Windows Server 2003 is available in the following four editions:

• Windows 2003 Standard Server
• Windows 2003 Enterprise Server (32-bit and 64-bit versions)
• Windows 2003 Datacenter Server (32-bit and 64-bit versions)
• Windows 2003 Web Server

The following is an overview of each edition.

Standard Edition

Windows Server 2003 Standard edition is an ideal choice for most network chores. It supports
four-way symmetric multiprocessing (SMP), and 4GB of RAM. You can use Standard
edition for Network Load Balancing (but not for Cluster Services) and for Terminal
Server hosting.

In any organization, this edition is perfect for file services, supporting Distributed
File System (DFS), Encrypting File System (EFS), and Shadow Copies. You can also use
Standard edition for Remote Installation Services (RIS), and for web services. This
edition can run all network management services, .NET application services, and
multimedia. You can use Standard edition as an all-purpose server for departmental
and small-site locations. For small organizations, Standard edition works well in any
role, from providing file and print services, to acting as a domain controller.

Enterprise Edition

Enterprise edition is the bigger brother to the Windows Server Standard Edition created to meet all the needs of businesses of all sizes.
It supports eight-way SMP, 32GB of RAM in the 32-bit version, and 64GB of RAM
in the 64-bit version. It can be part of the server clusters, handling up to eight nodes.
The ability of this edition to scale makes it a good choice for any role in an organization,
offering a solid base for applications, web services,
and infrastructure management.

Enterprise edition replaces Windows 2000 Advanced Server.

Datacenter Edition

The BIG brother of the Windows platform, Datacenter edition supports 32-way SMP
in the 32-bit version, and 64-way SMP in the 64-bit version. It can handle 64GB RAM in
the 32-bit version, and 512GB RAM in the 64-bit version. Eight-node clustering is built
in. As with its Windows 2000 version, Datacenter is available through OEMs who
participate in the Datacenter program, and who provide support. This edition is ideal of large multimillion dollar organization looking for a stong backbone for the IT infrastructure.

Web Edition

This a new Windows Server product and is built to develop and run a web site. It includes IIS 6.0,
and other components that let you host web applications, web pages, and XML web
services. You cannot use Web edition to install any network management services, such as Active Directory, DNS
services, or DHCP services, nor can you run web server farms that require clusters. Web edition is not available as a retail product; you must
purchase it preinstalled from an OEM, or from a Microsoft System Builder partner.

Tags | Microsoft, Networking, Security, Servers