Top Ten Features of Windows Server 2022 You Should Know About!

Microsoft, one of the leading providers of robust operation systems for 30 years, timely launches new upgrades to meet today's complex needs of businesses and data. The upgrades enhance the server's capabilities to provide better security, faster network, and cloud upgrades.

Microsoft announced a new version of Microsoft Server 2022 in September 2021, which is the most secure, reliable, and Azure-compatible server Microsoft developed in the 20th century.

Around 61% of small and medium-sized businesses were a target of cyberattacks in 2021. The new version offers advanced security features, like secure server kernels, secure connectivity, and more, that focus on improving security measures as there is a high risk of data breaches in this highly interconnected world.

Let's look at the other resilient features of the Microsoft Server 2022 and how it benefits small to medium-sized businesses and enterprises.

Microsoft Server 2022 was released in three different editions: Essential, Standard, and Datacenter. Later, another version was released - the Azure Datacenter edition. Let's understand how each version differs from the others:

1. Microsoft Server 2022 Essential Edition
   The essential edition fits perfectly the needs of a small-sized business as it supports 25 users, 50 devices, and processors with a maximum of 10 cores. However, it lacks a dashboard, client backup, and access anywhere.

2. Microsoft Server 2022 Standard Edition
   The standard version is compatible with only two virtual machines and one Hyper-V host. It supports features like hot patching, software-defined networking, and a replica storage option with one partnership and resource group with a capacity of two terabytes.

3. Microsoft Server 2022 Datacenter Edition
   It is an elite version that offers never-seen-before features, like protected VMs, software-defined storage, and storage replication with Storage Spaces Direct. The Storage Spaces Direct supports around 16 servers and one petabyte of cluster storage.

4. Microsoft Server 2022 Azure Datacenter Edition
   Now, this is designed for the Microsoft Azure platform, and it supports features like Hot Patch, by which you can install updates without restarting the server, and Server Message Block via QUIC, which provides access to shared files without the need for VPN over the network.
   You can learn more about how these versions are different from one another and which version is perfect for your business needs with this Microsoft Guide.

   
   

The new version of Microsoft Server aims to improve the productivity, efficiency, and security of your businesses with new features and efficient enhancements. Let’s explore the top features of Windows Server 2022 in detail!

1. Improved Storage

   
   
   

   The innovation at the storage level signifies one of the primary improvements made in Windows Server 2022. In the modern business world, daily data management has become a challenge for data engineers. Amidst such circumstances, advanced storage upgrades in the server are mentioned as follows.

   
   

   • Advanced caching – Allows automated storage of important data on faster values and less critical data on lower volumes. It allows faster access to write and read your business operations.

   • Swift, manageable improvements – Fixes the hard drive quicker in case of restarting the Windows 2022 server or failure of hardware equipment.

   • ReFS file snapshots – Secures data snapshots with constant time intervals despite the size through ReFS snapshots, which works on a unique methodology known as fast metadata operations.

2. Enhanced Security Measures

   
   

   When it comes to security practices, Microsoft brings new strong cybersecurity features as the threats and cyberattacks evolve with the technology. Windows Server 2022 offers key security enhancements, including firmware protection, virtual environment security, and hardware trust, as the cloud is the second most widely used platform.

   
   

   • Firmware attack prevention – Extended threats and attacks happen during a server restart via firmware. Technologies, including DRTM (Dynamic Robot of Trust for Measurement) and DMA (Direct Memory Access), are used to prevent cyber attacks.

   • Secure DNS Support - It offers secure DNS support with DNS-over-HTTPS, Server Message Block AES-256 and SMB East-West encryption, SMB over QUIC, HTTPS and TLS 1.3, Azure Arc, and Azure Automanage.

   • Hypervisor security - Hypervisor is protected by VBS (Virtualization-based security technology), which isolates individual processes from the operating system. In the moment of attack, the attack will be prevented from spreading to other parts of the system, thereby saving the server from getting compromised.

   • SMB – The new SMB (Server Message Block) functionality through QUIC eliminates the requirement for a VPN for remote workers, mobile users, and highly secure organizations. It employs the Datagram Protocol (UDP) and always encrypts the Internet traffic.

3. Streamlined Azure Hybrid Capabilities

   
   

   Cloud-based agility and forever server management is a trend that is being developed within Windows Server 2022. Two-hybrid capabilities, storage migration services, and Azure Arc will work best in multi-cloud environments. You can view, control, and also manage the system with the enhanced admin center in the server, featuring improvement management.

4. Improved Hardware support

   
   

   Windows Server 2022 can perform even on an old server with a 1.4 GHz x 86-64 CPU and 2GB of RAM, while it can take advantage of much more powerful hardware than that. To be more particular, it supports around 2,048 logical cores and 48 TB of RAM.

   
   

   The server also supports the latest Intel Xeon processors, delivering users with hardware-level security along with software-level security.

   
   

   The in-built security capabilities of the Intel Xeon CPU will allow fast data encryption with minimal performance impact, while Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX) provide an extra layer of protection for data in memory.

5. Better application platform

   
   

   Windows Server 2022 provides a flexible platform to upgrade container applications. The server supports large business-critical applications including SQL server, which needs around 48 TB of storage. Moreover, the server loads 30% faster than the previous OS due to the compact size of the Windows container. The tools of the management center have also been upgraded to meet the storage of .NET applications.

6. Advancements in Network

   
   

   There are two major protocols for all network communication – UDP and TCP. Microsoft has significantly improved its protocols in the latest Windows Server 2022 edition.

   
   

   • UDP (User Datagram Protocol) – UDP segmentation offloading (USO) and UDP Receive Side Coalescing (UDP RSC) are incorporated in the Windows 2022 server, reducing the CPU load.

   • TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) - TCP HyStart++ on Windows 2022 servers would reduce packet loss during connection setup and RACK to reduce transmission time.

   • Virtual switch upgrade – Updating the VM switch improves the performance of both network traffic from an external host and a virtual NIC to another virtual NIC with a similar host.

7. Replication enhancements

   
   

   Windows Server 2022 optimizes Active Directory (AD) Replications to make the system more effective and swifter. The improvements reduce replication latency and promote reliability across distributed AD environments.

8. Time-based Group Membership

   
   

   The new feature of Windows Server 2022 enables the automation of group membership modifications based on specific time criteria. With this feature, administrators can now define specific periods during which users are added or removed from specific groups. It is highly useful in the management of temporary access or seasonal requirements.

9. Group Membership Replication Compression

   
   

   Windows Server 2022 introduces the ability to compress group membership modifications during Active Directory replication. It will reduce the replication traffic and promote overall performance, especially in environments with a substantial number of groups and complex group structures.

10. Active Directory Recycle Bin Enhancements

    
    

    In the previous versions, the Active Directory Recycle Bin of Windows enabled the automated recovery of detected objects but demanded a complex process. However, new features with Windows Server 2022 simplify the process, making it easy for businesses to recover deleted objects and protect their data against accidental deletions.

Installing and maintaining Windows Server 2022 can be a significant change and challenge for organizations. The businesses have to ensure they have the necessary tools and resources to properly install the system since it impacts every area of the IT system.

Here’s when Oxtrys enters the picture as an aid to the hosting and installation of Windows Server 2022! At Oxtrys, the leading VPS and cloud hosting provider, we have been delivering effective and economical hosting solutions to businesses of all kinds and sizes.