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Microsoft Windows Server

Microsoft Windows Server 2022

What's new in Windows Server 2022

Datasheet

Windows Server licensing model

The Windows Server licensing model includes both Cores + Client Access Licenses (CALs). Each user and/or device accessing a licensed Windows Server Standard, Datacenter or Multipoint edition requires a Windows Server CAL or a Windows Server and a Remote Desktop Services (RDS) CAL. A Windows Server CAL gives a user or device the right to access any edition of Windows Server of the same or earlier version. Each Window Server CAL allows access to multiple licenses of Windows Server.

After the General Availability of Windows Server, the business model for Standard and Datacenter editions will transition from processor-based to corebased licensing. Core-based licensing provides a more consistent licensing metric across multi-cloud environments, improves workload portability for Windows Server through benefits like Azure Hybrid Use Benefit, and helps remove friction across different licensing models.

Core based licensing: Windows Server Datacenter and Standard edition per-core licensing

Windows Server Datacenter and Standard editions are licensed by physical core. Licenses are sold in 2-packs and 16-packs.

Minimum license requirements

All physical cores in the server must be licensed. Servers are licensed based on the number of processor cores in the physical server.

A minimum of 16 core licenses is required for each server.

A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor.

Core licenses will be sold in packs of 2 and 16.

Eight 2-core packs will be the minimum required to license each physical server. The 2-core pack for each edition is one-eighth the price of a 2-processor license for corresponding Windows Server 2012 R2 editions.

Standard edition license stacking for OSEs

Standard Edition provides rights for up to two OSEs or Hyper-V containers when all physical cores in the server are licensed. For every two additional VMs, all the cores in the server have to be licensed again.

Standard edition is licensed for 2 operating system environments (OSEs) or Hyper-V containers. Additional OSEs require additional licenses.

Get Started with Windows Server

Download the Windows Server 2022 Datasheet

Download the Windows Server 2022 licensing guide

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Windows Server 2022 Comparison

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