SP1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft announced something I’ve been dying to discuss: details about the first service pack for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. (You might recall that both products are on the same code base and thus are serviced by the same service packs.) Last month, I noted that Windows 7 SP1 would mostly aggregate the software updates that appeared during its first year. However, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 will include some major new features:

Dynamic memory. Anyone comparing Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization platform and the VMware stack will conclude that Microsoft’s solution is evolving rapidly but lacking in a few key areas. Well, one of those remaining areas will be addressed with dynamic memory support in SP1. Dynamic memory makes it possible to pool the available memory on the host server and dynamically distribute it to virtual workloads as needed. In other words, you can dynamically allocate RAM to virtual machines (VMs), on the fly, without needing to shut them down first.

RemoteFX. This functionality—which came via Microsoft’s purchase of Calista—is now finally available via SP1. It enhances the display experience during RDP sessions, supporting Windows Aero, Microsoft Silverlight, and Adobe Flash user experiences, and 3D graphics. (Citrix is also partnering with Microsoft to integrate RemoteFX technologies into HDX for XenDesktop.) Microsoft hasn’t announced the timing of SP1, but the plan is to ship it one year after Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. And as you know, those products dropped in October 2009.

Source of Information : Windows IT Pro June 2010