Microsoft quietly releases Windows Server 2022 with up to a decade of support
When it comes to operating systems from Microsoft, the focus is very much on the launch of Windows 11 later this year. But this is not the only OS to come out of Redmond.
The company has just released Windows Server 2022, LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel) edition which has support for five years as standard, and a decade of extended support. Microsoft has in fact released, with very little in the way of trumpeting, three editions of this latest version of Windows Server -- Standard, Datacenter and Datacenter: Azure Edition.
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Despite being very close to Windows 11 in terms of launch date, Windows Server 2022 is billed as version 21H2 like Windows 10 -- and there is a Windows 10-style Start menu as a result of this.
New features in Windows Server 2022 included nested virtualization on AMD processors (rather than just Intel as before), DNS-over-HTTPS, and strong encryption for SMB. The Azure edition of the operating system featuring hotpatching support, meaning updates can be installed without the need for a restart.
Anyone opting for regular length support can continue to enjoy servicing until mid-October 2026, while anyone opting for extended support has an end date of mid-October 2031 (as per the lifecycle documentation).
You can find out more about Windows Server 2022 here, and download a 180 day evaluation version here.