Microsoft has launched Windows Server 2025, the newest addition to its Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC), aimed at enterprises looking for greater performance and tighter security. This latest version comes with AI integration, support for hybrid cloud environments, and the long-awaited hotpatching feature, which allows for critical updates without the need to reboot immediately. It will be supported until October 2034, with mainstream support lasting through 2029.
Performance and Security Upgrades Lead the Way
Significant improvements to I/O throughput headline the performance upgrades, enabling faster data handling for tasks like database management. In parallel, GPU Partitioning—also known as Multi-Instance GPU—has been introduced to facilitate efficient GPU resource allocation among multiple virtual machines. This advancement will particularly benefit enterprises running high-demand workloads.
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Security features also received a substantial overhaul. Windows Server 2025 comes with VBS enclaves, which provide a secure execution environment by leveraging hardware-backed virtualization. This mechanism isolates sensitive application components from unauthorized system access.
Meanwhile, Kerberos authentication has been updated to support a more adaptable cryptographic framework, preparing networks to counter emerging security threats. Another key change includes mandatory encryption for all LDAP communications, addressing a common vulnerability in enterprise setups.
Networking and Hybrid Cloud Integration
The release also focuses on networking advancements. Accelerated Networking, designed to minimize latency and CPU utilization, now simplifies the setup of SR-IOV data paths for virtual machines. Azure Arc integration is another prominent feature, allowing for seamless management of both on-premise and cloud-based resources through a unified interface.
Software-sefined network (SDN) enhancements provide administrators with greater control, offering features like tag-based segmentation. This allows security policies to be applied using intuitive labels rather than complex IP configurations. Furthermore, improvements to SDN Layer 3 gateways have increased throughput and reduced CPU load, optimizing performance for distributed workloads.
AI Focused Features
Windows Server 2025 introduces several AI-focused features designed to enhance performance and scalability for artificial intelligence workloads:
- Integration with NVIDIA GPUs: Microsoft has collaborated with NVIDIA to optimize Windows Server 2025 for AI tasks. This partnership ensures that the server OS can effectively leverage NVIDIA GPUs, providing enhanced performance for AI and machine learning workloads.
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GPU Partitioning (GPU-P): This feature allows a single physical GPU to be divided into multiple isolated partitions, enabling different virtual machines (VMs) to share GPU resources efficiently. Each VM can access a dedicated portion of the GPU’s capabilities, facilitating concurrent AI tasks without resource contention.
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Live Migration for GPU-P: Building upon GPU partitioning, Windows Server 2025 supports live migration of VMs utilizing GPU-P. This capability enables administrators to move VMs between hosts without downtime, ensuring continuous operation of AI workloads during maintenance or load balancing activities.
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Failover Clustering with GPU Support: The system allows mission-critical AI workloads to run in clustered VMs. In the event of an unexpected fault or planned move, the VM can restart on another node in the cluster, utilizing a GPU on that node. This ensures high availability and resilience for AI applications.
Active Directory Overhaul
Active Directory services have undergone extensive updates, with the database now supporting a 32k page size. This is a significant departure from the older 8k format, lifting many legacy restrictions and increasing the efficiency of directory operations. Additionally, the new Active Directory schema updates simplify the repair of core attributes, reducing administrative overhead.
Other improvements include updated algorithms for locating domain controllers, making the system less reliant on older technologies like WINS. Microsoft has also introduced audit events for LDAP channel binding, giving IT administrators more insights into potential security issues.
Storage and Virtualization Enhancements
Block cloning, supported by the ReFS file system, is another performance-focused feature. It optimizes storage operations by copying file data as a low-cost metadata process rather than engaging in costly read-write activities. Dev Drive, initially introduced in Windows 11, is optimized for developer workloads, giving more control over volume settings.
On the virtualization front, Hyper-V enhancements include better security configurations and more options for secure data handling. VBS key protection is another highlight, using virtualization technology to isolate cryptographic keys, thereby preventing admin-level attacks from exfiltrating sensitive data.
Notable Administrative Tools and Features
Windows Server 2025 introduces hotpatching as a game-changer for server management. By minimizing the need for disruptive reboots, this feature allows updates to be installed while servers remain operational. However, administrators should note that a quarterly reboot is still required to fully integrate all updates.
For remote management, the built-in OpenSSH server now comes pre-installed and is easy to enable. The Task Manager has also been updated to align with the modern design of Windows 11, making system monitoring more intuitive.
Known Issues and Workarounds
Early adopters should be aware of a few known complications. Systems with more than 256 logical processors may experience extended boot times or instability. As a temporary solution, administrators can cap the number of active cores. A separate issue affects iSCSI environments, where systems may encounter a “boot device inaccessible” error. Language-related bugs are also present, with some installation text defaulting to English.
Hardware Compatibility and System Requirements
The official list of supported CPUs has been updated to include a range of Intel Xeon Scalable processors, from the second to fifth generation, and select Pentium models. AMD EPYC processors up to the 9005 series are also supported. However, Microsoft clarifies that inclusion on this list does not guarantee system certification; all hardware must still meet specific criteria.
Windows Server 2025 Supported Intel Processors:
Second through Fifth Gen Xeon SP processors (x2xx, x3xx, x4xx, x5xx); Xeon 6 SP Processors (67xxE); Xeon E 23xx and 24xx; Xeon D 17xx, 18xx, 21xx, 27xx, 28xx; Pentium G7400 and G7400T
Windows Server 2025 Supported AMD Processors:
AMD EPYC 7xx2, AMD EPYC 7xx3, AMD EPYC 4xx4, AMD EPYC 8xx4, AMD EPYC 9xx4, and AMD EPYC 9xx5
Windows Server 2025 lays the foundation for next-gen enterprise environments, balancing innovative features with robust security measures. Administrators can begin exploring these capabilities with the Windows Server 2025 free 180-day trial available through Microsoft’s Evaluation Center.
Last Updated on November 8, 2024 1:07 pm CET
