What is Microsoft Server?

Microsoft Server is a term that refers to a range of server operating systems and software products developed by Microsoft for enterprise and business environments. Microsoft Server products provide various functions and services, such as file storage, user management, web hosting, virtualization, database management, and more.

In this article, we will explain what Microsoft Server is, how it differs from regular Windows, what features and benefits it offers, and what are the latest versions available.

How Does Microsoft Server Differ From Regular Windows?

Microsoft Server is based on the same code base as regular Windows, which means that they share many common features and components. However, Microsoft Server is designed specifically for server computers, which are powerful machines that run constantly and provide resources for other computers on a network.

Because of this, Microsoft Server has some key differences from regular Windows, such as:

Server roles and features: Microsoft Server allows you to install and configure various server roles and features, depending on the function you want the server to perform. For example, you can install Active Directory to manage user accounts and permissions, or IIS to host websites and web applications. You can also add or remove server features, such as Windows PowerShell, BitLocker, or Remote Desktop Services.
Performance and scalability: Microsoft Server is optimized for high performance and scalability, which means that it can handle large workloads and support many concurrent users. Microsoft Server also supports more hardware resources than regular Windows, such as memory, processors, disks, and network adapters. For instance, Windows Server 2022 can support up to 48 TB of memory, 64 sockets, and 2048 logical cores¹.
Security and reliability: Microsoft Server provides advanced security and reliability features to protect your data and ensure your server runs smoothly. For example, Microsoft Server supports secured-core server¹, which is a hardware-based security solution that protects your server from firmware attacks. Microsoft Server also supports cluster sets¹, which are groups of failover clusters that provide high availability and disaster recovery for your applications.
Management tools: Microsoft Server includes various management tools that help you monitor, configure, and troubleshoot your server. For example, you can use Windows Admin Center¹, which is a web-based console that allows you to manage your server from any device. You can also use PowerShell², which is a scripting language that allows you to automate tasks and perform complex operations.

What Are the Features and Benefits of Microsoft Server?

Microsoft Server offers many features and benefits that make it a powerful and versatile platform for building an infrastructure of connected applications, networks, and web services. Some of the main features and benefits are:

Hybrid cloud integration: Microsoft Server allows you to extend your datacenter to the cloud with Azure³, which is Microsoft’s cloud computing platform. You can use Azure services to enhance your server capabilities, such as backup, security, monitoring, or analytics. You can also use Azure Arc⁴, which is a service that allows you to manage your servers across multiple environments, such as on-premises, edge, or cloud.
Application modernization: Microsoft Server enables you to modernize your applications with container-based technologies, such as Docker and Kubernetes. Containers are isolated units of software that run independently from the underlying operating system. They allow you to deploy and update your applications faster and easier. You can use Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to run your containerized applications on Azure or on-premises with Azure Stack HCI, which is a hyperconverged infrastructure solution that combines compute, storage, and networking in one system.
Innovation and productivity: Microsoft Server supports the latest technologies and standards that help you innovate and improve your productivity. For example, you can use Hotpatch, which is a feature that allows you to apply security updates without having to reboot your server. You can also use SMB over QUIC, which is a protocol that allows you to securely access files when working remotely without a VPN.

What Are the Latest Versions of Microsoft Server?

Microsoft releases new versions of Microsoft Server every few years, with each version offering new features and improvements. The latest versions of Microsoft Server are:

Windows Server 2022: This is the current version of Microsoft Server, released in September 2021. It is based on version 1809 of Windows 10. Some of the new features in Windows Server 2022 are secured-core server¹, cluster sets¹, Hotpatch, SMB over QUIC, HTTP/3 support, improved Linux integration, and more.
Windows Server 2016: This is the previous version of Microsoft Server, released in October 2016. It is based on the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Some of the new features in Windows Server 2016 are Nano Server, which is a minimal installation option for cloud-native applications, Windows Server Containers, which are containers that run on Windows Server, Storage Spaces Direct, which is a feature that allows you to create a software-defined storage cluster, and more.

Conclusion

Microsoft Server is a server operating system and software product line that provides various functions and services for enterprise and business environments. Microsoft Server differs from regular Windows in terms of server roles and features, performance and scalability, security and reliability, and management tools. Microsoft Server also offers features and benefits such as hybrid cloud integration, application modernization, innovation and productivity. The latest versions of Microsoft Server are Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2016.

What is Microsoft Server?