If you are a regular user, you are probably only dealing with the consumer version of the Windows operating system (for example, Windows 8, 10, or Windows 11). But as you may or may not know, Microsoft also presents Windows Server as a separate operating system. In this article, we will focus more on this version of Windows and how it differs from the Windows you are currently using.
Windows Server refers to versions of Microsoft’s Windows operating system specifically designed to be installed and run on servers. Because organizations, offices, and many companies have large or medium-sized computer networks, they use servers that must service and manage hundreds and sometimes thousands of computers.
Therefore, the operating system installed on these servers must have the necessary facilities and capabilities to manage the network and respond to it. Windows Server is mainly used in business and enterprise suites. But what are the features of Windows VPS, and how is it different from regular versions or so-called Windows desktops?
Windows Server is a virtual host with a powerful operating system that gives you full access to do anything on these servers. By paying less than a dedicated server, you can have a powerful virtualization server with hardware resources. You can install the Windows operating system you want on it, connect it with a remote desktop connection, and manage your programs without any restrictions.
What Is Windows Server?
Microsoft offers the Windows operating system in several types, two of the most common of which are:
Standard Windows; For personal computers
Windows Server or Windows VPS; Dedicated to Server computers
Ordinary Windows have many similarities in appearance with their peer-to-peer server windows, but their applications are very different. Regular versions of Windows (such as Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Windows 11) are designed for everyday personal and office work and support relatively limited hardware.
A computer running a regular version of Windows is perfect for graphics, programming, web browsing, typing, accounting, and many other households, corporate, and office tasks. Standard Windows can work even on small, home networks (up to 20 nodes). But if you have a server instead of a regular computer and your network is extensive, standard Windows will no longer meet your needs.
A server is usually a powerful computer used to serve network clients (clients, computers, and other devices that receive services from a network server). Servers have heavy tasks and sometimes have to provide services to hundreds and maybe thousands of clients. The larger the network and the heavier and more complex the mechanisms, the more powerful The Server must be.
Therefore, the operating system installed on the Server must support powerful server hardware and have the necessary capabilities to manage computers and multiple network equipment. So, Buy Windows VPS because it is designed for this purpose. For more information on servers and their types, you can check out what Server is.
Pre-requirements of installing a Windows Server
To install your Windows VPS on your Server correctly, you must have at least the required hardware for this Windows. If you want to install Windows Server 2019 on a server, it must have at least some hardware with the following specifications:
- 1.4 GHz processor with 64-bit architecture;
- 512 MB RAM;
- Hard drive or main storage space with a capacity of 32 GB;
- A suitable monitor with a minimum resolution of 1.024 by 768 pixels or higher;
- Strong internet connection or a good DSL & ADSL connection
Definitely, with this kind of hardware, you will have a turtle speed to install. Still, if you want to have a version with an acceptable speed, it is better to consider the prerequisites for installing Windows Server 2019 as follows:
- Processor with a processing power of 2 GHz or higher (our emphasis is higher);
- The RAM capacity of 2 GB or higher;
- Preferably SSD storage;
- A monitor with a minimum resolution of 1,024 by 768 pixels or higher (LED monitors to seem appropriate);
- A strong Internet connection or a good DSL & ADSL connection;
- Network access with a 1GB Ethernet network card;
Some Windows VPS Features
1. Windows Server has enterprise management software
Because Windows Server is designed for large businesses and enterprise environments, it has a variety of enterprise software. Some of the features of Windows Server for this purpose are:
Active Directory: Active Directory is one of the most essential features of Windows VPS, consisting of several different services used to manage computers and other networked equipment. The network administrator uses Active Directory to create domains and users and grant them various permissions.
For example, they can place multiple users with the same tasks in a group and set the permissions of this group so that they can only access specific directories on the Server. Active Directory is vital for organizing large numbers of users on large networks.
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP): The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) automatically assigns a unique IP address to each device connected to the network. If DHCP is used, the network administrator does not need to set the IP address to each network device manually. DHCP facilitates and accelerates the addressing of network nodes and avoids problems such as duplicate IP address allocation.
File Server: A file server can be a centralized storage system that multiple systems and network users can access. Large companies and organizations usually need such a feature, so this possibility is anticipated in Windows VPS. Users with related tasks can share their files on the network using File Server if they have the relevant permissions.
Print Services: With these services, you can centralize the print server and network printer tasks. If an organization or company has multiple printers in one building, configuring all of them for all computers takes a lot of IT staff time. But by creating a print server, you can easily connect printers to computers. With the help of the print server, you can also monitor the print queues and, for example, receive a notification to stop processing the print queues.
Windows Server Update Services (WSUS): A computer program and network service used to manage the distribution of patches of Microsoft products in corporate and enterprise environments. Imagine your network is made up of several computers with different operating systems. For example, some work with Windows 7, some with Windows 10, some with Windows 11, and some even with Windows Server.
All of these operating systems must be up-to-date to be as safe as possible from cyber threats. Naturally, it would take a lot of time if IT staff wanted to manually install or update security patches on individual computers. But with the help of WSUS, updates can be automatically installed on all or a specific group of computers at predetermined intervals.
These are just some of the features of Windows Server. Regular versions of Windows do not have these features natively, but some of them can be installed on standard versions of Windows.
2. Windows Server has fewer hardware limitations
For many people, it does not matter how much RAM their computer takes up. For example, the Windows 10 Pro operating system accepts up to 2 terabytes of RAM, although most users do not need more than 32 GB of RAM.
But Windows Server supports up to 24 terabytes of RAM. With Windows Server, you can also use up to 64 CPUs simultaneously, while with Windows 10 Pro, you can use up to two processors at the same time.
Server devices in organizations and business centers sometimes provide essential services to hundreds and thousands of users and therefore must have a lot of computing power. For example, a server device running multiple virtual machines must have a large amount of RAM to run them all simultaneously and seamlessly.
3. Windows Server does not have unnecessary programs and features
Windows SVPS is designed for severe work environments, so many standard Windows tools are not included in the server version. For example, Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 do not have the Edge browser, Microsoft Store, Cortana, or Windows 10 peripherals. Programs like Your Photo are also not available on Windows VPS.
Some Windows applications check before installing on your computer to see if your Windows is standard or a server; Because some Windows applications do not work on Windows Server.
By default, Windows Server is more limited than regular versions of Windows. The default browser for Windows Server is Internet Explorer. Still, it has more stringent security settings that make sense because a hacker attack on a server is usually more harmful than an attack on a personal computer. So the server operating system must also be more secure.
Summary
These are the essential thing that you should know before ordering a Windows VPS. If you need to do heavy tasks like computing rich data, serving many clients or managing users, or running a website, it is better to use a Windows Server operating system. If you will not do these things, it is not good to deprive yourself of using Windows 10 or Windows 11.