Windows Server 2022 LTSC released

[harlan4096]

Microsoft released a new version of Windows Server, Windows Server 2022 LTSC, this week. The new Server release does not really need the LTSC descriptor anymore, as Microsoft announced earlier this year that all future Windows Server releases would be long-term servicing channel releases.

Windows Server 2022 LTSC will be supported for ten years. Five of those years with mainstream support, and the remaining five years with extended support. The main difference between the support phases is that extended support is limited to security and bug fix updates. Mainstream support may introduce new functionality to the Server version as well.
 
Mainstream support ends on October 13, 2026, extended support on October 14, 2031.

The "What's new in Windows Server 2022" support page lists major changes in the new Server version.

Here is a short overview:

• Security improvements: secured-core server, simplified security, hardware root-of-trust, firmware protection, virtualization-based security (VBS)
  
• HTTPS and TLS 1.3 enabled by default.
  
• Secure DNS support with DNS-over-HTTPS.
  
• Server Message Block AES-256 encryption.
  
• Server Message Block East-West SMB encryption.
  
• SMB over QUIC.
  
• Azure Arc enabled.
  
• Azure Automanage - Hotpatch.
  
• Platform improvements, e.g. application compatibility and Windows Container experience with Kubernetes.
  
• Nested virtualization for AMD processors.
  
• New Microsoft Edge web browser.
  
• Storage Migration Service.
  
• Adjustable storage repair speed.
  
• Storage bus cache with Storage Spaces on standalone servers.
  
• SMB compression.
  

Windows Server 2022 is available in three editions: Windows Server 2022 Standard, Windows Server 2022 Datacenter and Windows Server 2022 Datacenter: Azure Edition.

There are quite a few differences feature-wise between the versions. Hotpatching is only supported by the Azure Edition, Storage Spaces Direct only by the Datacenter editions, and the standard edition is limited when it comes to Storage replica.
 
As far as limitations and locks are concerned, these are identical feature-wise for the most part. The only difference between standard and datacenter editions is that the standard edition is limited to 2 virtual machines plus one Hyper-V host per license, while the datacenter edition is not limited when it comes to the number of virtual machines.

Check out the full feature comparison page on Microsoft's Docs website for additional information.
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