Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard
Instant activation
The first 64-bit-only Windows Server release, licensed per server with one physical and one virtual instance. Support ended in January 2020.
$13one-time
Instant Activation
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter
Microsoft · Windows Server
The legacy virtualisation edition of 2008 R2, licensed per processor with unlimited virtual instances. Support ended in January 2020.
- Platform
- Windows Server
- License Type
- Perpetual, per processor
- Edition
- Datacenter
- Delivery
- Digital key by email
- Servers
- 1 server
- Support
- Ended 14 January 2020 — no security updates
Pricing
$13one-time
Covers 1 device.
- Activated automatically after checkout
- Delivery: Digital key by email
- License Type: Perpetual, per processor
- Payment handled by the payment provider
Prices exclude any applicable tax. Licenses are issued to the account used at checkout.
Overview
Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter is licensed per physical processor and grants unlimited Windows virtual instances on the licensed hardware, which made it the edition of choice for the first generation of Hyper-V consolidation projects. It carries the same feature set as the Standard edition — live migration, IIS 7.5, PowerShell 2.0, DirectAccess — without the virtualisation limit. Microsoft's extended support ended on 14 January 2020 and no further security updates are issued.
Standard or Datacenter?
Both editions of this release install from the same media, carry the same system requirements and are licensed the same way. The difference is how many operating system environments the license grants — and, on the Datacenter side, the virtualisation features that come with it.
Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard
The first 64-bit-only Windows Server release, licensed per server with one physical and one virtual instance. Support ended in January 2020.
$13one-time
OpenWindows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter
ViewingThe legacy virtualisation edition of 2008 R2, licensed per processor with unlimited virtual instances. Support ended in January 2020.
$13one-time
This page
Features
Unlimited virtual instances
Run as many Windows virtual machines as the licensed hardware supports.
Per-processor licensing
Licensed by physical processor, with every socket in the host requiring a license.
Hyper-V with live migration
Move running virtual machines between cluster nodes without downtime.
Failover clustering
Up to 16 nodes per cluster with cluster shared volumes for VM storage.
License details
- Platform
- Windows Server
- License Type
- Perpetual, per processor
- Edition
- Datacenter
- Delivery
- Digital key by email
- Servers
- 1 server
- Support
- Ended 14 January 2020 — no security updates
- OS Environments
- Unlimited
- Processor Licensing
- Every socket must be licensed
- CALs
- Client Access Licenses sold separately
- Architecture
- 64-bit only
System requirements
Processor and memory
- 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor — this release has no 32-bit edition
- 512 MB RAM minimum
- 32 GB minimum disk space, 40 GB on systems with more than 16 GB of RAM
Licensing
- Licensed per physical processor; every socket in the host must be licensed
- Client Access Licenses are purchased separately
Installation
Windows Server 2008 R2 is installed from official Microsoft media in Server Core or full installation mode, then activated with the supplied product key.
Frequently asked questions
How is the Datacenter edition licensed on 2008 R2?
Per physical processor. Every socket in the host must be licensed, and in exchange the license grants unlimited Windows virtual instances on that hardware.
Is Windows Server 2008 R2 still supported?
No. Extended support ended on 14 January 2020 and it has received no security updates since. A machine running it should not be exposed to the internet.
Do I need Client Access Licenses?
Yes. Client Access Licenses are required for users or devices accessing the server and are purchased separately from the server license.
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