 Microsoft is supporting the recent release of the Itanium™ Processor Family from Intel? by introducing Microsoft Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition, the first 64-bit version of the Windows Server family. This new version extends the capabilities of Windows Server as an enterprise-class operating system, adding native support for the Intel Itanium processor, also known as the IA64 processor.
The release of Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition, provides early adopters an opportunity to evaluate, develop, and deploy solutions on IA64 Windows Server technology. Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition, supports up to 8 Itanium processors and 64 gigabytes (GB) of physical memory. It is a member of the next generation of Microsoft's Windows Server family, branded as Windows .NET Server 2003. This new Windows Server technology is built on the solid foundation and established success of the Windows 2000 Server family.
Microsoft has worked closely with Intel and many other major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to develop Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition, running on Intel Itanium servers. These new servers soon will be available from many OEMs.
In addition to its new 64-bit processing capabilities, Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition, includes many enhancements beyond what is currently available in the Windows 2000 Server Family. Key enhancements include:
- Faster and easier deployment
- Advanced management features for IT Professionals
- Optimal performance and reliability
Who will use Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition
Microsoft Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition is a full-featured, production-ready operating system. Memory-intensive and computation-intensive scenarios will benefit the most from Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition. These include:
- Database applications, data warehousing, and business intelligence.
- Large Web sites that benefit from caching HTML pages for faster performance.
- Scientific computing environments for performing numerical analysis.
- Encryption and decryption intensive scenarios.
| Additional scalability and reliability for memory-intensive applications
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| Breaks the 4GB/64GB memory limits.
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| Enables up to 16 terabytes (TB) of flat virtual memory.
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| Greater physical memory capabilities.
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| Hardware error detection and prediction.
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| Extends the investments organizations have already made in Windows
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| Lets IT pros and developers leverage their existing Windows skills.
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| Complements Windows servers on the x86 platform.
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| Interoperable with 32-bit Windows.
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| Easy to migrate 32-bit Windows-based applications to 64-bit Windows.
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| Best platform for new generation of 64-bit server applications
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| Native support for 64-bit Itanium hardware.
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| Broad 64-bit application support.
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| Familiar Windows programming model.
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| Broad industry support from systems integrators, hardware vendors, and others.
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Key benefits to Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition
Additional scalability and reliability for memory intensive applications.
Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition will remove barriers for developers, who today must design their applications to not exceed an upper limit of 4GB of addressable memory, the maximum memory supported by Windows 2000 Server. By increasing this maximum to 16 TB of addressable memory, Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition will effectively remove all limits for applications accessing more physical memory, thus allowing developers to dramatically boost application performance.
Applications for Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition are built on using the same Windows Programming mode with its well-known Windows APIs that are understood and used by millions of developers today.
With Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition, developers will able to use their existing skill sets.
Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition can work with your organization's existing Windows-based applications and servers.
New Windows applications built for IA64 computing can seamlessly coexist in the same environment as existing 32-bit applications for Windows. This is possible because of the interoperability and manageability provided by Windows standards such as DCOM and SOAP. Therefore, customers can deploy 64-bit Itanium servers for applications that will benefit from large amounts of memory and/or superior floating-point calculations and preserve their investment in 32-bit servers for other applications.
Easy migration path to IA64
Microsoft's experience, and the experience of many of its ISV partners, has proven that it is relatively straightforward to move a 32-bit Windows-based application to IA64. Developers can migrate their clean, 32-bit application source code to the IA64 platform by recompiling the code for the IA64 platform. Further tuning is usually required to achieve optimal performance.
How to License
Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition is available through the OEM channel. Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition customers who register their product will receive a no-charge upgrade to the 64-bit version of Windows .NET Server 2003, Enterprise Edition when available. Windows Advanced Server, Limited Edition initially is available in English and Japanese.
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