Draft:Windows Server

Windows Server (formerly Windows NT Server) is a series of Microsoft Windows operating systems developed by Microsoft for server computers since July 1993. The first OS that was released in the series was Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server. With the release of Windows Server 2003, the brand name was changed to Windows Server.

Microsoft's history of developing operating systems for server computers goes back to Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server edition. Windows 2000 Server edition was the first OS to include Active Directory, DNS Server, DHCP Server, and Group Policy.

Windows Server Core
Windows Server Core is a variant of Windows Server without Desktop Experience. It debuted in Windows Server 2008. Originally started as a Core variant of all Server SKUs, it expanded into stand-alone SKUs like Hyper-V Server and Azure Stack HCI.

Until their discontinuation in July 2021, Windows 10-based Server versions in the "Semi-annual Channel" (now "General Availability Channel") were only available as Server Core.

Windows Server Core only features a command prompt as user interface. While LogonUI initially still featured a graphical logon interface, it was replaced in Windows Server 2016 by a command-line login interface, which also affected the Ctrl security options.

Internet Explorer is also missing in Server Core. Though there is an Internet Explorer folder in, it only includes one DLL file, making web browsing hard until a third-party browser is installed. Alongside this, Windows Media Player, Server Manager, most Control Panel applets, and initially even Winver are or were also not included in Server Core. A command-line Server Manager, based on Windows Scripting Host, was added in Windows Server 2016.

Many applications, especially graphical (GUI) programs, are incompatible with Server Core due to the absence of DLLs found in client releases of Windows.

Branded releases
Certain versions of Windows Server have a customized name and these are often based on the main versions of Windows Server or are SKUs of the main versions. These branded releases are often targeted at specific markets:

Seperate releases

 * Small Business Server 2000 (Based on Windows 2000 Server, a version of Windows 2000 Server intended for small businesses)
 * Windows Small Business Server 2003 (Based on Windows Server 2003, a version of Windows Server 2003 intended for small businesses)
 * Windows Home Server (Based on Windows Small Business Server 2003, a home server solution intended for homes with multiple connected PCs)
 * Windows Small Business Server 2008 (Based on Windows Server 2008, a version of Windows Server 2008 intended for small businesses)
 * Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (Based on Windows Server 2008, a version of Windows Server 2008 intended for mid-size businesses)
 * Windows Home Server 2011 (Based on Windows Server 2008 R2, a home server solution intended for homes with multiple connected PCs)
 * Windows Small Business Server 2011 (Based on Windows Server 2008 R2, a version of Windows Server 2008 R2 intended for small businesses)
 * Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 (Based on Windows Server 2008 R2, a server operating system for multiseat computing stations in educational institutions)
 * Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 (Based on Windows Server 2008 R2, a server operating system for multiseat computing stations in educational institutions)
 * Windows MultiPoint Server 2012 (Based on Windows Server 2012, a server operating system for multiseat computing stations in educational institutions)

SKU releases

 * Windows Storage Server (A SKU of Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2016 for network-attached storage devices)
 * Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003 (A SKU of Windows Server 2003 for HPC systems)
 * Windows HPC Server 2008 (A SKU of Windows Server 2008 for HPC systems)
 * Windows HPC Server 2008 R2 (A SKU of Windows Server 2008 R2 for HPC systems)
 * Hyper-V Server (A freeware SKU of Windows Server Core from Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2019 for managing Hyper-V servers)
 * Windows Server Essentials (A SKU of Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2019, replaced the standalone Home Server and Small Business Server product lines)
 * Azure Stack HCI (A SKU of Windows Server Core since Windows Server 2019 for hyperconverged infrastructure integration with the Microsoft Azure cloud service, replaced the Hyper-V Server SKU)