Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 Ships

Network attached storage (NAS) devices running Windows Storage Server 2003 R2, a special version of Windows Server tailored for file serving, are now available from five hardware vendors. The inclusion of Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) gives Storage Server 2003 R2 more functionality than its predecessor or traditional NAS devices. Other improvements increase Storage Server’s suitability for branch offices and yield storage capacity and performance greater than equivalent devices running Windows Server 2003 R2. However, Storage Server devices are not necessarily cheaper or even simpler than Windows Server equivalents, yet impose certain restrictions that could limit a customer’s options.

In related news, Microsoft announced technology for hardware manufacturers that will allow Windows Server or Windows Storage Server computers to boot from iSCSI-based storage area network (SAN) storage using inexpensive network interface cards instead of the more expensive iSCSI host bus adapters. (For more information about iSCSI boot support, see the sidebar “Lowering the Cost of iSCSI SAN Boot“.)