Server applications frequently need to communicate with other systems and Windows Server provides supports a wide range of communications options from file sharing and FTP services in IIS to the REST and SOA style web services in WCF.

• WCF
• Microsoft Message Queuing

Most server applications whether enterprise-facing or internet-facing care about user identity and Windows Server 2008 supports this along with features such as claims based federated identity.

• Active Directory
• A Developer's Introduction to Active Directory Federation Services
• "Geneva" Developer Center

Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) provides developers with an object model, designer and lightweight, in-process workflow engine to implement long-running processes as either human or system workflows within a host application

• Windows Workflow Foundation Developer Center

Windows Server 2008 has many features for building reliable server applications from application recovery and restart options to transaction support.

With support for threading to parallel programming and high performance computing, Windows Server provides many options for applications that can truly scale.

• Programming the Thread Pool in the .NET Framework
• Parallel programming
• Microsoft Code Name "Velocity"

Server code needs a process in which to run, and infrastructure that will ensure that it runs when it’s needed and shuts down when an administrator asks. While Windows Server 2008 provides hosting options so you don’t have to.

• IIS
• ASP.NET
• How to Get Started with ASP.NET Applications on Server Core

You can significantly reduce the cost to operate a server application by giving it a robust management interface. And the best way to do this on Windows Server 2008 is to integrate with the management features of the platform.

• Getting Started Building PowerShell cmdlets
• Getting Started Building MMC 3.0 Snap-ins
• Virtualization