Windows Server 2022 gets full general release

Microsoft has revealed a full general release of its Windows Server 2022 software for users across the world.

The Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release, offering ten years of support, is generally available now for all users, the company confirmed.

The release forms yet another key part of Windows 11 ahead of its launch later this year, as Microsoft continues on its campaign to update all its main software offerings ahead of the next-generation update.

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Windows Server 2022

Described in a blog post by Microsoft as “a big step forward”, the launch comes several days after Windows Server 2022 was apparently snuck out in an almost-secret release by Microsoft.

“With Windows Server 2022, customers can continue to securely run their workloads, enable new hybrid cloud scenarios, and modernize their applications to meet evolving business requirements,” noted Bernardo Caldas, Vice President of Program Management, Core OS and Edge Infrastructure at Microsoft.

Caldas outlined how Windows Server 2022 offers “advanced multi-layer security” including secured-core server upgrades provided by Microsoft's hardware partners to help customers harden the security of their critical systems.

There's also secured connectivity, offering boosted safety during data transport, including faster and more secure encrypted HTTPS alongsaide industry-standard AES-256 encryption with support for server message block (SMB) protocol.

The new release also dovetails with Microsoft's Azure cloud platform, with Caldas noting that as more and more customers choose a hybrid and multicloud approach to help digitally transform their businesses, Windows Server 2022 can offer Azure Arc connectivity.

Customers can also enjoy large scalability options, with support for up to 48TB of memory and 2,048 logical cores running on 64 physical sockets for those companies with demanding use cases. Elsewhere, Microsoft notes that Windows Server 2022 improves application compatibility of Windows containers, supports IPv6 and dual-stack, and Kubernetes container support.

Users can download Windows Server 2022 now or try it on Azure via the Windows Server Evaluation Center.