Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 is an unsupported (by now, except for Azure customers) server operating system from Microsoft, the previous version of which was Windows Server 2003.

Windows Server 2008

Developer	Microsoft
OS family	Windows Server
Source model	Proprietary software
Released to manufacturing	February 27, 2008
Latest preview	June CTP (Build 6001.16606) / June 2007[1]
Kernel type	Hybrid kernel
License	Microsoft EULA
Official website	www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/default.mspx%20www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/
Support status
Paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) are available Start date: February 27, 2008. Mainstream support ended on January 13, 2015. Extended support ended on 14 January 2020. Windows Server 2008 is eligible for the paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) program (free for Azure Virtual Desktop users). This program can extend the support for 3 more years, in early installments. Security Updates were available for the operating system until January 10, 2023 (January 9, 2024 for Azure Virtual Desktop users). Service Pack 2 is allowed for all users for extended support after July 12, 2011.

This operating system was codenamed named Windows Server "Longhorn", but on May 15, 2007, Bill Gates announced its official name on Windows Hardware Engineering Conference 2007.^[2]

This operating system has several new features compared to its previous version. Many of these new features are present in Windows Vista.

Windows Server 2008 removed support for processors without ACPI. It is the first version of Windows Server that includes Hyper-V and is also the final version of Windows Server that supports x86-based processors (also know as IA-32-based or 32-bit processors). Its successor, Windows Server 2008 R2 requires a 64-bit processor in any supported architecture (x86-64 for x86 and Itanium).