Windows Server is the cloud-ready operating system that delivers new layers of security and Azure-inspired innovation for the applications and infrastructure that power your business. Azure provides a great way to test Windows Server with pre-built images. Customers who download the full ISO will need to choose an edition and an installation option. The Datacenter edition is the most complete edition and includes the new datacenter-specific features Shielded Virtual Machines, Storage Spaces Direct, Storage Replica, and Software-Defined Networking in addition to unlimited server virtualization.

When you complete your evaluation, you can convert your evaluation versions to retail. Also, check out our technical documentation to learn how to upgrade or migrate your other existing servers to Windows Server Starting with the Fall release, Nano Server has been optimized for container use only and Server Core is available for host and guest VM deployments.

Microsoft Docs Windows Server technical documentation. Upgrade Options Overview of Windows Server upgrades. How to Buy Pricing and licensing for Windows Server. Windows Server is the platform for building an infrastructure of connected applications, networks, and web services, from the workgroup to the data center. It bridges on-premises environments with Azure, adding additional layers of security while helping you modernize your applications and infrastructure.

Get started with Windows Server: R2. Windows Server Essentials edition is a cloud-connected first server designed for small businesses with up to 25 users and 50 devices. If you are considering installing any version of Windows Server Essentials, we would encourage you to consider Microsoft Hyper-V Server provides a simple and reliable virtualization solution to help organizations improve their server utilization and reduce costs.

The latest release of Hyper-V Server provides new and enhanced features that can help you deliver the scale and performance needs of your mission-critical workloads. Get started with Hyper-V Server: R2 Windows Admin Center is a locally deployed, browser-based app for managing Windows servers, clusters, hyper-converged infrastructure, as well as Windows 10 PCs.

Giving you full control over all aspects of your server infrastructure, Windows Admin Center is particularly useful for managing servers on private networks that are not connected to the Internet. Get started with Windows Admin Center. Windows Server Get started for free. Supporting products. Get started for free Get started for free. Choose an edition and an installation option: Customers who download the full ISO will need to choose an edition and an installation option.

Installation Options: Server Core: This is the recommended installation option. Server with Desktop Experience: This is the complete installation and includes a full graphical user interface GUI for customers who prefer this option. Review Windows Server release notes and system requirements. Register, then download and install. Windows Server evaluation editions expire in days. Receive email with resources to guide you through your evaluation.

Installation Guidelines After installation, install the latest servicing package. Go to: Microsoft update catalog and search for "Windows Server Windows Server Essentials Windows Server Essentials edition is a cloud-connected first server designed for small businesses with up to 25 users and 50 devices.

Hyper-V server and Windows Server Hyper-V comparisons - Related technologies

VM licensing has always been a confusing topic for many users due to the multitude of implications and liabilities that it entails. Currently, Microsoft customers who want to build a highly functional Hyper-V environment can choose between two deployment options: standqrd Hyper-V role on Windows Server and free Gyper-v Server.

Unfortunately, when sevrer between the two options, customers rarely consider the implications that go along with each of them, especially in terms of licensing. This blog post compares the Hyper-V role on Windows Server and free Hyper-V Server and outlines the virtualization rights and licensing rules that each of these serer provides. In one of our previous blog posts, we described in detail how Hyper-V role and Hyper-V Server differ in terms of installation, user interface, VM management, clustering, use cases, and licensing.

So, what is the main difference between the Hyper-V role and Hyper-V Server when it comes to windows server 2016 standard support hyper-v free Starting from the release of Windows ServerMicrosoft has changed its licensing model.

As a result, processor-based licensing has been replaced by core-based licensing, and new windows server 2016 standard support hyper-v free features have been introduced.

Windows Server licensing entails the following:. Hyper-V Server was released as a standalone product in and windoww been available free of charge ever since. Hyper-V Server was specifically designed to provide virtualization services only. As appealing as free Hyper-V Server may seem at first glance no licensing fee, a lightweight tool, and virtualization capabilitiesyou should think before deploying this option.

It is recommended to first windws what free Hyper-V Server licensing includes:. When comparing free Hyper-V Server and the Hyper-V role on Windows Serverit becomes clear that the main distinction between them relates to licensing models, server capabilities, and VM management. Thus, you can be sure that your VMs and Hyper-V host are properly licensed and your Windoqs Server can be serviced and supported by the Microsoft team.

On the other hand, if you decide to go with free Hyper-V Serveryou will have to purchase additional OS licenses for all VMs running in your system. Even though choosing and purchasing an OS license for every Suport in the system might seem like a challenging and resource-intensive task, you still should not stop using Hyper-V Server. In fact, you can greatly benefit from use of free Hyper-V Server by installing open-source OSs, which are available for free and can be easily accessed and used by anyone.

They provide a high level of productivity and a rich feature-set, which makes open-source OSs a great alternative to using licensed Windows-based OSs. As you already know, free Hyper-V Server and the Hyper-V role on Windows Server are essentially the same hypervisor with similar sets of features and server capabilities.

However, while Windows Server provides a wide range of server roles, free Hyper-V Server serves only one purpose, which is server virtualization. If you only need a server for purposes of windows server 2016 standard support hyper-v free and want to minimize costs associated with Hyper-V deployment, free Hyper-V Server is the best choice for you.

Standadd, if you need a server with an advanced set winvows server roles and capabilities, you are prepared to purchase an OS license, and want to enjoy the benefits of readily available technical support, then you should windows server 2016 standard support hyper-v free Windows Server with the Windowws role enabled.

This way, you can avoid the pitfalls of using either Hyper-V Server or Windows Server and make the most use of these deployment options. Nevertheless, before starting to build your Hyper-V environment, you should pay attention to VM licensing and understand the ftee implications in full. After choosing the deployment option you want to use in your Hyper-V environment, you should ensure that your Hyper-V system is securely protected and can be rapidly recovered in case of disaster.

For this purpose, consider installing an efficient and affordable data protection solution which can back up, replicate, and recover your VMs onsite, offsite, and in the cloud.

Boost data protection for your Microsoft Hyper-V environment and optimize resource windows server 2016 standard support hyper-v free. Download NOW. Subscribe today to 216 monthly newsletter so you never miss out on our offers, news and discounts. Minimum order size for Basic is 1 socket, maximum - 4 sockets. Copy backup jobs and send these copies offsite or to the cloud. Hype-rv and orchestrate the entire disaster recovery process using Site Recovery SR workflows. Perform non-disruptive recovery testing of your SR jobs to ensure their efficiency and that your recovery objectives can be met.

Use a simple and intuitive user interface to easily schedule data windows server 2016 standard support hyper-v free jobs and then view them in the Calendar Dashboard.

You can set up specific policies that regularly scan your environment and automatically protect sttandard VMs which match these tsandard rules. Virtual Appliance — Simplicity, Efficiency, and Scalability.