Different editions of Windows Server 2022
Different editions of Windows Server 2022 are Standard, Datacenter, and Datacenter: Azure Edition. Please visit next Microsoft page link for a detailed comparison between different editions of Windows Server 2022.
General Features
| Features available generally | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Extended Network | No | No | Yes |
| Best Practices Analyzer | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Containers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Direct Access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Memory (in virtualization) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot Add/Replace 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 Core installation option | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Server Manager | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SMB Direct and SMB over RDMA | Yes | Yes | Yes (not supported in Azure) |
| SMB over 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 |
| Storage Spaces Direct | 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 |
| Server license logging | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Inherited activation | As guest if hosted on Datacenter | Can be a host or a guest | Can be a host or a guest |
| Work Folders | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Restrictions and Limits
| Locks and Limits | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum number of users | Based on CALs | Based on CALs |
| Maximum SMB connections | 16,777,216 | 16,777,216 |
| Maximum RRAS connections | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Maximum IAS connections | 2,147,483,647 | 2,147,483,647 |
| Maximum RDS connections | 65,535 | 65,535 |
| Maximum number of 64-bit sockets | 64 | 64 |
| Maximum number of cores | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Maximum RAM | 48 TB | 48 TB |
| Can be used as virtualization guest | Yes; 2 virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license | Yes; unlimited virtual machines, plus one Hyper-V host per license |
| Windows Server Containers | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Virtual OSE/Hyper-V isolated Containers | 2 | Unlimited |
| Server can join a domain | Yes | Yes |
| Edge network protection/firewall | No | No |
| DirectAccess | Yes | Yes |
| DLNA codecs and web media streaming | Yes, if installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, if installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
Server roles
| Windows Server roles available | Role services | Windows Server 2022 Standard | Windows Server 2022 Datacenter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active Directory Certificate Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Active Directory Domain Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Active Directory Federation Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Active Directory Rights Management Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Device Health Attestation | No | Yes | Yes |
| DHCP Server | No | Yes | Yes |
| DNS Server | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fax Server | No | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | File Server | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | BranchCache for Network Files | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Data Deduplication | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | DFS Namespaces | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | DFS Replication | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | File Server Resource Manager | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | File Server VSS Agent Service | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | iSCSI Target Server | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | iSCSI Target Storage Provider | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Server for NFS | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Work Folders | Yes | Yes |
| File and Storage Services | Storage Services | Yes | Yes |
| Host Guardian Service | No | Yes | Yes |
| Hyper-V | No | Yes | Yes; including Shielded Virtual Machines |
| Network Controller | No | No | Yes |
| Network Policy and Access Services | No | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience | Yes, when installed as Server with Desktop Experience |
| Print and Document Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Access | No | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Desktop Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Volume Activation Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Web Services (IIS) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Deployment Services | No | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server Update Services | No | Yes | Yes |
Written by Jajish Thomas.
Last updated on 27th January, 2022.
