Microsoft doesn’t need to release another free Hyper-V Server SKU
Managed Server Providers:
A managed service provider (MSP) manages networks, applications, infrastructures, and security on customers’ premises, in their MSP’s data center (hosting), or a third-party data center by providing ongoing and regular network support and active administration.
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Cloud compatibility
Cloud pricing for own infrastructure is not a coincidence; the shift from a free server version to a hybrid option fits with the hybrid direction of Windows Server generally, since Microsoft believes hybrid computing is the way of the future.
According to Kumar, Microsoft has increasingly been trying to harmonize Windows Server with Azure’s cloud offerings and give customers more opportunities to use Azure in harmony with their on-premises Windows Server workloads.
We are investing in related technologies, such as Azure Stack HCI, to give them greater value. If they do not want to use Azure, then they can continue to use Windows Server on-premises.
If customers want to run soup to nuts Microsoft technology, they can run Windows Server 2022 virtual machines on Azure Stack HCI and have them lifecycle managed by Azure, and they can add security, monitoring, and other features on that.
Azure Arc brings those same hybrid benefits to any infrastructure you manage yourself, whether it’s Windows or Linux, and Kumar said Microsoft will continue to heavily invest in this technology.
“I would like to see every Windows Server out there connected to Arc, managed by Azure and secured by Azure if I had my way. With Azure Security Center and Azure Defender, Azure Monitor, and Azure Policy, you can easily manage your Azure environment. Azure Policy is a powerful security tool that can be used across as many data centers as you have, and you’ll benefit from all the security investments we make in Azure. With this approach, you can continue building your workloads on-premises comfortably, while getting the benefits of the cloud for your on-premises investments.”
This shift to hybrid can also be seen in the way you purchase ESUs for Windows Server. When you run an older version of Windows Server on your own infrastructure, you pay high prices for security updates once extended support has ended, but when you run the same workloads in Azure public cloud or Azure Stack HCI, they’re free.
Furthermore, when Microsoft finally introduced the new Windows Server certification that IT pros had been requesting (which will likely be available in early 2022), it wasn’t just about Windows Server. With the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator Associate, you can manage hybrid and cloud infrastructure-as-a-services as well as your own servers. In addition, the certification covers the integration of Windows Server environments with Azure services like Azure Arc, Azure Automation Update Management, Azure Backup, Azure Security Center, Azure Migrate, and Azure Monitor.
The Windows Server certification covers configuring and administering core features such as Active Directory, Desired State Configuration, Hyper-V, containers, backups, monitoring networks, storage, including Storage Spaces Direct, security, and failover clusters. Also, it covers a wide range of troubleshooting scenarios, which is useful even if you only deal with on-premises Windows Servers.
However, a substantial portion of the skills it measures are about running Windows Server in Azure or using Azure services on your own servers, which reflects Microsoft’s pitch that Windows Server is better when integrated with Azure services.
According to Jeff Woolsey, principal program manager for Azure Stack HCI, this isn’t just what Microsoft thinks matters, but what enterprises are asking for and what IT pros will need for their jobs. ‘IT managers want someone who can manage the hybrid world because that’s where everyone is going.’
A lot of people are ready to get the hybrid certification. They’re going to have some things down here and some things up here for a long time. Hybrid coexistence is where people want to be.”
If you aren’t interested in Azure integration and you want Hyper-V Server for something Linux-based, then it will take longer than the 60 days of the Azure Stack HCI trial without even the small monthly charge. The best option is to keep using Hyper-V Server 2019, which is free and supported until January 2029 (when Microsoft may have more options).
Woolsey commented at the recent Windows Server 2022 event that it remains a great hypervisor available at no cost and can be managed from Windows Admin Center, too, at no cost.
Customers might well have stayed on Hyper-V Server 2019 for some time anyway since many organizations run on older versions of Windows Server rather than upgrading immediately. Microsoft should have enough time to discover if it’s losing future customers by not giving free Hyper-V enthusiasts a new version after seven years of support.
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