Windows

Windows Server Basics

Windows Server is Microsoft's server operating system: the foundation for domain controllers, file servers, web servers, and almost every other Microsoft infrastructure role. This page gets you oriented before you start adding roles like Active Directory, DNS, or IIS.

Tested on

Windows Server 2022 (Standard, build 20348). Notes for Windows Server 2019 are called out where behaviour differs. Most concepts also apply to Server 2016 and the newer Server 2025.

What is Windows Server?

Windows Server shares its kernel and much of its code with desktop Windows (Windows 10/11), but it is tuned and licensed for server workloads rather than end-user desktops. Key differences:

Area	Desktop Windows (10/11)	Windows Server
Purpose	Single interactive user, apps, gaming	Multi-user services, infrastructure roles
Roles	None	AD DS, DNS, DHCP, IIS, Hyper-V, File Services…
Default services	Consumer apps, Store, Cortana	Stripped down; you add what you need
Connections	~20 inbound SMB sessions	Hundreds/thousands; scales with hardware
Hardware limits	Capped RAM/CPU	Very high RAM, many CPU sockets/cores
Management	Settings app	Server Manager, MMC, PowerShell, RSAT
Updates	Forced consumer cadence	Controlled; you decide when to patch

The practical takeaway: Windows Server starts lean and you build it up by installing roles and features.

Editions and licensing (high level)

Windows Server 2022 ships in two mainstream editions:

• Standard — for physical or lightly virtualised servers. Each license covers up to two Windows Server virtual machines (OSEs) on the licensed host.
• Datacenter — for highly virtualised / private-cloud hosts. Includes unlimited Windows Server VMs on the licensed host, plus features like Storage Spaces Direct and Software-Defined Networking.

Licensing model

Since Server 2016, Windows Server is licensed per physical core, not per socket. You must license all physical cores in the server (minimum 16 cores per server, minimum 8 cores per processor), sold in 2-core packs. Separately, Client Access Licenses (CALs) are required for users or devices that connect to the server — a User CAL or Device CAL, plus extra CALs for some roles (e.g. RDS). This is a high-level summary; always confirm current terms with your licensing reseller.

There is also a smaller Essentials edition for very small businesses (single server, limited users) — useful to know it exists, but Standard/Datacenter are what you will meet in most environments.

Server Core vs Desktop Experience

At install time you choose one of two installation options:

• Server with Desktop Experience — the full GUI: desktop, Explorer, Server Manager, MMC consoles. Familiar and easy to learn on.
• Server Core — no desktop shell, no Explorer, no Server Manager GUI. You get a command prompt, PowerShell, and sconfig. You manage it remotely.

Choose your installation option:
  [ ] Windows Server 2022 Standard               (Server Core)
  [x] Windows Server 2022 Standard (Desktop Experience)
  [ ] Windows Server 2022 Datacenter             (Server Core)
  [ ] Windows Server 2022 Datacenter (Desktop Experience)

Why Server Core is preferred for production

• Smaller attack surface — no browser, no Explorer, far fewer binaries to patch, so fewer vulnerabilities and fewer reboots.
• Less disk and RAM overhead, leaving more for workloads.
• More stable — fewer components means fewer things to break.

The trade-off is that you administer it remotely (RSAT, PowerShell remoting, Windows Admin Center) rather than logging in to a GUI. For learning, use Desktop Experience; for hardened production roles, prefer Core.

You cannot switch freely

On Server 2022 you cannot convert between Server Core and Desktop Experience after installation (this conversion was only supported on Server 2016). Choose deliberately, or reinstall.

Installation overview

1. Boot the server (or VM) from the Windows Server ISO.
2. Pick language/keyboard, then Install Now.
3. Choose the edition and the Server Core vs Desktop Experience option.
4. Accept the license terms, then choose Custom: Install Windows only.
5. Select/partition the target disk and let it copy files and reboot.
6. Set the built-in Administrator password at first logon.

In a VM (Hyper-V, VMware, Proxmox/KVM) the steps are identical — just attach the ISO to the virtual machine's optical drive and boot.

Initial configuration

After first logon, complete a handful of essentials. On Server Core (and a quick menu on Desktop Experience) the fastest tool is sconfig:

sconfig

===============================================================================
                         Server Configuration
===============================================================================
1) Domain/Workgroup:        Workgroup:  WORKGROUP
2) Computer Name:           WIN-A1B2C3D4
3) Add Local Administrator
4) Configure Remote Management            Enabled
5) Windows Update Settings:               Manual
6) Download and Install Updates
7) Remote Desktop:                        Disabled
8) Network Settings
9) Date and Time
...

You can do everything sconfig does in PowerShell too:

# Rename the computer (then reboot)
Rename-Computer -NewName "DC01" -Restart

# Set the time zone
Set-TimeZone -Id "India Standard Time"        # see Get-TimeZone -ListAvailable

# Set a static IPv4 address (find the interface with Get-NetAdapter)
New-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" `
  -IPAddress 192.168.10.10 -PrefixLength 24 -DefaultGateway 192.168.10.1

# Set DNS servers
Set-DnsClientServerAddress -InterfaceAlias "Ethernet" `
  -ServerAddresses 192.168.10.10,1.1.1.1

# Install pending updates (requires the PSWindowsUpdate module) or use sconfig 6

Always set a static IP on infrastructure servers

Domain controllers, DNS, and DHCP servers should have static IP addresses. A DC that changes IP via DHCP will break name resolution for the whole domain.

Server Manager, roles, and features

On Desktop Experience, Server Manager launches at logon. It is the central dashboard for the local server and any remote servers you add. From here you run Add Roles and Features.

Understand the distinction:

• A role is a primary function the server provides to the network — e.g. Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), DNS Server, DHCP Server, Web Server (IIS), Hyper-V, File and Storage Services.
• A feature is a supporting capability that augments roles or the OS — e.g. .NET Framework, Failover Clustering, Windows Server Backup, Telnet Client, RSAT tools.

To add a role in the GUI: Server Manager → Manage → Add Roles and Features → Role-based or feature-based installation → select the server → tick the role (e.g. Web Server (IIS)) → accept any required dependencies → Install.

The PowerShell equivalent works everywhere, including Server Core:

# List everything that can be installed and its state
Get-WindowsFeature

# Install the IIS web server role with management tools
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server -IncludeManagementTools

# Install the AD DS role (promotion to a DC is a separate step)
Install-WindowsFeature -Name AD-Domain-Services -IncludeManagementTools

# Remove a role
Uninstall-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server

See Active Directory Domain Services for promoting a server to a domain controller after the AD DS role is installed, and IIS Web Server for the web role.

Remote management

Production servers are usually managed without sitting at the console:

• RDP (Remote Desktop) — full graphical session. Enable with sconfig option 7, the System properties dialog, or PowerShell:

  Set-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server' `
    -Name fDenyTSConnections -Value 0
  Enable-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup "Remote Desktop"
  

• RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) — install the management consoles (Server Manager, ADUC, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy) on a Windows 10/11 workstation and administer servers remotely, including Server Core boxes.

• WinRM / PowerShell remoting — the scripting backbone. WinRM is enabled by default on Windows Server. Open an interactive remote session:

  # One interactive session
  Enter-PSSession -ComputerName DC01 -Credential (Get-Credential)
  
  # Run a command on many servers at once
  Invoke-Command -ComputerName WEB01,WEB02 -ScriptBlock { Get-Service W3SVC }
  
  # If WinRM is off, enable it locally
  Enable-PSRemoting -Force
  

• Windows Admin Center — a modern browser-based console that ties RDP-like, PowerShell, and role management together; great for managing Server Core.

Starter PowerShell commands

# Full system inventory: OS version, hardware, hotfixes, domain, uptime
Get-ComputerInfo

# Just OS name and version
Get-ComputerInfo -Property OsName,OsVersion,WindowsProductName

# Hostname, logged-on user, and current time/zone
hostname
whoami
Get-Date; Get-TimeZone

# Network configuration
Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4
Get-NetAdapter

# Services and their state
Get-Service | Where-Object Status -eq 'Running'

# Add a role (see "roles vs features" above)
Install-WindowsFeature -Name DNS -IncludeManagementTools

PowerShell is the common thread

Every task above has a PowerShell cmdlet, which is why PowerShell Basics is worth learning early — it is the only practical way to manage Server Core and to automate repetitive work across many servers.

Verify your work

# Confirm the computer name and (later) domain membership
Get-ComputerInfo -Property CsName,CsDomain,CsDomainRole

# Confirm your static IP and DNS are applied
Get-NetIPAddress -AddressFamily IPv4 | Format-Table InterfaceAlias,IPAddress,PrefixLength
Get-DnsClientServerAddress -AddressFamily IPv4

# Confirm a role you installed is present
Get-WindowsFeature -Name Web-Server | Format-Table Name,InstallState

# Confirm remoting works (should print the remote hostname)
Invoke-Command -ComputerName localhost -ScriptBlock { hostname }

Expected results: the hostname matches what you set, CsDomainRole reflects workgroup or domain member, your static IP/DNS appear, and the role shows Installed.

Summary

• Windows Server shares Windows' kernel but is built and licensed for infrastructure roles, scale, and controlled patching — not desktop use.
• Editions: Standard (up to 2 VMs) and Datacenter (unlimited VMs); licensed per core plus CALs for connecting users/devices.
• Server Core is leaner and more secure than Desktop Experience but is managed remotely; you cannot convert between them on Server 2022.
• Initial setup (name, static IP, time zone, updates, remote management) is done via sconfig or PowerShell.
• Server Manager adds roles (AD DS, DNS, IIS…) and features (RSAT, Backup…); Install-WindowsFeature does the same from the command line.
• Manage servers remotely with RDP, RSAT, WinRM/PowerShell remoting (Enter-PSSession), or Windows Admin Center.

Next: turn a server into the heart of your network with Active Directory Domain Services, or explore DNS and DHCP on Windows, Group Policy, File Sharing and Permissions, and PowerShell Basics. For contrast, see the Linux track.

Test yourself