Windows Server 2016 Datacenter is Microsoft’s flagship server OS for highly virtualized and software-defined data centers. You use it to run unlimited Windows or Linux virtual machines, protect workloads with shielded VMs, and build hyper-converged clusters with resilient, high-performance storage and networking.
Included Features in Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
- Unlimited Virtualization Rights: License the host and run unlimited VMs/OSEs to maximize density and ROI.
- Shielded Virtual Machines: Encrypt and isolate VMs with Host Guardian Service to defend against tampering.
- Storage Spaces Direct (S2D): Build fast, scalable, node-local storage for hyper-converged infrastructure.
- Software-Defined Networking (SDN): Centralize virtual networks, load balancing, and micro-segmentation.
- Failover Clustering: Keep critical roles online with automatic failover and rolling upgrades.
New Features in Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
- Windows Server Containers: Package and run apps in isolated containers for consistent deployments.
- Nano Server Option: Ultra-light, headless deployment for cloud-first and DevOps scenarios.
- Storage Replica: Synchronous block-level replication to achieve zero-data-loss site resilience.
- Enhanced Hyper-V: Production checkpoints, new configuration versions, and rolling cluster upgrades.
- IIS 10 with HTTP/2: Faster, more secure web app delivery using modern protocols.
