We use Windows Servers to manage user logins through Active Directory and facilitate VPN connections, supporting our researchers who are architecturally building on DSP DNS for enhanced security and access control.
Offers flexibility and easy deployment
Pros and Cons
- "I find Windows Server valuable for its flexibility and user-friendly interface."
- "In terms of improvement, performance could be enhanced."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
I find Windows Server valuable for its flexibility and user-friendly interface.
What needs improvement?
In terms of improvement, performance could be enhanced.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for 13 years.
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have not had any issues with the scalability of Windows Server.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In large-scale environments with numerous simultaneous logins, Windows Server may not match the performance power of Linux. Linux tends to excel in handling extensive user loads, while Windows Server remains user-friendly for various tasks.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite straightforward and the deployment only takes about 30 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
We handled the deployment in-house without the need for a consultant or integrator. We manage it ourselves, and our subscription with Microsoft includes support, so whenever we have questions or issues, we contact Microsoft, and they assist us.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend Windows Server to others but the choice depends on the specific technology and applications you plan to use. It is essential to consider compatibility and performance factors, as some applications may work better or be recommended for installation on Linux. Overall, I would rate Windows Server as an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Global Head ICT (CITP & MIE) at The Aga Khan Academies
Good performance, easy to use, stable, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to use, and its performance is good."
- "When it comes to virtualization, VMware is a bit more advanced in terms of security. Hyper-V does provide facilities, but it probably has to do a bit more work in terms of encryption. People will normally go for VMware because of the features that it has as a server, particularly the virtualization feature."
What is our primary use case?
We are using this solution for all of our on-premise application servers. The latest version is Windows Server 2019, but we are using Windows Server 2016. We haven't felt the need to upgrade it.
What is most valuable?
It is easy to use, and its performance is good.
What needs improvement?
When it comes to virtualization, VMware is a bit more advanced in terms of security. Hyper-V does provide facilities, but it probably has to do a bit more work in terms of encryption. People will normally go for VMware because of the features that it has as a server, particularly the virtualization feature.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. In terms of its usage, the license that we currently have is good enough for us. We will increase its usage, but we don't need to purchase anything in the foreseeable future. We have enough.
We are also doing a PoC for moving the server that we have at each location to the cloud. After that is done, we will look at the cost and think about migrating to the cloud.
How was the initial setup?
Its initial setup is very straightforward. The duration depends on how big the installation is in terms of the database and the domain you want to use. It can vary from about an hour to a couple of hours with updates, etc. It could be anywhere from 60 minutes to 3 hours.
What about the implementation team?
All of our people are adept at handling its installation.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others. I would rate Windows Server an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Windows Server
February 2025
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Learn what your peers think about Windows Server. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: February 2025.
838,713 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Solution Architect at KIAN company
Can be used to implement and configure Active Directory environments for organizations
Pros and Cons
- "Integration with other Microsoft solutions like Exchange and System Center Configuration Manager has the great ability to manage all of the different features on system support, like upgrading, securing, and troubleshooting different Windows systems for clients."
- "Microsoft needs to expand to integrate the Windows Server with Azure and Linux distribution to provide a simple container environment for running dockerized applications."
What is our primary use case?
We use it to implement and configure Active Directory environments for organizations. Projects can be related to running WS systems as well as implementing and performing System Center Configuration Manager, assisting the OM, Operation Manager, and monitoring.
What is most valuable?
The biggest and the most important services used in most of the organizations in the world is the Active Directory. The policy management feature is a great option for managing different policies in the domain environment.
Also, integration with other Microsoft solutions like Exchange and System Center Configuration Manager has the great ability to manage all of the different features on system support, like upgrading, securing, and troubleshooting different Windows systems for clients.
What needs improvement?
I think integration with Linux operating systems would be a great idea, as well as focusing on the simplicity of running containers in the Linux environments. I think this would be a requirement for the next generation of applications running in .NET and Microsoft programming languages.
Microsoft should expand to integrate the Windows Server with Azure and Linux distribution to provide a simple container environment for running dockerized applications.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using it for around 10 years.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable. We currently have around 30 engineers using the Windows Server, but we hope to increase this number.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very simple.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented it myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
One of the problems with Microsoft is the price of licensing, and volume licensing for educational systems is a great option to bequeath licensing for small businesses.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale from one to ten, I would rate it at nine.
For authentication and identity management, without a doubt, I would suggest using the Active Directory with Microsoft Windows Servers.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Computer engineering student at a educational organization with 501-1,000 employees
Straightforward with good stability and an easy initial setup
Pros and Cons
- "The solution, in general, is quite straightforward. A beginner could probably use it with ease. It's always more or less simple to understand how this works."
- "We are finding some of the configurations inside the group policy not very straightforward. We had some difficulties, for example, just trying to figure out how to configure and how to block the usage of MP3 files, and so on."
What is our primary use case?
I primarily use the solution for college assignments.
We are using it just to learn how to configure all the options that Windows Server provides for the active directory and basically all the necessary configurations. It's for enterprise infrastructure, so to speak. We are mainly focusing on group policy and remote authentication, the main controller, and all the functionalities that a Windows server provides through the access directory.
What is most valuable?
The solution, in general, is quite straightforward. A beginner could probably use it with ease. It's always more or less simple to understand how this works.
What needs improvement?
Configuring a group policy has shown to be not very straightforward. For example, one of our assignments was to create a GPO that should block any user of opening and/or downloading an MP3/WAV file, and the same for video files. It was very confusing to find a solution that would do just that, we had to test different approches, or ven combining policies to achieve something that resambles what was asked to do. The default template in the File Server Resouce Manager isn't enough.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've only been using the solution for about two months or so. It's relatively new to me.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is quite stable. It doesn't have bugs or glitches, nor does it crash. It's reliable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. A company shouldn't have any troubles expanding it if they need to.
There may be 50 or 60 users on the solution currently. They're all students.
I'm not sure if I will continue using the solution of expanding usage in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
We've never really reached out to technical support. Typically, we'll look to the internet to search for answers. We'll google and find what we need.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't previously use a different solution.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is not too complex. It's quite simple to install the components, and not very difficult to configure for the most part. We're just to start using it, and it's not so complex so far. Still, it has a learning curve. You have to get to know some basic concepts before you can really understand what you're configuring. Otherwise, you get a little bit lost.
The installation itself only takes about ten minutes or so. It's rather quick. You don't really need to deploy it, per se, as it's on a virtual machine. It's not a professional environment. Of course, it would probably take longer if you have to configure all of the necessary requirements for professional applications.
What about the implementation team?
My colleagues and I handled the installation as a group.
What other advice do I have?
I'm not really a customer. I'm just a student learning the ins and outs of the product itself.
We are using in virtual machines the Windows Server 2019.
I'd recommend this solution. It's quite complete. For a company that wants all the necessary components to administer their infrastructure and so forth, it's quite good.
Overall, I would rate the solution eight out of ten. If they offered better documentation that wasn't as dated I might rate it higher.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT Infrastructure Manager at a consumer goods company with 1,001-5,000 employees
A good solution for applications that require Windows
Pros and Cons
- "The main features that we are using are active directory, domain, and DNS."
- "They can simplify the utilization and control of the system when you have a lot of setups. They provided something called Windows Center or Control Center in version 2019. It's a free tool that comes with the Windows Server. You can install it on your desktop and use it. This tool simplifies the control and monitoring of all servers. If I have 200 servers, I don't need to log in to each one to configure it. I can manage them from this tool. However, this tool needs quite a lot of improvements. It's difficult to use, and they need to improve it."
What is most valuable?
The main features that we are using are active directory, domain, and DNS.
What needs improvement?
They can simplify the utilization and control of the system when you have a lot of setups. They provided something called Windows Center or Control Center in version 2019. It's a free tool that comes with the Windows Server. You can install it on your desktop and use it.
This tool simplifies the control and monitoring of all servers. If I have 200 servers, I don't need to log in to each one to configure it. I can manage them from this tool. However, this tool needs quite a lot of improvements. It's difficult to use, and they need to improve it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution since 1990. Currently, we are using the latest version. We have the cloud and on-premises deployments.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is good.
How are customer service and technical support?
We never contacted them.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It took around 15 minutes. Usually, on the server, we don't do the physical installation. When we install initially, we install an image. You just create an image, and that's it. After that, we don't need to do an installation.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
There are only two options in the market: Windows and Linux. It depends on your application. If you have an application that requires Windows, you go with Windows Server. Otherwise, you go for Linux. There are not enough choices to choose from and decide.
What other advice do I have?
They had an issue in version 2016 related to the slowness of update management, but they already solved it in version 2019. It was impacting batch management. The time that Windows required was a lot, but it was fixed in version 2019. That was the only issue we faced in Windows Server. Other than that, it's fine.
I would advise on the version, not on the solution itself, that is, whether to use Windows Server or not. If Windows Server is a required solution, you have to take it. It's not an option. However, I would advise to not use version 2016.
I would rate Windows Server a ten out of ten. If your application is required on Windows, it's not comparable to any other solution. If an application can work with Windows or Linux, for sure, I'm going with Linux.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
An easy-to-use solution that can be used to host virtual machines
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Windows Server is that it is intuitive and easy to use."
- "The Windows server image was quite large and took some time to be installed."
What is our primary use case?
We used Windows Server to host a couple of virtual machines.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Windows Server is that it is intuitive and easy to use.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s stability could be improved. The Windows server image was quite large and took some time to be installed.
For how long have I used the solution?
We used Windows Server for a few months for demonstration purposes.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server is a stable solution, and I had no issues with its stability.
I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten for stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Around 160 users are using Windows Server in our organization.
How was the initial setup?
The solution’s initial setup is straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We implemented the solution through an in-house team in two hours. To deploy the solution, we installed the Windows server image on the server.
What other advice do I have?
Three technical staff members are involved in the deployment and maintenance of the solution. I would recommend Windows Server to other users.
Overall, I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
IT INFRASTRUTURE CONSULTANT at Hyfi Cloud Computing
Manages applications and helps with enterprise security
Pros and Cons
- "The product helps with enterprise security. It becomes more stable with frequent updates."
- "Windows Server should lower pricing."
What is our primary use case?
We use Windows Server to manage applications.
What is most valuable?
The product helps with enterprise security. It becomes more stable with frequent updates.
What needs improvement?
Windows Server should lower pricing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product since 2020.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate Windows Server's stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate the tool's scalability a nine out of ten. My company has around 1000 users.
How are customer service and support?
The product offers reactive support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
Windows Server's deployment is easy. It takes a few hours to complete.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate the product's pricing an eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the product a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
AVP at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
User-friendly, reliable, and good premium support
Pros and Cons
- "Windows Server is user-friendly and it is simply to support."
What is our primary use case?
We are using Windows Server for running our applications. One of our use cases is in a financial institution.
What is most valuable?
Windows Server is user-friendly and it is simply to support.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Windows Server for approximately two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Windows Server has been stable in my usage.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Windows Server is good.
We have approximately 3,000 users using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
We have premium support with Microsoft, and it is good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Windows 10.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is simple, and it takes approximately one hour.
We have a golden copy of Windows Server, and we only need to apply it to the systems. This does not take much time for us, approximately seven minutes and Windows Server will be ready. We do the maintenance, such as patching, antivirus, and all the security that we have been approved in the bank. However, it's virtual now. All our environment is virtual, we only need to apply the golden copy.
Depending on the application or use case, we might use Windows 19, 16, or 12.
What about the implementation team?
I can do the implementation of the solution.
We have 10 engineers and managers that support Windows Server.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise agreement with Microsoft and the price for the license is bundled together. The solution is expensive but for the bank that is using it, the price is fine. We pay for a license every three years.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to others.
I rate Windows Server a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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