The Virtual Server R2 SP1 Beta program is broken into 2 distinct releases:
· Beta 1 - Currently available for download.
· Beta 2 - Will begin in Q4 of this calendar year.
What's new in R2 SP1 Beta 1 (available now)
Hardware-assisted virtualization
Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 includes support for Intel® Virtualization Technology. By default, hardware assisted virtualization is enabled if present. Support for Intel® Virtualization Technology can also be specifically enabled or disabled on a per virtual machine basis by toggling the "Enable hardware-assisted virtualization if available" option in the general properties configuration page. Users should refer to their system’s documentation on how to enable Intel® Virtualization Technology.
Virtual Server host clustering step-by-step Guide
The host clustering whitepaper is now included with Virtual Server. It is installed at: ~:\Program Files\Microsoft Virtual Server\Host Clustering.
Larger default size for dynamically expanding virtual hard disks
The default size for dynamically expanding virtual hard disks has been changed from 16 GB to 127 GB.
Virtual SCSI fix for Linux guests
Some users encountered an issue when trying to install certain Linux distributions inside a virtual machine on the emulated SCSI bus. The issue occurred most often with the Linux 2.6.x kernel. This issue has been fixed in R2 SP1 Beta 1.
What's Planned for R2 SP1 Beta 2 (scheduled for Q4 CY06)
AMD Virtualization Technology (AVT) compatibility
Active Directory integration and management features
Volume Shadow Service Support
Additional Host OS and Guest OS compatibility
* Further details will be supplied closer to the Beta 2 date