To view the cluster HCL, which isn't specific to Datacenter, go to http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/default.asp, select Cluster, and click go. For more information about the cluster HCT and HCL, see the Microsoft article "Microsoft Cluster Server Hardware Compatibility List and Testing" (http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q224/9/71.asp).
Certified for Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter Server logo program. ISVs submit applications directly to VeriTest for testing. Datacenter applications bearing the Certified for Microsoft Windows 2000 Datacenter logo must meet a rigorous set of requirements, devised by Microsoft and outlined in the sidebar "Datacenter Application Specifications," page 56. You can download the specifications from http://msdn.microsoft.com/certification/download.asp. You can learn more about VeriTest's testing program at http://www.veritest.com/mslogos/ windows2000/win2k_datacenter.asp and view a list of certified applications at http://www.veritest.com/mslogos/windows
2000/certification.
Typically, no HCT is required for ISV applications. However, applications that have kernel-mode device drivers, such as virus checkers and backup utilities, must undergo the Datacenter HCT before ISVs can submit them to VeriTest for certification. Additionally, VeriTest subjects applications to the Datacenter HCT again during the actual logo certification tests. Availability is paramount for Datacenter, and because poorly written kernel-mode device drivers can compromise system stability, drivers and their associated applications must demonstrate that they won't cause stability problems.
If you're an ISV, use the built-in Microsoft system services whenever you can. For example, if your application needs to monitor packets on the network, try to use the Windows Network Monitor APIs instead of creating your own device driver. The benefits are significant. You will likely develop your application faster because you won't have to write code that Microsoft has already written. Your application will represent a much lower risk to system stability. Finally, your application will proceed through the certification process faster, providing time-to-market advantages.
Taking on UNIX
Datacenter significantly raises the bar for Windows-based OSs running on Intel servers, and it places Win2K squarely in the competitive arena with powerful UNIX-based server solutions. Datacenter employs advanced and sophisticated technology to offer more scalability, higher availability, and better manageability than its Windows predecessors. For more information about Datacenter, see "Related Microsoft Web Sites," page 50.
In addition, Datacenter carries with it a unified support process, controlled hardware support, stringent software certification requirements, WHQL and OEM validation for kernel-mode drivers, and demonstrable stability. All these combine to provide the most formidable OS that Microsoft has ever developed.