Microsoft announced that Windows Server 2025 is available to almost everyone. According to Storage Review, in its new product the developer paid a lot of attention to integrating cloud functions into the OS and supporting AI workloads. OS performance and security have also been improved.
One of the important features of the new OS is considered to be increased security for File Services/Server Message Block (SMB). The latter now works using the QUIC protocol, which provides more secure access to files. SMB protection includes advanced firewall settings, protection against brute force attacks and MitM, Relay Attack or Spoofing attacks.
Active Directory now introduces the Delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) feature. Unlike classic service accounts, dMSA does not require manual password management; Active Directory handles the task automatically. dMSA provides the ability to delegate specific permissions to domain resources, which reduces security risks and improves visibility and control over service account activity.
Image source: Microsoft
Windows Server 2025 introduces what Microsoft calls revolutionary capabilities for hybrid clouds. The ability to update on the fly (Hot-Patching) plays an important role. A subscription service for managing hybrid clouds Azure Arc allows you to minimize the number of reboots and downtime when updating software on local sites. In addition, the process of connecting to Azure Arc has been simplified and SDN functionality has been improved, L2/L3 access is provided for “seamless” migration of workloads between different locations.
In addition, the new operating system offers improved performance and overall scalability. Thus, IOPS in some workloads is up to 60% higher compared to Windows Server 2022, and the advanced features of the Resilient File System (ReFS), including deduplication and compression, provide significant savings in disk space. Storage Spaces and Storage Replica Compression features ensure efficient use of disk space and optimal data exchange between replicas.
Finally, the new OS release is optimized for tasks related to AI and machine learning. For example, there is a built-in function for dividing accelerator resources into several virtual machines. The Hyper-V subsystem is now optimized for both traditional workloads and demanding AI workloads. In addition, continuity of operation is ensured even during direct maintenance and during equipment failures.
The official release was accompanied by a curious, but very unpleasant incident: some users started automatically updating Windows Server 2022 to version 2025, although Microsoft had not initially planned anything like this.