Windows Server A cheat sheet | TechRepublic – More Information

Here are the categories of editions available :. Windows Server is no different than these previous versions in regard to editions so you can expect to have two basic types of pricing. However, in regard to licensing there are some changes with Windows Server As with a number of other products, Microsoft has shifted from licensing based on number of processors to the number of cores for a more accurate accounting.

This is a big shift from the previous editions of Windows Server and applies to both Standard and Enterprise versions. Additionally, with the arrival of Windows Server previous feature parity is no longer available. This solution provides a way to create a highly scalable software-defined storage unit with basic features of a traditional SAN or NAS, all while still staying within your budget.

The technology relies on industry-standard servers with local-attached drives, and includes features such as caching, storage tiers, and erasure coding. There are two deployment options available: hyper-converged and converged, which greatly simplifies the deployment process. This technology enables you to upgrade the operating system of cluster nodes without needing to stop the Hyper-V or Scale-Out File Server workloads that are running on the nodes.

Put differently, this is a way to help minimize if not fully avoid downtimes. This functionality requires neither any additional hardware to use, nor the presence of a new cluster, and the upgrade process can be reversed unless you choose the “point-of-no-return”. This edition is a good choice for companies with small-to-medium IT infrastructure that are seeking a robust and efficient system.

Windows Server Standard Edition is a full-featured server OS that fuses the rock-solid performance of the Windows Server line with modern infrastructure advancements. It shares much in common with the Datacenter Edition, as all of the core features are available to both.

Hyper-V Server is similar to the Windows Server Core Mode in previous versions of Windows Server with one major notable exception: It does not include any of the roles and services available to the Standard and Datacenter Editions. The reason for this omission is due to Hyper-V Server being a hypervisor that is installed onto bare-metal physical servers; it simply does not require any roles and services, as it serves to host virtual machines only.

It offers a wide range of the new and updated features of the larger Standard Edition, while scaling others down to offer an affordable, easy-to-use solution perfect for a first server. The focus of Windows Server, version lies squarely on Server Core, containers, and microservices in an effort to reduce image sizes when hosting services or migrating existing code bases.

The shift from previous versions of Windows Server allows systems administrators and developers to deploy containerized images that have been reduced dramatically and further optimized, while providing modernized security to protect virtual machines VMs , encrypt network transmissions using software-defined networking , and provide enhanced storage and disaster recovery protection through failover and replication features. Consolidation of servers through virtualization will increase ROI on newly purchased hardware, while lowering the overall resources used by decommissioning previous physical servers.

Windows Containers will allow for multiple applications to be hosted from the server with finite resources, essentially allowing corporations to do more with less. If your enterprise is hosting its own private cloud, or transitioning to a public or a hybrid cloud setup, the additional security included with Active Directory Federated Services along with Nano Server technologies will keep unauthorized access to a minimum while permitting authorized users to access necessary applications, data, and intranet sites.

Windows Server, version primarily affects systems and server administrators, especially those tasked with managing virtualized infrastructures. The move to add Linux support and management of Linux servers, including container support will also affect Linux admins that run mixed networks in a hybrid format for both Linux and Windows. By , Microsoft was going all out to win in the Cloud , so it added features to Windows Server to enable better interaction with off-site services. All of the improvements to the Windows Server system in this version focused on getting the integrated Hyper-V into shape to make Cloud resources as easy to integrate into onsite delivery as local hosts.

The storage system, mediated by Hyper-V was also updated in this version. The Hyper-V virtual switch and Hyper-V Replica were included in this release to enhance the uptake of hybrid network strategies.

The Essentials edition was aimed at small businesses. This revision to Windows Server was released in The composition of the operating system saw the use of PowerShell extended even further. Microsoft continued its aim to provide better server functions onsite that provided the capability to integrate cloud services.

This involved rewriting security systems and network services. Virtualization and storage systems were also overhauled and Web services were enhanced.

The storage features that were enhanced in this upgrade included replication for distributed files and improved access for file sharing. The ability to serve mobile devices with software from the server was also improved. Microsoft introduced the PowerShell-based Desired State Configuration system to enhance network configuration management. An important new server system appeared bundled with Windows Server This was Nano Server , a lightweight minimal server implementation that had fewer interfaces and so it was harder to attack.

This version of Windows Server also included Server Core. VM systems were also added to with an encryption system for Hyper-V. The Standard Edition was limited to just two virtual machines plus one Hyper-V host per license. Containers were introduced into Windows Server Standard Edition in the form of Windows native containers, which could be implemented without limit.

The service also enabled the use of up to two Hyper-V containers. The difference between these was based around the expected scale of operations for the customers that would be attracted to each. Clearly, the Datacenter Edition is aimed at much larger organizations. This Edition has all of the same functionality as the Standard Editions but with more capacity. One example of these differences is related to the management of containerization. The Datacenter Edition was given the ability to interact with Docker.

This facility enabled administrators to manage both physical and virtual network devices from one console. Released in October , Windows Server is the latest version of the server operating system from Microsoft. The new features with this release are:. Now called Windows Admin Center , this is a server management utility that is not only designed for Windows Server but can also manage servers operating Windows server R2 and Windows Server The utility includes performance monitoring, configuration management, and the control of the services that run on each monitored server.

As you can see from the description of previous versions, Microsoft has been building up the virtualization power of its server operating system since it first bundled Hyper-V with Windows Server So, with this latest rollup of all recent VM development over past years in this package, network administrators can have true hybrid network capabilities.

The HCI features of the latest Window Server is aimed more at service consumers rather than providers. However, this system is capable of supporting software-defined data centers as well as their customers. The HCI capabilities offer the ability to adjust virtualized services without taking the system down. Many of the adjustments to the resources supporting VMs can even be executed automatically. It is already possible to run Linux on a Windows server through a VM.

However, Windows Server takes this hosting a little further by providing a Linux-compatible subsystem. As traditional defense tactics to block access are no longer sufficient to protect systems and data, advanced threat protection systems have become essential.

The ATP monitors account activities, protects log files from unauthorized changes, and keeps track of activities of users around data storage to identify APT intrusion. The Server Core option has been built into Windows Server since the version. This slimming down also applies to the delivery containerization on software when it is delivered to user-owned devices.

Comparison of Windows Server Versions: Standard and Datacenter – INTRODUCTION

 
Back to top Windows Server R2 Windows Server R2 was released as an update to the prior release just a year later, in However, Microsoft developed an extra feature for this authentication system and that was bundled into R2. To help understand some of the differences between OS editions, let’s look at an example of Windows Server R However, this system is capable of supporting software-defined data centers as well as their customers. The number of different components that keep a server running successfully can be difficult to track manually.

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Sun Valley [o]. May 18, cancellation announcement [29]. Additionally, with the arrival of Windows Server previous feature parity is no longer available.