Do you need a stable infrastructure of connected apps, networks, and web service platforms or interested in upgrading your current Windows Server to the latest version to enjoy all the recent features and functionalities? Microsoft released Windows Server 2025 on November 1 with advanced security, improved performance, and cloud facilities to meet customers’ diverse demands. This version allows users to deploy applications in various environments, such as hybrid, on-premises, and cloud-based. It introduced next-gen Active Directory, hotpatching, and more modern features to improve its security and performance. To learn more about the new 2025 Server version, keep reading!

What’s New in Windows Server 2025?

Microsoft included some amazing new features to enhance the effectiveness of Windows Server 2025. It has upgraded security to an advanced level, cloud benefits, and elevated your performance. Here are some of the new features that you should know: 

Client Experience

Windows Server has the new Desktop Shell that embraces Windows 11 appearances. It has also included such as Bluetooth, keyboards, TAR compression formats, 7z, NVMe SSD drives, and others found in Windows 11. This version is the first server based on Windows 11 features. 

Modern Active Directory

To improve the user domain management experience, Microsoft integrates new and enhanced functionalities into the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) and Active Directory Lightweight Domain Services (AD LDS). The new Active Directory has increased its database page size to 32k instead of 8k. Many new updates are available in Server 2025, such as AD schema updates, AD object repair, new forest and domain functional levels, and more.

Live Hotpatching and Azure Arc Integration

You can see that by default Azure Arc setup is installed on Windows Server 2025. With the Azure Arc, you can add servers and expand the functionalities of this Azure platform to create apps and services in several environments. Windows Server has a live hotpatching feature, which helps you to install updates that don’t require a reboot. Using live hotpatching, you need to do only four quarterly updates with a reboot rather than 12 monthly updates. 

Block Cloning Feature

When copying files, Block Cloning performs well. After Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025, Dev Drive supports Block Cloning and uses the ReFS file format when copying files.

Dev Drive

Dev Drive is a storage volume and offers perfect control over storage volume security and settings. It assists in increasing the performance of developer work and supports the ReFS file system. Dev Drive configures antivirus settings and practices administrative control over connected filters. 

Windows Server 2025 has more features like DTrace, Accelerated Networking, Feedback Hub, File Compression, Windows Local Administrator Password Solution, and so on.

Core Features that Enhance Workflow in Windows Server 2025

As you know, Windows Server 2025 includes several new features to enhance its efficiency and productivity. Also, it has core features that you should learn to increase your skill in this software. Let’s see:

Advanced Security

In today’s world, to keep your files, applications, and network protected, you need top-level security features. Windows Server 2025 has advanced multilayered security to make your server infrastructure secure from all kinds of threats and attacks. With next-gen Active Directory, your server will be protected from evolving threats, SMB over QUIC provides secured access to share files and documents over the internet. Microsoft includes Delegate Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) in the latest version to provide permission only to delegated accounts, and it doesn’t require any manual password to access resources. 

Therefore, Windows Server 2025 has all the advanced security features to safeguard your IT infrastructure from dangerous cyberattacks and risks.

Cloud Benefits

Microsoft integrates hybrid cloud benefits from Windows Server 2025 to enhance working flexibility regardless of location. It automates software updates and keeps a backup for speedy recovery. With the Hotpatching feature, users will get security updates in Azure Arc that are enabled on VMs, physical machines, or cloud servers. Moreover, it has a Software-Defined Network (SDN) for a continuous workload migration system and network policy management. 

AI-Powered Platform

Windows Server 2025 includes AI and machine learning models to handle the workload. It has built-in support for GPU partitioning and processes big-sized data in shared environments. Windows Server has 60% more storage (NVMe storage performance) IOPs (Input/Output Operations Per Second) performance on identical systems than the Server 2022 version. Windows 2025 Server supports a variety of storage solutions like Local, SANs (Storage Area Network), and NAS (Network-Attached Storage) to remove storage issues. Moreover, this server version supports added Storage Space, Native ReFS deduplication and compression, and Storage Replica compression.

How Many Editions are Available in Windows Server 2025?

Windows Server 2025 has several editions planned to meet different business environments. Here are the editions:

Standard 2025 Edition: This Windows Server 2025 Standard is best for smaller businesses. It offers basic virtualization with essential server functionality. 

Datacenter 2025 Edition: Windows Server 2025 Datacenter edition has advanced features for high-demand working environments, such as Storage Space Direct, Software-Defined Networking, Shielded Virtual Machines, and so on. It is best for large-scale and highly virtualized data center environments. 

Essentials 2025 Edition: The Windows Server 2025 Essentials has core server functionality. It is the perfect edition for small businesses with up to 25 users that only need basic server functionality. 

Azure 2025 Edition: Windows Server 2025 Azure Edition is built for hybrid and cloud-based environments. If you need a server platform with these benefits, then you can get this Azure edition.

Remote Desktop Services (RDS): RDS is a technology developed by Microsoft that offers access to your server infrastructure from a remote location. It provides a centralized platform for hosting and managing virtual desktops and applications. Remote Desktop Services is available too in Windows Server 2025, where users can get both RDS 2025 User CAL and RDS 2025 Device CAL to operate the server remotely. 

Differences Between Windows Server 2025 vs 2022

Windows Server 2025 is built upon the foundation of Windows Server 2022. The latest version integrates multiple enhancements compared to the previous version. Have a look:

Windows Server 2025 Pricing & Licensing

The Windows Server 2025 pricing and licensing systems are simple and easy to pay for. Both the Server editions are available to purchase as a traditional perpetual license or pay as you go. Windows Server 2025 Standard perpetual license is available only for $1,176 and Windows Server 2025 Datacenter is available only for $6,771 from Microsoft. If you consider purchasing Windows Server 2025 based pay as you go, you can get $33.58 per year CPU core and $0.046 per month. 

Who Benefits Most from Upgrading to Server 2025?

Windows Server 2025 is the most recent system developed by Microsoft. This version includes advanced security, enhanced cloud integration, significant performance, and AI automation to fulfill the demands of small to large organizations and businesses. If you want to stick with powerful basic functionality, Windows Server 2022 is a good choice for you. Organizations and businesses that want to be updated with the times and advanced functionalities should upgrade to Windows Server 2025.

Conclusion

Microsoft has released the Windows Server 2025 version, which includes several new features and enhancements. This article provides information on some of the new features and core features of Windows Server 2025. Reading this article, you can learn about Server 2025 features and choose whatever version you need to operate your business or organization smoothly. To upgrade to Windows Server 2025, consider Msckey to get a Windows Server 2025 license key at the best prices.

In the comment section, please share your thoughts or opinions regarding this article. We will return with another topic. Have a great day