The Windows Server 2022 is available and it brings along advanced multi-layer security, hybrid capabilities with Azure, and a flexible application platform. It has inbuilt secured-core capabilities to help protect hardware, firmware, and Windows Server OS capabilities against advanced security threats. Secured-core servers are based on technologies such as Windows Defender System Guard and Virtualization-based Security to reduce risk from firmware vulnerabilities and advanced malware.
The connectivity is also more secured than before with faster and more secured encrypted HTTPS connections, industry-standard SMB AES 256 encryption among several others.
Compared to the earlier Server editions, Windows Server 2022 also improves hybrid server management with significantly improved VM management, an enhanced event viewer with more features available in Windows Admin Center. There are improvements to Windows containers, such as smaller image sizes for faster download, simplified network policy implementation, and containerization tools for .NET applications.
Windows Server 2022 Editions compared
There are three editions of Windows Server 2022:
- Standard
- Datacenter
- Datacenter: Azure Edition
Microsoft has detailed the features in each of these editions.
1] Windows Server 2022 Standard Edition
The Windows Server 2022 Standard Edition is the primary version among the three. Although stuffed with all general features it misses Hotpatching and Software-defined Networking.
The Storage Replica option is available (1 partnership and 1 resource group with a single 2TB volume), however, it misses out on Storage Spaces Direct feature. It offers an option for two virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license along with 2 Virtual OSE/Hyper-V isolated Containers.
Host Guardian Hyper-V Support is not available for the Standard version.
2] Windows Server 2022 Datacenter Edition
The Datacenter Edition of Windows Server 2022 is a step above the Standard Edition. Although Hotpatching is not available here as well, however, it includes Software-defined Networking. The Datacenter edition offers unlimited Storage Replica and includes the Storage Spaces Direct feature as well. Inherited activation can be done as a host or a guest.
A step above the Standard Edition, Datacenter Edition offers unlimited Virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license along with unlimited Virtual OSE/Hyper-V isolated Containers.
Missing in Standard, Host Guardian Hyper-V Support is available for Datacenter Edition. Also, there is support for Shielded Virtual Machines which is not available in Standard Edition.
3] Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition
The Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition is the most premium among the 3 and as the name says is supported on Azure (Azure IaaS or Azure Stack HCI – 21H2) and offers specific features not available outside of these environments (Hotpatching, SMB over QUIC, and Azure Extended Networking). Hotpatching particularly is a great feature here, which lets admins apply patches without rebooting, and SMB over QUIC, for secure access to shared files over the internet without the hassles of setting up a VPN.
The Admin Center includes a menu for Azure Hybrid Center, Azure Kubernetes Services, Azure Backup, Azure File Sync, Azure Monitor, and Azure Security Center.
Talking about the other features, and being the most premium among the three, it includes all the other features that the Standard and Datacenter version comes with.
Standard vs Datacenter vs Datacenter: Azure – All Features comparison table
Features available generally
| Features available generally | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Extended Network | No | No | Yes |
| Best Practices Analyzer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Containers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Memory (in virtualization) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot Add/Replace RAM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hotpatching | No | No | Yes |
| Microsoft Management Console | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimal Server Interface | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Network Load Balancing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server Core installation option | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SMB Direct and SMB over RDMA | Yes | Yes | Yes (not supported in Azure) |
| SMB over QUIC | No | No | Yes |
| Software-defined Networking | No | Yes | Yes |
| Storage Migration Service | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Storage Replica | Yes, (1 partnership and 1 resource group with a single 2TB volume) | Yes, unlimited | Yes, unlimited |
| Storage Spaces | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Storage Spaces Direct | No | Yes | Yes |
| Volume Activation Services | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server Update Services | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows System Resource Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server license logging | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inherited activation | As guest if hosted on Datacenter | Can be a host or a guest | Can be a host or a guest |
| Work Folders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Locks and Limits
| Locks and Limits | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum number of users | Based on CALs | Based on CALs |
| Maximum SMB connections | 16,777,216 | 16,777,216 |
| Maximum RRAS connections | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Maximum IAS connections | 2,147,483,647 | 2,147,483,647 |
| Maximum RDS connections | 65,535 | 65,535 |
| Maximum number of 64-bit sockets | 64 | 64 |
| Maximum number of cores | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Maximum RAM | 48 TB | 48 TB |
| Can be used as virtualization guest | Yes; 2 virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license | Yes; unlimited virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license |
| Windows Server Containers | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Virtual OSE/Hyper-V isolated Containers | 2 | Unlimited |
| Server can join a domain | Yes | Yes |
| Edge network protection/firewall | No | No |
| DirectAccess | Yes | Yes |
| DLNA codecs and web media streaming | Yes, if installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, if installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
Server roles
| Windows Server roles available | Role services | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Directory Certificate Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Active Directory Domain Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Active Directory Federation Services | Yes | Yes | |
| AD Lightweight Directory Services | Yes | Yes | |
| AD Rights Management Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Device Health Attestation | Yes | Yes | |
| DHCP Server | Yes | Yes | |
| DNS Server | Yes | Yes | |
| Fax Server | Yes | Yes | |
| File and Storage Services | File Server | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | BranchCache for Network Files | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Data Deduplication | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | DFS Namespaces | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | DFS Replication | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | File Server Resource Manager | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | File Server VSS Agent Service | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | iSCSI Target Server | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | iSCSI Target Storage Provider | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Server for NFS | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Work Folders | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Storage Services | Yes | Yes |
| Host Guardian Service | Yes | Yes | |
| Hyper-V | Yes | Yes; including Shielded Virtual Machines | |
| Network Controller | No | Yes | |
| Network Policy and Access Services | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | |
| Print and Document Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Remote Access | Yes | Yes | |
| Remote Desktop Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Volume Activation Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Web Services (IIS) | Yes | Yes | |
| Windows Deployment Services | Yes | Yes | |
| Windows Server Essentials Experience | No | No | |
| Windows Server Update Services | Yes | Yes |
Related: Windows Server 2022 vs 2019 vs 2016 Feature differences
Features
| Windows Server Features available | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|
| .NET Framework 3.5 | Yes | Yes |
| .NET Framework 4.8 | Yes | Yes |
| Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | Yes | Yes |
| BitLocker Network Unlock | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| BranchCache | Yes | Yes |
| Client for NFS | Yes | Yes |
| Containers | Yes | Yes |
| Data Center Bridging | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Play | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Enhanced Storage | Yes | Yes |
| Failover Clustering | Yes | Yes |
| Group Policy Management | Yes | Yes |
| Host Guardian Hyper-V Support | No | Yes |
| I/O Quality of Service | Yes | Yes |
| IIS Hostable Web Core | Yes | Yes |
| Internet Printing Client | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| IP Address Management (IPAM) Server | Yes | Yes |
| LPR Port Monitor | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Management OData IIS Extension | Yes | Yes |
| Media Foundation | Yes | Yes |
| Message Queueing | Yes | Yes |
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Installed | Installed |
| Multipath I/O | Yes | Yes |
| MultiPoint Connector | Yes | Yes |
| Network Load Balancing | Yes | Yes |
| Network Virtualization | Yes | Yes |
| Peer Name Resolution Protocol | Yes | Yes |
| Quality Windows Audio Video Experience | Yes | Yes |
| RAS Connection Manager Administration Kit (CMAK) | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Remote Assistance | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Remote Differential Compression | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) | Yes | Yes |
| RPC over HTTP Proxy | Yes | Yes |
| Setup and Boot Event Collection | Yes | Yes |
| Simple TCP/IP Services | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| SMB 1.0/CIFS File Sharing Support | Installed | Installed |
| SMB Bandwidth Limit | Yes | Yes |
| SMTP Server | Yes | Yes |
| SNMP Service | Yes | Yes |
| Software Load Balancer | Yes | Yes |
| Software Migration Service | Yes | Yes |
| Software Migration Service Proxy | Yes | Yes |
| Storage Replica | Yes | Yes |
| System Data Archiver | Yes | Yes |
| System Insights | Yes | Yes |
| Telnet Client | Yes | Yes |
| TFTP Client | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| VM Shielding Tools for Fabric Management | Yes | Yes |
| WebDAV Redirector | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Biometric Framework | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Windows Identity Foundation 3.5 | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Windows Internal Database | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell 5.1 | Installed | Installed |
| Windows PowerShell 2.0 Engine | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration Service | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell Web Access | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Process Activation Service | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Search Service | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Windows Server Backup | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server Migration Tools | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Standards-Based Storage Management | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Subsystem for Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Windows TIFF IFilter | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| WinRM IIS Extension | Yes | Yes |
| WINS Server | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless LAN Service | Yes | Yes |
| WoW64 support | Installed | Installed |
| XPS Viewer | Installed with Server with Desktop Experience | Installed with Server with Desktop Experience |
Related: Hardware Requirements for Windows Server 2022.
What is the support lifecycle for Windows Server 2022
Its mainstream end date is October 13, 2026, and its extended end date is October 14, 2031.
What are the installation options for Windows 2022?
Windows Server 2022 products come with both Core and Desktop installation options for all editions. The core is the headless low-footprint installation option suggested optimal for remote management and automation purposes. In the Desktop installation option, it installs the server with a graphical user interface, which is a traditionally used method however it is not recommended for organizations that carry out large-scale automation.
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