25.3. SLM and Windows Server 2008

Key to meeting the objective of SLM is the acquisition of SL tools and technology. This is where Windows Server 2008 comes in. Whereas clustering and load balancing are included in Advanced Server and Datacenter Server, the performance and system monitoring tools and disaster recovery tools are available to all versions of the OS.

These tools are essential to SL. Acquired independently of the operating systems, they can cost an arm and a leg, and they might not integrate at the same level. These tools on Windows NT 4.0 were seriously lacking. On the 200X versions of Windows Server and especially Windows Server 2008, however, they raise the bar for all operating systems. Many competitive products unfortunately just do not compete when it comes to SLM. The costs of third-party tools and integration for some operating systems are so prohibitive that they cannot be considered of any use to SLM whatsoever.