Windows 2016 Dedicated Servers

Windows Server 2016 SERVERS

First introduced as a preview in 2014 and released to the public in 2016, Windows Server 2016 brings Windows 10 to the server environment with a wide range of new features and updated pricing. For users looking to run modern Windows software in a server environment, there is no better choice than Windows Server 2016.

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Windows Software Compatibility

High-Spec Hardware Support

Upgraded Web Server

Long Term Release Support

Certified Support from Microsoft Vendor

Key features

Building on Windows Server 2012 R2, where Microsoft’s focus shifted to cloud computing - the 2016 release follows industry trends towards containerization and hybrid connectivity with cloud services.

One of the biggest announcements was the introduction of the Nano Server, which offers a 410MB, small-footprint, headless-server operating system. Stripping out all GUI interfaces, Nano Server provides a complete Windows API compatible operating system slimmed down for speedy deployments and command line only access.

Windows Server 2016 blows the 2012 version out the water by supporting up to 24TB (up from 4TB) physical memory, up to 12TB (up from 1TB) virtual machine memory and up to 240 (up from 64) virtual processors.

The Application development highlight in Windows Server 2016 is the IIS 10.0 web server, which provides support for the HTTP/2 protocol in the networking stack, the ability to run IIS on the Nano Server and a new PowerShell module for managing IIS.

Windows Server 2016 is suited for use in datacenters, on-premise servers and within development environments. The added performance and Hypervisor features makes Windows Server 2016 a serious contender for meeting high-scale computing requirements

Coupled with Internet Information Services 10 (IIS 10.0), it is used for hosting of web applications most often developed in the .NET framework. Microsoft SQL Server 2016 is usually used for the database backend, and the inbuilt Windows NTFS file sharing protocol provides permission based access to files and folders within the enterprise and across the new Storage Spaces Direct feature.

Windows Server 2016 STRENGHTS & WEAKNESSES

Strengths

Windows Software Support:

As the most widely used desktop OS, there are a variety of Windows applications that need to be run on a server to guarantee optimal performance. The only way to guarantee full compatibility with Windows software is by choosing Windows Server.

Cloud Computing Features:

Improving on nearly all aspects of virtualization, Windows Server 2016 offers powerful new tools in containerization, virtualization and cloud security.

High-Spec Hardware Support:

With support for up to 24TB of memory and 240 virtual processors, Windows Server 2016 has the architecture to handle even the largest enterprise workloads.

Shielded Virtual Machines:

Windows Server 2016 provides a new Hyper-V based Shielded Virtual Machine to protect any Generation 2 virtual machine from a compromised hosting infrastructure as well as full support for converting existing non-shielded Generation 2 virtual machines to shielded virtual machines, including automated disk encryption.

Microsoft support:

Microsoft provides documentation and community support through MSDN. There are certified Microsoft vendors in just about every country in the world offering a range of support subscriptions and licenses. Releases are also given security updates for Windows Server for at least 10 years.

Weaknesses

Licensing Fees:

Windows Server 2016 has a monthly licensing fee of $25 to $125, depending on the version selected. When compared to Linux, which is typically free, this is a significant cost each year.

Installation Time:

Installing Windows Server 2016 on server hardware is often slower, and requires more additional downloads than with Linux servers. The Nano Server goes a long way to address this problem however.

Stability & performance:

Historically, Windows has required more reboots after upgrades and higher system resource use than when compared to most Linux servers, resulting in worse performance and more downtime.

Compatibility issues:

Windows Server does not support open-source software as well as Linux, thus popular web frameworks and languages such as PERL, CGI and PHP are generally best run on a Linux server.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How much does Windows Server 2016 cost?

Windows Server 2016 Standard is available for $25.00 per month, and Windows Server 2016 Datacenter is available for $125.00 per month.

Which versions of Windows Server 2016 do you offer?

We offer the Standard and Data Center editions of Windows Server 2016. You also have the opportunity to install a specific version of Windows Server using our IPMI interface and your own license.

What’s the ideal use for Windows Server 2016?

Windows Server 2016 is suited for use everywhere Windows software is used, ranging from small to medium enterprises, educational institutions and private-cloud infrastructure for large corporations and providers of hosted cloud infrastructure.

Hosting of Azure private clouds
Enterprises with existing investments in Microsoft software and Windows Server certified support staff
Server applications where IIS, SQL Server or other Microsoft software is required
Upgrading from Windows Server 2008 or 2012 for improved features and performance

What is the release cycle of Windows Server 2016?

Updates are released frequently for Windows, which can either be installed automatically or manually, depending on settings within the Windows Update Manager.

Mainstream support updates will be provided by Microsoft for Windows Server 2016 until November 2022.

Is Windows Server 2016 a good desktop OS?

Users looking for a desktop OS would be better served by Windows 10, rather than running a server OS on their desktop.

Is Windows Server good for gaming?

Windows Server is designed for serving files and processes in a data center environment. It would be a good fit for running certain game servers, but is not ideal for gaming on.

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