¶ Windows Server 2022
¶ Operating Systems
Windows Server 2022 sits at an interesting moment in the evolution of enterprise computing. It arrives in a world shaped by changing expectations—hybrid infrastructures, remote work, zero-trust security models, automation everywhere, and an ever-expanding dependence on cloud-integrated services. Yet despite those trends, the core responsibility of a server operating system remains the same: keep services running, keep data safe, keep networks stable, and do so with as little friction as possible. Windows Server 2022 takes that familiar foundation and adds layers of refinement, security, and performance that reflect the reality of modern IT environments.
This course, composed of a hundred articles, is built to walk you through that world piece by piece. Before we begin, it’s worth slowing down and taking in the landscape—what Windows Server 2022 really is, what problems it aims to solve, and why it continues to matter in a time when so many workloads are drifting toward the cloud.
For many administrators, Windows Server is the backbone behind everyday operations. It powers authentication, manages devices and users, hosts applications, runs databases, and ties disparate parts of the environment together. Windows Server 2022 continues that tradition, but with a stronger emphasis on durability and hybrid capability. As the line between on-prem and cloud environments continues to blur, this operating system positions itself as a bridge rather than a silo. Organizations don't have to choose between local and cloud—they can mix, match, and transition at their own pace.
But the story begins with something more fundamental: stability. The first thing you notice about Windows Server 2022 isn’t its long list of new features—it’s the feeling that Microsoft prioritized maturity over novelty. It is built on the solid base established by Server 2019, and it brings enhancements that feel deliberate, not rushed. Everything from the kernel to the networking stack behaves like a refined continuation rather than a dramatic reinvention. For administrators who value predictability, that is a welcome design choice. Windows Server 2022 isn’t trying to surprise you; it’s trying to support you.
Security is arguably the biggest theme that defines this release. The world has seen a sharp increase in sophisticated attacks—ransomware, supply-chain exploits, targeted breaches—and operating systems can no longer rely on old assumptions about trust. What Windows Server 2022 brings to the table is a default-secure mentality, backed by hardware-rooted protections, improved cryptography, and strict isolation boundaries. Features like secured-core server, virtualization-based security, and stronger TLS implementations create an environment that tries to defend itself even if one layer is compromised. It’s a mindset that echoes the broader industry trend: assume attackers will try, assume vulnerabilities will surface, and build a system designed to contain the damage.
Still, security alone doesn’t define an operating system’s usefulness. Server 2022 continues to serve the practical needs of real-world organizations. Active Directory remains a centerpiece, and while its fundamental concepts haven’t drastically changed, its importance has only grown. Identity is the new perimeter, and controlling identity well—on-prem, in the cloud, or in hybrid form—remains one of the most crucial responsibilities of any IT team. The foundational article series in this course will spend significant time on identity management for that reason: getting it right lays the groundwork for everything else.
Then there’s networking. Server 2022 introduces quieter but meaningful improvements: faster encrypted communications, better SMB performance, improved congestion control algorithms, and stronger defaults that minimize misconfigurations. These refinements matter more than they appear. Networking is the circulatory system of your infrastructure. When it works well, everything feels effortless; when it falls behind, every other component suffers. Understanding these improvements helps administrators build environments that feel smoother, more responsive, and more robust under load.
This course also explores Windows Server 2022 in its role as an application host. Modern workloads look nothing like the workloads of a decade ago. Containers have become a standard tool, not an experiment. Microsoft has responded by streamlining Windows containers, improving image sizes, increasing compatibility, and smoothing out integration points with Kubernetes. While Linux containers still dominate the industry, Windows containers matter greatly for organizations with legacy .NET applications or workloads tied deeply to Windows APIs. Learning when to use them—and when not to—is part of understanding the broader strategy of Windows Server in a hybrid world.
Another important theme is the relationship between Windows Server 2022 and Azure. Whether an organization adopts Azure fully, partially, or selectively, Microsoft’s direction is clear: on-prem systems and cloud services are meant to complement one another. Azure Arc, Azure File Sync, hybrid identity with Azure AD, cloud-based monitoring, hybrid backup strategies, and policy management are no longer niche features—they are first-class citizens in the Windows Server ecosystem. Even companies that traditionally avoided cloud services often find benefits in adopting just a few integrated pieces, whether for central monitoring, improved security analytics, or off-site redundancy.
Throughout the course, you will see how this hybrid approach affects administration. Tools like Windows Admin Center aim to make management more streamlined, shrinking the distance between local servers and cloud-connected features. Instead of juggling disjointed dashboards, administrators can view performance, manage updates, handle roles, configure virtualization, and integrate Azure services from a single interface. It’s part of the broader shift toward simplification—reducing overhead and helping teams focus on actual problem-solving rather than navigating tool sprawl.
Virtualization remains another cornerstone. Hyper-V continues to evolve with better security boundaries, improved performance under heavy workloads, and enhanced support for nested virtualization scenarios. The rise of containers hasn’t displaced virtual machines; instead, both technologies coexist, each serving different purposes. Many organizations continue to rely on VMs for long-running, stateful services, secure isolation of sensitive workloads, or simply because their application stack isn’t designed for containerization. Server 2022 acknowledges this reality by refining virtualization rather than pushing administrators away from it.
One of the more nuanced parts of the course touches on the day-to-day realities of server administration—patching strategies, update cycles, error analysis, monitoring, backup and recovery planning, log management, and performance tuning. Windows Server 2022 offers new tools and improvements, but the core principles remain timeless: prevent issues where possible, detect them early, respond quickly, and understand root causes. A large portion of the frustrations administrators face come not from major failures but from subtle misconfigurations, permissions issues, resource bottlenecks, or overlapping services. Mastering these everyday details leads to environments that feel calmer and more predictable.
Another area worth exploring is storage. Windows Server 2022 builds on Storage Spaces Direct, offering improved resiliency, faster rebuild times when disks fail, and better support for large-scale hyperconverged infrastructures. SMB enhancements make remote file access faster and more secure, while support for new hardware capabilities reflects the increasing diversity of enterprise storage architectures. Whether you manage a small cluster or a sprawling data center, understanding these advancements helps you make smarter design choices.
As we move through the articles, you’ll notice that Windows Server 2022 doesn’t try to be everything at once. It doesn’t chase trends for the sake of relevance, nor does it cling to outdated patterns. Instead, it focuses on what organizations genuinely need: a secure, adaptable platform capable of supporting a wide range of workloads for years to come. The course aims to mirror that philosophy. It isn’t a firehose of commands or a checklist of isolated instructions. It’s a guided exploration—technical where necessary, conceptual where helpful, and always grounded in real-world scenarios.
Throughout the journey, you’ll see how the pieces fit together. Each topic—security, identity management, networking, storage, virtualization, containers, hybrid integration, automation, roles and features—contributes to a broader understanding of how the operating system functions as a whole. Windows Server 2022 isn’t just a tool; it’s an ecosystem. Learning it well means understanding not just what each component does, but why it matters, how it interacts with other components, and how it shapes the experience of the people and systems that depend on it.
Perhaps the most important insight you will gain is that server administration has become less about individual machines and more about architecture. A single server rarely exists in isolation. It is part of a domain, a cluster, a cloud connection, a workflow, or a resilience plan. Windows Server 2022 embraces that reality by offering tools that help administrators think more holistically. When you understand the environment as a whole, troubleshooting becomes easier, planning becomes more thoughtful, and the overall system becomes more resilient.
As you progress through the course, you might find that your approach to problem-solving begins to shift. Windows Server 2022 encourages a mindset where prevention outweighs reaction, where configuration is intentional rather than inherited, and where security is built in rather than bolted on. You’ll gain a deeper appreciation for how policies, best practices, and architectural decisions influence the day-to-day behavior of your servers.
By the time you reach the final article, the goal is for Windows Server 2022 to feel familiar rather than intimidating. You should be comfortable navigating its tools, diagnosing its issues, planning deployments, and integrating it with modern cloud services. You should understand not only how it works, but why it works the way it does. Most importantly, you should have the confidence to build environments that feel stable, secure, efficient, and adaptable—qualities that define great infrastructure.
This introduction is just the beginning. Ahead lies a deep exploration of what Windows Server 2022 can offer, from the basics to the advanced, from foundational concepts to specialized use cases. With each article, the landscape becomes clearer. With each topic, you build another layer of understanding. And with that understanding comes the ability to design, manage, and troubleshoot systems that support the needs of modern organizations with confidence and clarity.
¶ Windows Server 2022
¶ Beginner Level (Chapters 1-25)
1. Introduction to Windows Server 2022: Features and Benefits
2. System Requirements and Installation of Windows Server 2022
3. Windows Server 2022 Editions: Which One Is Right for You?
4. Navigating the Windows Server 2022 Interface
5. Understanding Windows Server 2022 Roles and Features
6. Getting Started with Windows Server 2022 Core and Desktop Experience
7. Basic Server Configuration: Setting Up the Server
8. Using Server Manager for Initial Configuration
9. Setting Up and Managing User Accounts
10. Configuring Network Settings in Windows Server 2022
11. Managing Time and Date Settings
12. Understanding Active Directory: An Introduction
13. Basic Group Policies and Permissions
14. Setting Up and Configuring Remote Desktop Services
15. Adding and Removing Roles and Features
16. Working with Storage: Disks, Volumes, and File Systems
17. Understanding and Implementing Windows Defender Antivirus
18. File and Folder Permissions in Windows Server 2022
19. Introduction to Windows Update Services
20. Basic Networking in Windows Server 2022
21. Getting Started with PowerShell for Windows Server 2022
22. Monitoring System Performance with Task Manager and Resource Monitor
23. Configuring Windows Firewall with Advanced Security
24. Backing Up and Restoring Data with Windows Server Backup
25. Setting Up and Managing Print Services
¶ Intermediate Level (Chapters 26-50)
26. Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) Overview
27. Creating and Managing Domains and Organizational Units
28. Managing Active Directory Users and Groups
29. Advanced Group Policy Management
30. Configuring DNS Services in Windows Server 2022
31. Implementing DHCP Server for IP Address Management
32. Deploying and Managing File and Storage Services
33. Windows Server 2022 Networking: IPv6, DNS, and Routing
34. Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT)
35. Implementing Windows Server Update Services (WSUS)
36. Creating and Managing Virtual Machines with Hyper-V
37. Configuring Storage Spaces and Storage Pools
38. Introduction to Server Clustering and Failover Clusters
39. Advanced File and Folder Permissions and NTFS
40. Windows Server Containers and Docker Integration
41. Understanding and Configuring Network Load Balancing
42. Deploying and Configuring Web Servers with IIS
43. Setting Up and Managing Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
44. Securing Your Server: Best Practices for Windows Server 2022
45. Implementing and Managing Windows Defender ATP
46. Understanding and Implementing BitLocker Encryption
47. Network Security with IPSec and VPNs
48. Setting Up and Managing Windows Server 2022 Logging and Auditing
49. Configuring and Managing RADIUS Servers with NPS
50. Deploying and Managing Windows Admin Center
¶ Advanced Level (Chapters 51-75)
51. Advanced Active Directory Configuration and Management
52. Implementing Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS)
53. Managing Group Policy at Scale with Group Policy Preferences
54. Deploying Windows Server 2022 in a Cloud-Integrated Environment
55. Advanced Hyper-V Configuration and Optimization
56. Virtualization with Hyper-V: Advanced Networking and Storage
57. Advanced DNS Management and Troubleshooting
58. Implementing and Managing Active Directory Rights Management Services (ADRMS)
59. Automating Windows Server Management with PowerShell Scripts
60. Advanced Windows Server Backup and Disaster Recovery
61. Implementing and Managing Windows Defender Application Control
62. Configuring and Managing Advanced Storage Features (ReFS, Storage Migration)
63. Windows Server 2022 and Integration with Azure Active Directory
64. Configuring and Managing Distributed File System (DFS)
65. Advanced IIS Configuration for Secure Web Hosting
66. Scaling and Securing Remote Desktop Services (RDS)
67. Managing Server Security with Security Compliance Toolkit
68. Using Windows Admin Center for Advanced Server Management
69. Advanced DHCP Server Configuration and Troubleshooting
70. Designing and Deploying Hyper-V Clusters for High Availability
71. Managing Server Performance with Resource Governor
72. Optimizing Windows Server 2022 for Cloud-Based Infrastructure
73. Implementing and Managing Windows Defender for Identity
74. Implementing Windows Server 2022 as a Virtualization Host
75. Implementing Cross-Platform Authentication with Windows Server 2022
¶ Expert Level (Chapters 76-100)
76. Windows Server 2022 Security: Advanced Encryption and Authentication Techniques
77. Managing Hybrid Cloud and On-Premises Environments with Azure Arc
78. Advanced Networking: IPv6 Transition and Optimization
79. Designing and Implementing Complex Active Directory Topologies
80. Deploying and Managing Nano Server for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure
81. Creating and Managing Scalable Multi-Site Failover Clusters
82. Automating Large-Scale Server Deployments with Desired State Configuration (DSC)
83. Building and Managing Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with Windows Server
84. Integrating Windows Server 2022 with Azure Site Recovery
85. Troubleshooting Advanced Hyper-V Networking and Storage Issues
86. Advanced File Server Management with Storage Spaces Direct
87. Windows Server 2022 and Software-Defined Networking (SDN)
88. Managing Windows Server 2022 as a Software-Defined Datacenter (SDDC)
89. Implementing and Managing Microservices with Windows Containers
90. Advanced Group Policy Security and Optimization
91. Designing Disaster Recovery Solutions for Enterprise Environments
92. Windows Server 2022 Integration with Windows Admin Center at Scale
93. End-to-End Encryption with SMB Direct and SMB Multichannel
94. Best Practices for Monitoring and Troubleshooting Windows Server 2022
95. Building an Enterprise-Level Hyper-V Infrastructure
96. Windows Server 2022 and the Future of Edge Computing
97. Designing and Managing Windows Server 2022 for High-Performance Computing
98. Implementing Zero Trust Security with Windows Server 2022
99. Automating Cloud Integration with Azure Automation and PowerShell
100. Future-Proofing Your Infrastructure with Windows Server 2022 and Beyond