What's New in Microsoft Windows Server 2022?

Microsoft Windows Server 2022 is the latest version of the popular server operating system developed by Microsoft. It was released in the summer of 2021 and brought several new features and improvements over its predecessor, Windows Server 2019.

The new Windows Server is Microsoft's most reliable, secure, and Azure-compatible OS. With Windows Server 2022, organizations get advanced security features and improved cloud integration that helps protect their data from malicious actors. This couldn't come at a better time, as cyber threats and data security risks rapidly increase.

An Overview of Windows Server 2022

Windows Server 2022 is a powerful operating system for businesses of all sizes, offering an easy-to-use interface and a comprehensive suite of security features. It supports 2,048 logical cores, advanced storage, Hyper-V virtualization, web and application platforms, identity protection, and data security. It also includes multi-layer security and an easier way to connect to Azure.

With Windows Server 2022, businesses can create highly available networks with improved performance and scalability. It also offers an array of tools to help enhance productivity, including virtual machine and PowerShell scripting capabilities. In addition, using Windows Server 2022, businesses can quickly develop reliable, secure, and compatible applications with almost any device or computer platform.

In addition, it provides effective systems management capabilities that allow administrators to view activity logs in real-time or generate detailed reports. Altogether, Windows Server 2022 is the go-to choice for businesses looking to capitalize on the latest technologies without compromising their security posture.

Windows Server 2022 Features

Here are some new features in Windows Server 2022 across all editions.

Improved Security

Windows Server 2022 has advanced multi-layer security features to protect data, applications, and networks. It offers a certified secured-core server that provides additional assurance when handling mission-critical data in data-sensitive operations. The secured core server is built on three pillars: preventative defense, advanced protection, and simplified security, and it combines firmware, hardware, and driver capabilities to enable higher protection.

Other security features of Windows Server 2022 include: 

1. Hardware root-of-trust: Measures and verifies the integrity of the boot process and the boot components to protect against attacks on the boot process.
2. Firmware protection: Verifies the integrity of the firmware and the firmware updates to protect against firmware-based attacks.
3. UEFI secure boot: Protects servers against malicious rootkits by ensuring the server only boots trusted software and firmware. In addition, it verifies the signature of every boot component and allows only trusted components to run.
4. Virtualization-based security (VBS): VBS uses hardware virtualization features to create a secure region of memory isolated from the normal operating system, which can help prevent malware from accessing sensitive system resources and data.

Secure Connectivity

With the release of Windows Server 2022, users can now enjoy a more secure and reliable experience for their remote connections. This latest version of Windows provides the highest level of security available, including encryption and the most robust authentication protocols. Users will no longer have to worry about unauthorized access to their data or malicious actors taking advantage of vulnerable communications. Windows Server 2022's features:

• Transport Layer Security (TLS): TLS is a protocol that helps to secure network communications by encrypting data transmitted between two systems. It is a key component of HTTPS, the secure version of HTTP used to communicate between web browsers and servers. TLS 1.3, the latest version of TLS, includes several improvements over previous versions, such as faster performance and improved security. 
• Secure DNS: Domain Name System (DNS) is a set of security features that help to improve the security and privacy of DNS queries. Windows Server 2022 supports DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), a new way of securely resolving DNS queries over the Internet. It encrypts DNS queries using the HTTPS protocol, which helps protect against attacks such as man-in-the-middle attacks and users' privacy.
• Server Message Block (SMB): Windows Server 2022 includes support for SMB (Server Message Block) AES-256 encryption, a robust encryption algorithm that can protect data transmitted over a network. AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) is a widely used encryption algorithm known for its high level of security. It uses a key length of 256 bits, which makes it very difficult to break.

Azure hybrid capabilities

One of the most notable features is its Azure Arc-enabled servers, which allow IT professionals to sync their on-premises servers with Microsoft Azure cloud services seamlessly. With Window Server 2022, you can more easily run applications, integrate processes across multiple locations, and manage resources on all platforms – this list goes on!

In today's tech landscape, where remote work is the norm, having robust hybrid capabilities is essential for business owners who want to deliver solid results despite mobility limitations. Windows Server 2022 makes it all easier with its comprehensive approach to Azure integration.

Windows Admin Center

This sophisticated tool is a new, locally-deployed, browser-based managed toolset that allows users to control their Windows Server without depending on the cloud or Azure. It gives IT administrators complete control over every aspect of their server infrastructure and is especially useful for managing private network servers that aren't connected to the internet.

The admin center in Windows Server 2022 can report the current state of all features discussed above and, in some cases, allow users to enable the features. Server 2022 enhances hybrid server management with an enhanced event viewer and many other capabilities in Windows Admin Center. 

Storage Enhancements

Windows Server2022 has gone big on storage to include:

1. Advanced caching: Windows Server 2022 includes new advanced caching capabilities that store critical data on faster storage volumes for faster access.
2. Faster manageable storage: This new feature restores the hard drive quickly after a hardware failure or server restart.
3. ReFS file snapshots: This allows you to take a point-in-time copy of a file or folder without using additional disk space. File snapshots can be used to recover previous versions of a file or to restore a file that has been accidentally deleted or modified. 

Application Platform Improvements

There are numerous platform improvements to Windows Server 2022. In addition to providing a flexible platform for container application updates, it also supports significant, business-critical applications like SQL server that needs 48TB of memory. Other improvements include: 

• Updates on Windows Admin Center that makes it easier to containerize .NET applications. This way, one can host an app in a container on Azure Container Registry and deploy it to other Azure services. 
• Enhancements like support for HostProcess containers to simplify the Windows Container experience with Kubernetes 
• Enabling support for hardware acceleration of DirectX APIs in support issues like using local graphical process unit to interfere with Machine Learning
• Assigning simple buses to process-isolated Server containers
• Allowing applications to use Azure Active Directory without the domain joining the container host. Windows containers support Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ), group Managed Services Accounts (gMSA), and Microsoft Distributed Transaction Control (MSDTC)
• Up to 40% reduction in Windows Container image sizes, leading to better performance and faster startup time

Networking Improvements

Microsoft has significantly improved two main protocols: Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). Windows Server 2022 includes UDP Receive Side Coalescing (UDP RSC) and UDP Segmentation Offload (USO) to minimize CPU load. It also has TCP HyStart++ that minimizes packet loss during connection startup and RACK to reduce retransmission time.

Windows Server 2022 also has virtual switch improvement that enhances performance on network traffic. What's more, the QUIC feature allows users to copy files remotely without needing VPN over an advanced SMB.

Discontinued Features

Microsoft removed or discontinued the following features from Windows 2022:

• Guarded Fabric and Shielded Virtual Machines (VMs)Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
• Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) Server
• Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
• Semi-Annual Channel (SAC)
• Remote Server Administration Tool (RSAT)

If you plan to upgrade to Microsoft Windows Server 2022, My Choice Software can help. We carry a complete inventory of Microsoft products and can take the stress out of your buying, upgrading, or installing Windows 2022 process.