{"product_id":"windows-server-2022-datacenter","title":"Windows Server 2022 Datacenter","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWindows Server 2022 Datacenter\u003c\/strong\u003e is the top edition of Windows Server 2022, built for heavily virtualised and software-defined environments. It includes everything in Standard and adds unlimited virtual machine rights, Storage Spaces Direct, shielded VMs and software-defined networking.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat does Datacenter add over Standard?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUnlimited virtual machines\u003c\/strong\u003e – run as many Windows Server VMs as the fully licensed host can handle, compared with two on Standard\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStorage Spaces Direct\u003c\/strong\u003e – pool local drives across servers into hyper-converged, fault-tolerant storage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShielded VMs and Host Guardian Service\u003c\/strong\u003e – protect virtual machines from a compromised host\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoftware-defined networking\u003c\/strong\u003e – network controller, virtual load balancing and micro-segmentation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUnrestricted Storage Replica\u003c\/strong\u003e – Standard is limited to a single partnership and a 2 TB volume\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt shares the Server 2022 platform features: secured-core server, TLS 1.3 by default, SMB AES-256 encryption and SMB compression.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWho is this edition for?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Datacenter for a Hyper-V host with more than a handful of VMs, a failover cluster, or hyper-converged infrastructure, where your software stack is certified on Server 2022. For one or two workloads on a single server, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/windows-server-2022-standard\"\u003eWindows Server 2022 Standard\u003c\/a\u003e is enough.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSupport status you should know before buying\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWindows Server 2022 moves from mainstream to extended support on 13 October 2026. It keeps receiving monthly security updates until 14 October 2031, as shown on Microsoft's \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/lifecycle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eproduct lifecycle pages\u003c\/a\u003e, but no new features. For a new build with the longest runway, consider \u003ca href=\"\/products\/windows-server-2025-datacenter\"\u003eWindows Server 2025 Datacenter\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSystem requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1.4 GHz 64-bit processor with virtualisation extensions for Hyper-V\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e512 MB RAM minimum (2 GB for Desktop Experience). Plan for far more on a virtualisation host.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e32 GB storage minimum\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGigabit Ethernet adapter\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUEFI 2.3.1c firmware with Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 recommended\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eLicensing notes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWindows Server is licensed per physical core under Microsoft's model, and Client Access Licences (CALs) for users or devices are licensed separately. Remote Desktop Services requires its own RDS CALs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eHow delivery works\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a digital product, so nothing is shipped. After payment, your product key and activation instructions are sent to the email address used at checkout.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I activate an evaluation copy with this key?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, but convert the evaluation install to the full Datacenter edition first using the DISM \/Set-Edition command. Entering a key straight into an evaluation install is the usual reason a valid key is rejected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDo the guest VMs need their own keys?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn an activated Datacenter Hyper-V host, Windows Server guest VMs can activate automatically through Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs Windows Server 2022 still safe to deploy?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. It receives security updates until October 2031. What stops in October 2026 is new features and non-security fixes.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Microsoft","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45817975570501,"sku":null,"price":49.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0759\/3603\/8981\/files\/windows-server-2022-datacenter.png?v=1790054680","url":"https:\/\/digitallicenseshop.com\/products\/windows-server-2022-datacenter","provider":"Digital License Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}