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Azure Stack HCI is a version of Windows Server that you run on your own hardware, with Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) so the storage is shared between the nodes using Storage Spaces Direct (S2D).
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That name itself is very confusing as it implies it runs in Azure (it doesn't, you run this on-premises) and that it's got something to do with Azure Stack Hub (it doesn't, Hub is an integrated system you purchase from a vendor which runs the same software as Azure does, just a few versions behind). Azure Edition only runs in Azure as the name implies OR on Azure Stack HCI. This new edition is the only one that supports SMB over QUIC.
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The additional gate here is the server version - Windows Server 2022 comes in the same Standard and Datacenter flavors (with Desktop/Core) we're used to, plus a new version, Datacenter: Azure Edition.
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Again, it's only available when connecting from Windows 11 (but at least that upgrade is free - as long as your client device has the required hardware). Basically, it's SMB over UDP, with all traffic protected by TLS 1.3, enabling you to securely provide file shares to remote users without using a VPN. This is the most important feature in Windows Server 2022 for me, with the most real-world application. SMB Share Compression and Encryption Settings

You can now use AES-256-GCM and AES-256-CCM encryption for the traffic and the signing supports GMAC acceleration.Įven cooler, SMB compression can now be enabled at the server, client, share or even in individual file copies (using Robocopy), which at the expense of slightly higher CPU usage, drops the network bandwidth used considerably. SMB in Windows Server 2022 has received a lot of love. That's not to say that some of these features will (and some already are) available for VMs running on top of Hyper-V, or as IaaS VMs in Azure, but they're not fully protected as Secure Core servers. But if you run your DCs virtualized, if you run Windows VMs on VMware, Secure Core server will bring few if any benefits to you. So, perhaps you run a Hyper-V cluster, maybe some Domain Controllers and perhaps a really big SQL server or two. There's no doubt that these are welcome additions in a server OS, BUT ask yourself, how many of your servers that you're going to be running in your datacenter in 2022 and beyond are going to be physical servers? Because all of these protections are only available on new servers that are Secure Core (or an existing server, with a TPM 2.0 chip where the vendor provides verified firmware drivers). Secure Core Server Extension in Windows Admin Center System Guard builds on these lower-level features and validates the whole boot chain using Static Root of Trust for Measurement (SRTM), Dynamic Root of Trust for Measurement (DRTM) and System Management Mode (SMM) protection. CFG is a part of Windows that stops malicious applications trying to corrupt the memory of benign applications.
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HVCI builds on top of VBS to protect modifications to the Control Flow Guard (CFG) bitmap and checks device drivers for EV certificates. The six areas are:Įach of these contribute to a trusted hardware platform: the TPM stores Bitlocker keys plus other secrets securely VBS uses hardware virtualization (not a whole separate VM, just an area of memory protected using Hyper-V) to stop credential attacks (Mimikatz) and Secure Boot verifies the signatures on the boot software (the OS itself, the UEFI and any EFI applications).

This is timely as firmware attacks are on the rise and having a strong guarantee that the underlying hardware is secure is important.Ĭomprising six areas, Secure Core Servers from the major server manufacturers will come with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip, Bitlocker plus Virtualization Based Security (VBS), enabled straight out of the box.
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I'll also provide my own analysis of where each feature actually brings real-world benefits and where it's more of a marketing spin.Īs the name implies, Microsoft is taking the tech incorporated into newer PC devices to protect against firmware attacks and expanding it to the server platform. The three main areas are Secure Core Server, SMB over QUIC, and Storage Migration Service, with additional honorable mentions for security, networking and Hyper-V. I looked at the preview back in April (" Windows Server 2022 Is Coming!") and most of that information stands for the GA release. However, there are some very useful features and there are definitely reasons to migrate (just not as many as in the past) so let's dig in.
