Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials
	Version of Microsoft Windows
OS family	Windows NT
Version	6.1
Codename	Breckenridge
Architecture	x64
Release date	2011-04
Support end	2020-01-14
Based on
	Windows Server 2008 R2 (base OS); Windows Small Business Server 2011 Essentials (Storage Server components)
Replaced by
	Windows Server 2012 Essentials

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials (codenamed Breckenridge) is a small business-oriented version of Windows Storage Server 2008 R2, targeting lightweight network-attached storage solutions. It was first announced on 8 November 2010^[1] and released to manufacturing on 31 March 2011.^[2] The operating system was later made generally available on April that year.

Its components are based on the Essentials SKU of Windows Small Business Server 2011. With the release of Windows Server 2012, the Windows Storage Server product line and its functionalities were merged into the mainline Windows Server family of operating systems.

Development[edit | edit source]

Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials was originally intended to be a separate edition of Windows Home Server 2011, which at the time was divided into two licensing tiers:

Standard (ServerHomeStandard)
Premium (ServerHomePremium)

The latter edition wound up serving as the final release for the Home Server operating system, whereas the former edition was rebranded under the Windows Storage Server name late into development for unknown reasons.