V will acquiesce anniversary virtualized workload to run on up to 32 analytic processors, compared with 24 today, Laing said.