Windows Server 2008 Standard

A customer licensed with Windows Server 2008 Standard now may run one instance of the server software in the physical operating system environment (POSE) and one instance of the server software in a virtual operating system environment (VOSE). This is a new enhancement to the virtualization rights of Windows Server Standard. Diagram A below illustrates this new license enhancement. The orange arrow indicates that when running both instances, the instance of the server software running in the POSE may only be used to manage and service the operating system environments on the server.

Note, when customers are running virtualized instances of the server software, they must be using some form of virtualization or “hypervisor” technology, such as Microsoft Virtual Server software, Microsoft’s new Hyper-V Technology, or other third-party virtualization software.

Diagram B below indicates that with Windows Server 2008 Standard, you may move a virtual instance of the server software to another server that is properly licensed to support such added instance. For Volume License customers, the actual license may also be reassigned to another server every 90 days.