Licensing requirements for Microsoft Windows Server are based on two primary metrics:
- # of Processors/ Cores
- # of Users or Devices that will be accessing the server
Most users will opt for Windows Server Standard, as this is the most flexible option. The Standard edition accounts for scalability while being cost effective.
Let’s go over some of the key differences between the versions and edition types —
WINDOWS SERVER 2019 & 2016
Server Editions | Processing Power | CALs | VM Support |
Essentials | 1-2 CPU | N/a | N/a |
Standard | 16/24 Cores | Per User/Device | 2 (per 16-core) |
Datacenter | 16/24 Cores | Per User/Device | Unlimited |
Features | Essentials | Standard | Datacenter |
Core functionality of WS | – | ✓ | ✓ |
OSEs / Hyper V Containers | – | ✓ x2 |
✓ Unlimited |
Windows Server Containers | – | ✓ Unlimited |
✓ Unlimited |
Host Guardian Service | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Nano Server | – | ✓ | ✓ |
Storage features including Storage Spaces Direct and Storage Replica | – | – | ✓ |
Shielded Virtual Machines | – | – | ✓ |
Networking stack | – | – | ✓ |
WINDOWS SERVER 2012
Server Editions | Processing Power | CALs | VM Support |
Essentials | 1-2 CPU | N/a | N/a |
Standard | 16/24 Cores | Per User/Device | 2 (per 16-core) |
Datacenter | 16/24 Cores | Per User/Device | Unlimited |
Server Role | Essentials | Standard/Datacenter |
AD Certificate Services | Full | Limited |
AD Domain Services | Full | Limited |
Application Server | Full | Full |
DHCP Server | Full | Full |
DNS Server | Full | Limited |
File Services | Full | Limited |
Hyper-V | Full | Full |
Network Policy & Access Servers | Full | Limited |
Remote Desktop Access | Full | Limited |
Windows Server 2008
Server 2008/R2 Editions | Processing Power | CALs | VM Support |
Standard | 2 CPU, Max 4 CPU | Per User/Device | 1 |
Enterprise | Full | Per User/Device | Unlimited |
Standard and Datacenter 2008/ R2 have identical features. The main reason for upgrading to Datacenter would be to take advantage of the unlimited Virtual Machine and processor support.