Choose a Windows Server edition

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Contoso, Ltd. has its head office in Seattle. Throughout the rest of the world, there are
major regional offices. There are also numerous smaller, branch offices in provincial
cities. As part of the plan to move its compute environment from Windows Server 2016,
a team is determining which editions of Windows Server 2019 should be used in head
office datacenter, and at other regions.

Windows Server 2019 editions

The planning team at Contoso can choose one of the four editions of Windows Server
2019. These editions allow Contoso and other organizations to select a version of
Windows Server 2019 that best meets their needs, rather than pay for features they
don't require. When deploying a server for a specific role, system administrators can
save by selecting the appropriate edition. There are four editions of Windows Server
2019:

 Windows Server 2019 Essentials.

 Windows Server 2019 Standard.
 Windows Server 2019 Datacenter.
 Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2019.

Each edition supports unique features. The following table describes the Windows
Server 2019 editions:

WINDOWS SERVER
Edition Description
Windows Server Similar to its predecessor, Windows Server 2019 Essentials edition is for small businesses. T
2019 Essentials up to 25 users and 50 devices. Users don't need Client Access Licenses (CALS) to connect t
can't increase the 25-user limit. It supports two processor cores and up to 64 gigabytes (GB)
memory (RAM). It includes added support for Microsoft Azure Active Directory (Azure AD
Connect. If configured as a domain controller, it must be the only domain controller, must ru
Master Operations (FSMO) roles, and can't have two-way trusts with other Active Directory
recommends that small businesses move to Microsoft 365 instead of deploying Windows Se
The Windows Server Essentials Experience role has been deprecated from Windows Server
Windows Server Windows Server 2019 Standard edition is for physical server environments with little or no
2019 Standard supplies most of the roles and features available for the Windows Server operating system. T
edition up to 64 sockets and up to 4 terabytes (TB) of RAM. It includes licenses for up to two VMs
 WINDOWS SERVER
Edition Description
Server. You can run two VMs on one physical host by using one standard license if the phys
for hosting and managing the VMs. If the physical host is used to run other services such as
run one VM by using a standard license.
Windows Server Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition is for highly virtualized infrastructures, including
2019 Datacenter hybrid cloud environments. It supplies all the roles and features available for the Windows S
edition system. This edition supports up to 64 sockets, up to 640 processor cores, and up to 4 TB of
unlimited VM licenses based on Windows Server for VMs that run on the same hardware. I
features such as Storage Spaces Direct and Storage Replica, along with Shielded VMs and f
defined datacenter scenarios.
Hyper-V Server Acts as a standalone virtualization server for VMs, including all the new features around vir
2019 Windows Server. The host operating system has no licensing cost, but you must license VM
edition supports up to 64 sockets and up to 4 TB of RAM. It supports domain joining, but it
Windows Server roles other than limited file service features. This edition has no GUI but d
displays a menu of configuration tasks. You can manage this edition remotely by using remo
tools.

Select a servicing channel

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Servicing channels allow you to choose if new features and functionality are delivered regularly
during the production lifespan of the server, or if you will choose when to move to a new server
version. Windows Server supports two release channels, Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)
and the Semi-Annual Channel (SAC).

Long-Term Servicing Channel

Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) dictates that a major version of Windows Server will
release every two or three years. This includes five years of mainstream support and five years of
extended support from the release date. Normal security updates and Windows updates continue
to deliver on a regular basis as in the past, but without new features or functionality. LTSC
releases do get some new feature functionality. For example, Storage Migration Services is
available on Windows Server 2019 and includes updates for workloads such as migrating Linux
NAS appliances.

LTSC is the traditional "numbered" version of Windows Server. Windows Server 2016 and
Windows Server 2019 are LTSC releases.

 Tip
For most server requirements, the LTSC will be the best choice.

Semi-Annual Channel
SAC only releases as Server Core or Nano Server container images, so it's restricted in the roles
and features that you can install. New features are delivered semi-annually, once in the second
quarter and once in the fourth quarter. SAC is limited to software assurance and cloud customers.

 Note

These releases are supported for 18 months from the initial date of release.

Normal security updates and Windows updates will continue to be delivered on a regular basis.

 Note

Features that are included in SAC are rolled up and delivered to the LTSC on the next major
release.

You can identify SAC releases by their version number, which until recently was a combination
of the year and month of the features' release. For example, version 1903 means the feature was
released in the third month of 2019. However, now SAC releases are numbered by year and in
which half of the year. So, 20H2 indicates the second release of 2020, while 21H1 would
indicate the first update of 2021.

SAC releases will always be a clean installation. SAC implies you have a CI/CD type pipeline
where you'd just deploy the newer operating-system image in the same way that you'd deploy a
new container when the base container image got updates.

 Important

You can't do an in-place upgrade from an LTSC release to a SAC release.

Choosing a servicing channel

LTSC is recommended for:

 General purpose file servers.

 Microsoft and non-Microsoft workloads.
 Traditional apps.
 Infrastructure roles.
 Software-defined Datacenter.
 Hyper-converged infrastructure.
Semi-Annual Channel is recommended for:

 Containerized applications.
 Container hosts.
 Application scenarios benefiting from adaption of new features.

License and activate Windows Server

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As part of planning your server upgrade and migration process, Contoso should also consider
how they will manage operating system licensing and activation. Their choice of activation
model will be based on the characteristics of their environment.

There are certain licensing characteristics based on the Windows Server edition you decide to
deploy. These are discussed in the following table.

LICENSE AND ACTIVATE WIN

Windows Server Licensing characteristics
2019 edition
Windows Server Licensing for Windows Server Essentials is per server. It includes Client Access Licenses fo
Essentials limited to 2 sockets. You can't purchase licensing for more than this limit.
Windows Server The licensing model for Windows Server Standard changed with Windows Server 2016 and
Standard the 2019 version. Licensing for Windows Server Standard is now based on the number of co
Windows Server As for Windows Server standard, licensing is based on the number of cores.
Datacenter
 Note

Where they are not included, as with Windows Server Essentials, you must purchase CALs
separately.

Core-based licensing requirements

Each Windows Server has the following minimum license requirement:

 All physical cores must be licensed.

 There must be at least eight core licenses per processor.

This minimum applies to both Datacenter and Standard version. Licenses can be bought in 2-
core packs or 16-core packs. Servers that have more processors require you to obtain more core
licenses. For example, a server with four processors requires at least 32 core licenses because
each processor needs eight core licenses.

 Note

Standard edition includes licensing for two VMs running Windows Server or Hyper-V
containers. If more VMs are added, you must purchase more core licenses.

 Tip

There are special licensing rules for VMs running in failover clusters. Licensing must fully
support all the VMs to run on each host. For example, if you have a two-node failover cluster
with two VMs on each host, then each host must be licensed to support all four VMs potentially
running on a single host.

Client Access Licenses (CALs)

Each authenticated user or device that connects to the server for any purpose must have a Client
Access License (CAL). There are user CALs and device CALs. CALs allow users or devices to
connect to any of the servers in the organization. In a typical organization where each user has an
assigned workstation, it makes sense to buy a user CAL for each user. If your organization has
many shared workstations, it might make more sense to purchase a device CALs.

 Note

Remote desktop connections are not included in user CALs. You need to buy remote desktop
CALs separately.

Windows server activation

There are multiple ways to activate Windows Server. Often, if you buy a server from an original
equipment manufacturer (OEM), it will come with the operating system pre-installed and
activated.

To ensure that your organization has the proper licenses, and to receive notices for product
updates, you must activate every copy of Windows Server that you install. Windows Server
requires that you activate the operating system after installation. This verifies that the products
are licensed and that you receive important update information. There is no activation grace
period. If you don't activate Windows Server, you can't customize your operating system. There
are two general activation strategies:

 Manual activation. This strategy is suitable when you deploy a small number of
servers.
  Automatic activation. This strategy is suitable when you deploy a larger number of
servers.

Manual activation
When you perform a manual activation, you must enter the product key. You can perform
manual activation by using the retail product key or the multiple activation key (MAK). You can
use a retail product key to activate only a single computer. However, a MAK has a set number of
activations that you can use. This allows you to activate multiple computers up to a set activation
limit.

OEM keys are a special type of activation key that a manufacturer receives. OEM keys enable
automatic activation when a computer starts. You typically use this type of activation key with
computers that are running Windows client operating systems, such as Windows 10. You rarely
use OEM keys with computers that are running Windows Server operating systems.

Automatic activation
Performing activation manually in large-scale server deployments can be cumbersome.
Microsoft supplies an option to automatically activate a large number of computers without
having to enter product keys manually on each system.

There are several technologies available that you can use to automate activating Windows Server
licenses:

 Key Management Services (KMS). This is a service that helps you activate licenses
on systems within your network from a server where a KMS host has been
installed. The KMS host completes the activation process instead of individual
computers connecting to Microsoft to complete activation.
 Volume Activation Services server role. This server role helps you to automate
issuing and managing Microsoft software volume licenses. Volume Activation
Services allows you to install and configure KMS and Active Directory-Based
Activation. KMS requires activating at least 5 servers and 25 clients.
 Active Directory-Based Activation. This is a service that lets you use Active
Directory Domain Services (AD DS) to store activation objects. A computer
running Windows Server or client automatically contacts AD DS to receive an
activation object, without the need to contact Microsoft.
 Volume Activation Tools console. You use this console to install, activate, and
manage volume license activation keys in AD DS or KMS.
 Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT). This is a no cost tool that you can
use to manage volume activation by using Multiple Activation Keys (MAKs) or to
manage KMS. You can use VAMT to generate license reports and manage client
and server activation on enterprise networks.
  Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA). AVMA lets you activate VMs on
a virtualization server with no product key, even in disconnected environments.
AVMA binds the VM activation to the licensed virtualization server and activates
the VM when it starts up.

Implement automatic virtual machine

activation
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Contoso plans to increase the use of virtualization to optimize their computing environment as
many physical servers are underutilized. In addition, there are plans to expand into additional
sites and use virtualization to help expedite bringing a new site online. Bearing this in mind, it's
important you can determine an appropriate method of licensing and activating these new VMs.

What is Automatic Virtual Machine Activation?

Contoso server admins can implement Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA) to help
manage licensing and activation on new VMs. You can install VMs on a previously activated
Hyper-V host, and use AVMA to manage the product keys for each VM on that host. AVMA
binds the VM activation to the licensed Hyper-V server. When the VMs startup, they are
automatically activated, assuming the host is properly activated.

 Note

AVMA provides reporting on usage in real-time, and historical data on the license state of the
VMs.

On Hyper-V hosts that are activated with Volume Licensing or OEM Licensing, Contoso server
admins can implement AVMA to support the following scenarios:

 Activation of VMs running on Windows Server Datacenter Hyper-V host in the

remote location.
 Activation of VMs potentially without an internet connection.
 Tracking of VM usage and licensing without needing access rights to the VM.

Requirements
Your virtualization host must be running one of the following operating systems:
  Windows Server 2019 Datacenter.
 Windows Server 2016 Datacenter.
 Windows Server 2012 Datacenter R2.

The following table describes the available activation options based on the operating system
installed on the Hyper-V host.

R
Host OS Supported guest OS
Windows Server 2019 Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2016 Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2
Windows Server 2012 R2 Windows Server 2012 R2
 Tip

You can activate all editions: Datacenter, Standard, or Essentials

Implement AVMA
To implement AVMA, use the following procedure:

1. On your activated virtualization host running Windows Server Datacenter edition,

install the Hyper-V Server role.
2. Create the VMs.
3. Install the AVMA key. One method is to use Windows PowerShell. On the VM
using the following PowerShell cmdlet:
PowerShellCopy
slmgr /ipk <AVMA_key>

The VM will now activate.

AVMA keys
The key you use varies depending on operating system version and edition. You can use the
following AVMA keys for Windows Server 2019.

Edition AVMA key

Datacenter H3RNG-8C32Q-Q8FRX-6TDXV-WMBMW
Standard TNK62-RXVTB-4P47B-2D623-4GF74
Essentials 2CTP7-NHT64-BP62M-FV6GG-HFV28
You can use the following AVMA keys for Windows Server, versions 1909, 1903, and 1809.

Edition AVMA key

Datacenter H3RNG-8C32Q-Q8FRX-6TDXV-WMBMW
Standard TNK62-RXVTB-4P47B-2D623-4GF74

You can use the following AVMA keys for Windows Server, version 1803 and 1709.

Edition AVMA key

Datacenter TMJ3Y-NTRTM-FJYXT-T22BY-CWG3J
Standard C3RCX-M6NRP-6CXC9-TW2F2-4RHYD
 Caution

This activation method does not work with other Virtualization Server technologies.

Knowledge check
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Check your knowledge

1. 

How many users and devices does Windows Server 2019 Essentials support?

25 users and 50 devices

50 users and 25 devices
50 users and 50 devices
2. 

Contoso's planning team decides to use Windows Server SAC update servicing. For how
many months after release are feature updates supported?

12 months
18 months
36 months
3. 

Which edition of Windows Server includes licensing for a maximum of two VMs or
Hyper-V containers?

Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition

Windows Server 2019 Standard edition
Windows Server 2019 Essentials edition
Check your answers

Summary
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Contoso IT staff are migrating Contoso on-premises servers to Windows Server 2019. As
part of the migration, you must perform an assessment of the Windows Server editions
and recommend an appropriate edition for Contoso. You must also be able to advise
Contoso IT on how to support and manage servicing, licensing, and activation after
deployment. After completing this module, you can describe the different Windows
Server editions, explain servicing channels, and implement licensing and activation.

Learn more
You can learn more by reviewing the following documents.

 Comparison of Standard and Datacenter editions of Windows Server 2019 .

 Windows Server servicing channels: LTSC and SAC .
 Review and Select Activation Methods.