I was curious about the available versions of the Windows Storage Server line of products. It is my understanding that there are stand-alone versions (Storage Server 2003, Storage Server 2008) but that they were discontinuing it as a stand-alone product and rolling it into a Windows Server Feature / Role. Is this the case? I have been looking for information about the availability of Storage Server 2008 R2 or the Storage Server Feature / Role in Server 2008 R2, however I haven't been able to find a lot of information (or am not looking in the right places). Thank you in advance for your help. Regards, Richard

Hi Richard, Windows Storage Server is an OEM-only product, which means Microsoft partners with OEMs to sell an appliance solution. You can contact OEMs to see whether you can get any information from them. Windows Storage Server 2008 Partners http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/wss08/partners.aspx Alternatively, you may also contact Microsoft Customer Support Services (CSS) via telephone so that a dedicated Support Professional can assist you with your request. To obtain the phone numbers for specific technology request please take a look at the web site listed below. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;PHONENUMBERS If you are outside the US please see http://support.microsoft.com for regional support phone numbers. Regards, Karen JiThis posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

Thank you for your reply, but it doesn't specifically address my question. Is Microsoft discontinuing Windows Storage Server as a stand-alone product and rolling it into the Windows Server product as a role / feature?

Hello Richard, i think do You meen that the feature of the storage server (Data - single instant sore) will be available in WS08R2. I think no, because it is a seperated product at this time, but only available with HW (Storage solutions - as Karen wrote). But it is a good proposal. For more information ( i think you know this link) use http://blogs.technet.com/b/storageserver/ Rgds

Hello Richard, like previous WIndows server Edition, the storage version, will be a special OS packaging provided with Hardware material, and distribute by constructor only with the new server. You can consult more informations inside the windows storage team web blog and the new whitepapers available : http://blogs.technet.com/b/storageserver/archive/2010/06/01/windows-storage-server-whitepapers.aspx regardsSpice IT

I think this "no" is probably the closest to the answer I was looking for. Microsoft should get their act together on this and release it outside the OEM channels for those that don't have access to it via MSDN.

Hello Richard, Just back from TechEd 2010 and they had a session I attended that announced Windows Storage Server 2008 R2. Unfortunatley the session is still not posted on MS TECHED online yet. (http://www.msteched.com/2010/NorthAmerica/countall for all sessions available) Session was WSV323: Past, Present and Future of Window-Based NAS: A Growing Market for Highly Available Solutions. It is still in beta and understand from the session that a new beta version is due 28 Jun and should be available on MS Connect then (http://connect.microsoft.com) althought I think you might need an invitation code (annouced at session as M3-2QF8-W4XD). Still designed to be a OEM sold product with hardware. So based on that I would expect that the answer as you surmised is "No" as the path seems to be to keep it as a separate product. By the way Windows Storage Server 2008 (not R2) is currently available from Tech Net if you have a subscription to that (cheaper than MSDN). I asked if the same practice would hold for the R2 version and the answer was yes. No actual release date was specified during the session. Aside from leveraging the new tecnologies in Server 2008 R2 the main takeaway for me will be support for clustered shared volumes in Storage R2 for high availability Hyper-V. regards

Kassak, Thank you for your reply and for providing more insight into some of the upcoming features in the R2 release of Windows Storage Server, it is much appreciated. Regards, Richard

Woot! http://blogs.technet.com/b/storageserver/archive/2010/09/22/windows-storage-server-2008-r2-is-now-available.aspx SuperSquatch