Windows Server 2025 changes

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Microsoft's edit · 5 Mar 2025 22:58 UTC

Merge pull request #6562 from msarcletti/patch-10

Microsoft's commit message in MicrosoftDocs/windowsserverdocs · commit 630d4bd · +15 ~~−14~~ lines · also on GitHub

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44 ms.topic: article

55 author: xelu86

66 ms.author: alalve

7 −ms.date: 11/18/2024

7 +ms.date: 02/28/2025

88 ---

1010 # What's new in Windows Server 2025

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140140 Utilities like Active Directory Administrative Center (ADAC), Active Directory Users and Computers (ADUC), `net computer`, and `dsmod` also honor this new behavior. Both ADAC and ADUC no longer allow creation of a pre-Windows 2000 account.

141141

142142 - **Kerberos PKINIT support for cryptographic agility**: The Kerberos Public Key Cryptography for Initial Authentication in Kerberos (PKINIT) protocol implementation is updated to allow for cryptographic agility by supporting more algorithms and removing hardcoded algorithms.

143 +- **Kerberos changes for Algorithms used for Ticket Granting Tickets**: The Kerberos Distribution Center will no longer issue Ticket Granting Tickets using RC4 encryption, such as RC4-HMAC(NT).

143144 - **LAN Manager GPO setting**: The GPO setting **Network security: Don't store LAN Manager hash value on next password change** is no longer present and doesn't apply to new versions of Windows.

144145 - **LDAP encryption by default**: All LDAP client communication after a Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) bind uses LDAP sealing by default. To learn more about SASL, see [SASL Authentication](/openspecs/windows_protocols/ms-adts/989e0748-0953-455d-9d37-d08dfbf3998b).

145146 - **LDAP support for Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3**: LDAP uses the latest SCHANNEL implementation and supports TLS 1.3 for LDAP over TLS connections. Using TLS 1.3 eliminates obsolete cryptographic algorithms and enhances security over older versions. TLS 1.3 aims to encrypt as much of the handshake as possible. To learn more, see [Protocols in TLS/SSL (Schannel SSP)](/windows/win32/secauthn/protocols-in-tls-ssl--schannel-ssp-) and [TLS Cipher Suites in Windows Server 2022](/windows/win32/secauthn/tls-cipher-suites-in-windows-server-2022).

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331332

332333 #### Remote Mailslot

333334

334 −The Remote Mailslot protocol is disabled by default for SMB and for DC Locator protocol use with Active Directory. Remote Mailslot might be removed in a later release. To learn more, see [Features we're no longer developing](../get-started/removed-deprecated-features-windows-server-2025.md#features-were-no-longer-developing).

335 +The Remote Mailslot protocol is disabled by default for SMB and for DC Locator protocol use with Active Directory. Remote Mailslot might be removed in a later release. To learn more, see [Features removed or no longer developed in Windows Server](../get-started/removed-deprecated-features-windows-server.md).

335336

336337 #### Routing and Remote Access Services hardening

337338

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351352

352353 The following sections discuss Hyper-V, AI, and performance.

353354

354 −### Accelerated Networking

355 +### Accelerated Networking (preview)

355356

356 −Accelerated Networking (AccelNet) simplifies the management of single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) for virtual machines (VMs) hosted on Windows Server 2025 clusters. This feature uses the high-performance SR-IOV data path to reduce latency, jitter, and CPU utilization. AccelNet also includes a management layer that handles prerequisite checking, host configuration, and VM performance settings. To learn more, see [Accelerated Networking at the Edge (preview)](/windows-server/networking/technologies/accelerated-networking/accelerated-networking).

357 +Accelerated Networking (AccelNet) simplifies the management of single root I/O virtualization (SR-IOV) for virtual machines (VMs) hosted on Windows Server 2025 clusters. This feature uses the high-performance SR-IOV data path to reduce latency, jitter, and CPU utilization. AccelNet also includes a management layer that handles prerequisite checking, host configuration, and VM performance settings. To learn more, see [Accelerated Networking (preview)](/windows-server/networking/technologies/accelerated-networking/accelerated-networking).

357358

359 +### Dynamic processor compatibility

360 +

361 +The dynamic processor compatibility mode is updated to take advantage of new processor capabilities in a clustered environment. Dynamic processor compatibility uses the maximum number of processor features available across all servers in a cluster. The mode improves performance compared to the previous version of processor compatibility.

362 +

363 +You can also use dynamic processor compatibility to save its state between virtualization hosts that use different generations of processors. The processor compatibility mode now provides enhanced, dynamic capabilities on processors capable of second-level address translation. To learn more about the updated compatibility mode, see [Dynamic processor compatibility mode](../virtualization/hyper-v/manage/dynamic-processor-compatibility-mode.md).

364 +

358365 ### Hyper-V Manager

359366

360367 When you create a new VM through Hyper-V Manager, **Generation 2** is now set as the default option in the **New Virtual Machine Wizard**.

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369376

370377 GPU-P Live Migration provides a solution to move a VM (for planned downtime or load balancing) with GPU-P to another node whether it's standalone or clustered. To learn more about GPU partitioning, see [GPU partitioning](../virtualization/hyper-v/gpu-partitioning.md).

371378

372 −### Dynamic processor compatibility

373 −

374 −The dynamic processor compatibility mode is updated to take advantage of new processor capabilities in a clustered environment. Dynamic processor compatibility uses the maximum number of processor features available across all servers in a cluster. The mode improves performance compared to the previous version of processor compatibility.

375 −

376 −You can also use dynamic processor compatibility to save its state between virtualization hosts that use different generations of processors. The processor compatibility mode now provides enhanced, dynamic capabilities on processors capable of second-level address translation. To learn more about the updated compatibility mode, see [Dynamic processor compatibility mode](../virtualization/hyper-v/manage/dynamic-processor-compatibility-mode.md).

377 −

378 −### Workgroup clusters

379 −

380 −Hyper-V workgroup clusters are a special type of Windows Server Failover Cluster where the Hyper-V cluster nodes aren't members of an Active Directory domain with the ability to live migrate VMs in a workgroup cluster.

381 −

382379 ### Network ATC

383380

384381 Network ATC streamlines the deployment and management of network configurations for Windows Server 2025 clusters. Network ATC uses an intent-based approach, where users specify their desired intents, such as management, compute, or storage for a network adapter. The deployment is automated based on the intended configuration.

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390387 With Windows Server 2025, Hyper-V now supports up to 4 petabytes of memory and 2,048 logical processors per host. This increase allows for greater scalability and performance for virtualized workloads.

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392389 Windows Server 2025 also supports up to 240 TB of memory and 2,048 virtual processors for generation 2 VMs, providing increased flexibility for running large workloads. To learn more, see [Plan for Hyper-V scalability in Windows Server](../virtualization/hyper-v/plan/plan-hyper-v-scalability-in-windows-server.md).

390 +

391 +### Workgroup clusters

392 +

393 +Hyper-V workgroup clusters are a special type of Windows Server Failover Cluster where the Hyper-V cluster nodes aren't members of an Active Directory domain with the ability to live migrate VMs in a workgroup cluster.

393394

394395 ## Storage

395396

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