Windows OS on dedicated servers

Windows Server is Microsoft's enterprise-grade operating system designed for building robust infrastructure, hosting applications, managing databases, and advanced virtualization.

Installation Options

There are two ways to deploy Windows on your server:

• Managed licensing (recommended): order a licensed version directly through us for a seamless setup.
• Manual installation: you can mount your own ISO image via the IPMI/KVM Console.

When you select our licensing option, Windows Server is added as a recurring additional service.

Licensing costs:

• Windows Server license: €5 per month per core.
• Important note: if you plan to use Windows for production, we strongly recommend ordering the license from the start. Converting a non-licensed installation to a licensed one later requires a full OS reinstallation, which will result in data loss.

Remote access & connectivity

Windows Server uses RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), providing a high-performance graphical interface for remote management.

• Administrator access: by default, the system supports 2 concurrent administrative sessions.
• Standard users: if you need more simultaneous users, you must purchase RDP CALs (Client Access Licenses).
• RDP CAL pricing: €13 per month per user.

Key features: Windows Server 2016

• Cluster OS rolling upgrade: upgrade cluster nodes without stopping workloads.
• Storage replica: synchronous storage replication for disaster recovery.
• Software-Defined Networking (SDN): centralized network configuration.
• Next-Gen VM formats: improved reliability with .VMCX and .VMRS files.
• Hot-Add hardware: add network adapters and RAM without rebooting.
• Enhanced RDP: support for OpenGL and OpenCL.
• IIS 10: built-in support for HTTP/2.

Key features: Windows Server 2019

• WSL support: run Linux environments directly on Windows Server.
• Kubernetes integration: full support for container orchestration.
• Storage migration service: simplified data transfer from legacy systems.
• System insights: local predictive analytics for capacity planning.
• Nested virtualization: run Hyper-V inside a Hyper-V virtual machine.
• Improved security: advanced Windows Defender features and Shielded VMs.

Best practices

• License early: avoid the hassle of reinstallation by securing your OS and RDP CAL licenses during the initial order.
• High availability: leverage Clustering and Storage Replica for mission-critical applications.
• Stay updated: ensure your server is protected by running regular updates via Windows Update.