Comparison of Windows versions what is difference?

There are a large number of different versions of Windows server OS starting from 2003 and ending with the latest at the moment 2019. What are the differences between them? Why upgrade to a newer version when it appears? Now we will answer these questions.

Windows Server OS Versions

Although there are many versions, we will consider only the following: Windows Server 2008 R2; 2012 R2; 2016; 2019. Let's compare their differences and explain which one is better to use at the moment. It is important to understand one thing – the newer the version, the more demanding it is to the system.
By the way, you can use this link to build your server on versions from 2012 to 2019

What are the differences between 2008 R2 and 2012 R2 Windows Server?

Although it's 2022, this does not negate the fact that some people are still using the 2008 and 2012 versions. Why are they used? It's simple – it's convenient for people to work in them due to their low system requirements. However, people do not think about the likely consequences that the use of these systems may incur.
These systems have their own differences, which I will list now

Support

• Windows server 2008 - Basic support was completed on January 13, 2015, and extended support ended on January 14, 2020, on this day support for Windows server 2008 ended.
• Windows server 2012 - Currently supported and receiving security updates. Support will be provided until October 10, 2023.

Hyper-V Network Virtualization

• Windows server 2008 - This function is not available.
• Windows server 2012 - Available to use and create network traffic isolation.

Low-cost data storage

• Windows server 2008 - The SMB function for storing files is not available.
• Windows server 2012 - The SMB function is available and improved for storing various data, for example, MySQL databases on shared file resources.

IP Address Management

• Windows server 2008 - Not supported.
• Windows server 2012 - It is possible to manage addresses.

Managing multiple servers

• Windows server 2008 - Not supported.
• Windows server 2012 - Supports management of multiple servers and grants the administrator the right to monitor all servers at once.

Above, I have indicated only some differences by which it can be understood that Windows server 2008 has become too old to be used at the present time. It is inferior in many points to Windows server 2012 and this is clearly visible, but one of the main factors why you should switch to a new OS is the lack of security updates. This means that the system is not able to withstand the latest threats, which would be eliminated by security updates.

What are the differences between Windows server 2012 R2 and Windows server 2016?

We figured out what the differences between the 2008 and 2012 versions are, which means that it's time to switch to newer versions. Version 2016 was released on October 15, 2016, literally three years earlier, version 2012 R2 was released.
Below are the differences between these versions.

Support

• Windows server 2012 - Full support will be provided until October 10, 2023.
• Windows server 2016 - Basic support is discontinued on January 11, 2022, and full support will cease on January 11, 2027. By this parameter, it immediately becomes clear that the 2016 version is more durable.

Phys. Specifications

• Windows server 2012 - Supports up to 4 TB of physical. memory to the server. Supports up to 1 TB of memory and 64 processors per virtual machine.
• Windows server 2016 - Supports up to 24 TB of physical. memory to the server. Supports up to 12 TB of memory and 240 processors per virtual machine.

Windows Defender

• Windows server 2012 - Partially supported.
• Windows server 2016 - Fully supported because the system is built on the image of Windows 10.

Storage health monitoring

• Windows server 2012 - Not supported.
• Windows server 2016 - Fully supported.

Credential Defender

• Windows server 2012 - Not supported.
• Windows server 2016 - Supported.

I have not listed all the differences because there are too many of them, but looking at the points above, the conclusion suggests itself the 2016 version is superior to the 2012 version. Firstly, the 2016 version will take longer to receive security updates, and secondly, the 2016 version has a credential defender and windows, and he, as we previously found out in this article it is considered an excellent antivirus. Everyone makes the conclusions they want, but there is no denying that the 2016 version brought more innovations and looks better than its predecessor.

What are the differences between Windows server 2016 and Windows server 2019?

Above, we figured out the differences between the previous server versions of windows, and now it's time to compare the latest versions and find out which one will be better and which one should be used. I will say right away that the versions are almost identical, which makes it difficult to say which one is better to use in your work.

Support

• Windows server 2016 - Full support will cease on January 11, 2027.
• Windows server 2019 - Full support will end on January 9, 2029.

The value of these two systems is not much different, but still the 2019 version wins.

Windows Defender

• Windows server 2016 - Supported.
• Windows server 2019 is an improved version.

There are also no special differences here, except that the 2019 version will come with an updated defender.

Linux subsystem

• Windows server 2016 - Supports the ability to securely boot guest systems
• Windows server 2019 - The subsystem allows you to support virtual machines on Linux.

Windows Admin Center

• Windows server 2016 - Not supported.
• Windows server 2019 - Supported.

WAC - Server and workstation management interface. Allows you to set up a server or computer in a few clicks. (Local/Remote)

Hybrid Cloud

• Windows server 2016 - Not supported.
• Windows server 2019 - Was added in this version.

Hybrid cloud is a cloud computing environment that combines the resources of a private and public cloud

There are not so many differences among these two versions, which is why it doesn't make much sense to choose the 2019 version unless you don't want to worry about security updates for the next ten years. In other cases, they are almost identical, except that in version 2019 there are several new features that can be called very useful. So it's up to you to decide which version to choose. In my opinion, they are too similar to make a choice between them.

Conclusion

In this article, you have read the information regarding different versions of Windows Server OS, and we looked at which versions bring what with them. In order not to worry about your data and not to be afraid of being subjected to various kinds of attacks, you should update your system to the most up-to-date, but if you suddenly do not have the funds to buy a new version, then do not forget to update the security packages. Always keep an eye on the period until which a particular system will be supported so that you know at what point it is worth switching to a newer version and not putting your data in danger.
In the future, in order for your servers to work at full capacity, it is worth initially calculating the characteristics of the server and choosing the optimal system. On our website you can always change the server system, update it and also improve the characteristics of the server. If you need a good hosting provider, then contact us.