Microsoft released a new version of Windows Server this week, Windows Server 2022 LTSC. The new version of Server doesn’t really need the LTSC descriptor anymore, as Microsoft announced earlier this year that all future versions of Windows Server will be long-term service channel releases.
Windows Server 2022 LTSC will be supported for ten years. Five of those years with general support and the remaining five years with extended support. The main difference between the support phases is that the extended support is limited to security updates and bug fixes. Standard support may also introduce new features in the Server version.
Consumer support ends October 13, 2026, extended support ends October 14, 2031.
The “What’s New in Windows Server 2022” support page lists major changes in the new version of the server.
Here is a brief overview:
- Security enhancements: secure central server, simplified security, hardware root of trust, firmware protection, virtualization-based security (VBS)
- HTTPS and TLS 1.3 enabled by default.
- Secure DNS support with DNS-over-HTTPS.
- Server message block AES-256 encryption.
- SMB East-West encryption of the server message block.
- PME on QUIC.
- Azure Arc enabled.
- Azure Automanage – Hotpatch.
- Platform improvements, such as application compatibility and the Windows Container experience with Kubernetes.
- Nested virtualization for AMD processors.
- New Microsoft Edge web browser.
- Storage migration service.
- Adjustable storage repair speed.
- Storage bus cache with storage spaces on stand-alone servers.
- SME compression.
Windows Server 2022 is available in three editions: Windows Server 2022 Standard, Windows Server 2022 Datacenter, and Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition.
There are quite a few differences in terms of functionality between the versions. Hotpatching is only supported by Azure Edition, Storage Spaces Direct only by Datacenter Editions, and Standard Edition is limited when it comes to Storage Replica.
Here is a comparison table of the features:
| Features available in general | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Data Center | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition |
| Azure WAN | No | No | Yes |
| Good practice analyzer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic memory (in virtualization) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot add / swap RAM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hotpatching | No | No | Yes |
| Microsoft management console | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimal server interface | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Network load balancing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows PowerShell | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server kernel installation option | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server manager | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SMB Direct and SMB over RDMA | Yes | Yes | Yes (not supported in Azure) |
| PME on QUIC | No | No | Yes |
| Software-defined networking | No | Yes | Yes |
| Storage migration service | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Storage replica | Yes, (1 partnership and 1 resource group with a single 2TB volume) | Yes, unlimited | Yes, unlimited |
| Storage spaces | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct storage spaces | No | Yes | Yes |
| Volume activation services | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) integration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server Update Services | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows System Resource Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server license logging | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Legacy activation | As a guest if hosted in Datacenter | Can be a host or a guest | Can be a host or a guest |
| Work files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
When it comes to limitations and locks, these are mostly the same in terms of functionality. The only difference between the Standard and Data Center Editions is that the Standard Edition is limited to 2 virtual machines plus one Hyper-V host per license, while the Data Center Edition is not limited in terms of the number of virtual machines.
Check full feature comparison on the Microsoft Docs website for more information.
This The Microsoft Docs web page lists features that are no longer in development or removed:
Deleted:
| Internet Storage Name Service (iSNS) server service | The iSNS Server service has now been removed from Windows Server 2022 after being considered for removal in Windows Server, version 1709. You can still connect to iSNS servers or add iSCSI targets individually. |
No longer in development:
| Characteristic | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Protected structure and protected virtual machines (VM) | Windows Server and Azure Stack HCI align with Azure to take advantage of continuous improvements to Azure Confidential Computing and Azure Security Center. This alignment translates into the extension of more cloud security offerings to customer (on-premises) data centers.
Microsoft will continue to provide support for these features, but there will be no further development. On client versions of Windows, the Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT): Protected Virtual Machine Tools feature will be removed. |
Launch SConfig from a Command Prompt window (CMD) by running sconfig.cmd |
Starting with Windows Server 2022, SConfig is launched by default when you log in to a server running the Server Core installation option. Additionally, PowerShell is now the default shell on Server Core. Exiting SConfig takes you to a standard interactive PowerShell window. Likewise, you can unsubscribe from the automatic launch of SConfig. In this case, you will get a PowerShell window upon login. In either case, you can launch SConfig from within PowerShell by simply running SConfig. If needed, you can also launch the Legacy Command Prompt (CMD) from PowerShell. But to simplify the different transition options, we will remove sconfig.cmd from the next version of the operating system. If you need to start SConfig from a CMD window, you will need to start PowerShell first. |
Our colleagues from Desktop modifier have links to the official Windows Server 2022 LTSC ISO images (German and English, 64-bit).
Now you: What do you think of this new version of Windows Server?
Summary
Article name
Windows Server 2022 LTSC released
The description
Microsoft released a new version of Windows Server this week, Windows Server 2022 LTSC. Find out what’s new and changed, and how the different editions compare.
Author
Martin Brinkmann
Editor
Ghacks Technology News
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