One of the hottest debates in the Windows community today revolves around a simple question: Are you ready to upgrade from Windows Server 2019 to 2022, or is sticking with the tried-and-true 2019 version still the best play for your business? While both servers pack a serious punch when it comes to security, performance, and cloud integration, the decision ultimately hinges on a few critical factors—security enhancements, advanced cloud management, virtualization improvements, container management features, life cycle support, and of course, your choice of VPS provider.
• Hardware Root-of-Trust ensures integrity at the lowest level, using TPM 2.0 to keep hardware threats in check.
• Firmware Protection with Secured-Core Server staves off firmware-level intrusions and low-level attacks.
• Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) work together to isolate and shield sensitive data.
• Enhanced defaults, including TLS 1.3 and DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), improve encryption in motion and protect DNS requests from malicious interception.
These new layers of protection make Windows Server 2022 highly attractive for organizations that prioritize comprehensive defense against the ever-evolving threat landscape. While Windows Server 2019 undoubtedly delivers respectable security for many setups, the additional safeguards in 2022 are a compelling reason to consider upgrading.
• Integration with Azure Arc offers a unified management experience, simplifying the way you monitor, configure, and secure your environments across on-premises and cloud instances.
• Azure Automanage in Windows Server 2022 automates routine management tasks, reducing the need for manual intervention and thereby minimizing human error.
• Enhanced tools like the improved Storage Migration Service make moving data between on-premises and cloud environments more efficient than ever.
This evolution isn’t just about ease-of-use—it's also a signal of where modern IT is headed. As cloud, hybrid, and edge computing continue to shape the landscape, businesses that invest in robust cloud management tools stand to gain significant productivity and security benefits.
• Automatic Windows Admin Center updates ensure you’re always running the latest version, complete with bug fixes and new insights.
• Automated extension lifecycle management means less time manually installing or updating add-ons, and more time focusing on what matters.
• The introduction of an Event Workspace and Detachable Events Overview Screen streamlines monitoring by grouping real-time data in a way that’s both actionable and visually intuitive.
• Customizable virtual machine information columns improve the granularity of insights, helping admins tweak settings for optimum performance.
For administrators, these new features translate into a simpler, more robust management experience that scales with the demands of modern data centers.
• Nested Virtualization now enables you to run virtual machines within virtual machines—a boon for testing scenarios, lab environments, and development pipelines that require a multi-layered approach.
• Performance enhancements such as better NUMA support, optimized memory usage, and quicker checkpointing keep the virtual environment running efficiently under heavy loads.
• Hyper-V in 2022 also introduces Secure Boot for Linux VMs, ensuring that even non-Windows virtual machines benefit from stringent boot security measures.
These advancements empower businesses to experiment and scale their virtual environments with less friction, ensuring that performance and security walk hand in hand.
• A reduction in container image size by up to 40% means faster start-up times and less overhead, which is critical in high-demand scenarios.
• New support for gMSA (Group Managed Service Accounts) without the need to join a domain makes deploying containers simpler and more secure.
• Enhanced support for MSDTC (Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator) and MSMQ (Microsoft Message Queuing) allows for more versatile application architectures.
• DirectX hardware acceleration support unlocks creative new possibilities for Machine Learning scenarios, while an improved Kubernetes experience with HostProcess containers ushers in a more efficient deployment model.
By addressing some of the key pain points in containerized environments, Windows Server 2022 gives organizations the agility and efficiency they need to modernize their app deployments.
• Windows Server 2019, released in 2018, enjoys extended support until 2029, ensuring that your systems receive crucial security updates well into the future.
• Windows Server 2022, while newer, extends its life cycle even further—with mainstream support running until 2026 and extended support trailing until 2031.
From a long-term perspective, organizations anticipating growth or the need for new features might find the extended support and longer roadmap of Windows Server 2022 to be a more secure investment.
Consider staying with Windows Server 2019 if:
• Your current infrastructure is stable, and the features offered meet all your business requirements.
• Budget constraints make an upgrade cost-prohibitive at the moment, especially when 2019 remains fully supported until 2029.
• Your applications and services are finely tuned to an environment that doesn’t demand the expanded features of 2022.
On the flip side, upgrading to Windows Server 2022 could be the strategic move if:
• Security is a paramount concern—advanced features like Shielded VMs and Secured-core capabilities provide critical peace of mind.
• Your organization is expanding, and higher scalability with improved virtualization and container management is required.
• You need better integration with Microsoft cloud services, such as Azure Arc and Azure Automanage, to streamline operations.
• Future-proofing your IT infrastructure with longer support lifecycles and modernized management tools is a priority.
Ultimately, the decision hinges on striking the right balance between stability and modernization. The technical advancements in Windows Server 2022 certainly offer compelling reasons for forward-thinking companies to consider the upgrade.
A powerful VPS gives your chosen Windows Server version the dedicated resources required to operate at peak performance, ensuring that enhancements in security, speed, and management aren’t undermined by hardware or connectivity issues.
However, if your current infrastructure is running smoothly, your workloads are stable, and the cost-benefit balance leans toward avoiding the complexities of an upgrade, Windows Server 2019 remains a reliable workhorse.
In the end, the decision is highly contextual. Weighing the advanced offerings of Windows Server 2022 against the proven stability of Windows Server 2019—and ensuring you’re backed by a dependable VPS provider—will help you chart the optimal path forward for your business’s IT future.
Source: Business News This Week Windows Server 2019 vs 2022: Should You Upgrade or Stay?
Security First: More Layers, More Protection
Security is always a top priority when running server infrastructure. Windows Server 2019 takes a solid approach with features like ATP for threat detection, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) for safeguarding networks, and BitLocker encryption to secure critical data. However, Windows Server 2022 pushes the envelope further with a multi-layered security framework:• Hardware Root-of-Trust ensures integrity at the lowest level, using TPM 2.0 to keep hardware threats in check.
• Firmware Protection with Secured-Core Server staves off firmware-level intrusions and low-level attacks.
• Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) and Hypervisor-Protected Code Integrity (HVCI) work together to isolate and shield sensitive data.
• Enhanced defaults, including TLS 1.3 and DNS-over-HTTPS (DoH), improve encryption in motion and protect DNS requests from malicious interception.
These new layers of protection make Windows Server 2022 highly attractive for organizations that prioritize comprehensive defense against the ever-evolving threat landscape. While Windows Server 2019 undoubtedly delivers respectable security for many setups, the additional safeguards in 2022 are a compelling reason to consider upgrading.
Cloud Management: Bridging Local and Azure Seamlessly
The move toward cloud integration is unmistakable across the industry, and Microsoft has been steadily enhancing its hybrid capabilities. Windows Server 2019 marked the beginning of this transformation with initial support for Hybrid Cloud and the early days of integration with Microsoft’s cloud services. However, if you’re looking to streamline server management even further, Windows Server 2022 takes cloud connectivity to the next level:• Integration with Azure Arc offers a unified management experience, simplifying the way you monitor, configure, and secure your environments across on-premises and cloud instances.
• Azure Automanage in Windows Server 2022 automates routine management tasks, reducing the need for manual intervention and thereby minimizing human error.
• Enhanced tools like the improved Storage Migration Service make moving data between on-premises and cloud environments more efficient than ever.
This evolution isn’t just about ease-of-use—it's also a signal of where modern IT is headed. As cloud, hybrid, and edge computing continue to shape the landscape, businesses that invest in robust cloud management tools stand to gain significant productivity and security benefits.
Windows Admin Center: A New Level of Management Magic
The Windows Admin Center is a trusted ally for administrators managing both Windows Server 2019 and 2022. However, the newest iteration in Windows Server 2022 is packed with features designed for proactive management and seamless operations:• Automatic Windows Admin Center updates ensure you’re always running the latest version, complete with bug fixes and new insights.
• Automated extension lifecycle management means less time manually installing or updating add-ons, and more time focusing on what matters.
• The introduction of an Event Workspace and Detachable Events Overview Screen streamlines monitoring by grouping real-time data in a way that’s both actionable and visually intuitive.
• Customizable virtual machine information columns improve the granularity of insights, helping admins tweak settings for optimum performance.
For administrators, these new features translate into a simpler, more robust management experience that scales with the demands of modern data centers.
Hyper-V and Virtualization: A Leap Forward in Flexibility and Performance
Virtualization has always been a cornerstone of Windows Server functionality. In this realm, Windows Server 2019 set a solid foundation with dynamic memory allocation, robust integration with host systems, and reliable virtual machine replication. But if virtualization improvements are on your wish list, Windows Server 2022 offers notable enhancements:• Nested Virtualization now enables you to run virtual machines within virtual machines—a boon for testing scenarios, lab environments, and development pipelines that require a multi-layered approach.
• Performance enhancements such as better NUMA support, optimized memory usage, and quicker checkpointing keep the virtual environment running efficiently under heavy loads.
• Hyper-V in 2022 also introduces Secure Boot for Linux VMs, ensuring that even non-Windows virtual machines benefit from stringent boot security measures.
These advancements empower businesses to experiment and scale their virtual environments with less friction, ensuring that performance and security walk hand in hand.
Container Management: Refining Isolation and Efficiency
Containers continue to redefine how we deploy and manage applications. While Windows Server 2019 brought support for Windows Containers, Docker integration, and Kubernetes to the table, Windows Server 2022 significantly refines container management:• A reduction in container image size by up to 40% means faster start-up times and less overhead, which is critical in high-demand scenarios.
• New support for gMSA (Group Managed Service Accounts) without the need to join a domain makes deploying containers simpler and more secure.
• Enhanced support for MSDTC (Microsoft Distributed Transaction Coordinator) and MSMQ (Microsoft Message Queuing) allows for more versatile application architectures.
• DirectX hardware acceleration support unlocks creative new possibilities for Machine Learning scenarios, while an improved Kubernetes experience with HostProcess containers ushers in a more efficient deployment model.
By addressing some of the key pain points in containerized environments, Windows Server 2022 gives organizations the agility and efficiency they need to modernize their app deployments.
Life Cycle Support: Planning for the Long Haul
One of the many considerations in choosing between server versions is the product life cycle. For many organizations running stable applications where changes can bring disruptions, the longevity of support becomes a critical factor:• Windows Server 2019, released in 2018, enjoys extended support until 2029, ensuring that your systems receive crucial security updates well into the future.
• Windows Server 2022, while newer, extends its life cycle even further—with mainstream support running until 2026 and extended support trailing until 2031.
From a long-term perspective, organizations anticipating growth or the need for new features might find the extended support and longer roadmap of Windows Server 2022 to be a more secure investment.
To Upgrade or Not: Making the Decision
The decision to upgrade from Windows Server 2019 to 2022 isn’t purely about technical specs—it’s about aligning your IT strategy with your organization’s evolving needs:Consider staying with Windows Server 2019 if:
• Your current infrastructure is stable, and the features offered meet all your business requirements.
• Budget constraints make an upgrade cost-prohibitive at the moment, especially when 2019 remains fully supported until 2029.
• Your applications and services are finely tuned to an environment that doesn’t demand the expanded features of 2022.
On the flip side, upgrading to Windows Server 2022 could be the strategic move if:
• Security is a paramount concern—advanced features like Shielded VMs and Secured-core capabilities provide critical peace of mind.
• Your organization is expanding, and higher scalability with improved virtualization and container management is required.
• You need better integration with Microsoft cloud services, such as Azure Arc and Azure Automanage, to streamline operations.
• Future-proofing your IT infrastructure with longer support lifecycles and modernized management tools is a priority.
Ultimately, the decision hinges on striking the right balance between stability and modernization. The technical advancements in Windows Server 2022 certainly offer compelling reasons for forward-thinking companies to consider the upgrade.
The Importance of a Reliable VPS Provider
It’s worth noting that no matter how impressive your server’s operating system is, performance is also deeply tied to the quality of your VPS provider. An unreliable provider can throttle even the most advanced server’s potential. Pairing either Windows Server 2019 or 2022 with a robust, trusted provider—such as OperaVPS Services, as highlighted by industry experts—can make all the difference when it comes to achieving optimal security, performance, and scalability.A powerful VPS gives your chosen Windows Server version the dedicated resources required to operate at peak performance, ensuring that enhancements in security, speed, and management aren’t undermined by hardware or connectivity issues.
Conclusion: Charting the Path Forward
Both Windows Server 2019 and 2022 have their merits, but the key differences lie in the enhanced security, wider cloud management capabilities, virtualization improvements, and container management innovations found in Windows Server 2022. For organizations that operate in a dynamic, rapidly evolving digital landscape—or those simply wanting to future-proof their IT infrastructure—the advanced features and extended support roadmap make a strong case for upgrading.However, if your current infrastructure is running smoothly, your workloads are stable, and the cost-benefit balance leans toward avoiding the complexities of an upgrade, Windows Server 2019 remains a reliable workhorse.
In the end, the decision is highly contextual. Weighing the advanced offerings of Windows Server 2022 against the proven stability of Windows Server 2019—and ensuring you’re backed by a dependable VPS provider—will help you chart the optimal path forward for your business’s IT future.
Source: Business News This Week Windows Server 2019 vs 2022: Should You Upgrade or Stay?
