Comparison of Windows Server 2003 Editions

Updated: March 28, 2003

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1,
Windows Server 2003 with SP2

 The following table describes features supported by the Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003

operating system, and illustrates which editions of the operating system support which features.

 = Feature included  

 = Feature partially supported  

 = Feature not included

Standard Enterprise Datacenter Web

 Category Feature and Description
Edition Edition Edition Edition
64-bit Support for Intel Itanium-based Computers(1)

Support for 64-bit processing delivers far higher

Hardware scalability than 32-bit file servers by providing a greatly
Specifications enlarged virtual address space and paged pool area, the
ability to handle increased numbers of users and
connections, and increased hardware reliability through
predictive error checking and notification of failures.
Hot Add Memory(2, 3)

Hot Add Memory allows ranges of memory to be added to

a computer and made available to the operating system
and applications as part of the normal memory pool. This
Hardware does not require rebooting the computer and involves no
Specifications downtime. This feature only operates on servers that have
hardware support for adding memory while the server is
operating. Most existing servers do not have such
hardware support and can be damaged if memory is
installed while the power is on. It is recommended that
you consult your server operator's manual for more
information.
Hardware Non-Uniform Memory Access(3)
Specifications
As processor clock rates continue to increase and put
pressure on processor bus architectures, scaling is
addressed by implementing multiple processor buses. This
can result in an architecture consisting of processors and
memory arranged in smaller subsystems called nodes.
Processor access time to memory in other nodes is longer
than access time to memory in the same node. This results
in Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) across the
system. The longer access times to other nodes can
degrade software performance. The operating system
attempts to limit degradation by scheduling threads from
the same process on processors that are in the same node,
 and allocating all memory requests within the same node
as the processor making the request. In addition, an API is
included to make NUMA architecture information
available to application software. These features ensure
that memory accesses are local to a node wherever
possible, and limit software degradation caused by the
NUMA architecture.
Datacenter Program

Hardware The Datacenter Program provides customers with an

Specifications integrated hardware, software, and service offering,
delivered by Microsoft and qualified server vendors such
as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
2-GB RAM Maximum

RAM facilitates improved system scalability and

Hardware performance. The more RAM added to a server beyond
Specifications minimum requirements, the more memory available for
applications to use. Designed for building and hosting
Web applications, Web pages, and XML Web services,
Windows Server 2003, Web Edition supports new systems
with up to 2 GB of RAM.
4-GB RAM Maximum

RAM facilitates improved system scalability and

Hardware performance. The more RAM added to a server beyond
Specifications minimum requirements, the more memory available for
applications to use. Designed for small organizations and
departmental use, Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
supports new systems with up to 4 GB of RAM.
32-GB RAM Maximum

RAM facilitates improved system scalability and

Hardware performance. The more RAM added to a server beyond
Specifications minimum requirements, the more memory available for
applications to use. Designed for demanding enterprise
applications, Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition
supports new systems with up to 32 GB of RAM.
64-GB RAM Maximum(4)

RAM facilitates improved system scalability and

performance. The more RAM added to a server beyond
Hardware minimum requirements, the more memory available for
Specifications applications to use. Designed for mission-critical
applications, the 32-bit version of Windows Server 2003,
Datacenter Edition supports up to 64 GB of RAM on x86-
based computers. The 64-bit version of Windows
Server 2003, Enterprise Edition supports systems with up
to 64 GB of RAM.
Hardware 512-GB RAM Maximum(5)
Specifications
RAM facilitates improved system scalability and
performance. The more RAM added to a server beyond
 minimum requirements, the more memory available for
applications to use. The 64-bit version of Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter Edition supports systems with up
to 512 GB of RAM.
2-Way Symmetric Multiprocessing

The Windows Server 2003 family supports single or

multiple CPUs that conform to the symmetric
multiprocessing (SMP) standard. Using SMP, the
operating system can run threads on any available
Hardware processor, which makes it possible for applications to use
Specifications multiple processors when additional processing power is
required to increase the capability of a system. New
features include SMP locking performance, improved
registry performance, and increased Terminal Server
sessions. Designed for building and hosting Web
applications, Web pages, and XML Web services,
Windows Server 2003, Web Edition supports new systems
with up to two-way SMP.
4-Way Symmetric Multiprocessing

The Windows Server 2003 family supports single or

multiple CPUs that conform to the symmetric
multiprocessing (SMP) standard. Using SMP, the
operating system can run threads on any available
Hardware processor, which makes it possible for applications to use
Specifications multiple processors when additional processing power is
required to increase the capability of a system. New
features include SMP locking performance, improved
registry performance, and increased Terminal Server
sessions. Designed for small organizations and
departmental use, Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
supports new systems with up to four-way SMP.
8-Way Symmetric Multiprocessing

The Windows Server 2003 family supports single or

multiple CPUs that conform to the symmetric
multiprocessing (SMP) standard. Using SMP, the
operating system can run threads on any available
Hardware processor, which makes it possible for applications to use
Specifications multiple processors when additional processing power is
required to increase the capability of a system. New
features include SMP locking performance, improved
registry performance, and increased Terminal Server
sessions. Designed for demanding enterprise applications,
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition supports new
systems with up to eight-way SMP. This includes the 64-
bit edition of Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
Hardware 32-Way Symmetric Multiprocessing
Specifications
The Windows Server 2003 family supports single or
multiple CPUs that conform to the symmetric
multiprocessing (SMP) standard. Using SMP, the
operating system can run threads on any available
 processor, which makes it possible for applications to use
multiple processors when additional processing power is
required to increase the capability of a system. New
features include SMP locking performance, improved
registry performance, and increased Terminal Server
sessions. Designed for mission-critical applications,
Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition supports new
systems with 8-way to 32-way SMP. This includes the 64-
bit edition of Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition.
64-Way Symmetric Multiprocessing

The Windows Server 2003 family supports single or

multiple CPUs that conform to the symmetric
multiprocessing (SMP) standard. Using SMP, the
operating system can run threads on any available
processor, which makes it possible for applications to use
multiple processors when additional processing power is
required to increase the capability of a system. New
features include SMP locking performance, improved
Hardware
registry performance, and increased Terminal Server
Specifications
sessions. Designed for mission-critical applications,
Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition supports new
systems with up to 64-way SMP. The support for over 32
processors is only available with the 64-bit edition of
Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition.

Microsoft also offers a 128-way SKU for Windows

Server 2003, Datacenter Edition so Windows can run on a
128-processor computer. However, the largest partition
supported would be 64 processors.
Active Directory® Directory Service

Active Directory is the directory service for Windows

Server 2003, Standard Edition; Windows Server 2003,
Directory Services Enterprise Edition; and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter
Edition. It stores information about objects on the network
and makes this information easy for administrators and
users to find and use. Active Directory uses a structured
data store as the basis for a logical, hierarchical
organization of directory information.
Microsoft Identity Integration Server Support

Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS) is a

centralized service that stores and integrates identity
information from multiple directories in an organization.
The goal of this metadirectory is to provide an
Directory Services organization with a unified view of all known identity
information about users, applications, and network
resources. A metadirectory solves important business
issues that result from having information stored in
multiple, disparate data repositories throughout an
organization. MIIS is available via Microsoft Consulting
Services (MCS) or via an MIIS partner engagement.
Security Services Internet Connection Firewall
 Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) provides Internet
security in the form of a firewall. Designed for use in the
home and small business, ICF provides protection on
computers directly connected to the Internet. This feature
is available for LAN or dial-up networks, virtual private
networks (VPNs), and Point-to-Point Protocol over
Ethernet (PPPoE) connections. It also prevents scanning
of ports and resources (such as file and printer shares)
from external sources.
Public Key Infrastructure, Certificate Services, and
Smart Cards

By using Certificate Services and certificate management

tools, you can deploy your own public key infrastructure
(PKI). With a PKI, you can implement standards-based
technologies, such as smart card logon capabilities, client
authentication through Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and
Security Services Transport Layer Security (TLS), secure e-mail, digital
signatures, and secure connectivity using Internet Protocol
security (IPSec). By using Certificate Services, you can
set up and manage certification authorities (CAs) that
issue and revoke X.509 v3 certificates. This means that
you do not have to depend on commercial client
authentication services, although you can integrate
commercial client authentication into your PKI if you
choose.
Remote Desktop for Administration

With Remote Desktop for Administration (formerly

Terminal Services known as Terminal Services in Remote Administration
mode), you can administer a computer from virtually any
computer on your network. Based on Terminal Services
technology, Remote Desktop for Administration is
specifically designed for server management.
Terminal Services Terminal Server

Terminal Server lets you deliver Windows-based

applications — or the Windows desktop itself — to
virtually any computing device, including those that
cannot run Windows. For example, a user can access a
virtual Windows XP Professional desktop and x86-based
Windows applications from hardware that cannot run the
software locally. Terminal Server provides this capability
for both Windows-based and non–Windows-based client
devices. When a user runs an application on Terminal
Server, all of the application execution takes place on the
server, and only keyboard, mouse, and display information
traverses the network.

Note

 Terminal Server mode is not included on

computers running Microsoft Windows
 Server 2003, Web Edition; however, Remote
Desktop for Administration is available on
Windows Server 2003, Web Edition.

Terminal Server Session Directory

Terminal Server Session Directory allows users to easily

reconnect to a disconnected session in a load-balanced
Terminal Server farm. Session Directory is compatible
with the Windows Server 2003 Network Load Balancing
service, and is supported by third-party external load-
balancer products from manufacturers such as F5
Networks (formerly F5 Labs) and Radware.
Terminal Services
Note

 The Session Directory Service runs on all

editions of Windows Server 2003; however, to
participate in a Session Directory, the server must
be running Windows Server 2003, Enterprise
Edition or Windows Server 2003, Datacenter
Edition (including the 64- bit editions of the
Windows Server 2003 family).

Network Load Balancing

Previously known as Windows NT Load Balancing

Clustering Service (WLBS), Network Load Balancing distributes
Technologies incoming TCP/IP traffic among multiple servers. Your
clustered applications, especially Web server applications,
can handle more traffic, provide higher availability, and
provide faster response times.
Cluster Service

A cluster is a group of independent computers, called

Clustering nodes, that work together to run a common set of
Technologies applications and provide high availability. If one node on
the cluster fails, the application can be failed over to the
next node. Server clusters of up to eight nodes are
available only in Windows Server 2003, Enterprise
Edition and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter Edition.
Communications Virtual Private Network Support
and Networking
Services You can give users ready access to your organization's
network even when they are out of the office — and
reduce the cost of this access — by implementing a virtual
private network (VPN). The VPN connection creates a
secure tunnel across the Internet into the private network.
There are two types of VPN technologies in the Windows
Server 2003 family: Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol
(PPTP), which employs user-level Point-to-Point Protocol
(PPP) authentication methods and Microsoft Point-to-
Point Encryption (MPEE) for data encryption; and Layer
Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) with Internet Protocol
 security (IPSec). L2TP employs user-level PPP
authentication methods and computer-level certificates
with IPSec for data encryption. On Windows Server 2003,
Web Edition and Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition,
you can create up to 100 PPTP ports and up to 100 L2TP
ports. However, Windows Server 2003, Web Edition, can
accept only one VPN connection at a time. Windows
Server 2003, Standard Edition, can accept up to 1,000
concurrent VPN connections via the ports. If 1,000 VPN
clients are connected, further connection attempts are
denied until the number of connections falls below 1,000.
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter Edition support unlimited
concurrent users.
Internet Authentication Service

Internet Authentication Service (IAS) is the Microsoft

implementation of a Remote Authentication Dial-in User
Service (RADIUS) server and proxy. As a RADIUS
server, IAS performs centralized connection
authentication, authorization, and accounting for many
types of network access including wireless, authenticating
Communications switch, and remote access dial-up and virtual private
and Networking network (VPN) connections. As a RADIUS proxy, IAS
Services forwards authentication and accounting messages to other
RADIUS servers. You can configure IAS in Windows
Server 2003, Standard Edition, with a maximum of 50
RADIUS clients and a maximum of 2 remote RADIUS
server groups. With IAS in Windows Server 2003,
Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server 2003, Datacenter
Edition, you can configure an unlimited number of
RADIUS clients and remote RADIUS server groups. In
addition, you can configure RADIUS clients by specifying
an IP address range.
Network Bridge

Network Bridge provides an easy way for you to connect

Communications different LAN segments, allowing users to bridge
and Networking connections between different computers and devices on
Services their network, even when they connect to the network
through different methods. Network bridge is supported in
Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition and Windows
Server 2003, Enterprise Edition.
Internet Connection Sharing

By using the Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) feature of

Network Connections, you can connect your home
Communications network or small office network to the Internet. For
and Networking example, you might have a home network that connects to
Services the Internet through a dial-up connection. By enabling ICS
on the computer that uses the dial-up connection, you can
provide network address translation (NAT), addressing,
and name resolution services for all the computers on your
network.
 IPv6

Communications Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a suite of Internet

and Networking standard protocols that will become the next generation of
Services network layer protocols for the Internet. IPv6 is designed
to solve many of the problems of the current version of IP
(known as IPv4) with regard to address depletion,
security, autoconfiguration, extensibility, and more.
Distributed File System

Distributed File System (DFS) is enhanced for Windows

Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter Edition by allowing multiple DFS
roots on a single server. You can use this feature to host
multiple DFS roots on a single server, reducing
File and Print administrative and hardware costs of managing multiple
Services namespaces and multiple replicated namespaces. Using
Active Directory, DFS shares can be published as volume
objects and administration can be delegated. Windows
Server 2003, Standard Edition supports only one DFS
root. DFS is partially supported in Windows Server 2003,
Web Edition, where it is possible to access DFS files and
act as a node in DFS tree, but only 10 concurrent
incoming server message block (SMB) connections are
permitted.
Encrypting File System

File and Print Encrypting File System (EFS) complements other access
Services controls and provides an additional level of protection for
your data. EFS runs as an integrated system service on all
disks (including clustered disks), making it easy to
manage, difficult to attack, and transparent to the user.
Shadow Copies for Shared Folders

File and Print Shadow Copy Restore (Previous Versions) provides point-
Services in-time copies for network folders. Users can easily access
previous versions of their files through Windows Explorer
by right-clicking a file or folder.
Removable Storage

Removable Storage makes it easy to track your removable

File and Print storage media (tapes and optical discs) and to manage the
Services hardware libraries (such as changers and jukeboxes) that
contain them. Because removable optical discs and tapes
are less expensive per megabyte than hard disks,
Removable Storage and Remote Storage can decrease
your costs.
File and Print Remote Storage
Services
Remote Storage uses criteria that you specify to
automatically copy little-used files to removable media. If
hard disk space drops below specified levels, Remote
Storage removes the cached file content from the disk. If
the file is needed later, the content is automatically
recalled from storage. Remote Storage now supports
 migration to magneto-optical media. Remote Storage is
not available in Windows Server 2003, Standard Edition
or Windows Server 2003, Web Edition.
Fax Service

Fax Service lets users send and receive faxes by using a

File and Print modem or a fax board. You can also send faxes by using
Services your network. You can print to fax from any application,
send a cover page, and track and monitor fax activity.
New wizards simplify configuration and fax sending.
Also, developers can write applications using the new fax
APIs to automatically send faxes from their applications.
Services for Macintosh

Services for Macintosh provides Macintosh users with

access to files stored on a computer running Windows
Server 2003. The file server is accessible over TCP/IP
File and Print networks and over AppleTalk networks. Print services
Services allow Macintosh clients to print to Windows NT or
Windows 2000–based print shares via the AppleTalk
protocol. In addition to the print server, there is a 300 dpi
PostScript RIP engine that allows Macintosh-generated
PostScript print jobs to be sent to non-PostScript printers,
such as inkjet printers.
IntelliMirror® Management Technologies

To help reduce costs, administrators need high levels of

control over portable and desktop systems. IntelliMirror
management technologies provide this control on client
systems running Windows 2000 Professional or
Management Windows XP Professional. You can use IntelliMirror to
Services define policies based on business roles, group
memberships, and locations. With these policies,
Windows 2000 Professional desktops and Windows XP
Professional desktops are automatically reconfigured to
meet a specific user's requirements each time that user
logs on to the network, regardless of where the user logs
on.
Group Policy Results

Group Policy Results allows administrators to see the

effect a Group Policy setting has on a targeted user or
computer. Included in the Group Policy Management
Console, Group Policy Results provides administrators
Management
with a powerful and flexible base-level tool to plan,
Services
monitor, and troubleshoot Group Policy.

Group Policy Results uses Windows Management

Instrumentation (WMI), making the information available
to administrators via the console and directly to other
management applications via WMI.
Management Windows Management Instrumentation Command
Services Line
 Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provides
unified access to the management functions of local and
remote systems. By adding command-line access to WMI,
administrators can directly access these management
functions and create queries based on this data. You can
monitor local and remote Windows Server 2003 and
Windows XP systems directly, to view results through the
command line or to retrieve the management data in XML
format and processed into built-in or custom XSL output
formats. WMI follows the specifications of the industry-
standard Common Information Model (CIM) defined by
the Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF).
Remote OS Installation

Remote OS Installation uses Group Policy, Remote

Installation Services, and Pre-Boot eXecution
Environment (PXE) server hardware to re-image a server
with a clean install of a Windows Server 2003–based
environment. This feature can also be used to re-image
Windows 2000 and Windows XP desktops.

Administrators can use Remote OS Installation and

IntelliMirror together to simplify the task of exchanging or
bringing new computers into the network environment:
Management
Services
 Remote OS Installation can establish a full initial
working set image directly to the computer
hardware.

 IntelliMirror can restore policy-based settings for

data, settings, and software use.

Used together with IntelliMirror or on its own, Remote OS

Installation can increase the efficiency of computer
management in your organization while simplifying the
task of maintaining corporate-standard environments on
Windows-based servers and desktops.
Remote Installation Services

You can use Remote Installation Services (RIS) to create

automated installation images of operating systems or of
Management complete computer configurations. You can then make
Services these installation images available to users at client
computers. You can also specify which RIS server will
provide installations to a given client computer. The client
computers must support remote booting with the Pre-Boot
eXecution Environment (PXE) ROM, or they must be
started with a remote-startup floppy disk.
Management Windows System Resource Manager
Services
Windows System Resource Manager (WSRM) provides
resource management and enables the allocation of
resources, including processor and memory resources,
among multiple processes based on business priorities. An
 administrator sets targets for the amount of hardware
resources that running applications or users (typically in a
Terminal Server environment) are allowed to consume. It
also creates utilization accounting records for
management, service level agreement (SLA) tracking, and
enabling charge-backs.
.NET Framework(2)

The .NET Framework enables your developers to create

great Web applications with the help of ASP.NET and
other technologies. It also helps them build the same type
of applications they design and develop today. The .NET
Framework is language-neutral; virtually any
programming language can target it. Developers can
build .NET-based applications and services in a number of
.NET Application languages, including Visual C++, Visual Basic .NET,
Services JScript, and Visual C#. Integrated into the Windows
Server 2003 family, the .NET Framework is the
infrastructure for .NET. The .NET Framework
incorporates the common language runtime and a unified
set of class libraries that include Windows Forms,
ADO.NET, ASP.NET, and other capabilities. The .NET
Framework provides a fully managed, protected, and
feature-rich application execution environment, simplified
development and deployment, and seamless integration
with a wide variety of programming languages.
Internet Information Services 6.0

Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0 is a full-featured

Web server that provides the foundation for the Windows
.NET Application Server 2003 family and existing Web-based applications
Services and XML Web services. IIS 6.0 offers dedicated
application mode, which runs all application code in an
isolated environment. IIS 6.0 also supports Web gardens,
in which a set of equivalent processes on a computer each
receive a share of the requests normally served by a single
process, achieving better multiprocessor scalability.
ASP.NET(2)

ASP.NET is the engine for Web-based applications and

.NET Application XML Web services. It brings rapid application
Services development to the server. Part of the class library in
the .NET Framework, ASP.NET pages use a compiled,
event-driven programming model that improves
performance and enables the separation of application
logic and user interface.
.NET Application Enterprise UDDI Services
Services
Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI)
is an industry specification for publishing and locating
information about Web services. Some products in the
Windows Server 2003 family include UDDI Services, a
Web service that provides UDDI capabilities for use
within an enterprise or across organizations. UDDI
 Services is not included with Windows Server 2003, Web
Edition. In addition, Windows Server 2003, Standard
Edition, supports only stand-alone installations of UDDI
Services. Distributed installation support is available with
Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter Edition. In a stand-alone
installation of UDDI Services, both the UDDI Web server
component and the UDDI database component are
installed on a single server. In a distributed installation,
UDDI components are distributed across multiple servers.
Windows Media® Services

Windows Media Services provide streaming audio and

Multimedia video over corporate intranets and the Internet. In
Services Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition and Windows
Server 2003, Datacenter Edition, Windows Media
Services delivers advanced streaming functionality such as
multicasting, wireless network support, Internet
authentication, server plug-ins, and cache/proxy APIs.