Install and configure ADDS on Windows Server 2022 Core in Azure (Part 2)

A question I often get is ‘why should I use Windows Server Core edition’? This is difficult to manage and I do not like a server without a graphical interface.

The first thing I always tell you is, you DON’T HAVE to do anything, but my advice is to do it. Especially for a number of crucial server roles.

Some advantages of Windows Server Core edition at a glance:

· It’s faster (less services running, no overhead, no graphical user interface)

· More secure

· It’s modern

· Less disk space required

· Smaller footprint

· Smaller attack surface

· Faster deployment

Difference in installed services:

On Windows Server 2022 with a graphical user interface, there are 210 installed services. On the Windows Server Core edition, there are just 127 installed services. That’s a big difference of 83 services.

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Defference in running services:

On Windows Server 2022 with a graphical user interface, there are 73 running services. On Windows Server Core edition, there are just 66 running services. That’s a difference of 7 servies.

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Used diskspace on the C drive

On Windows Server 2022 with a graphical user interface, the installation of the operating system uses around the 13 GB of space.

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The Windows Server Core edition, just uses arount the 9 GB of space for the operating system.

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Performance (CPU and memory)

In performance, there is a little difference on ‘normal’ usage of the server. The memory usage on Server Core edition is around the 1,6 GB and 2,1 on the graphical version. The CPU load is also a little less as you can see.

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Summary:

The choice of whether or not to deploy Windows Server Core within the infrastructure depends on a number of things. First of all, the workload or application must be suitable to run on Server Core. This is certainly not the case for all applications or server roles.

Especially for crucial server roles, such as domain controllers, it is advisable to use Server Core. It offers a number of advantages, which contributes to a more stable and secure environment.

And with Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT), Microsoft Management Console (MMC), Windows Admin Center or Arc, a Windows Server with core edition is easy to manage.