Microsoft Windows Server 2025: Secure, Scalable, and AI-Ready

Microsoft Windows Server 2025 represents a significant leap forward in server operating systems, offering enhanced security, scalability, and AI capabilities. This release is designed to meet the evolving needs of modern enterprises, providing robust infrastructure for networked systems, databases, and enterprise applications.

Key Features of Windows Server 2025

Security Enhancements

Windows Server 2025 introduces a range of security features aimed at fortifying identity management and protecting against network threats. Key improvements include:

• Active Directory Enhancements: New security capabilities for robust identity management, including improved Kerberos keys and the elimination of legacy protocols like Mailslots.
• Server Message Block (SMB) Updates: SMB now supports QUIC, enhancing security and performance for network communications.
• Credential Guard: Enabled by default, providing additional protection for credentials on devices that meet the requirements.

Hybrid and Cloud Integration

Windows Server 2025 is designed to seamlessly integrate with hybrid and multicloud environments, offering:

• Azure Arc Integration: Simplifies the management of on-premises and cloud-based servers, delivering Azure capabilities to local environments.
• Software-defined Networking (SDN): Improved multisite connectivity for workloads across different locations.

AI and Performance Improvements

The new release is AI-ready, with features that enhance performance and scalability:

• GPU Partitioning: Supports AI workloads by allowing GPUs to be shared across multiple virtual machines, with live migration and clustering support.
• Storage and Hyper-V Enhancements: Significant improvements in storage performance, including a 90% increase in IOPs due to NVMe SSD enhancements.

Hotpatching

Hotpatching in Windows Server 2025 allows administrators to apply security updates without requiring a server reboot, minimizing downtime and maintaining system availability. This feature, previously available only in Azure Edition, is now extended to broader editions with an Azure Arc subscription.

Citations:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/whats-new-windows-server-2025
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-server-2025
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/blog/2024/05/29/gain-enhanced-security-and-performance-with-windows-server-2025/