Introduction

Windows .NET Server 2003 Standard Edition packs a whole lot of power and leverages some key business needs within this package. Some key features are the Advanced Networking Authentication Service (IAS), the Two-way symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and support of up to four gigabytes (GB) of RAM. Microsoft .NET Server 2003 Standard Edition is built upon the Windows 2000 Server core and is a dependable and reliable “out of the box” solution and would be an optimal choice for most small businesses.

The next level is the Enterprise Edition which packs in many more features for the use of medium to large businesses. It is the platform of choice for high resource applications such as networking, messaging, inventory and customer service systems, databases, and e-commerce Web sites. This server supports eight processors, eight node clustering and up to 64 GB of RAM depending if you are using the 32 or 64 bit version.  Additionally, the increased performance of the Enterprise Edition makes this server perfect for those who need more availability and scalability than is found in the Standard Edition.

Datacenter Edition is built for mission-critical and high-volume applications that demand the most extreme levels of scalability, availability and reliability. Only available through Microsoft’s Datacenter program, you can be assured of the highest levels of service and support only offered by OEMs and other qualified vendors.

The Web Edition is a powerful server that is able to host your web applications, web sites, etc. in a single Internet solution. This system explores the realm of advanced web application development and hosting with integrated features such as ASP.NET, IIS 6 and more. Microsoft Windows .NET Server 2003 is designed to host a single web site or to be specifically used to deploy specific functionality. Since all of the features in the Web Edition are also available in the other editions, it will only be available through selected partners and will not be available for retail sale.