Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Datacenter 16 Core
Microsoft Windows Server 2019 Datacenter is the premium edition of the Microsoft server operating system, designed for organizations with significant virtualization needs. Unlike the Standard edition, which limits to 2 virtual machines per license, the Datacenter edition allows an unlimited number of Windows Server virtual machines on the covered physical server, making it the go-to solution for highly virtualized environments and private cloud infrastructures.
This 16-core license edition covers servers with processors totaling up to 16 physical cores and is available as a perpetual digital license — a one-time purchase with no monthly subscription.
Datacenter vs Standard — what’s the difference?
The main distinction between the two editions lies in virtualization: the Standard edition allows 2 VMs per license, while the Datacenter edition imposes no limit. Datacenter also includes exclusive features such as Shielded VMs, Storage Replica (storage replication between servers), and advanced Software-Defined Networking. For environments with a smaller number of virtual machines, Windows Server 2019 Standard 16 Core offers a more cost-effective alternative, available as a digital license on Licence24.ch.
Who is it for?
Windows Server 2019 Datacenter 16 Core is aimed at large organizations, advanced IT teams, and companies managing heavily virtualized infrastructures, private clouds, or environments requiring a high density of virtual machines on a single physical host. It is also the ideal solution for data centers and hosting providers looking to maximize the use of their hardware resources.
ℹ️ Windows Server 2019 CALs are required for each user or device connecting to the server, regardless of the edition. For environments also needing coverage for 24 cores, check out Windows Server 2019 Datacenter 24 Core, available as a digital license on Licence24.ch.
Main features
- Unlimited Windows Server virtual machines per license (exclusive Datacenter benefit)
- Shielded VMs — protection of virtual machines against unauthorized access at the hypervisor level
- Storage Replica — synchronous or asynchronous storage replication between servers or clusters
- Advanced Software-Defined Networking (SDN) for large-scale network virtualization
- Hyper-V with all advanced virtualization features
- High availability with multi-node failover clustering
- Azure integration: hybrid backup, replication, and management via Azure Arc
- Windows Server and Linux containers for modern application deployments
- Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection and BitLocker encryption
Compatibility and requirements
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License model: per core — covers up to 16 physical cores on 1 server
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Virtual machines: unlimited under Windows Server on the covered physical host
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Processor: x64, minimum 1.4 GHz (2 GHz recommended), SSE2 compatible
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RAM: minimum 512 MB (32 GB recommended for virtualized environments)
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Disk space: minimum 32 GB
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Network: Gigabit Ethernet adapter recommended
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⚠️ Windows Server 2019 CALs are required for each user or device connecting to the server
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Microsoft extended support guaranteed until 01/09/2029