Introduction – A Basic Understanding of Windows Server 2019
For all those readers who are not familiar with Windows Server, it is the newest version of Windows Server, which was officially launched on October 2 2018. If you are not a naïve Windows Server user, you must have at least a basic know-how of the Windows Server 2019. This latest release of the Windows Server Operating Systems was made available for the public at the start of this month and Microsoft customers had many expectations from Windows Server 2019.
In this article, we will discuss the general tradition of Microsoft about updating its products, Microsoft customers’ expectations, main features of the Windows Server 2019, and, finally, we discuss how skipping the RTM phase impacted Windows Server 2019.
Microsoft’s Tradition of Updating its Products
Microsoft is known throughout the globe for its excellent software products, operating systems, computer systems, and other consumer electronics. Microsoft not only releases its products, but it also takes responsibility for their further maintenance. Usually, Microsoft had the following two models of updating its products:
- Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC)
- Semi-Annual Channel (SAC)
Windows Server 2019 falls under LTSC. Today, we will discuss what these two update models are all about. Microsoft supports the products that fall under LTSC for 10 years, whereas the ones under SAC are supported for 18 months. This means that the products under SAC are extensions or modifications required for Windows Servers that fall under LTSC. In this way, LTSC Microsoft Server operating systems are more stable and reliable because SAC continuously supports them.
Demands of Microsoft Customers
As it was mentioned before, Microsoft customers had many expectations of Windows Server 2019, so let’s discuss the most important demands of the customers. As people are getting more and more involved in information technology, their needs are shaping right according to their awareness. Microsoft customers had the following expectations before the release of Windows Server 2019:
- Windows Server 2019 should be hybrid – Yes, customers wanted Windows Server 2019 to be hybrid. It should be capable of combining both on-premises and cloud environments so that they can work hand in hand.
- Windows Server 2019 should be secure – Security is indeed the topmost concern these days. Therefore, Microsoft customers also expected Windows Server 2019 to be more secure than any previous version of Windows Server.
- Windows Server 2019 should be agile – Users also wanted Windows Server 2019 to be flexible so that it can support various server operations.
- Windows Server 2019 should be affordable – Many customers want to stick to the older technologies just because the newer ones are out of their affordable range. Therefore, Windows Server 2019 was also expected to be cost-effective by Microsoft customers.
Main Features of the Windows Server 2019
Windows Server 2019 was officially released on October 2 2018 with the following important features:
- Windows Server 2019 is hybrid- Windows Server 2019 is designed to be completely hybrid. No extra configurations are required to use the on-premises and the cloud environments side by side.
- Windows Server 2019 is secure- Windows Server 2019 works on the “Protect, Detect and Respond” strategy. This concept means that the new server OS does its best to avoid the security threats, however if any threats are found, it immediately takes appropriate actions to resolve the issue.
- Windows Server 2019 is not platform dependent- Windows Server 2019 is designed to be cross-platform. It can work equally well with both Windows and Linux deployments.
- Windows Server 2019 supports hyper-convergence- Windows Server 2019 fully supports hyper-convergence. It has integrated the computation, networking and storage components on a single node.
The consequence of Skipping the “Release to Manufacturing” Phase
Windows Server 2019 is the first and the only Microsoft product that went straight to general availability without going through the release to manufacturing (RTM) phase. According to Microsoft, the decision of skipping the RTM phase was based on the confidence that Microsoft had in Windows Server 2019. Microsoft decided that if any issues are encountered after the general release, they could easily be fixed in the next SAC release, which was expected to come around the mid of January 2019.
The result of this decision was unexpectedly disastrous. Many issues were left unattended in Windows Server 2019 because of which it was taken down immediately after its release on October 2 2018. Microsoft customers reported some bugs while downloading the new server OS after which Microsoft withdrew this product so that the company could make sure that it is not harmful to the customers. Since that day, Microsoft is working on fixing these bugs and a new release date is yet to be announced.
Conclusion
Apparently, Windows Server 2019 failed to deliver the expectations of Microsoft customers. They believed that this product would surely fulfill their needs but jumping right to the general availability phase was a bit too risky. This product was designed by keeping users’ considerations in mind and it incorporated almost all the features they demanded. Yet, little negligence from Microsoft turned out to be harmful for company’s reputation.
If only Windows Server 2019 had also gone through the release to manufacturing (RTM) phase, just like any other Microsoft product, it would have gained popularity. However, due to the strong customer relationship that Microsoft holds with its customers, users still hope these issues to get resolved shortly. So, let’s wait for a new release date now and see what Microsoft has fixed for its customers.
