Timeline: All Versions of Windows Server

If this is true, Windows Server It is one of Microsoft's most popular services at present. If so, the distribution of this technology is being done by companies designed primarily for use in servers.

In this sense, as a multi-process and multi-tenant system, it offers many advantages to the companies that use it. Running multiple server functions and different OS on a single server, so how to reduce the amount of hardware necessary to support server workloads, and reduce There software and hardware installation.

Therefore, it is necessary to know everything about Windows Server. But first of all, its origin and development, as well as all the versions that currently exist, listing its main features.

You can also read: How to fix error 0x80073701: Windows Update Installation Error

What is Windows Server and what does Microsoft use it for?

First of all, it is worth knowing what this Microsoft tool is and why we call it a distribution from this company for use on servers. Basically, this means that it is a server operating system that allows your computer to perform network functionsIt is multi-threaded and multi-user as mentioned above.

It is worth mentioning that Windows Server was developed in the language of programming C++, which is used by billions of businesses worldwide due to its excellent features and benefits. Since this system can be used by all members of the company, it allows for centralized management and administration of files.

In addition, the Microsoft distribution in question supports the work of programmers and developers because allows for complete improvement operational productivity. Among other advantages, it has a very simple and flexible administration that allows for fast and efficient management.

Origins

As for the origins of this important tool, it should be noted that the first version was "Windows 2000 Server", which, as its name indicates, It was launched at the beginning of the new millenniumIn the year 2000.

Since then, it has been recognized as the ideal solution when it was not necessary to have a separate server for each task, since everything could be centralized on a single server thanks to this tool, which at the time could support up to four processors. Therefore, it was developed as a file, print and web server for different companies.

Evolution

As you know, Microsoft has made significant improvements to Windows Server & Hosting over time and the latest version is 2019; Therefore, given the enormous importance of this Microsoft tool, it is valuable to take a brief look at its evolution from the first to the latest version.

Thus, over the years, it has become increasingly adapted to modern needs. In this sense, it is worth noting that the ease of management of each version has increased, making the work of developers and programmers very manageable.

In addition, performance in the latest versions has also increased, and from 2000 to 2021, the developer community has grown significantly, so there are more and more applications and systems that already run on this server operating system.

Timeline: All the Windows Server versions available so far

After the above description of the evolution of Windows Server, it is important to know each of the versions that this operating system has had since its beginnings. Therefore, below we list the main characteristics of each of them in chronological order:

Windows Server 2000

Release date: February 17, 2000

As we said before, the origins of this Microsoft tool date back to the early 2000s to be exact. Initially, it was just software designed to be implemented on web service servers.

Main Features:

• The tasks that Server 2000 can perform are: create user accounts, assign resources and permissions, act as web server, FTP server, print server, DNS (domain name resolution), and DHCP server.
• It is very easy to use with its clear interface. It also has a typed menu, and the time icons rarely work and disappear from the settings menu. It also had a search help based on HTML to perform specific searches on local devices and remote files.
• It had a powerful multilingual version, which allowed you to change languages ​​without restarting the device. Even if you have one app in Spanish and another in English, the software can work with both languages ​​simultaneously.
• Technology has been added which makes established networks much easier to use, install, manage and host.

Windows Server 2003

Publication date: April 24, 2003.

Three years after the first version of Windows Server, There is a second security extensionIt is based on NT technology and refers to version 5.2 of the NT kernel.

Main Features:

• The main server functions it performs are: web and web application server, file and print server, mail server, directory server, DN domain system, DHCP server, remote access server/virtual private network (VPN), server of streaming, etc.
• This version of Windows Server is considered one of the operating systems for Faster and safer servers. This is because it offers a high reliability, availability and scalability, in addition to protecting business information.
• It offers excellent value for money, especially when combined with other Microsoft products such as software and hardware, which allows you to get the most out of it to its investment in infrastructure.
• It is about providing tools that allow you to deploy, manage and operate your network infrastructure to obtain Best performance with flexible tools, automated tasks and much more.

Windows Server 2008

Publication date: February 04, 2008.

Five years after the 2003 release, a new version of Windows Server was released that had a lot in common with Windows VistaThis was mainly due to the fact that both systems used parts of Microsoft's code. Given this, this version, due to its features, can radically change the way the operating system is used.

Main Features:

• Includes a new recovery process of NTFS which runs in the background and retrieves the corrupt files with great efficiency. It has also allowed concurrent user sessions, reducing latency in the Services of Bus Terminal.
• There have been many improvements in the overall performance of Windows Server virtualization. Now It is a transcendental technology in data centers.
• Windows Server 2008 optimized the platform for web applications and provided 30-40 times faster access to media servers.
• He did a great job of protection against the malware while loading the drivers into memory.
• This is the older version that had more numbers available:
  • Windows Server 2008 Standard Edition (x86 and x86-64).
  • Windows Server 2008 R2 All Editions (64-bit only).
  • Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Edition (x86 and x86-64).
  • Windows Server 2008 Datacenter Edition (x86 and x86-64).
  • Windows HPC Server 2008 (replaces Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003).
  • Windows Web Server 2008 (x86 and x86-64).
  • Windows Storage Server 2008 (x86 and x86-64).
  • Windows Small Business Server 2008 (codenamed “Cougar”) (x86-64) for small businesses.
  • Windows Essential Business Server 2008 (codenamed "Center") (x86-64) for midsize businesses.
  • Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-based Systems.
  • Windows Server 2008 Foundation Server.

Windows Server 2008 R2

Publication date: November 12, 2008.

This version was released later as an enhanced version of Windows Server 2008 and is one of the most significant developments in the IT industry. Windows Server 2008 R2 is the first 64-bit operating system introduced by Microsoft.

It is worth noting that although development on the game ended on September 16 of that same year, it was not officially released until November 12.

Main Features:

• It is the server version of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system.
• One of the most noticeable improvements is the addition of several new virtualization features, such as live migration and cluster shared volumes.
• Includes lower energy consumption, new Active Directory features such as a container for remote AD objects, a new set of management tools, and a new version of ISS (7.5) that adds an enhanced FTP server.
• In this version of Windows Server, the number of processor cores has been increased from 64 to 256.
• Performance has improved noticeably in this release and has been a major area of ​​development. Microsoft has done a good job of reducing the Boot and improving I/O performance and storage.

Windows Essential Business Server

Publication date: September 16, 2008.

This is the version Designed for medium-sized businesses, thanks to its ideal features for easy management. Since it supports up to 300 users and/or devices. However, it was discontinued in 2010, on June 30th to be exact.

Main Features:

• It is characterized by Offer a single management console and Management through which all managed clients and servers can be monitored and followed.
• This service also includes Microsoft Remote Web Workplace. This is a web-based remote workstation that allows users to more easily access their devices when they are away from email, for example.
• It has a plug-and-play functionality allowing users to easily configure security-optimized remote access to their desktops.
• It is built on Windows Server 2008 code and It has two editions: Standard and Premium.

Windows Small Business Server

Publication date: 2011.

As the name suggests, this Microsoft operating system is designed for small businesses. For this reason, it provides them with specific solutions, such as the remote web workplace, and offers them significant advantages.

Main Features:

• Among the most obvious advantages are integrated configuration management, improving supervision and qualified remote access to access files from anywhere.
• It is also known as Windows SBS and is available in two versions, Windows SBS 2011 Essentials, and Windows SBS 2011 Standard. These are based on the 2 R2008 release.
• Provides automatic backup of company data and has very simple recovery functions. This way, you can protect yourself from the loss of business information.
• It has excellent business features with high quality and performance. With email functions, intranet, Internet access and print file sharing.
• Provides the tools you need to easily organize all your information.

Windows Server 2012

Available on September 04, 2012.

It is mainly about a server version of Windows 8 and of course the official successor to Windows Server 2008 R2. It should also be noted that the main goal was to gain subscribers.

Main Features:

• It has a feature called Active Directory Federation Services that allows you to configure AD FS to authenticate users stored outside of AD.
• Provides Windows Server Antimalware, which is installed and activated by default without a graphical user interface.
• One of its main features is soft reset. It can speed up the boot process, skip hardware initialization and restart the software by itself.
• Provides remote desktop services compatible with OpenGL 4.4 and OpenCL 1.1, which improves performance and stability.

Windows Server 2019.

Publication date: October 02, 2018 was the first publication.

Three years later, The latest version of Windows Server has been released, based on Server 2016. It stands out because it offers companies a hybrid environment that allows both the public cloud and local environments.

Main Features:

• There are only two versions: Standard and Datacenter. Datacenter offers more and better features (such as SMB Direct and others not available in the Standard version).
• The Windows Server 2019 installer gives you the option to install in Core mode (or minimal user interface) for remote management, or in Desktop mode (or full user interface) for local management.
• Provides advanced security layered with data center protection inside the operating system.
• Simplify cloud application development and modernizes traditional applications with microservices and containers.
• It incorporates an unprecedented hyperconverged infrastructure for more effective and reliable protection.

You can also read: How to fix Windows Update error 0x80080005 in Windows 10