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Windows Server 2025 and System Center 2025 are GA
Windows Server 2025 has officially launched, marking a significant advancement in the Windows Server platform. This release aims to provide a secure, high-performance environment tailored to meet an array of customer requirements. With Windows Server 2025, organizations can deploy applications in various settings, including on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments.
Enhanced Security Features
In today’s landscape where cybersecurity is paramount, Windows Server 2025 introduces a comprehensive suite of security features designed to protect both data and infrastructure. Significant security enhancements include:
- Active Directory Improvements: Active Directory, recognized for its identity and authentication capabilities, now incorporates new security features to enhance resilience against evolving threats. Improvements include updated protocols, encryption mechanisms, hardening techniques, and new cryptographic support, all aimed at increasing scalability and robustness.
- SMB Hardening: The inclusion of SMB (Server Message Block) over QUIC facilitates secure access to file shares via the internet. Additional security measures within SMB have been implemented, such as hardened firewall defaults, mechanisms to prevent brute force attacks, and defenses against man-in-the-middle, relay, and spoofing attacks.
- Delegate Managed Service Accounts: With Delegate Managed Service Accounts (dMSAs), manual password management is no longer necessary as Active Directory automates this process. This feature allows for specific permissions to be delegated for resource access within the domain, which mitigates security risks and enhances accountability through better visibility and logging of service account activities.
These advancements position Windows Server 2025 as a formidable platform for IT infrastructure, making it an imperative for organizations to commence evaluations immediately.
Hybrid Cloud Capabilities for Greater Agility
Windows Server 2025 also brings forth new hybrid cloud capabilities that significantly boost operational flexibility and connectivity. Key features include:
- Hotpatching via Azure Arc: This feature introduces a subscription service that allows on-premises customers to benefit from cloud-like advantages, such as automatic updates and minimized disruptions. Hotpatching ensures security updates can be applied with fewer reboots, catering to Azure Arc-enabled Windows Server 2025 deployments.
- Simplified Azure Arc Onboarding: Integration with Azure Arc allows organizations to leverage Azure’s functionality directly within their data centers. This seamless onboarding enhances the management of hybrid and multicloud environments, improving security and operational versatility.
- Software-Defined Networking (SDN) Multisite Features: Windows Server 2025 includes L2 and L3 connectivity options that facilitate seamless workload migration. This includes unified management of network policies to maintain consistent security and performance standards across diverse cloud environments.
These features make Windows Server 2025 a suitable choice for organizations aiming to maximize their IT infrastructures while harnessing both on-premises and cloud capabilities.
Performance and Scalability for Advanced Workloads
Tailored to accommodate demanding workloads, including AI and machine learning, Windows Server 2025 boasts several performance-oriented features:
- Enhanced Hyper-V Capabilities: The platform supports GPU partitioning and can process substantial data sets efficiently, offering a high-performance environment conducive for AI and traditional applications alike. Features such as live migration and high availability ensure operational continuity.
- Improved Storage Performance: Windows Server 2025 delivers up to 60% more storage IOPS performance compared to its predecessor. This significant enhancement in storage capabilities is particularly beneficial for applications that rely on fast data access.
- Storage Innovations: The release continues Windows Server’s legacy of supporting various storage solutions, while introducing innovative features like Native ReFS deduplication, compression, thinly provisioned Storage Spaces, and Storage Replica Compression, now available in all editions.
- Scalability in Hyper-V: With advancements inherited from Azure, Windows Server 2025 significantly increases Hyper-V virtual machine capacities, including a maximum memory configuration of 240 Terabytes and 2048 virtual processors per VM.
These developments position Windows Server 2025 as an exceptional option for organizations seeking a robust virtualization solution while also delving into AI and machine learning capabilities with high efficiency.
System Center 2025 Availability
System Center 2025 is now generally available! This release marks a significant milestone in enhancing datacenter operations, focusing on infrastructure modernization and security. Released alongside Windows Server 2025, it allows you to leverage the newest Windows Server features with integrated management tools.
Security is paramount in today’s threat landscape. System Center 2025 bolsters security with reductions in scenarios using CredSSP and NTLM, TLS 1.3 support, and enhanced data security features on Microsoft Azure. Flexible data protection strategies include virtual TPM (vTPM) support and optimizing backup processes in Hyper-V environments.
Service Provider Foundation (SPF) is discontinued, with SPF 2022 remaining compatible for a transition period. Users are encouraged to switch to Azure Arc-enabled SCVMM, enhancing virtual machine management with unified operations like start, stop, and resize, under Azure’s RBAC.
System Center Operations Manager 2025 offers full support for Windows Server 2025, embraces OpenSSL 3.1 to 3.3 for cryptographic security, and improves browser compatibility, all enhancing system management and security.
Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2025 supports Windows Server 2025, employs Azure Key Vault for passphrase storage, and ensures vTPM settings continuity in VM restorations, integrating advanced cloud security to bolster protection strategies. New in DPM 2025 is also support for protection of SharePoint Subscription Edition and virtual TPM (vTPM) support for VMware.
Virtual Machine Manager 2025 leverages Windows Server 2025, extends management to Azure Stack HCI 23H2 clusters, adopts TLS 1.3 for enhanced security, and supports latest Linux distributions, optimizing complex environments’ management.
System Center 2025 is a comprehensive upgrade addressing modern IT needs with elevated security, cloud capabilities, and user-centric innovations. It enables efficient and secure infrastructure management for both on-premises and cloud environments.
Ready to upgrade? Explore the System Center product site, try a free trial at the Evaluation Center, and learn about Windows Server 2025.
More information and download links:
- What’s new in Windows Server 2025
- Windows Server 2025 known issues and notifications
- Windows Server 2025 Security Book
- Windows Server release information
- Revolutionizing Network Management and Performance with ATC, HUD and AccelNet on Windows Server 2025
- A New Dawn of Software Defined Networking (SDN) in Windows Server 2025
- Windows Server 2025 download (ISO & VHD, 180-day trial)
- System Center 2025 download (EXE, 180-day trial)
Windows Server management with Azure Arc now for free for SA customers
Microsoft has recently announced a significant enhancement to Azure Arc licensing. Beginning in November, all customers using Microsoft Azure with Windows Server licenses, whether they are under active Software Assurance or active subscription licenses, will have the opportunity to enable Azure Arc capabilities at no additional cost. This positive change aims to facilitate greater access to Azure Arc features, allowing organizations to manage and govern their on-premises servers alongside Azure resources more effectively.
Revolutionizing Windows Server Management with Azure Arc
In today’s digital landscape, managing hybrid environments effectively is crucial for businesses. With the advent of Azure Arc, organizations can extend Azure management capabilities directly to their Windows Server instances, enhancing operational efficiency and governance. This innovative approach benefits customers who hold Windows Server licenses with active Software Assurance or subscription licensing, offering powerful tools designed to streamline server management and boost productivity.
Azure Arc-enabled servers support a suite of rich features, including Azure Update Manager, Azure Change Tracking and Inventory, and Azure Machine Configuration. Collectively, these tools empower businesses to assess update statuses, monitor system changes, and configure machine properties seamlessly. Significantly, these capabilities facilitate better visibility into compliance and inventory, ensuring organizations remain resilient and up-to-date in a rapidly evolving IT environment.
Key Features That Elevate Server Management
With the integration of Azure Arc, users can benefit from advanced services tailored for Windows Server 2025. Among these are the Windows Admin Center in Azure, Remote Support, and Network HUD. These enhancements allow administrators to manage hybrid machines securely and efficiently from anywhere, eliminating the need for cumbersome VPNs or direct inbound connections. This flexibility translates into reduced downtime and improved responsiveness towards issues, ultimately contributing to overall business continuity.
Furthermore, tools such as the Best Practices Assessment and Azure Site Recovery Configuration offer valuable analytics and insights, guiding users in optimizing performance and guaranteeing data resilience. Through these robust features, Azure Arc not only simplifies management tasks but also instills confidence that critical workloads remain protected and operational, even in times of disruption.
Maximizing Benefits and Ensuring Eligibility
It is essential for organizations wishing to leverage these tools to attestation their Azure Arc-enabled servers or enroll in Windows Server pay-as-you-go plans, ensuring access without incurring additional costs. Benefits such as Azure Update Manager and Change Tracking are part of this package, although users must remain aware of potential data ingestion costs associated with Log Analytics workspaces.
Moreover, businesses must adhere to specific requirements, including maintaining updated Connected Machine Agent versions and ensuring proper licensing. By navigating these stipulations effectively, organizations can fully unlock the potential of Azure Arc, paving the way for a transformative server management experience that aligns with modern operational needs.
Upon attestation, customers receive access to the following at no additional cost beyond networking, storage, and log ingestion:
- Azure Update Manager (Windows Server 2012 and above)
- Azure Change Tracking and Inventory (Windows Server 2012 and above)
- Azure Machine Configuration (Windows Server 2012 and above)
- Windows Admin Center in Azure for Arc (Windows Server 2025 only)
- Remote Support (Windows Server 2025 only)
- Network HUD (Windows Server 2025 only)
- Best Practices Assessment (Windows Server 2025 only)
- Azure Site Recovery Configuration (Windows Server 2025 only)
More information about Azure Arc and new Windows Server Management features is available at: Windows Server Management enabled by Azure Arc (video review by John Savill: FREE Azure Services for NON-Azure Windows Servers Covered by SA Powered by Azure Arc!).
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