Windows Server 2016Tomorrow’s operating system, today.Licensing & feature comparison guide.

Contents

10 reasons you’ll love Windows Server 2016 4

Product overview 6

Feature differentiation and core-based pricing 7

Core-based licensing 8

Processor to core conversion 9

General availability 10

Feature comparison summary 12

Software Defined Datacentre

3Compute

▪ Rolling upgrades for no downtime

▪ Hot add/remove Fixed Memory

▪ Hot add/remove Virtual NCs

▪ More resilient to network, storage and compute problems

4Network

▪ Network controller for centralised control of network policies

▪ Built in hyper scale load balancer from Azure

▪ Distributed datacentre firewall with enhanced security

5Storage

▪ Hyper-converged with Storage Spaces Direct

▪ In-box synchronous replication

▪ Cluster-wide quality of service

6Remote Desktop Services

▪ Discrete Device Assignment in Hyper-V provides the best integration and performance for running RDS virtualised

▪ Support for heavy graphics workloads (OpenGL/OpenCL)

▪ Increased scale, running in Azure

▪ Enhanced deployment options

▪ Enhanced security

Application Platform

7Nano Server

▪ Minimal footprint, headless deployment option

▪ Ideal for cloud inspired infrastructure

▪ Smaller image size, reduced attack surface, fewer reboots

▪ Ideal for next generations app development

▪ Built for containers and cloud-native apps

8Windows Server Containers

▪ Operating system virtualisation

▪ Bring the agility and density of containers to the Windows ecosystem

▪ Hyper-V containers provide greater isolation and servicing flexibility

▪ Develop with Visual Studio, manage with Docker

Management

9PowerShell

▪ PowerShell Desired State Configuration

▪ PowerShell Direct

10Server Management Tool

▪ Rich Web GUI

▪ Manage all server installations (Nano, Core, Full)

▪ Servers can be on-premises or in the cloud

Security

1Active Directory

Multi-layered security using built in breach resistance features:

▪ Control Flow Guard

▪ Device Guard

▪ Credential Guard

2Shielded VMs

▪ Can only run on designated fabric

▪ Protect virtual machines that leak out of organisations

▪ Protect against rogue administrator

▪ Uses hardware TPM to protect infrastructure

▪ Uses virtual TPM to encrypt VMs

10 reasons you’ll love Windows Server 2016Windows Server 2016 was designed to help organisations provide additional layers of security, help them build software-defined datacentres and create cloud optimised application platforms.

4 5

Feature Datacenter Standard

Core functionality of Windows Server

■ ■

OSEs / Hyper-V containers

Unlimited 2

Windows Server containers

Unlimited Unlimited

Host Guardian Service ■ ■

Nano Server* ■ ■

Storage features including Storage Spaces Direct and Storage Replica

■

Shielded Virtual Machines ■

Networking stack ■

Core-based pricing** $6,155 $882

Editions Licensing model CAL requirements*

Windows Server 2016 Datacenter

Core-basedWindows Server

CAL

Windows Server 2016 Standard

Core-basedWindows Server

CAL

Windows Server 2016 Essentials

Processor-based No CAL required

Windows Server 2016 MultiPoint Premium Server

Processor-based

Windows Server CAL+ Remote

Desktop Services CAL

Windows Storage Server 2016

Processor-based No CAL required

Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016

NA NA

Windows Server 2016 licensing modelThe Windows Server 2016 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 2016, the business model for Standard and Datacenter editions will transition from processor-based to core-based 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.

Editions overviewWindows Server 2016 editions have been streamlined to better support today’s changing business requirements. Windows Server 2016 will be released in the following editions:

▪ Windows Server 2016 Datacenter: For highly virtualised datacentre and cloud environments.

▪ Windows Server 2016 Standard: For physical or minimally virtualised environments.

▪ Windows Server 2016 Essentials: For small businesses with up to 25 users and 50 devices. Essentials is a good option for customers using the Foundation edition, which is not available for Windows Server 2016.

▪ Windows Server 2016 MultiPoint Premium Server: Enables multiple users to access one computer; available only for academic licensing*.

▪ Windows Storage Server 2016: For dedicated OEM storage solutions. Available in Standard and Workgroup editions through the OEM channel.

▪ Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2016: Free hypervisor download.

Features exclusive to the Datacenter edition include Shielded Virtual Machines, software-defined networking, Storage Spaces Direct and Storage Replica. Standard Edition includes rights to two Operating System Environments (OSEs, or virtual machines) or Hyper-V containers. Datacenter Edition includes unlimited OSEs and Hyper-V containers.

* Software Assurance is required to deploy and operate Nano Server in production.** Pricing for Open (NL) ERP license for 16 core licenses. Actual customer prices may vary.

Windows Server 2016 feature differentiation and core-based pricing

Product overview

* Some additional or advanced functionality such as Remote Desktop Services or Active Directory Rights Management Services will continue to require the purchase of an additive CAL.

* Corporate customers can use the Windows MultiPoint Premium Server role that will be available in Standard and Datacenter editions. Windows Server CALs and RDS CALs are required for MultiPoint Server.

Windows Server 2016 is the cloud-ready operating system that supports your current workloads, while introducing new technologies that make it easy to transition to cloud computing when you’re ready. It delivers powerful new layers of security along with Azure-inspired innovation for the applications and infrastructure that power your business.

Azure Hybrid Use BenefitWhen you’re ready to transition workloads to the public cloud, you can leverage your existing investment in Windows Server. The Azure Hybrid Use Benefit lets you bring your on-premises Windows Server license with Software Assurance to Azure. Rather than paying the full price for a new Windows Server virtual machine, you will pay only the base compute rate.

More details at www.azure.com

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Physical cores per processor2 4 6 8 10

1 8 8 8 8 8

2 8 8 8 8 104 16 16 16 16 20

▪ 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 two.

▪ 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 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.

▪ The price of 16-core licenses of Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Standard edition will be the same price as the 2-processor license of the corresponding editions of the Windows Server 2012 R2 version.

▪ Existing customers’ servers under Software Assurance will receive core grants as required, with documentation.

Core-based licensing: Windows Server 2016 Standard and Datacenter

Processor to core conversion: core grants

Number of 2-core pack licenses neededMinimum 8 cores/processor; 16 cores/server.

■ Licensing costs ■ Additional licensing required

Standard edition may need additional licensing

Proc

esso

rs

per s

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Moving to core-based licensingAfter the General Availability of Windows Server 2016, the transition from processor-based licensing to core-based licensing will not affect customers with Software Assurance until renewal of the agreement.

For servers with <8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server:

For servers with >8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server:

▪ Customers will receive a minimum of 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server

▪ There will be no impact on price compared to the Windows Server 2012 R2 2-processor price. The price of 16-core licenses of Windows Server 2016 Datacenter and Standard editions will be the same price as the 2-processor license of the corresponding editions of the Windows Server 2012 R2 version.

▪ Customers will receive core grants for servers with greater than 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server

▪ Customers pay Software Assurance on incremental cores.

▪ After Windows Server 2016 General Availability and prior to renewal of the agreement, licenses with Software Assurance may upgrade to Windows Server 2016 at any time.

▪ After Windows Server 2016 General Availability and at renewal of the agreement, licenses with Software Assurance will transition to core-based licensing.

▪ On-premises customers with Software Assurance will be granted a minimum of 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server licenses for each 2-processor license at renewal of the agreement. Service providers will be granted a minimum of 8 core licenses for each 1-processor license with Software Assurance at renewal of the agreement.

▪ Customers with Standard Edition licenses and Software Assurance assigned to 4-processor servers running more than two OSEs will receive license grants to cover the additional OSEs. If no inventory is done, grants of 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server (8, 2-core packs) will be provided for each 2-processor license with Software Assurance.

To support the transition of customers with Software Assurance to Windows Server 2016, core grants will be provided for existing licensed servers.

How core grants work ▪ Customers will receive core grants at the time of renewal after Windows Server 2016 General Availability.

▪ Core grants will be provided for servers with greater than 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server.

▪ At the end of the current agreement term, Microsoft recommends customers inventory their environment using appropriate tools, including Software Inventory Logging (SIL), or third-party inventory tools and share the inventory data with Microsoft. Inventory data to be shared with Microsoft should include date-stamped documentation of servers, processors, and cores for all production hardware on which Windows Server is installed.

▪ Customers who do not perform the self-inventory will receive 8 core licenses per processor and 16 cores per server for each Standard & Enterprise edition license for servers they currently own.

8 9

General availability

For more information about Windows Server 2016, visitwww.microsoft.com/windowsserver2016

Servicing guidelines for Windows Server 2016The servicing model depends on the installation option the customer selects. Customers who choose the Nano Server installation option will opt into a more active servicing model similar to the experience with Windows 10. Specifically, these periodic releases are known as Current Branch for Business (CBB) releases. This approach supports customers who are moving at a ‘cloud cadence’ of rapid development lifecycles and wish to innovate more quickly. Since this type of servicing continues to provide new features and functionality, Software Assurance is required to deploy and operate Nano Server in production.

Customers who choose to install Windows Server 2016 with Desktop Experience or Server Core will be on the Long Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) model, which comes with 5 years of mainstream support and 5 years of extended support.

Before Windows Server 2016 GA

Renewals True-up

On processor-based licensing:

▪ Renewals prior to Windows Server 2016 will stay on the processor-based model for the life of the agreement.

On processor-based licensing:

▪ True-ups before Windows Server 2016 GA will be processor-based until the next renewal.

After Windows Server 2016 GA

Renewals True-up

On core-based licensing:

▪ Customers will transition to core-based licensing.

Before renewal: True-ups will be processor-based and will continue to be processor- based until the next renewal.

After renewal: True-ups will be core-based after renewals that take place after Windows Server 2016 GA.

Installation Option LTSB servicing model

CBB servicing model

Server with Desktop Experience Yes No

Server Core Yes No

Nano Server No Yes

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Windows Server 2016: the cloud-ready operating systemThanks to cloud technology, the rate of change is faster than ever before, putting more pressure on IT. Organisations demand increased security, efficiency, and innovation, and Windows Server 2016 delivers. Windows Server 2016 is the cloud-ready operating system that supports your current workloads while introducing new technologies that make it easy to transition to cloud computing when you’re ready.

How to use this comparison guideUse this guide to compare specific features of Windows Server versions to understand the differences between the version you are running today and the latest version available from Microsoft.

Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Feature comparison summary

Scenario: Security

Feature DescriptionWindows

Server 2008 R2

Windows Server

2012 R2

Windows Server 2016

Shielded Virtual Machines: Uses BitLocker to encrypt disk and state of virtual machines. ■

Host Guardian Service: Ensures Hyper-V hosts running Shielded Virtual Machines are allowed and healthy hosts. ■

Just Enough Administration (JEA): Lets you provide only the privilege that is required for privileged accounts. ■ ■ ■

Just-in-Time Administration (JIT): Gives you the ability to provide only the privilege that is required, when it is required. ▲ ■ ■

Credential Guard: Uses virtualisation-based security to guard credential information. ■

Remote Credential Guard: Works in conjunction with Credential Guard for Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) sessions to deliver Single Sign-On (SSO), eliminating the needto pass credentials to the RDP host.

■

Code Integrity: Allows only authorised executables to run on the machine. ■

AppLocker: Provides policy-based access control management for applications. ▲ ■ ■

Windows Defender: Automatically protects machines from malware while allowing legitimate applications to run. ▲ ▲ ■

Control Flow Guard: Natively configured to block common vectors of attack. ■

Generation 2 virtual machines: Allows VMs to use hardware-based security to leverage Secure Boot, BitLocker, etc. ▲ ■

Enhanced Threat Detection: Provides better log information. ▲ ■

Dynamic Access Control: Enables administrators to apply accesscontrol permissions and restrictions based on well-defined rules. ■ ■

Windows Firewall with Advanced Security: Allows granular firewall configuration. ■ ■

BitLocker: Uses a hardware or virtual Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip to provide disk encryption for data and system volumes. ▲ ■ ■

Small-footprint Hyper-V host (Server Core/Nano Server): Minimises attack surface with a Hyper-V host running minimum required components. ▲ ▲ ■

■ Fully Supported ▲ Limited Support

Security is a top priority for IT teams. New threats have made it harder than ever for IT to secure data and applications. Windows Server 2016 gives you new capabilities to help prevent

attacks and detect suspicious activity, with features to control privileged access, protect virtual machines, and harden the platform against emerging threats.

12 13

Scenario: Software Defined Datacentre

Feature DescriptionWindows

Server 2008 R2

Windows Server

2012 R2

Windows Server 2016

Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade: Enables you to upgrade your server clusters from Windows Server 2012 R2 to Windows Server 2016 while continuing to provide service to your users.

■

Linux support: New support for Linux Integration Services (LIS) and FreeBSD Integration Services (BIS) provides increased performance, management & access to Hyper-V features. ▲ ▲ ■

Hot Add and Remove for disk, memory and network: Add or remove a network adapter and adjust the amount of memory assigned while the VM is running, without any interruption. The memory adjustment capability works even when you have Dynamic Memory turned on for a Hyper-V host.

▲ ■

Network Controller: Provides a centralised, programmable point of automation to manage, configure, monitor, and troubleshoot virtual and physical network infrastructure in your datacentre.

■

Switch Embedded Teaming: Allows grouping of up to eight network adaptors in one of more software-based network adaptors. ■

Network Function Virtualisation (NFV): Allows you to deploy network functions such as gateways, load balancers, and firewalls, as virtual appliances or in the network fabric. ■

Converged Networking: Provides ability to converge both RDMA and Ethernet traffic using a single network adaptor. ▲ ■

PacketDirect (PD): Provides a high network traffic throughput and low-latency packet processing infrastructure. ■

Distributed Firewall: This new feature protects the network layer of virtual networks. ■

Software Load Balancer (SLB): This feature is a Layer-4 load balancer that represents a version of the Azure offering and has been deployed at scale in the Azure environment. ▲ ■

Storage Spaces Direct: Enables industry standard servers with local storage to build highly available and scalable software defined storage. ■

Storage Quality of Service (QoS): Gives the ability to create storage QoS policies on a Scale-Out File Server and assign them to one or more virtual drives on Hyper-V virtual machines.

▲ ■

Data de-duplication: Provides volume savings of up to 90% by storing duplicate files on a volume once using logical pointers. ▲ ■

Storage Replica: Provides storage agnostic, block-level, synchronous replication between servers for disaster recovery, and allows stretching of a failover cluster for high availability. ▲

Scenario: Software Defined Datacentre

Feature DescriptionWindows

Server 2008 R2

Windows Server

2012 R2

Windows Server 2016

Site-Aware Failover Clusters: Enables nodes in stretched clusters to be grouped based on physical location, enhancing key cluster-lifecycle operations, such as failover behaviour, placement policies, heartbeating between nodes, and quorum behaviour.

■

Windows PowerShell 5.0: Provides enhanced scripting capabilities for configuration, management and deployment of software-defined datacentre components. ■ ■ ■

Storage health monitoring: Provides continuous monitoring, reporting, and maintenance to support Storage Spaces Direct. ■

Mixed mode cluster: Provides ability for Windows Server 2012 R2 cluster nodes to operate with Windows Server 2016 nodes. ▲ ■

Azure Witness for cluster: Enables Azure blob storage as a witness in a quorum for a stretched cluster. ■

StorSimple: Provides hybrid storage capabilities storage for your inactive data, while keeping your mission-critical data on-premises for the highest levels of performance. ■ ■ ■

Virtual machine storage resiliency: Provides intelligent means to retain virtual-machine session states to minimise the impact of minor storage disruptions. ■

Azure Consistent Storage: Delivers three critical Azure-consistent storage services for Azure Stack customers: blob, table and account management. ▲ ■

NVGRE, VXLAN, OVSDB support: Used to create encrypted tenant overlays between Hyper-V virtual machines. ▲ ■

RDS RemoteFX vGPU: Provides a rich desktop remoting experience (up to 4k) by allowing multiple VMs to share the same physical GPU for graphics acceleration. ▲ ■

High-availability RDS Connection Broker: Helps create a fault-tolerance connection broker for Remote Desktop scenarios. ▲ ■

RDS VM architecture for cloud: Windows Server 2016 can leverage Azure services for more cost effective solutions. (Application Proxy, AD Domain Services). ■

MultiPoint Services Role: New role in Windows Server 2016 that enables low cost-per-seat by allowing multiple users to run their own sessions while connected to one machine. ■

Server Management Tools: Allows remote server management of on-premises servers using Azure capabilities. ▲ ▲ ■

Nano Server installation option: New remote-administered option for private clouds and datacentres. ■

■ Fully Supported ▲ Limited Support■ Fully Supported ▲ Limited Support

Datacentre operations seem to earn more scrutiny than budget these days. New applications stretch the operational fabric and create infrastructure backlogs that can slow business. IT organisations are expected to do more with less, but an aging infrastructure with little automation becomes a hindrance to

moving forward. As organisations look beyond server virtualisation for more efficiency, they can use Windows Server 2016 capabilities to meet operational and security challenges, freeing up IT resources to plan and innovate on future solutions that drive business success.

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Scenario: Cloud-Ready Platform

Feature DescriptionWindows

Server 2008 R2

Windows Server

2012 R2

Windows Server 2016

Windows Server containers: Creates an isolated application environment (kernel, system drivers, etc.), in which you can run an application without fear of changes due to applications or configuration.

■

Hyper-V containers: Provides a highly isolated environment in which to operate, where the host operating system cannot be affected in any way by any other running container. ■

Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration (DSC): Provides a set of PowerShell language extensions and cmdlets to declaratively specify how you want your software environment to be configured.

■ ■ ■

Azure Service Fabric for Windows Server: Enables you to create a multi-machine Azure Service Fabric cluster in your own datacentre or in other public clouds. ■ ■ ■

Visual Studio Code: Supports development operations such as debugging, task running and version control to provide just the tools a developer needs for a quick code-build-debug cycle.

■ ■ ■

.NET Core: Helps create modern web apps, microservices, libraries and console applications that run on Windows, Mac, and Linux. ■ ■ ■

Nano Server installation option: New, lightweight option for Windows Server 2016, perfect for running applications from containers or microservices. ■

Windows PowerShell 5.0: Provides enhanced scripting capabilities for configuration, management and deployment of software-defined datacenter components. ■ ■ ■

■ Fully Supported

Take the next step. Learn more at:www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2016

Use Windows Server 2016 to deliver new ways to deploy and run the applications that can help you win, keep, and engage customers, whether on-premises or in Microsoft Azure. The cloud makes application innovation easier than ever.

Now you can create new applications using containers, Nano Server, and microservices. For organisations that continue to run existing client-server applications, Windows Server 2016 is a great option as well.

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Transition to the cloud, easily. Learn more at:www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2016