by Guoqing Tian

Microsoft recently released its latest server operating system (OS), Windows Server 2022, to be generally available on September 1, 2022 – nearly three years after the to-be-replaced Windows 2019 was released on October 2, 2018. It seems that Microsoft will follow this pattern to have a newer version every three years.

For numerous government organizations, it’s tough to keep up with the technology release steps. Many intentionally delay implementations to ensure security is proven in production environments. For others, an OS upgrade requires change management efforts and technology integrations that simply take time to plan and implement. As one example, our team serves a federal defense client that is among the most eager technology pioneers. Yet they only recently upgraded their domain controllers to Windows Server 2019. Given the understandable timing of this update, we anticipate that they’ll start to use Windows 2022 in 2025, when Server 2025 will most likely be released.

Windows Server 2022 brings many innovations on three key themes: security, Azure hybrid integration and management, and application platform.

In the meantime, what can we learn about Windows Server 2022? What’s new since Server 2019?

• Security. Security can never be overestimated. Server 2022 goes deep into a secured-core server to certified OEM hardware, firmware and drivers to enable advanced Windows security against complex attacks. It also uses TPM 2.0, DMA protection, HVCI, Credential Guard, encrypted DNS, ARS-256, built-in HTTPS, TLS 1.3 and Windows Defender to provide ultimate protection.
• Azure Integration. Azure Arc and Azure Automanage make Azure integration and management much more efficient and effective for data transfer between on-premises and cloud systems.
• Containers. Windows Containers significantly improve application compatibility and Kubernetes experience for better performance with faster startup time and much smaller image size.
• Virtual Machines. The Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition supports unlimited shielded Hyper-V virtual machines (VMs) for excellent isolation and security.
• Memory. It supports 48 TB of memory and 2048 cores on 64 sockets.

Microsoft introduces the enhancements this way, “Windows Server 2022 is built on the strong foundation of Windows Server 2019 and brings many innovations on three key themes: security, Azure hybrid integration and management, and application platform. Also, Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition helps you use the benefits of cloud to keep your VMs up to date while minimizing downtime.”

Like Server 2019 three years ago, Server 2022 leads the way ahead, promising hope for a more secure, more capable and more comprehensive IT world.

REFERENCE

Microsoft | What's new in Windows Server 2022 | https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows- server/get-started/whats-new-in-windows-server-2022