Regular software updates are crucial for business success. Microsoft, as an industry leader, continually improves its products, and Windows Server 2022 has been one of its most significant releases. Although some time has passed since its launch, this version remains relevant and widely used. This article provides you with all the necessary information to decide whether to download Windows Server 2022 or remain on the 2019 version.
Key Security Improvements in Windows Server 2022
One of the main advantages of Windows Server 2022 is enhanced protection against modern cyber threats. Microsoft has implemented several security features which are a great reason to download Windows Server 2022 Standard ISO:
• Secured-Core Server. This feature depends on Microsoft’s collaboration with hardware partners and extends from hardware like Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0, Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement (DRTM), Direct Memory Access (DMA) protections as well. Secured Core shields the server environment by isolating firmware level risks and its OS from unauthorized entry at boot time.
• SMB protocol encryption by default. Among other file sharing security enhancements, Windows Server 2022 comes with AES-256 encryption, automatically selected if either the server or client supports it. Finally, QBIC adds a VPN free, TLS 1.3 secured option for remote access to file shares for mobile and remote users who want to access corporate resources without traditional VPN setups.
• Virtualization-based Security (VBS) and Hypervisor-protected Code Integrity (HVCI). By isolating a critical process, fortifying the virtual environment and limiting the reach of potential attacks and containing threats so they do not reach the whole system, these technologies minimize the possibility of exposure and a system wide breach. This gives you a way to use secure isolated memory regions, making it hard for malign software to change sensitive code.
• Support for secure DNS over HTTPS. Windows Server 2022, by default, uses the most recent version of Transport Layer Security (TLS) version 1.3 for an encrypted connection to improve data security by preventing interception and spoofing. It encrypts DNS queries, which means that DNS data and user information are protected from eavesdropping or middle attacks.
Together, these features help bolster Windows Server 2022’s defenses, providing a resilient platform for hybrid and on premises environments while helping ease security management for IT teams with integration with Windows Admin Center and Azure Arc. It is a robust configuration that helps organizations deal with a changing cybersecurity environment.
Enhanced Hybrid Cloud Capabilities
Windows Server 2022 simplifies the integration of on-premises infrastructure with Microsoft Azure cloud services:
• Azure Arc allows centralized management of servers and applications regardless of their location. With Azure Arc, administrators can apply policies, monitor status, and deploy services on local servers as if they were in Azure.
• Storage Migration Service simplifies data migration and storage configuration when transitioning to the cloud. This service allows the transfer of files, configurations, and security settings from servers running older versions of Windows or even Linux to new servers or Azure.
• SMB over QUIC protocol support provides fast and secure access to files in Azure without the need for VPN configuration. SMB over QUIC uses UDP instead of TCP, reducing latency and improving performance, especially in networks with high packet loss.
• Storage Spaces Direct improvements to the software-defined storage system in Windows Server 2022 have become even more efficient and scalable. It supports up to 4 petabytes per cluster, up to 64 nodes in a cluster, and up to 4 nodes in a fault domain.
• Integration with Azure Extended Network — allows extending the local network to Azure, ensuring consistent addressing, routing, and security between on-premises and cloud resources.
Increased Platform Flexibility and Performance
Windows Server 2022 offers several improvements aimed at optimizing performance and usability:
• Smaller OS image size: 2.7 GB compared to 3.7 GB in Windows Server 2019.
• Support for Direct Server Return (DSR) routing: improves performance and scalability of web applications.
• The ability to configure time zones within containers simplifies the development and testing of distributed applications.
• Group Managed Service Accounts (gMSA) no longer require domain join: simplify deployment of containerized applications.
• Support for TCP HyStart++ and RACK accelerates connection establishment and recovery after packet losses.
Improvements in Hyper-V Management and Operations
The Hyper-V virtualization management toolkit in Windows Server 2022 includes:
• Automatic updates for Windows Admin Center simplify keeping the management console up-to-date. New versions of extensions and Admin Center itself will be installed automatically, without manual intervention.
• Automation of extension lifecycle management reduces the burden on administrators. Unused extensions can be automatically removed upon expiration, freeing up resources and improving performance.
• Centralized event tracking facilitates monitoring and troubleshooting. Events from multiple servers and clusters are collected in a single view, with the ability to filter and search by various criteria.
• New Hyper-V Manager features, such as the action pane and live storage migration — enhance virtual machine management convenience. The action pane provides quick access to the most common operations, while live migration allows moving virtual disks between hosts without shutting down VMs.
• Support for virtual TPM — enables the use of TPM-based security features within virtual machines. This allows applying encryption policies, integrity measurements, and key protection in virtualized environments.
• Clustering improvements — such as enhanced Azure Witness support, faster VM migration during failures, and simplified Scale-Out File Server (SOFS) deployment.
More Efficient Container and Kubernetes Operations
Windows Server 2022 improves support for containers and orchestration with Kubernetes:
• Support for multiple subnets for Windows worker nodes — increases flexibility in network configuration.
• HostProcess containers — allow running privileged workloads requiring direct access to host resources.
Windows Server 2019 Features Excluded in 2022
Several older features present in Windows Server 2019, have been deprecated or replaced with other modern features in Windows Server 2022 to make them more functional and more secure. For instance:
• Guarded Fabric and Shielded Virtual Machines: These have been replaced by better tools, Secured-Core Server, Virtualization based Security (VBS), and Hypervisor protected code integrity (HVCI) offer a more holistic solution to VM and host protection. This reflected Microsoft’s thrust towards Azure Confidential Computing for cloud security needs
• Windows Deployment Services (WDS): Although WDS is still technically available, it is marked as deprecated. However, Microsoft recommends that organizations migrate to modern deployment techniques, i.e. the use of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) or Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager for a more robust image and deployment experience.
• SConfig and iSNS: Now Windows Admin Center wrapped PowerShell and the ability to manage servers more streamlined. Microsoft has sent users elsewhere, toward the iSCSI Target Server for iSNS, if SDN storage and data sharing needs are better served by SMB which now supports modern networks.
The changes reflect how Windows Server 2022 is contemporary, with security and cloud integrated operations, since the adoption of complex and hybrid IT infrastructures.
Recommendations for Upgrading to Windows Server 2022
Before upgrading to Windows Server 2022, several factors should be considered:
1. Choose the appropriate edition. There are three main editions of Windows Server 2022: Essentials, Standard, and Datacenter, which are geared toward different sizes of organizations, and what features they require. Here we have small businesses with Essentials, general-purpose servers with Standard, and high end virtualization and other features with Datacenter. Decide on each based on workload requirements in order to spend them efficiently.
2. Ensure that the hardware meets the minimum system requirements for the new version. Modern hardware, with an example being UEFI style systems with TPM 2.0, can support increased security attributes such as; Secure Boot, Virtualization based Security (VBS), and Hypervisor protected Code Integrity (HVCI). Keep storage, network components, and other peripherals, updated with firmware and drivers, for compatibility and for avoiding disruptions in installation.
3. Decide between clean installation and in-place upgrade. An in-place upgrade keeps the settings and data, but preserves the inefficiencies from an older setup. According to Microsoft, clean installs are the way to go for a stable environment, especially if you’ve had a lot of work done on previous Windows Server versions like 2012 R2 or 2016. For systems requiring security optimization or taking full advantage of the new features in Windows Server 2022 we recommend a clean install.
4. Create comprehensive backups. There is another thing to do: back up all essential data and configurations before starting the upgrade. Run the testing phases in a lab environment so we can identify if there was a conflict caused by the software or even the driver. This provides us a chance for fast recovery in case of issues during the migration process.
5. Review and address deprecated features. Some older features are deprecated in Windows Server 2022. Also, if removed or replaced functionalities are reviewed, those removed or replaced shouldn’t cause any unexpected compatibility issues with existing legacy applications and services. If there’s a place where it’s necessary, think about other tools that do something similar.
In conclusion, Windows Server 2022 offers significant improvements in security, hybrid cloud support, and performance compared to previous versions. Despite the exclusion of some outdated features, the advantages outweigh the potential drawbacks for most organizations. With careful planning in place well before the switch – everything from hardware compatibility to backup, testing, and feature evaluation – a smooth transition to the new servers and a maximization of the new server’s potential benefit in a secure, optimized way can be achieved.