Microsoft Windows Server 2021/2022 Standard – 16 core retail Digital License

Windows Server 2021/2022 delivers advanced multi-layered security, hybrid capabilities with Azure, and a flexible application platform. In this release, we're providing Secure Core capabilities to protect Windows Server hardware, firmware, and operating system capabilities from advanced security threats. Secure Core Server uses technologies like Windows Defender System Guard and virtualization-based security to reduce the risk of firmware vulnerabilities and advanced malware. Additionally, this release improves secure connectivity with new features, including faster and more secure HTTPS connections, industry-standard AES 256 SMB encryption, and more.

Windows Server 2021/2022 also advances hybrid server management with improved VM management, an advanced event viewer, and new capabilities in Windows Admin Center. This release brings significant improvements to Windows containers, including reduced image sizes for faster downloads, simpler network policy enforcement, and containerization tools for .NET applications.

Edition selection and installation:

Users who download the full ISO will be required to select an edition and installation option. The ISO evaluation is available for the Datacenter and Standard editions. The Datacenter edition is the most comprehensive, with new data center-specific features (shielded virtual machines, Storage Spaces Direct, and software-defined networking), and unlimited server virtualization.

Installation options:

Server Core: This is the most recommended installation option. It's a compact installation that includes the essential Windows Server components and supports all server features, although it doesn't have a full graphical interface.

Licensing Information:  A minimum of 8 core licenses is required for each physical processor, and a minimum of 16 core licenses are required for each server. Therefore, this license can activate up to two physical processors. The Standard Edition provides rights for up to two Windows server operating system environments or containers with Hyper-V isolation when all physical cores on the server are licensed. For each additional 1 or 2 VMs, all physical cores on the server must be relicensed.