Windows Server 2022: a cheat sheet

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Microsoft has just released its most recent Windows Server platform. Explore enhanced hybrid cloud capabilities, enhanced security, and enhanced support for large on-premises applications.

Image: Stephen Brashear, Getty Images

The latest version of the Windows Server Long Term Support release, Windows Server 2022, is now available. Perhaps it’s best to think of it as a continuing evolution of the release series that started with Windows Server 2016, improving security, adding enhanced hybrid cloud capabilities, and improving its support for larger, on-premises applications. Now synchronized with versions of Windows Azure, it is an efficient on-premises platform that scales from simple file and print to running massive data warehouses and large-scale business applications like SAP.

SEE: Windows 11 Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need to Know (Free PDF) (TechRepublic)

What is Windows Server 2022?

Windows Server 2022 is the new version of the Windows Server Long Term Service Channel for Data Centers and On-Premises Virtual Machines. The two main editions are Standard and Datacenter. Although both editions of Windows Server 2022 offer the same basic server functionality that builds on existing Windows Server functionality, there are a few differences in how they support Hyper-V virtual machines and how they manage networking and storage.

If you are building a virtual infrastructure, you will need to choose Datacenter, as it adds support for an unlimited number of virtual machines (the standard only supports two), as well as shielded Hyper-V virtual machines for improved isolation and security, and support for both software. network and storage defined.

Both versions support the same set of core features:

Windows containers: Unlike virtual machines, containers enable virtualization at the operating system level by providing just enough access to the operating system, libraries, and underlying resources to host applications in isolated user space.

Active Directory Domain Services: Privileged Access Management (PAM) helps combat credential theft by working with Microsoft Identity Manager (MIM) to protect the Active Directory (AD) forest of accounts with privileged access. Additionally, new processes are in place to request administrative access and monitoring of these accounts, including the expiring links feature, which limits the administrative window period based on a specified period.

Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) continues to provide simple, secure identity federation and single sign-on (SSO) between ADFS-secured enterprises and partner organizations. It allows authentication of users stored in LDAP or cloud-based providers.

Hyper-V includes hot management of virtual network adapters and memory for virtual machines. For security-conscious administrators, Datacenter includes protected virtual machines that minimize tampering or theft of virtual machine data and states by encrypting both and preventing inspection of video signals and disks.

Windows Defender: Microsoft’s Windows Server Antimalware application is installed by default in Windows Server 2022.

Storage Spaces Direct enables high availability storage to be created from local storage systems, including JBODs stored locally or on a network as part of a storage pool.

The minimum requirements remain the same:

  • 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor
  • Compatible with x64 instruction set
  • Supports NX and DEP
  • Supports CMPXCHG16b, LAHF / SAHF and PrefetchW
  • Supports second level address translation (EPT or NPT)
  • 512 MB (2 GB for the Server installation option with Desktop Experience)
  • Type Error Correcting Code (ECC) or similar technology, for physical host deployments
  • An Ethernet adapter capable of at least 1 gigabit per second throughput
  • Compliant with PCI Express Architecture Specification
  • UEFI 2.3.1c based system and firmware that supports Secure Boot
  • Trusted Platform Module 2.0

SEE: A new Microsoft Store: what does it mean for you and your business? A lot in fact (TechRepublic)

Why is Windows Server 2022 important?

Windows 10 has rolled out a series of virtualization and processor-based security updates as part of its Secure Base initiative, one of the reasons for the small set of supported processors in Windows 11. Microsoft is bringing this model to Windows Server 2022 as an optional set of security tools, offering what it calls a secure server, with secure hardware and firmware from server partners as well as its own software tools. This allows you to use Credential Guard to protect connections and the integrity of hypervisor-protected code with your applications. At the same time, it improves network security, upgrades HTTPS support to TLS 1.3, and adds enhanced AES-256 encryption to file sharing SMB protocol.

There are also significant improvements for Azure integration, either as hybrid cloud systems managed by Azure Arc or for transferring data between on-premises installations and cloud systems. These include a much smaller Server Core installation for use in containers or as an application host VM with remote management. Other improvements to the Windows Admin Center management tool improve its event viewer and support more Azure management from your Windows servers.

Microsoft has also improved the scalability options of Windows Server. If you are running large applications, you now have support for 48TB of memory and 2048 cores in 64 sockets. Other application hosting features include enhanced support for Windows containers for use with Kubernetes applications, including advanced container networking tools that add support for IPv6.

If you’re running Windows Server images in Azure, you’ll get additional features including Azure Automanage, hotfix for virtual machine images, better migration options, and support for SMB through the new QUIC protocol.

When was Windows Server 2022 released?

A preview program started in March 2021. General availability of Windows Server 2022 was announced on September 1, 2021, with a launch event at the Windows Server Summit on September 16.

How can I get Windows Server 2022 and how much does it cost?

Three editions are available: Standard, Datacenter and Essentials. The Datacenter version is intended for use in large-scale data centers, where you need to host and manage large fleets of virtual machines. It is typically used for ERP systems and for hybrid and private clouds as an alternative to tools like Azure Stack HCI. Standard is the familiar small application server or operational database server, with limited virtualization requirements. Small businesses with basic file and printing needs, and up to 25 employees, can choose the Essentials version.

Windows Server 2022 is available in the Microsoft Volume Licensing Service Center for customers with existing license agreements, or in the Azure Marketplace for use as an Azure virtual machine. You can also download trial versions from Windows Evaluation Center, with ISO and VHD installation options.

Microsoft licenses Windows Server 2022 using a per-core licensing model, with CALs required for users and devices accessing your servers. Like Windows Server 2019, licenses are sold in packs of 2 and 16 cores with a minimum of 8 cores per processor and 16 core licenses per server.

  • Essential: $ 501 (per server license). No CAL required.
  • Standard: $ 972 (for 16 cores). CALs required.
  • Data center: $ 6,155 (for 16 hearts). CALs required.

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