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Draft:Windows Server
| Version of Microsoft Windows | |
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| Initial release | Windows NT 3.1 Advanced Server (27 July 1993) |
|---|---|
| Latest release | Windows Server 2022 (18 August 2021) |
| Latest preview | Windows Server 2025 (build 26085) (27 March 2024) |
Windows Server (formerly Windows NT Server) is a series of server operating systems based upon Microsoft Windows, developed by Microsoft. The first server release of Microsoft Windows was Windows NT 3.1. The family was rebranded to Windows Server following the release of Windows Server 2003.
Windows Server Core[edit source]
Windows Server Core is a reduced-functionality version of the Windows Server operating system designed to reduce system overhead, containing only the essential components required to run the operating system and make use of existing server roles and features. Server Core releases utilize a command-line interface (CLI) in place of a complete graphical user interface (GUI), support running without any peripherals present and are usually managed remotely, either over a local network or through a serial connection.
Specialized releases[edit source]
Certain versions of Windows Server have specific purposes attributed to them which target specific server markets. These are often based on mainline releases of Windows Server, acting as individual releases or as additional SKUs building on top of the original OS release.
Separate releases[edit source]
Small Business Server[edit source]
A reduced-functionality version of Windows Server that targets small- to medium-sized businesses, containing the absolute necessary components needed for server hosting.
- Small Business Server 2000
- Windows Small Business Server 2003
- Windows Small Business Server 2008
- Windows Small Business Server 2011
Essential Business Server[edit source]
- Windows Essential Business Server 2008
- Windows Essential Business Server 2008 R2 (EBS "v2"/Cascades; unreleased due to low interest attracted by its predecessor)
Home Server[edit source]
A short-lived spin-off of Windows Small Business Server, offering online services to devices inside of a local home network. Users can remotely log onto an online server dashboard, host personal file shares on the server and publish images to the Internet—all of which is achieved through the use of the Home Server Connector software.
MultiPoint Server[edit source]
Designed for use in educational institutions. Students are allocated their own dedicated station that is managed through a single server, capable of processing large numbers of simultaneous requests from various clients.
SKU releases[edit source]
- Storage Server: intended for network-attached storage solutions;
- Compute Cluster Server/HPC Server: targets high-performance computing scenarios involving supercomputers and computer clusters, used to solve advanced problems such as complex mathematical equations, benchmarks and scientific research (such as protein folding and molecular dynamics).
- Hyper-V Server: freeware version of the Windows Server Core operating system designed to host virtual machines en masse for a multitude of purposes and applications. Replaced by Azure Stack HCI in December 2020.
- 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: similar in vein to the previous Hyper-V Server, intended for hosting containerized workloads through hyper-converged infrastructure integration with the Microsoft Azure service
List of Windows Server releases[edit source]
| Name | Version | Code name | Release date | Support end date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 | 3.10 | Razzle | 1993-07-27 | 2000-12-31 | First release of Windows Server. |
| Windows NT Server 3.5 | 3.50 | Daytona | 1994-09-21 | 2001-12-31 | — |
| Windows NT Server 3.51 | 3.51 | — | 1995-05-30 | 2002-09-30 | — |
| Windows NT Server 4.0 | 4.0 | Shell Update Release | 1996-07-31 | 2004-06-30 | Introduces desktop shell enhancements from Windows 95. |
| Windows NT 4.0 Terminal Server Edition | Hydra | 1998-06-16 | 2006-12-31 | — | |
| Windows 2000 Server | 5.0 | — | 2000-02-17 | 2010-07-13 | — |
| Windows Server 2003 | 5.2 | Whistler Server | 2003-04-24 | 2015-07-14 | — |
| Windows Small Business Server 2003 | Bobcat | 2003-10-09 | — | ||
| Windows Home Server | Quattro | 2007-11-04 | 2013-01-08 | — | |
| Windows Server 2008 | 6.0 | Longhorn Server | 2008-02-27 | 2020-01-14[a] | Development was reset in 2004. |
| Windows Small Business Server 2008 | Cougar | 2008-08-21 | — | ||
| Windows Essential Business Server 2008 | Centro | 2008-09-15 | — | ||
| Windows Server 2008 R2 | 6.1 | Windows Server 7 | 2009-07-22 | — | |
| Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 | Solution Server | 2010-02-24 | 2020-07-14 | — | |
| Windows MultiPoint Server 2011 | Windows MultiPoint Server "2" | 2011-05-12 | 2021-07-13 | — | |
| Windows Small Business Server 2011 | SBS "7" | 2010-12-13 | 2020-01-14 | — | |
| Windows Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials | Breckenridge | 2011-04 | 2020-01-14 | Originally planned to act as a separate licensing tier for Windows Home Server 2011, was rebranded as a Windows Storage Server release for unknown reasons | |
| Windows Home Server 2011 | Vail | 2011-04-06 | 2016-04-12 | — | |
| Windows Server 2012 | 6.2 | Windows Server 8 | 2012-09-04 | 2023-10-10[b] | — |
| Windows MultiPoint Server 2012 | Windows MultiPoint Server "3" | 2012-10-30 | — | ||
| Windows Server 2012 R2 | 6.3 | Server Blue | 2013-10-18 | — | |
| Windows Server 2016 | 10.0 | Redstone 1 | 2016-10-12 | 2027-01-11 | — |
| Windows Server, version 1709 | Redstone 3 | 2017-10-17 | 2019-04-09 | First Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release | |
| Windows Server, version 1803 | Redstone 4 | 2018-04-30 | 2019-11-12 | — | |
| Windows Server 2019 | Redstone 5 | 2018-10-02 2018-11-13 (re-release) |
2020-11-10 (SAC) 2029-01-09 (LTSC) |
— | |
| Windows Server, version 1903 | Titanium | 2019-05-21 | 2020-12-08 | — | |
| Windows Server, version 1909 | 2019-11-12 | 2021-05-11 | — | ||
| Windows Server, version 2004 | Vibranium | 2020-05-27 | 2021-12-14 | — | |
| Windows Server, version 20H2 | 2020-10-20 | 2022-08-09 | Last Windows Server Semi-Annual Channel release | ||
| Windows Server 2022 | Iron | 2021-08-18 | 2031-10-14 | — | |
| Windows Server, version 23H2 | Zinc | 2023-10-24 | — | First Windows Server Annual Channel for Containers release | |
| Windows Server 2025 | Germanium | 2024 | TBA | — | |
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Legend:
Never released
Old version
Older version, still supported
Current stable version
Latest preview version
Future release
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Notes[edit source]
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