What are the limitations to using this version vs. full server. I have a couple small offices that need server, but I am reluctant to recommend this not knowing the restrictions. I need to know if we can later add remote desktop cals, as this is a possibility in the future. Thank you Mike

Foundation is mainly used for file and print sharing, remote access etc. It has got a Active directory limit, Read this, In the Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation operating system, the server must be a member of a workgroup or, if joined to a domain, joined at the root of the forest as a member server or domain controller. You will receive a warning message if the server is not joined to an Active Directory domain at the root of the forest. If you do not correct this, the server will restart approximately hourly. If your server is not joined to the domain at the root of the forest, disjoin the domain and then rejoin the domain at the root. Below link will explain you this in more details http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744832(v=ws.10).aspx Read the comparison with other version of windows server edition which is explained in Above link Regards, _Prashant_MCSA|MCITP SA|Microsoft Exchange 2003 Blog - http://prashant1987.wordpress.com Disclaimer: This posting is provided AS-IS with no warranties/guarantees and confers no rights.

Hi, From the definition MS article, you can use Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation to deploy basic IT applications, such as file and print sharing, remote access, and security. Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation provide a familiar Windows user experience that helps you manage users and safeguard business information, but have functional limitations. Comparison of Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation to other editions of Windows Server 2008 R2 Feature Foundation Server Standard Server Web Server Enterprise Server X86 Sockets 0 4 4 8 X64 Sockets 1 4 4 8 RAM: 64-bit platforms 8 GB 32 GB 32 GB 2 TB Failover Cluster Nodes 0 0 0 16 Network Access Connections (RRAS) 50 250 0 Unlimited Network Access Connections (NPS) 10 50 0 Unlimited Terminal Services Gateway Connections 50 250 0 Unlimited Active Directory limits, number of users limit and so on. But as your business grows, you can use Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation to upgrade to more advanced version of Windows Server. And because Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation comes pre-installed with your server hardware, you do not need to separately obtain and then install the hardware and operating system. For more information please refer to following MS articles: Introduction to Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744832(v=WS.10).aspx Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/windows-server/2008-r2-foundation.aspxLawrence TechNet Community Support

Please download the comparison sheet from here which contain all the features http://download.microsoft.com/download/F/C/6/FC6006B5-866E-42C1-88F8-9AC4B8BC610D/WS%20Brand%20Pages%20-%20Editions%20Comparison%20Guide.pdfpxhttp://www.arabitpro.com