if its for an msc project then surely your university will be able to provide you with the specific server requirements? if not then thats not good on the part of the uni!!
On a personal feeling I wish Unis would stop promoting microsoft all the time. Like schools, eventually we will not be able to work in a society without microsoft technology. A very bad thing. Nice social engineering Mr Gates.
I gave a task to a student the other week (gcse student), it involved using open office but not having an experience with any non microsoft technology made extra work for me (not that i particularly minded), argh. I wish the teaching was like ours, here is dos (we dont know much) - do something! :-)
BTW Microsoft do some good stuff - for one they have provided database design for the largest astronomical observation campaign (computerised) ever undertaken, the Sloan Digital Sky Servey. So well done on that part.
Oh back to the post (sorry for rant) - good luck DJ!