Windows Server 2022 vs 2025: What's New and Migration Guide

Windows Server 2022: What It Brought

Windows Server 2022 was a solid release that consolidated Microsoft's strategy around security and hybrid connectivity with Azure. Its main contributions were:

• shield Secured-core Server: firmware-level protection and secure boot with UEFI Secure Boot, TPM 2.0 and Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) enabled by default. These capabilities protect the server against attacks that attempt to compromise the boot process before the operating system loads.
• lock TLS 1.3 by default: all HTTPS connections use TLS 1.3 natively, eliminating obsolete protocols and improving both security and handshake latency.
• cloud_sync Azure hybrid capabilities: native integration with Azure Arc, Azure Automanage and Azure Monitor for managing on-premises servers as if they were cloud resources.
• memory Nested virtualisation: support for running Hyper-V inside Hyper-V virtual machines, essential for development environments, testing and certification labs.
• compress SMB compression: transparent compression of SMB network traffic that reduces the bandwidth needed for large file transfers without changes to applications.

Windows Server 2022 remains a stable platform with extended support until October 2031. There is no urgency to move away from it, but the new features in 2025 offer significant advantages for certain scenarios.

Windows Server 2025: Key New Features

Windows Server 2025 is not a minor update. It introduces substantial changes to Active Directory, storage, networking and virtualisation that reflect the evolution of the modern data centre:

• domain Improved Active Directory: new domain and forest functional level, support for 32 KB database page sizes (up from 8 KB) that dramatically improves performance in large directories, and cross-site replication improvements that reduce convergence latency.
• folder_copy Enhanced DFS Namespaces: greater scalability in domain namespaces, better path resolution performance and support for more than 50,000 folders per namespace, removing a historical limitation in multi-site environments.
• swap_horiz SMB over QUIC (GA): access to SMB shares over the QUIC protocol (UDP-based), allowing remote users to access file servers without needing a VPN. Ideal for hybrid environments and remote work with built-in TLS 1.3 security.
• videogame_asset GPU Partitioning (GPU-P): enables partitioning a physical GPU among multiple virtual machines, assigning a fraction of the graphics processor to each VM. Critical for AI workloads, rendering and VDI with graphics acceleration.
• storage NVMe storage improvements: native support for NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF), better NVMe namespace management and optimised Storage Spaces Direct performance with NVMe drives, approaching bare-metal performance.
• bluetooth Bluetooth support: Windows Server 2025 introduces Bluetooth peripheral support in the server operating system, making it easier to administer servers locally with wireless keyboards and mice.

Hyper-V Improvements in 2025

Hyper-V in Windows Server 2025 receives significant improvements that bring it closer to feature parity with specialised hypervisors for AI and HPC workloads:

• gpu GPU-P for VMs: GPU partitioning allows assigning fractions of an NVIDIA or AMD GPU to individual virtual machines, each with its own portion of VRAM and processing capacity. This enables dedicated server scenarios with multiple GPU-accelerated VMs without needing to pass the entire GPU through via passthrough.
• move_up Improved live migration: the live migration process between Hyper-V nodes has been optimised with better compression and more efficient network usage, reducing migration time and the impact on running VMs.
• memory Memory improvements: support for up to 240 TB of RAM per host and better dynamic memory management, with more granular allocation that allows optimising VM density per server.

Feature Comparison: WS2022 vs WS2025

The following table summarises the key differences between Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2025 across the areas that matter most to system administrators:

Security Enhancements in Windows Server 2025

Security is one of the areas where Windows Server 2025 makes a significant leap over its predecessor. Microsoft has hardened multiple layers of protection:

• enhanced_encryption Improved Credential Guard: now enabled by default on new installations, Credential Guard isolates NTLM and Kerberos credentials in a virtualised container protected by VBS, making them inaccessible even to malware with administrator privileges.
• key Native LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution): integrated directly into the operating system without additional downloads. It automatically manages local administrator account passwords, rotating them periodically and storing them encrypted in Active Directory.
• verified_user Hardened Kerberos: improvements to Kerberos authentication with support for AES-256 as the default cipher, progressive deprecation of RC4, and better protection against Kerberoasting and Golden Ticket attacks.
• https TLS 1.3 everywhere: TLS 1.3 is extended to more system components, including LDAP over TLS and internal Active Directory communications, reducing the cryptographic attack surface.

Storage and Networking

Windows Server 2025 modernises the storage and networking layer to take advantage of current data centre technologies. Latest-generation NVMe drives achieve significantly better performance thanks to native support for advanced protocols:

• speed NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF): allows access to remote NVMe devices over the network with latencies close to local access. Ideal for disaggregated storage architectures in data centres with RDMA or RoCE networks.
• swap_horiz SMB over QUIC (GA): now available as a stable feature, it allows clients to access file servers over the internet with TLS 1.3 encryption without requiring a VPN. The QUIC protocol handles high-latency and packet-loss networks better than TCP.
• database Improved Storage Spaces Direct: better performance with NVMe drives, support for larger pools, faster repair after disk failures and better integration with deduplication and compression on ReFS volumes.
• content_copy Improved deduplication: the deduplication engine has been optimised to handle larger volumes with lower CPU and memory consumption, particularly beneficial for file servers and Veeam backup repositories.

Licensing Changes

The Windows Server 2025 licensing model introduces relevant changes that affect both cost and how the operating system is consumed:

• payments Optional subscription model: in addition to the traditional perpetual per-core licence, Microsoft offers a monthly or annual subscription option. This modality includes continuous updates and support, similar to the cloud model.
• cloud_done Integrated Azure Arc: Azure Arc integration comes built in, enabling management of on-premises servers from the Azure portal with centralised policies, inventory and updates.
• badge Updated CALs: Client Access Licenses are still required, but now include access to additional features such as SMB over QUIC. Customers with Software Assurance get additional benefits during the transition.
• category Standard vs Datacenter: the Datacenter edition continues to include unlimited virtualisation rights, Storage Spaces Direct, Storage Replica and Shielded VMs. The Standard edition maintains the two-VM limit per licence.

Migration Path

Microsoft supports in-place upgrades from Windows Server 2022 to 2025, which significantly simplifies the migration process. Here are the available options and best practices:

• upgrade In-place upgrade from WS2022: the direct upgrade preserves roles, configurations and data. It is the fastest option and is officially supported. It requires a full backup beforehand using tools such as Veeam and validation of hardware and driver compatibility.
• autorenew Cluster rolling upgrade: in failover clusters, nodes are upgraded one by one while the cluster remains operational. Workloads are moved between nodes during the process, minimising downtime.
• install_desktop Clean install: for new servers or when you want to start from a configuration with no legacy, a clean installation followed by role and data migration delivers the most predictable result.
• domain_add Active Directory preparation: before promoting the first WS2025 domain controller, it is necessary to run adprep to extend the AD schema. This can be done without disrupting the existing directory service.

When to Upgrade

Not every organisation needs to migrate immediately. The decision should be based on an assessment of the concrete benefits for your environment:

• assessment Benefits assessment: if you need GPU-P, SMB over QUIC in production, or the Active Directory improvements for large directories, migration has a clear return. If your environment is stable and does not require these features, WS2022 remains viable.
• checklist Compatibility checklist: verify that all your third-party software (backup agents, antivirus, monitoring) supports WS2025 before starting the migration. Check hardware drivers and server firmware.
• science Pilot testing: deploy WS2025 first in a test environment or on non-critical servers to validate compatibility and performance before migrating production systems.
• timeline Staged rollout: migrate file servers and application servers first, then Active Directory infrastructure, and finally Hyper-V clusters. This approach minimises risk and allows problems to be detected before affecting critical components.

Windows Server at EasyDataHost

EasyDataHost offers Windows Server 2022 and 2025 across all its infrastructure platforms, with official Microsoft licences included or BYOL (bring your own licence):

• check_circle Enterprise dedicated servers: latest-generation hardware with Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC processors, ideal for demanding Windows Server workloads with Hyper-V and GPU-P.
• check_circle Cloud IaaS: virtual machines with pre-installed Windows Server, scalable on demand, with replicated NVMe storage and high availability.
• check_circle VPS: virtual servers with Windows Server for projects that need a dedicated Windows environment at a predictable cost.
• check_circle Managed services: our team can plan and execute the migration from WS2022 to WS2025, including AD preparation, compatibility testing and a rollback plan.

Conclusion

Windows Server 2025 represents a significant evolution of the platform, with tangible improvements in Active Directory, Hyper-V, storage, security and networking. It is not an urgent upgrade for every environment, but it offers clear advantages for organisations that need GPU-P, SMB over QUIC, AD performance improvements or the new flexible licensing model.

• arrow_right WS2022 remains stable, with support until 2031, and is suitable if you do not need the new features.
• arrow_right WS2025 excels in GPU-P, SMB over QUIC (GA), AD improvements with 32 KB pages and Credential Guard by default.
• arrow_right In-place upgrade from WS2022 is supported and is the most straightforward path for most environments.
• arrow_right A staged rollout with prior pilot testing minimises transition risk.
• arrow_right EasyDataHost offers WS2022 and WS2025 on dedicated, cloud and VPS with managed migration available.

If you need help evaluating the migration or deploying Windows Server 2025 in your infrastructure, contact our team to design the migration plan that best fits your requirements.