The Windows server operating system is renewed once again. Microsoft has finally made the new Windows Server 2025 operating system available at the beginning of November. This marks a significant operating system update for the server environment after a long time, as the latest Windows includes improvements to the Active Directory directory service and substantial enhancements to data processing. Cloud integrations are now also natively supported, so I wholeheartedly recommend this operating system from the outset!
Multi-layered Security
The Windows server operating system is now also being updated with respect to Active Directory directory services. Enhanced protection has been introduced to safeguard the environment from evolving threats through new protocols, cryptographic safeguards, encryption, and hardening measures. A particularly important feature I would like to highlight is Delegate Managed Service Accounts (dMSA). Unlike traditional service accounts, dMSAs do not require manual password management, as Active Directory automatically manages them. This will significantly strengthen the security of services maintained on Windows servers.
File services are also undergoing significant improvements. To enhance the security of file services, SMB over QUIC technology has been introduced, enabling the secure sharing of SMB file shares using the QUIC protocol, for instance, over the Internet. While this technology has been available in the Azure cloud for some time, these same protocols are now accessible from your on-premises data center – naturally, with the support of the new operating system!
Cloud Integration
While servers previously required manual connection to the cloud, cloud integration is now becoming the de facto standard. I installed the test version of Windows Server 2025 earlier this year and was pleased to note that the first question after installation is, “Do you want to connect the server to the cloud?” Yes, I do. To break free from all outdated management and update mechanisms, I want to manage and maintain my servers from the cloud. Azure Arc integration is now standard, provided you log in with your Azure admin account through the wizard and decide which resource group the Azure Arc object will be placed in!
However, one of the most anticipated cloud integration capabilities is Hot Patching. This was already discussed on the Azure side concerning the Windows Server 2022 operating system, and indeed, its support might have been somewhat incomplete. But now, with hot patching features also becoming available for on-premises data centers, will we soon reach a point where server updates can finally be applied on the fly, without unnecessarily frequent server restarts? In my opinion, this is a highly anticipated functionality for business-critical servers that cannot be overstated.
Performance and Scalability
Hyper-V and AI support also receive enhancements. The new operating system now features built-in support for GPU partitioning and possesses the capability to process large volumes of data in distributed environments. This makes the new server operating system and its platform ideal, particularly for AI and machine learning applications, while also enabling high availability for traditional workloads.
Considering the server operating system as an edge server in an on-premises data center, where it will likely be deployed as an Azure Stack HCI solution to enable future virtualization, high-speed disk utilization becomes a relevant factor. What could be a better promise compared to the older Windows Server 2022 operating system than a pledge of up to 60% better IOPS performance in NVMe storage? Furthermore, as Storage Spaces Direct technologies have also undergone significant development, the new operating system can play a crucial role as the operating system for smaller, local virtualization solutions – not least due to the increased licensing costs of VMware technologies.
Conclusion
IT departments will continue to require servers for various business needs. The advancements in cloud integrations and virtualization development are strongly guiding us professionals onto a new path. Today, server operating systems are remarkably mature and stable upon release, representing extensively tested and proven entities with new functionalities. Therefore, if you are currently considering modernizing your on-premises server environment, there is a strong case to directly transition to the new Windows Server 2025 operating system. If escalating virtualization costs are prompting you to make changes, the new operating system offers opportunities that I would personally leverage without hesitation.
Have you, by the way, noticed that while there was no longer a direct upgrade path from the old Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system in the previous OS version, this upgrade path has now been reinstated for this new release? This is precisely to enable Microsoft to facilitate the transition from those already outdated operating systems to these new ones! Therefore, I encourage you to immediately test the new Windows Server 2025 and explore its features! What do you consider its most significant improvements?
As Azure cloud experts, we also aim to ensure the optimal functionality of your server environment. With the support of our specialists, you will gain the maximum benefits from the cloud, and your business-critical services will find a suitable home.