Windows Server 2025 will be generally available “in late 2024”. This release has the same ten (10) year support cycle as previous Windows Server releases.
Among the features:
- Core features like Active Directory, Storage, and Hyper-V
- Features that were first introduced in Azure Stack HCI and Azure Edition
- Active Directory improvements
A little more in depth:
- Some core features such as hot-patching (or not having to reboot the host server often resulting in downtime ) do not include zero-day patches or cumulative updates (they will still need to be applied quarterly). But any organizations enabling this feature will incur a subscription charge, That is in addition to the licensing and Software Assurance fees (the latter is required). Also, Azure Arc enrollment is required.
- Windows Server 2025 will introduce a new Active Directory (AD) functional level. But this change will not appear in Windows Server 2022 or in Windows Server 2019. Further, this functionality requires a Windows Server 2016 base.
- For Hyper-V GPU partitioning (making the GPU available across multiple virtual machines) requires updated hardware (supporting only certain NVIDIA A-series devices) and thus makes it for only artificial intelligence and/or machine-learning.
- There are no changes in the Remote Desktop Services space, but Windows Server 2025 will offer:
- Networking changes
- Container changes (portability will only support Windows Server 2022 containers)
As indicated, Windows Server 2025 is expected to be generally available later this year, carrying with it the same ten (10) year support cycle.
Microsoft has not yet announced any price changes for Windows Server 2025, but some price increase is expected, either nominal or otherwise.
See Miro’s blog on the Microsoft Products Reaching End-of-Life in or by June 2024 to become aware.
And contact Miro, your trusted software licensing advisor, for more information.