In this tutorial, we will show you the major differences between the Windows Server 2019 Standard and Datacenter editions.
Windows Server 2019 - Standard vs Datacenter
Introduction
Windows Server operating system was created for those who want to host their website through servers, or on a cloud. This saves them from purchasing expensive resources required to host a website and the servers also run the website on their behalf by addressing and fulfilling the requests of their customers.
The Windows Server 2019 is based on the popular Windows Server 2016, and aims to reduce business risk and enhance security through the multiple layers of security and protection embedded in the operating system. It is different from the previous versions is the way that it is equipped with hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) and Hybrid capabilities with Azure (which provides a number of cloud services like virtual computing, analytics, storage and networking).
The Microsoft Windows Server 2019 is available in 2 editions, standard and datacenter. Choosing the right edition is extremely important so you don’t end up buying something which is either incapable of fulfilling your wants, or has unnecessary features which will add to your costs. For example, if the Standard edition is suitable for you and you buy the Datacenter edition, you will find that many features in Datacenter are actually useless for you and this will unnecessarily increase your costs.
Every business has different needs and budget. You cannot buy an edition just because some other business uses it. You need to know the difference between their needs and yours, and then make your decision. Read on to know the major differences between the Windows Server 2019 Standard and Datacenter editions.
Windows Server 2019 Standard
The Standard edition of Windows Server 2019 is suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, which do not have higher virtualisation needs. This edition allows you to use up to 2 Virtual Machines with 1 Hyper-V host for each license. If you want to add 2 more virtual machines, you have to license all the cores in the server again.
Windows Server 2019 Standard enables you to modernize apps quickly and download them faster, while enhancing the support system. However, this edition allows you to use only Windows containers, but you can use an unlimited number of such containers.
The Standard edition also lacks Host Guardian Hyper-V Support and thus does not ensure that the hoster knows about the Hyper-V hosts. Also, it does not allow you to manage the keys required to start shielded virtual machines.
This Windows Server 2019 Standard Edition is also equipped with a Storage Replica which is limited to 1 partnership and 1 resource group. It allows the customers to replicate a single volume of data up to 2 TB.
You can activate this edition as a guest only if you are hosted on the Datacenter edition. Also, the Standard edition lacks features like Software-defined Networking (which is responsible for enabling you to manage your network efficiently and monitor and improve its performance) and Storage Spaces Direct (responsible for creating highly-available software-defined storage at a lower cost through the use of industry-standard servers along with local-attached drives).
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter
The Windows Server Datacenter edition offers the widest range of capabilities and features without a large number of licensing limitations. It allows you to use an unlimited number of virtual machines, with 1 Hyper-V host for each license.
This edition is suitable for businesses demanding advances storage and virtualisation, and who have more demanding Information technology needs. It allows you to use all types of containers and does not set any limit to the number of containers that you can use.
The Datacenter edition is equipped with unique product features one of which is the Host Guardian Hyper-V Support. This enables you to run trusted software and manage the keys required to start up shielded virtual machines. This also ensures that the enterprise or hoster is aware of the Hyper-V hosts.
The Windows Server 2019 Datacenter edition also has Storage Replica with no limits on the amount of data or number of volumes. This allows you to replicate or back up all your data for disaster recovery, and ensure smooth functioning of your website.
You can activate this edition either as a guest or as a host. This edition also has the feature of Software-defined networking, which allows you to program the network in a centrally-controlled manner. It also enables you to monitor and improve the network holistically, notwithstanding the network technology.
It also uses Storage Spaces Direct, which gives incomparable performance and efficiency when it comes to the storage of data. It uses industry-standard, highly-available servers to store your data in local-attached drives. All this comes at a price cheaper than the traditional NAS or SAN arrays.
Another advantage of the Datacenter edition is that if any server is virtualized in a Datacenter server, its Datacenter host automatically licenses it, provided the guest server and the host are of the same version.
Conclusion
The Windows Server 2019 editions are quite similar in features. The only difference lies in the limits and a few unique product features. While the Standard edition is suitable for minimally virtualized environments, the Datacenter edition is suitable for highly virtualized and cloud-based environments or datacenters.
The Standard edition is ideal for small and medium-sized businesses, who have to deal with their growing needs for Information Technology and better web hosting techniques. However, if you want a highly functional and efficient system to host your website, and you desire a higher degree of virtualisation, and work on a large scale, you should go for the Datacenter edition, which is the most comprehensive server system launched by Microsoft.
After you have chosen the edition, you have to decide whether you want to buy the Server Core or the Desktop Experience. While Desktop Experience contains Graphical User Interface (GUI) and is compatible with a variety of applications, Server Core consumes less RAM, disk space and CPU, and has a smaller attack surface which offers better resistance to cyber-attacks. You should choose the right core, in order to utilise any edition to its fullest extent.
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