Windows Server 2022: 8 Key Features You Should Know

Microsoft released Windows Server 2022 in September 2021. Since then, many professionals and forums have discussed the improvements and new features this edition brings to the table.

Windows Server 2022 is the most secure, reliable and Azure-compatible Windows Server Microsoft has developed in the 21st century.

With increasing security threats and cyber-attacks, Windows Server 2022 is equipped with robust security parameters designed to ensure cluster-level data package protection. It is a comprehensive security package that safeguards the entire IT infrastructure.
Windows Server 2022 helps businesses of all sizes run their workloads securely, enable hybrid cloud integration and modernise their applications to meet demanding IT requirements.

Background

A recent IBM study from 2021 found that more than 500 data breaches cost an average of $4.24 million worldwide - the highest figure in 17 years.

With increasing security threats and cyber attacks, data protection is of utmost importance for all types of businesses. Windows Server 2022 plays a crucial role in this regard, as it includes advanced security features with secure server cores, secure connectivity and much more, which are explained in the following sections.
We will also discuss the technical advancements of Windows Server 2022 and how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises can benefit from this innovative and robust platform.

Different Versions of Windows Server 2022

According to Microsoft, Windows Server 2022 has three main editions: Essentials, Standard and Datacenter, with a fourth edition introduced later: Azure Datacenter Edition.

Below are the exact technical differences between these editions.

All versions of Windows Server 2022 offer the option to install both the Server Core and the Desktop Experience. The Desktop Experience is installed for remote desktop sessions hosted with non-server services and other components.

The Server Core is installed for specific roles and functions, e.g. DNS server, web server, Active Directory, virtualisation, etc.
Although there are many variations across all versions, in this section we focus on the main differences between the server editions of Windows Server 2022:

Windows Server 2022 Standard

The Standard Edition is the base version of Windows Server 2022. A single Standard Edition licence supports only two virtual machines and one Hyper-V host.

The replica storage option is available with one allocation and one resource pool with a capacity of 2 terabytes. Features such as hot patching, software-defined networking and storage are not available in the Standard Edition.

Windows Server 2022 Datacenter

This edition includes advanced features not found in the Standard Edition, such as shielded virtual machines. This feature protects the firmware and boot files of the virtual machine and also enables BitLocker hard disk encryption.

Because data protection and data management are critical to enterprise infrastructure, Microsoft integrates two key capabilities with Storage Spaces Direct: software-defined storage and storage replication.

Storage replication provides block-level data replication without data loss and even replicates open files. Software-defined storage with Storage Spaces Direct enables management and scalability, supporting up to 16 servers and up to 1 petabyte of clustered storage.

You can read more about Windows Server 2022 and purchase a licence here.

Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition

As the name suggests, this edition is designed for the Microsoft Azure platform. It offers features not available in the Standard or Datacenter editions. For example, the hot patch feature allows you to install updates without restarting the server, and SMB over QUIC allows access to shared files without a VPN.

Windows Server 2022 Azure Edition runs virtual machines on the Azure Stack Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) operating system, known for its security, performance and hybrid features.

Windows Server 2022 Essentials

This edition is designed for small organisations with a maximum of 25 users and 50 devices. It lacks features such as a control panel, client backup and remote access. It supports processors with up to 10 cores.

To find out more about Windows Server 2022 Essentials and to purchase a licence, you can view it here.

Hardware Requirements for Windows Server 2022

Microsoft specifies the minimum hardware requirements for the servers to function satisfactorily. If the minimum requirements are not met, the installation will most likely not complete.

The main requirements are:
Processor: 1.4 GHz 64-bit compatible.
RAM: 512 MB (2 GB for servers with the Desktop Experience option).
Network: NIC card with a minimum bandwidth of 1 Gbps.
Hard disk: 32 GB

The 8 Most Important Features of Windows Server 2022

1) Hardware Improvements

One of the most significant improvements in Windows Server 2022 is the extension of hardware limitations to new heights. Server 2022 supports 48 terabytes of memory and 2,048 logical cores running on 64 physical sockets.
It also supports Intel Ice Lake SGX processors, which isolate sensitive data during processing in an encrypted processor enclave.

2) Storage Improvements

Storage innovation is one of the most important enhancements in Windows Server 2022. Day-to-day data management has become a growing challenge for data engineers. Storage enhancements built into Server 2022 include:
Improved caching: automatically stores important data on faster storage volumes and less important data on slower volumes, enabling faster read and write access.
Faster, more manageable storage upgrades: in the event of server reboots or hardware failures, hard drives are repaired more quickly.
ReFS file snapshots: ReFS snapshots use a unique method known as fast metadata operations to create point-in-time snapshots of data regardless of size.

3) Enhanced Security Measures

Microsoft continues to innovate its security practices as threats evolve. Windows Server 2022 offers three key security enhancements: hardware trust, firmware protection and virtual environment security.
Key enhancements include support for Secure DNS with DNS-over-HTTPS, Server Message Block AES-256, SMB East-West encryption, SMB over QUIC, HTTPS and TLS 1.3, Azure Arc and Azure Automanage.

These protocols and security enhancements ensure that Windows Server 2022 is well-equipped to handle sensitive data and critical applications. The entire server core is protected at the hardware, firmware and driver levels to prevent sophisticated attacks.

Prevention of firmware attacks: threats and advanced attacks can occur when servers are rebooted via firmware. To prevent these cyber attacks, technologies such as DRTM (Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement) and DMA (Direct Memory Access) protection are used.
Hypervisor security: the hypervisor is protected by virtualisation-based security (VBS). This technology isolates individual processes from the operating system, preventing an attack from spreading to other parts of the system.
Secure connectivity: by default, TLS 1.3 is used to establish secure connections. Even name resolution is secured through encrypted DNS requests.
Server Message Block (SMB): the new SMB functionality via QUIC eliminates the need for a VPN for remote workers, mobile users and high-security organisations. It uses UDP and ensures that internet traffic always remains encrypted.

4) Improved Application Platform

Windows Server 2022 provides a flexible platform for container applications. Server 2022 supports large business-critical applications such as SQL Server that require 48 terabytes of storage.

Windows Server 2022 loads containers 30% faster than previous versions due to the smaller size of the Windows container image. The Windows Admin Centre tools for .NET applications have also been updated.

5) Expanded Azure Capabilities

Microsoft Azure capabilities have been extended in Windows Server 2022 to support virtualisation outside the network or from third parties. Azure Arc-enabled servers provide a complete and secure approach to integration across on-premises, multi-cloud and edge environments.
If you would like to learn more about what Windows Server is and how it differs from standard Windows, we have a dedicated guide on the topic.

6) Effortless Cloud Management

One of the key features of the Azure Edition of Windows Server 2022 is cloud management and automation using established security methods, including:
Reduced cost through automated management of Windows Server and Linux virtual machines.
Ability to apply security patches without restarting the server.
Automatic detection of availability and resource utilisation after provisioning, with automatic data updates.
Automated management processes such as Azure monitoring and archiving. Data migration from on-premises to Azure while retaining original IP addresses.

7) Network Improvements

There are two main protocols for all network communication: the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). Microsoft has significantly improved both protocols in Windows Server 2022.
UDP: UDP Segmentation Offloading (USO) and UDP Receive Side Coalescing (UDP RSC) reduce CPU load.
TCP: TCP HyStart++ helps reduce packet loss during connection setup, and RACK reduces retransmission time.
Virtual switch upgrade: improvements to the virtual switch enhance performance for both network traffic from an external host and from a virtual NIC to another virtual NIC on the same host.
SMB compression: this feature enables copying files remotely without VPN via extended SMB (Server Message Block).

8) Removed Features

With each new version of Windows Server, Microsoft makes improvements and enhancements while discontinuing older features.
Features no longer available in Windows Server 2022 include:
Semi-Annual Channel (SAC): replaced by the Long-Term Servicing Channel as the main release channel. SAC continues with Kubernetes communities such as Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) and Azure Stack HCI AKS.
Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) Server: removed from Windows Server 2022.
Guarded Fabric and Shielded Virtual Machines: Microsoft supports them but will not develop them further.
Remote Server Administration Tool (RSAT): removed from the Windows client version.
Windows Deployment Services (WDS): deployment functions of the WDS operating system are partially removed.

To understand the full scope of changes, you may also want to read about the differences between Windows Server 2019 and 2022.

Comparison: Windows Server 2019 vs 2022

Microsoft released Windows Server 2022 in September 2021 with several improvements over Server 2019 (released in October 2018). Windows Server 2022 is more secure, more flexible and supports hybrid deployments better than its predecessor.

The Three Main Differences: Security, Cloud and Connectivity

In terms of security, Windows Server 2019 offered Defender Advanced Threat Protection, Exploit Guard and Attack Surface Reduction. Windows Server 2022 takes this further with layered security, including cryptographic key protection, firmware protection and virtualisation environment security.
On the connectivity side, Windows Server 2022 introduces TLS 1.3, Secure DNS, Server Message Block (SMB) encryption and SMB over QUIC. Windows Server 2019 relied on software-defined network (SDN) security.
Cloud integration has become essential to modern computing infrastructure. Windows Server 2019 introduced hybrid cloud services with support for key server applications. Windows Server 2022 goes further with Azure Arc technology, allowing multiple clouds to be managed via a central Azure console.

Conclusion

With Windows Server 2022, companies can run their business on a secure infrastructure, integrate existing virtual environments into hybrid cloud models and modernise their applications to meet demanding growth targets.
Small organisations or educational institutions can opt for the Windows Server Essentials Edition, which supports up to 25 users.
If you need a local solution with minimal virtualisation, the Standard Edition is a solid choice.
If you have a large enterprise-class virtual deployment or plan to scale into the cloud, Windows Server 2022 Datacenter or Azure Datacenter Edition with advanced security and management features is the right choice for you.
Best regards,
The Licendi Team