Developed by Microsoft, the Windows operating system (OS) is one of the two most popular operating systems for dedicated servers. Windows Server has been around for many years and is regularly updated to keep pace with changes in technology and the Internet.
Windows Server 2008
The latest version of this operating system is called Windows Server 2008 and marks a significant improvement over the previous release in 2003.
Among other things, Windows Server 2008 features:
- A Windows firewall and next-generation cryptography support
- IIS 7.0 Web server which enhances the system's Web capabilities
- Support for ASP.NET, PHP, Perl, JMail, MSXML and MSADO
- Hosting for Microsoft SQL relational databases
Because the OS is owned by Microsoft, Web hosts usually charge more for these plans to cover Microsoft's licensing fees. On the plus side, if your Web site or databases were developed using Microsoft applications, they will run seamlessly on a Windows server.
Learn about the other most popular OS for dedicated servers: Linux.