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Microsoft Virtual Server
open-in-new
<p>Microsoft Virtual Server was a virtualization solution that facilitated the creation of <a href="/facts/Virtual_machines/BLevU3sx">virtual machines</a> on the <a href="/facts/Windows_XP/IozrkAYS">Windows XP</a>, <a href="/facts/Windows_Vista/IASEUCTB">Windows Vista</a> and <a href="/facts/Windows_Server_2003/3vIJam5L">Windows Server 2003</a> <a href="/facts/Operating_systems/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a>. Originally developed by <a href="/facts/Connectix/MAXhFnNu">Connectix</a>, it was acquired by <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> prior to release. <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Virtual_PC/wKdazyS3">Virtual PC</a> is Microsoft's related desktop virtualization software package. </p><p><a href="/facts/Virtual_machine/BLevU3sx">Virtual machines</a> are created and managed through a Web-based interface that relies on <a href="/facts/Internet_Information_Services/nqmfJr3T">Internet Information Services</a> (IIS) or through a Windows client application tool called VMRCplus. </p><p>The last version using this name was Microsoft Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1. New features in R2 SP1 include <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a> guest operating system support, Virtual Disk Precompactor, <a href="/facts/Symmetric_multiprocessing/T9CahUsN">SMP</a> (but not for the guest OS), <a href="/facts/X64/cyWvUFlP">x64</a> host operating system support, the ability to mount virtual hard drives on the host machine and additional operating systems support, including <a href="/facts/Windows_Vista/IASEUCTB">Windows Vista</a>. It also provides a Volume Shadow Copy writer that enables live backups of the Guest OS on a <a href="/facts/Windows_Server_2003/3vIJam5L">Windows Server 2003</a> or <a href="/facts/Windows_Server_2008/hrcPjTCH">Windows Server 2008</a> host. A utility to mount <a href="/facts/VHD_(file_format)/rTXwARrd">VHD images</a> has also been included since SP1. Virtual Machine Additions for Linux are available as a free download. Officially supported Linux guest operating systems include <a href="/facts/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux/6Cekx2ed">Red Hat Enterprise Linux</a> versions 2.1-5.0, <a href="/facts/Red_Hat_Linux/kIU5PueU">Red Hat Linux</a> 9.0, <a href="/facts/SUSE_Linux/TAEDo44B">SUSE Linux</a> and <a href="/facts/SUSE_Linux_Enterprise_Server/Fqf31h9R">SUSE Linux Enterprise Server</a> versions 9 and 10. </p><p>Virtual Server has been discontinued and replaced by <a href="/facts/Hyper-V/3Qm0yJsv">Hyper-V</a>. </p>