Windows Server 2012 Editions – things that IT Administrator needs to know…

Windows Server 2012 Editions

There are 4 editions of the Windows Server 2012 operating system. Organizations should select the edition of Windows Server 2012 that best meets their needs. Server administrators can save costs by selecting the appropriate Windows Server 2012 edition when deploying a server for a specific role.

1 – Windows Server 2012 Standard

• Provides all roles and features available on the Windows Server 2012.
• Supports up to 64 sockets and up to 4 TB of RAM.
• Includes two VM licenses for a server that has up to 2 processors. An additional license is needed for each additional 2 processors.

2 – Windows Server 2012 Datacenter

• Provides all roles and features that are available on the Windows Server 2012.
• Supports 64 sockets, up to 640 processor cores, and up to 4 TB of RAM.
• Includes unlimited VM licenses for VM that are run on the same hardware for a server that has up to two processors. An additional license is needed for each additional 2 processors.

3 – Windows Server 2012 Foundation

• Allows only 15 users, cannot be joined to a domain.
• Supports 1 processor core and up to 32 GB) RAM.
• Includes limited server roles.
• Does not include Active Directory Domain Services.
• Offer through OEM program.

4 – Windows Server 2012 Essentials

• Serves as the next edition of Small Business Server.
• Does not support Hyper-V Server failover clustering server or RDS.
• Cannot install Server Core.
• Supports up to 25 users and 50 devices.
• Supports 2 processor cores and 64 GB RAM.
• Must be the only DC in domain.