You can now download Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 BETA2 from http://connect.microsoft.com. As with other beta software, you need to register for the beta first.
This release is pretty significant because it is the first version to support both AMD-V and Intel-VT hardware virtualization. From the release notes, it includes:
- AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) compatibility
- Intel Virtualization Technology (IVT) compatibility
- Volume Shadow Copy Service support
- Offline VHD mounting
- Active Directory integration using service connection points
- Host Clustering technical white paper
The best part is that you can upgrade existing installations very easily:
I just upgraded my 32–bit workstation, and everything is working like a charm.