A new version of Windows Server 2022 was publish by Microsoft in September 2021. Many people and online groups have since then made assumptions about Windows Server 2022’s rumor improvements and new features.
The usage of antiquate hardware, software, or operating systems is a major security risk and should be avoid whenever possible in IT infrastructure.
So, let’s have a look at some of the most interesting new additions to Windows Server 2022 accordingly.
Introduction
When it comes to servers, Microsoft’s Windows Server 2022 is the safest, most dependable, most Azure-compatible option.
Amidst rising security threats (see research data below) and cyber-attacks, Windows Server 2022 is built with top-tier security characteristics.
Which we shall explore in the following sections, to guarantee the safety of data packets at the cluster level. This security suite safeguards the entire network.
Any business, no matter how large or small, will be able to use Windows Server 2022 to run workloads securely, integrate with hybrid clouds, and update applications to meet stringent IT standards accordingly.
Research:
According to a report by IBM, the total cost of over 500 data breaches in 2021 was $4.24 million, the largest sum in the prior 17 years accordingly.
Keeping sensitive information safe is essential for businesses of all stripes in this age of rising cyber threats and hacking.
Advance security features, such as secure server kernels, secure networking, and more, are all part of Windows Server 2022, and they play an important role in the current environment, as will be seen in the following sections.
We’ll also dive into Windows Server 2022’s technical improvements and the ways that small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) and corporations can leverage these new features accordingly.
Different versions of the Windows 2022 server
Microsoft’s documentation states that Windows Server 2022 is offer in three distinct flavors: Essential, Standard, and Data Center. Not only that, but there was a subsequent release of an Azure Datacenter variant.
Let’s have a look at the specific technological distinctions between the various Windows Server 2022 editions.
The server core and desktop editions of Windows Server 2022 are include in all editions. The desktop edition is set up for use with host remote desktop sessions that do not need server-base services or other components.
Server duties and responsibilities, including DNS server, web server, Active Directory, virtualization, etc., necessitate installation of the server version.
There are a number of key distinctions between the various Windows 2022 server editions, and this section will cover those accordingly.
Windows Server 2022 Standard
For Windows Server 2022, the Standard Edition is the starting point. Two virtual machines and one Hyper-V host are all you may run with a single license of the regular edition.
The Replica Storage option can be use with a single alliance and a single pool of resources, and it can store up to 2 terabytes of data. Quick patching, SDN, and storage are not include in the base version accordingly.
Windows Server 2022 data center
There are features like encrypt virtual machines that are exclusive to this edition. This function encrypts the virtual machine’s storage using BitLocker and protects the VM’s firmware and startup data.
Microsoft includes software-define storage and storage replication in Storage Spaces Direct to help ensure the protection and management of data in an enterprise-level environment.
Data loss is eliminate, and even open files are replicate, with storage replication.
Software-define storage like Storage Spaces Direct makes this possible, and it can scale to accommodate as many as 16 servers and 1 petabyte of cluster storage accordingly.
Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Azure Edition
As its name suggests, it was developed for use on the Microsoft Azure platform. There are advanced functions included that aren’t in the basic or data center versions accordingly.
For instance, Server Message Block through QUIC gives access to share files without requiring a VPN connection across the network, and the Hot Patch feature allows updates to be apply without restarting the server.
The Hyper-Converge Infrastructure (HCI) operating system of the Azure Stack, which is use to operate Windows 2022 Azure Edition virtual machines.
It is well-known for its robust security, speed, and cutting-edge hybrid capabilities accordingly.
Windows Server 2022 Essential Edition
It’s design for companies with fewer than 25 employees and fewer than 50 devices. It’s missing features like a control panel, client backup, and mobile access.
The highest number of processing cores it can accommodate is ten.
How to get Windows 2022 operating system?
You can try out Microsoft’s Windows 2022 server OS for free for 180 days by downloading the ISO and installing it on a test machine. Prices and licensing details can be found in the corresponding section.
Hardware requirements for installing Windows 2022 server
Microsoft defines the bare minimum of server hardware need for optimal performance. There is a chance that the installation won’t go ahead if the bare minimum requirements aren’t met accordingly.
The bare minimum requirements are:
- CPU Speed: 64-Bit Ready (1.4 GHz)
- RAM (Storage) requirements for a server installing Desktop Experience are 512 MB.
- Bandwidth of at least 1 GB per second on your network interface card (NIC).
- HDD: 32GB accordingly.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the eight most talk about aspects of Microsoft’s ubiquitous Windows 2022 server.
Top 10 New Features in windows server 2022
Server Hardware Improvements
The biggest improvement of Windows 2022 is the increase of server hardware restrictions to the maximum level.
The server 2022 has 2,048 logical cores and 48 terabytes of RAM, all of which are support by 64 physical processors.
In addition, the Intel Ice Lake SGX processor is support, which can help keep private information secure by processing it in its own secure enclave accordingly.
Storage Enhancements
One of the most notable improvements to Windows 2022 servers is the new storage technology. Data engineers now face a daily struggle in the form of data management.
These scenarios call for the incorporation of cutting-edge storage upgrades into the servers of 2022.
- Superior caching mechanically stores the most critical information on the fastest disks and the less critical information on the slower disks. The ability to read and write data is facilitate by this.
- As a result, storage administration and performance are enhance, and hard drives are repair more quickly after a server restart or hardware failure.
- Data snapshots of any size can be capture in the same amount of time using ReFS snapshots thanks to a special technology call quick metadata operations accordingly.
Security measures update
Considering that new threats emerge alongside new technologies, Microsoft will continue to develop and implement new security measures.
Windows Server 2022 has three major security improvements: hardware trust, firmware protection, and virtual environment security. These improvements are necessary since the cloud is the second most popular platform.
The most significant updates are backwards compatibility with DNS-over-TLS, support for Server Message Block AES-256 and SMB East-West encryption, support for SMB over QUIC, HTTPS and TLS 1.3, Azure Arc, and Azure Automanage.
Upgrades and additional safeguards like these make it so the Windows 2022 server can handle confidential information and critical programs without any outside help.
All of the server’s most essential components, including its hardware, firmware, and drivers, are guard against the sophisticate attacks of today.
Preventing assaults via firmware is especially important during server restarts, when firmware-base attacks can cause extensive damage.
Technologies like Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement (DRTM) and Direct Memory Access (DMA) are use to stop these kinds of cyberattacks.
Security for the hypervisor is provide via virtualization-base security technology (VBS). This method uses virtualization to isolate processes from the OS accordingly.
Because the attack is contain, the whole server is safe from compromise.
By default, a secure connection is establish between two nodes using Transport Layer Security (TLS), the most modern version of the Internet protocol.
Domain Name System (DNS) name resolution can also be kept private by using encrypt queries.
With QUIC’s improve Server Message Block (SMB) capability, remote workers, mobile users, and highly secure businesses no longer need a VPN.
It ensures that all Internet traffic is always encrypt by using UDP (Use Datagram Protocol).
Improvement in Azure capabilities
Microsoft Azure’s capabilities have been upgrade for the 2022 time frame to allow for virtualization from vendors outside of the network.
Servers with Azure Arc enablement offer a secure and all-encompassing method of integrating on-premises, multi-cloud, and edge infrastructures.
Check out the video below to learn how Azure Arc-enable servers may be use to bring Azure monitoring, security, and update services to hybrid and multi-cloud setups.
Application Platform Improvements
Updates to container applications can be easily deploy on Windows Server 2022. Memory-heavy, mission-critical business applications like SQL Server are support by the Server 2022’s 48 terabytes accordingly.
With the Windows container being 30% smaller, Windows Server 2022 boots up 30% quicker than previous versions of the operating system.
The Windows Admin Center tools have been update so that.NET applications can be store there.
Effortless Management of cloud
One of the most vital features of Windows 2022 Azure is a cloud management and automation system built on top of security best practices.
- Automating the management of Windows Server and Linux virtual machines can help you save money.
- Security updates can be install without having to restart the server.
- Auto-update of templates and detection/allocation of resources in response to demand.
- Reduce manual effort spent on tasks like Azure Monitoring and Archiving.
- Transferring information from on-premises to Azure without changing the IP address is possible.
Networking improvements
The two most common types of network protocols are Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) (TCP). Microsoft has made significant improvements to these protocols in Windows 2022 server accordingly.
When it comes to UDP, Windows 2022 servers will include support for UDP Segmentation Offload (USO) and UDP Receive Side Coalescing (UDP RSC), both of which reduce the strain on the server’s processor.
The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP): TCP HyStart++ on Windows 2022 servers helps reduce retransmission time and packet loss at connection startup.
The performance of network traffic from an external host and network traffic between virtual NICs on the same host is improve by the virtual switch upgrade.
IT pros appreciate this feature since it allows them to copy files remotely over a sophisticate SMB network without setting up a VPN (Message Block Server).
Features remove or discontinue in 2022
At the same time that it releases a new version of Windows Server, Microsoft updates and improves the software and removes support for older versions.
We take a look at the obsolete server features in Windows 2022 in this section.
The Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) is being phase out in favor of a more permanent release schedule.
The Kubernetes community, including Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS) and AKS for Azure Stack HCI, will remain a key partner for SAC.
This iSNS (Internet Storage Name Service) server is no longer present on the Windows 2022 machine.
Microsoft will continue to support Guard Fabric and Shield Virtual Machines (VMs), but neither will receive any new features.
The Windows client will no longer have the ability to use the Remote Server Administration Tool (RSAT).
There is some criticism of Windows Deployment Services (WDS), which is an element of the Windows operating system accordingly.
Comparison of Windows Server 2022 and 2019
Microsoft introduce Windows Server 2022 with enhancements over Server 2019 in September 2021. (release October 2018) accordingly.
Windows Server 2022 is more safe, versatile, and hybrid deployment-friendly than Windows Server 2019.
The following section addresses the three key differences between security, cloud, and connectivity:
- Defense Against Advance Threat Protection, Exploit Guard, and Attack Surface Reduction are just some of the new security features in Windows Server 2019.
- Improve cryptographic key security, firmware protection, and virtualize environment security are only some of the benefits of layer security in Windows 2022.
- In terms of network protocols, Windows 2022 will provide Transport Layer 1.3 security, Secure DNS, Server Message Block (SMB), and SMB over QUIC. SDN Security, or Software-Define Networking, was widely use in 2019.
- The cloud has evolve into a crucial part of today’s IT infrastructure.
- With Windows 2019, Microsoft has introduce a hybrid cloud service that is forward-compatible with the core server applications.
- With the addition of Azure Arc technology, Windows 2022 was given a significant upgrade by Microsoft. This innovation enables centralize control of several Azure cloud instances from a single interface.
Closure:
Microsoft Windows Server 2022 enables businesses to run their operations on a safe network, integrate their existing virtual environments into their hybrid cloud models, and reorganize their software to deal with rapid growth.
To be more specific, the Windows 2022 Essential edition is available for small enterprises and educational institutions, and it can accommodate up to 25 people.
If you prefer a solution that runs locally with little need for the cloud, Standard Edition may be the way to go.
Windows 2022 Data Center or Azure Data Edition, with their robust security and management features, are the best choice for a large, enterprise-grade virtual infrastructure or for scaling in the cloud or data center.
