The geniuses over at PC Advisor have compiled a list of the ten best free Microsoft server tools for IT admins. It really is a good read. Especially since we all know that the words “Free” and “Microsoft” don’t always go hand in hand. The list comes complete with hyperlinks to all ten of the tools. Check it out here.

Here is a taste:

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Hyper-V Server 2008 R2

We all know the value of virtualisation, and Hyper-V as an add-in server role for Windows Server 2008 is becoming a well-established method for providing server virtualisation within your Windows environments. But did you know Microsoft offers a free version of Hyper-V called, simply, Hyper-V Server 2008 R2? This is a stand-alone product that contains only the hypervisor, the Windows Server driver model and virtualisation components, resulting in a small overall footprint. Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 offers all the key features, including host clustering, live migration, large memory support, support for up to eight processors, and more. Some features are missing, of course. Application failover and guest virtualisation rights are two notable features that will require moving to the Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter versions of Windows Server. That said, there is ample room for this free version of Hyper-V to become a significant contributor to your IT environment. Testing and development, branch office consolidation, and hosted VDI (virtualised desktop infrastructure) are just a few of the ways you can leverage Hyper-V Server in lieu of Windows Server.”