Windows Server 2022 is generally available

Today Microsoft just announced the general availability of Windows Server 2022. Windows Server 2022 adds a lot of improvements to the Windows Server platform when it comes to security, hybrid cloud capabilities with Azure, and as an application platform. You can download and try Windows Server 2022 today!

Today, we are announcing the general availability of Windows Server 2022. It’s a big step forward for the operating system that is trusted by major corporations and small businesses alike to run their business and mission-critical workloads. 

With Windows Server 2022, customers can continue to securely run their workloads, enable new hybrid cloud scenarios, and modernize their applications to meet evolving business requirements. Let’s dive into the new technical capabilities of Windows Server 2022 and how customers can take advantage of these to modernize their server environment.

Bernardo Caldas
Vice President of Program Management, Core OS and Edge Infrastructure

You can read the full announcement blog post here.

What is new in Windows Server 2022

Windows Server 2022 provides many improvements in different areas of the server operating system.

• Advanced multi-layered security – Windows Server 2022 offers Multi-layer security with Secured-core server and secured connectivity. Secured-core server means our hardware partners have provided hardware, firmware, and drivers to help customers harden the security of their critical systems.
• Hybrid capabilities with Azure – Customers in a hybrid or multicloud environment can take advantage of cloud services with on-premises Windows Server 2022 by connecting with Azure Arc, using features like Update Management, Azure Monitor, Seucrity Center, and many more!
  In addition you take advantage of the File Server enhancements such as SMB Compression. SMB Compression improves application file transfer by compressing data while in transit over a network.
• Flexible application platform – Windows Server 2022 can take advantage of scalability improvements such as support for 48TB of memory and 2,048 logical cores running on 64 physical sockets and many additonal improvements to Windows Containers, for example improves application compatibility of Windows containers, includes HostProcess containers for node configuration, supports IPv6 and dual-stack, and enables consistent network policy implementation with Calico, and bring the new capabilities to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and AKS on Azure Stack HCI.

For more details on Windows Server 2022 preview features, please refer to the Windows Server preview blog and our tech documentation.

Windows Server and Azure better together!

Windows Server comes with a lot of improvements if you combine it with Microsoft Azure!

If you are running Windows Server on Azure, you can take advantage of many different management services. One of the great new services which help you to manage your Windows Server is  Azure Automanage for Windows Server. Other features allow you to securely do file transfer to Azure using SMB over QUIC, and implement hotpatch for new Windows Server Azure Virtual Machines.

For Windows Server running on-premises, you can take advantage of Azure Arc and Azure Stack HCI.

Try and download Windows Server 2022

• Windows Server Evaluation Center offers options to try and download Windows Server 2022 download or to deploy it in Azure.
• Windows Server on Azure Marketplace for running Virtual Machines on Azure.
• Volume Licensing Service Center, where Volume License customers can download Windows Server 2022.
• Refer to the pricing page for Windows Server 2022 editions and pricing details.

Just us on the Windows Server Summit!

To learn more about Windows Server 2022, make sure you join the Windows Server Summit!