Windows Server Ad 2022
Sacha Weakland
Windows Server (formerly Windows NT Server) is a group of server operating systems (OS) that has been developed by Microsoft since 1993. The first OS that was released for this platform is Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server, an edition of Windows NT 3.1. With the release of Windows Server 2003, Microsoft started releasing new versions under the name Windows Server. The latest release of Windows Server is Windows Server 2022, which was released in 2021.
Microsoft's history of developing operating systems for servers goes back to Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server. Windows 2000 Server is the first OS to include Active Directory, DNS Server, DHCP Server, and Group Policy.
Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server was released on July 27, 1993[citation needed] as an edition of Windows NT 3.1, an operating system aimed towards business and server use. As with its Workstation counterpart, Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server was a 32 bit rewrite of the Windows kernel that retained a similar use interface to Windows 3.1. Unlike the latter, however, Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server was a complete operating system that did not need to be run from DOS. Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server, like its Workstation counterpart, featured new features such as multiuser support and preemptive multitasking.[3]In 1994, Microsoft released Windows NT Server 3.5. It introduced TCP/IP and Winsock support integrated into the operating system, alongside the ability to use FTP. It also supported VFAT.[citation needed]
In 1996, Microsoft released Windows NT Server 4.0. It added the new user interface introduced in Windows 95 the previous year. In addition, it dropped support for the PowerPC, Alpha, and MIPS architectures. Microsoft updated Winsock to version 2 and IIS 2.0 and FrontPage are included.[citation needed]
Traditionally, Microsoft supports Windows Server for 10 years, with five years of mainstream support and an additional five years of extended support. These releases also offer a complete desktop experience. Starting with Windows Server 2008, Server Core and Nano Server configurations were made available to reduce the OS footprint.[14][15] Between 2015 and 2021, Microsoft referred to these releases as "long-term support" releases to set them apart from semi-annual releases (see below.)
For sixteen years, Microsoft released a major version of Windows Server every four years, with one minor version released two years after a major release. The minor versions had an "R2" suffix in their names. In October 2018, Microsoft broke this tradition with the release of Windows Server 2019, which should have been "Windows Server 2016 R2". Windows Server 2022 is also a minor upgrade over its predecessor.[16][17]
Following the release of Windows Server 2016, Microsoft attempted to mirror the lifecycle of Windows 10 in the Windows Server family, releasing new versions twice a year which were supported for 18 months. These semi-annual versions were only available as part of Microsoft subscription services, including Software Assurance, Azure Marketplace, and Visual Studio subscriptions,[27] until their discontinuation in July 2021.[28][27]
The semi-annual releases do not include any desktop environments. Instead, they are restricted to the Nano Server configuration installed in a Docker container,[15][27] and the Server Core configuration, licensed only to serve as a container host.[15][27]
The Annual Channel was first announced on July 2023, with the first version being released on September the same year. Unlike the Semi-Annual releases, each Annual Channel release would receive six months of extended support in addition to the 18 months of regular support. Annual releases are made available every twelve months, hence the name. Datacenter is the only edition available.
Windows Server File Servers host billions of files across millions of customers for storage and retrieval of files with built-in scale. Security, quotas, back-up, replication, and recovery are all built into the operating system.
Windows Server hosts millions of apps, from simple IIS web apps to complex apps like SharePoint, Exchange, database, and 3rd party products with integrated security, high availability, and replication across servers and clusters.
On-premises licenses for Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2 Extended Security Updates ended on January 14, 2023. For those customers who need more time to upgrade and modernize their Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, we now provide free extended security updates only on Azure. With this, customers have until January 14, 2024 to upgrade to a supported release. Available for customers on Azure, including Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Dedicated Host, Azure VMWare Solutions, Azure Nutanix Solution, and Azure Stack HCI.
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Extended Support will end on October 10, 2023. Customers who migrate workloads to Azure will have access to Extended Security Updates for both SQL Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 for three years after the End of Support dates for no additional charge above the cost of running the virtual machine. Eligible customers will be able to purchase Extended Security Updates for their on-premises environment.
Azure Hybrid Benefit is a licensing benefit that helps you to significantly reduce the costs of running your Windows Server workloads in the cloud. It works by letting you use your on-premises Software Assurance-enabled Windows Server and SQL Server licenses on Azure. Get 180 days of dual-use rights between on-premises and the cloud.
Heya folks, Ned here again. Today I clear up an old idiosyncrasy of Windows Server: if the SMB Server service is always installed, why is there a role called "File Server" and what does enabling it do?
The SMB Server service - "Server", aka "Lanmanserver" - always exists in Windows and isn't something you install; it's just there, as soon as you install the OS. However, since Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, that service can't be contacted from remote machines by default because the built-in firewall blocks it. SMB needs, at a minimum, TCP/445 inbound and without that port opening, there is no remote file serving in SMB2+ on any supported versions of Windows. Even though the C$ and ADMIN$ built-in shares exist by default, no one can access them from a remote machine by default.
But you probably don't remember opening a firewall port on your file server, right? You created a share and it just worked. That's because as soon as you create a custom SMB share, SMB Server automatically enable the various SMB firewall rules for file servers for access, administration, applications, etc. Watch:
That works well for dedicated file servers - as soon as you add a share, everything is taken care of. But we also needed a way to just enable file server administration and grant administrators access to the built-in system shares C$ and Admin$ using SMB2+ on all Windows Servers. We didn't want them to have to create a share just to access some existing built-in shares. And we didn't want them to dig around in the firewall looking for the right rules to enable for management. So when you "install" the file server role, we just enable the basic ports needs for file server administration and accessing those built-in SMB shares; no legacy stuff or historical app compat, just the very basic. In fact, it's very possible the server is not a "file server", so much as one you just want to copy a few files to or from as an administrator.
So now you know. I'm thinking about changing the default firewall rules opened by creating a share as they are a legacy from older times; we'd do this in the Windows Insider builds first and see how many tens of thousands of applications I can break that were piggybacking on those. It's going to take awhile. >_
@Greg Black I know this is a little late response, but what worked for me was to open up PowerShell or Command Prompt with admin rights, then entered the following to change the product key and it activated fine:
You have a photograph of a "Windows Server Retail" box. Those are sold along with OEM hardware. For example you go to Dell and buy a server online and also purchase Windows Server with it - you get that box along with a key inside the box. However, that key will only work with that OEM installer. It will not work with a MOLP installer ISO or a generic Windows Server install ISO and it will not work on non-Dell hardware. IN ADDITION since that key is a "retail" key you will have to login to the Microsoft Store and register it which will then produce the actual Product Key. The "retail keys" look like Product Keys but they are not actual product keys. Generally, that retail key is a match to the email address used to buy the license. When you originally bought that server from Dell and bought the Windows Server license along with it, Dell sent your email address over to Microsoft and MS sits on it waiting for you to login to the Microsoft Store with that address and the retail key.
This is why you never buy copies of Windows Server from local IT stores. You buy them off the online Microsoft Store or you buy them from a retailer who is registered with Microsoft to be able to sell Open License. (as I am)
What USED to be the case around 10 years ago is when people bought "retail OEM" copies of Windows Server along with their Dell servers, they got an actual live product key that did not have a corresponding match inside the Microsoft Store. Since Dell is allowed to sell Windows Server at a TREMENDOUS discount, people buying those servers to use for Linux, etc. would think "Cool I can spend $200 on Windows Server from Dell then turn around and sell it for $600 and make $400!!"
Microsoft setup the Microsoft Store and the email match to put a stop to that. While it is POSSIBLE for a retail store to sell "retail Windows" software copies that are NOT oem, they have a specific way they do it and they will provide instructions on how to register and activate. The cost for those is NOT discounted so in my view you are far better off just buying those off the Microsoft Store. Also the Retail key is generally under a scratch off. It is dangerous to post a retail key like you have done because an unscrupulous person can register it and steal your copy so don't do that in the future. The store should have explained all of this as well as explaining that you must also buy Client Access Licenses to make your installation legal for most setups.
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