Microsoft Windows Server 2016 Datacenter

Windows Server 2016 Datacenter: server operating system for highly virtualised environments

Windows Server 2016 Datacenter is the edition of the Windows Server 2016 generation for Hyper-V hosts with many virtual servers and for software-defined datacentres. With fully licensed processor cores, any number of virtual machines running Windows Server may run on the server. In addition, there are features that Microsoft reserves for the Datacenter edition: Storage Spaces Direct, Storage Replica, shielded virtual machines and Network Controller. The edition is suitable for existing environments based on Windows Server 2016 and for applications that require this version.

Licensing and virtualisation rights

Microsoft licenses Windows Server 2016 Datacenter by physical processor cores. All cores of the server are licensed, with a minimum of 8 cores per processor and 16 cores per server. The physical operating system environment and any number of virtual machines may then be operated on this server. With Automatic Virtual Machine Activation (AVMA), Windows Server VMs on a Hyper-V host activated with Datacenter are activated via the host.

For access to the server, every user or device requires a Windows Server CAL, unless the Microsoft Product Terms provide for an exception. For Remote Desktop sessions, an RDS CAL per user or device is also required. Neither access licence is part of this offer.

Features of the Datacenter edition

Storage Spaces Direct combines the internal drives of 2 to 16 servers in a cluster into a software-defined storage pool that serves as shared storage for converged and hyperconverged infrastructures. Storage Replica replicates volumes between servers or clusters and is used for disaster recovery, for example for a second site. In Windows Server 2016, this feature is reserved for the Datacenter edition.

Support for shielded virtual machines requires hosts with Windows Server 2016 Datacenter, because the Host Guardian Hyper-V Support feature is only available in the Datacenter edition. Shielded VMs run exclusively on guarded hosts whose health has been attested by the Host Guardian Service. With Network Controller, virtual networks can be managed in a software-defined manner. The other roles of Windows Server 2016, including Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Hyper-V and Failover Clustering, are also included.

Buy Windows Server 2016 Datacenter: licence and scope of delivery

You receive a product key to activate Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. You select the number of core licences in the product version when ordering; how many cores must be licensed depends on Microsoft's requirements described above. Windows Server 2016 is installed exclusively as a 64-bit version. The scope of delivery includes:

• the product key for Windows Server 2016 Datacenter
• the download link for the installation file (all downloads are also available under Software Download)
• instructions for installation and activation (see also Guides and FAQ)
• the invoice with VAT shown separately

Once your payment has been received, your product key is displayed directly on the order confirmation page and also sent to you by email. After that, you can retrieve it again at any time: with a customer account under My Product Codes, without a customer account via the Guest Portal.

If you have any questions about installation or activation, our Support team is available around the clock by email. For several servers and larger environments, there are offers for businesses, schools and public authorities in the B2B Area. You will find further editions and access licences in the category Windows Server and under Operating Systems.

System requirements

Minimum requirements according to Microsoft for the Server Core and Server with Desktop Experience installation options. Storage Spaces Direct additionally requires servers approved by Microsoft with directly attached SATA, SAS or NVMe drives or persistent memory.