Windows Server 2012 Product Family

Windows Server 2012 Products and Editions

Windows Server
2012 Datacenter

Windows Server Windows Server Windows Server

2012 Standard
2012 Essentials 2012 Foundation

Microsoft Hyper-V Windows Storage Windows Storage

Server 2012
Server 2012
Server 2012
Standard
Workgroup

Windows
Windows
MultiPoint Server MultiPoint Server
2012 Premium
2012 Standard

Locks and Limits

Maximum number of users
Maximum SMB Connections
Maximum RRAS Connections
Maximum IAS Connections
Maximum number of 64-bit sockets
Maximum RAM
Server can join a domain
DirectAccess

based on licenses
16,777,216
unlimited
2,147,483,647
64
4 TB
Yes
Yes

based on licenses
16,777,216
unlimited
2,147,483,647
64
4 TB
Yes
Yes

25
16777216
50
10
2
64 GB
For migration only
See documentation

15
30
50
10
1
32 GB
For migration only
Yes

unlimited
16,777,216
250
50
64
4 TB
Yes
No

unlimited
16,777,216
50
50
64
4 TB
Yes
Yes

50
250
50
50
1
32 GB
Yes
Yes

20 sessions
16,777,216
unlimited
2147483647
2
4 TB
Yes
See documentation

10 sessions
50
50
10
1
32 GB
No
See documentation

Active Directory Certificate Services

Active Directory Domain Services
Active Directory Federation Services
AD Lightweight Directory Services

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Required
Yes
No

Yes
Yes (optional)
Yes
Yes

No
No
No
No

No
No
No
Yes

No
No
No
Yes

No
No
No
No

No
No
No
No

AD Rights Management Services

Application Server
DHCP Server
DNS Server
Fax Server

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
No
No
No
No

No
No
Yes
Yes
No

No
No
No
No
No

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

File Services
Hyper-V
Network Policy and Access Services
Print and Document Services
Terminal Services Application Sharing
Terminal Services Gateway
Web Services (IIS)
Windows Deployment Services
Windows Media Services support (Streaming
Media Services)
WINS Server

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
See Installation Options
documentation
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
See Installation Options
documentation
Yes

Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes

Limited features
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No
No

Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No

Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
See documentation
Yes
Yes
See Installation Options
documentation
Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

RODC read only domain controller

Best Practices Analyzer
BranchCache Hosted Server
BranchCache P2P Cache
Windows Control Panel
Distributed File System Replication
Data Deduplication
ISCSI target support

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

No
Yes
No
No
No
No
No
No

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No

DirectAccess
Dynamic Memory (in virtualization)
Failover Clustering
"Hot" add/replace RAM
IPAM (IP Address Management)
Microsoft Management Console
Minimal Server Interface
Network Load Balancing
Windows PowerShell

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

No
No
Yes
Yes
No
Remote only
No
No
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

See documentation
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

See documentation
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes

Server Core mode

Server Manager
SMB Direct and SMB over RDMA
Storage Management Service
Storage Spaces
Volume Activation Services
VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service)
integration
Windows Server Update Services

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

Yes--the only option

From a remote computer
Yes
Basic file server only
Yes
No
No

after setup
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

after setup
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes

Yes

See documentation

No

No

No

No

No

No

Server Roles

Features