The System Requirements for Microsoft Forefront

CPU and RAM
To run the Microsoft Forefront Client Security software on a Management Server, the computer being used must have at least a 1-gigahertz processor. In addition to the processor, a Management Server computer also has to have a minimum of 1GB of RAM. To compare, the client-side PC only needs a 700-megahertz processor while having 256MB of RAM. Because the Client Computer is the machine on the receiving end of the Forefront software, it does not need nearly as much processing power as a Management Server.
Hard Drive
Even though Microsoft Forefront includes services for many Microsoft platforms, each individual program is relatively small in size. Because of this, hard drive space is not something you will need in ample supply. A Management Server requires only 512MB of space on your hard drive to store Forefront and its options. A Client Computer requires even less, only needing 350MB of hard drive space.
Operating System
A Management Server requires a Windows Server-specific operating system, whether it be Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 or Windows Server 2008 with Windows Server 2008 Enterprise. Windows Server 2008 without the Windows Server 2008 Enterprise add-on will not support Microsoft Forefront. In contrast, a Client Computer can run Microsoft Forefront on just about any Windows operating system from Windows 2000 to Windows 7, including Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and 2008, and even Windows Web Server.
Required Software
Microsoft Forefront Management Servers require specific programs before it can run properly. These programs include the .NET Framework 2.0, Microsoft's Group Policy Management Console with Service Pack One and Microsoft Management Console 3.0. A Client-Side Computer, on the other hand, only requires Windows Installer 3.1 and Windows Update Agent 2.0.