Introduction
Windows Server 2019 is now available at Snel.com. As usual Windows Server has made major updates in this version. It includes new exciting features and improvements. Let’s have a look at what this version has in store for its users.
Microsoft is drawing attention to four key areas in Windows Server 2019. Here they are:
1. Hybrid Cloud & Azure
Nowadays it is impossible to imagine an IT landscape without virtualization and hybrid clouds. Hence in this version of Windows, Microsoft improves the connections between its Azure cloud platform and Windows Server operating system. The connection is not limited to the Admin Center, the Azure Network Adapter also connects to the cloud computing platform of the local server. Furthermore, this version also includes better support for Azure Backup, File Sync, disaster recovery, and all other Azure services.
2. Linux Support
What sets this new version apart is that you can run mixed OS-environments. Windows Server 2019 has made it easier to integrate Linux. It supports running Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server inside shielded virtual machines. Moreover, Linux distributions can be easily downloaded from the Microsoft Store.
3. Security
Windows Server 2019 has also new security measures. A new set of host intrusion prevention capabilities known as, Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) has been implemented in this version. This precautionary protection measurement monitors the server from malware and stops processes that are possibly dangerous. Furthermore, it also includes attack detection and zero-day exploits. Another security feature that we would like to highlight is HGS offline mode for shielded VMs. This feature allows you to turn on your virtual machines even when HGS can’t be reached.
4. Storage
The new version also includes changes in the storage area. It includes a completely new feature called Storage Migration Service. This new feature helps you to migrate your servers to a newer version of Windows Server. It also ensures an easier migration to the cloud. In addition to this, Storage Space direct has also been improved. In this feature, you can expect more stability and higher speed from the server.
5. Windows Server Version Features Comparison table
6. Feature Hybrid capabilities with Azure
| Feature Hybrid capabilities with Azure | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Windows Server 2016 | Windows Server 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage Migration Service | |||
| Synchronizing file servers to Azure | |||
| System Insights | |||
| Azure network adaptor | |||
| VM protection |
7. Feature Hybrid-converged Infrastructure
| Feature Hybrid-converged Infrastructure | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Windows Server 2016 | Windows Server 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unified management | Partially Supported | ||
| Storage Spaces | |||
| Enhanced Storage Spaces Direct (S2D | Partially Supported | ||
| Mirror-accelerated parity | Partially Supported | ||
| Nested Mirror Accelerated parity | |||
| Storage class memory | Partially Supported | ||
| USB thumb drive | |||
| Storage Replica | Partially Supported | ||
| Storage Quality of Service (QoS) | |||
| Data deduplication | Partially Supported | ||
| Deduplication for ReFS | |||
| Virtual machine storage resiliency | |||
| Cloud Witness | Partially Supported | ||
| Storage health monitoring | |||
| Cluster-wide monitoring | |||
| Cluster sets | |||
| Cluster OS rolling upgrade | |||
| Mixed OS mode cluster | |||
| Site-aware failover clusters | |||
| Persistent memory | |||
| Linux and FreeBSD workloads | |||
| Hot add and remove for disk, memory, and network | Partially Supported | ||
| Network controller | |||
| Virtual networking | |||
| Software load balancer (SLB) | |||
| Virtual network peering | |||
| Distributed firewall and micro-segmentation | |||
| Hybrid SDN gateways | |||
| Improved SDN gateway | |||
| Converged RDM | Partially Supported | ||
| Leap Second | |||
| HTTP/2 | |||
| Latency Optimized Background Transport | |||
| IP address management (IPAM) and DNS | Partially Supported | ||
| High-availability RDS connection broker | Partially Supported | ||
| Software-defined networking with IPv4/IPv6 | Partially Supported | Partially Supported |
8. Security capabilities
| Security capabilities | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Windows Server 2016 | Windows Server 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection | |||
| Shielded VMs for Windows | |||
| Shielded VMs for Linux | |||
| HGS offline mode for shielded VMs | Partially Supported | ||
| Nested Mirror Accelerated parity | |||
| VM Connect for shielded VMs | |||
| Cluster hardening | |||
| SDN encrypted subnet | |||
| Just-enough administration | Partially Supported | ||
| Just-in-time administration | |||
| Credential guard | |||
| Control flow guard | |||
| Device guard (code integrity) | |||
| Dynamic access control | |||
| AppLocker | |||
| BitLocker | Partially Supported |
9. Innovation for application
| Innovation for application | Windows Server 2012 R2 | Windows Server 2016 | Windows Server 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux containers | |||
| Windows Server containers | |||
| Server Core base container image | |||
| Nano Server base container image | |||
| Server Core Features on Demand (FoD) | |||
| Kubernetes platform support | |||
| Group Managed Service Accounts | Partially Supported | Partially Supported | |
| Windows Subsystem for Linux | |||
| Hyper-V isolation | |||
| Azure Service Fabric for Windows Server | |||
| PowerShell 5.1 | Partially Supported | Partially Supported | |
| PowerShell Desired State Configuration | Partially Supported | Partially Supported | |
| Visual Studio Code | |||
| .NET Core |
10. Conclusion
Of course there a many other features in Windows Server 2019. This article only covered a few features that are completely new and a comparison table to provide you more insight on what’s covered. If you are curious to learn more about Windows Server 2019 you can read the entire document here. If you wish to use Windows Server 2019 for your Dedicated server you can order this at Snel.com for only + € 22.00 a month. It is also possible to order Windows Server 2019 for your VPS, this will cost you only + € 7.00 a month.
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