Windows Server 2025 Datacenter

This is a repackaged open source software product wherein additional charges apply for cloudimg support services.

Product Overview

Windows Server 2025 Datacenter AMI with 24/7 expert support from cloudimg. This is Microsoft's latest Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) release, built on the 24H2 platform (build 26100), with extended support until November 2034. Pre-configured with AWS native tooling for monitoring, automation, and secure management - ready for production in minutes, not hours.

Why Choose This AMI Over the Standard Windows Server AMI?

The free AWS-provided Windows Server 2025 AMI gives you a vanilla OS. This cloudimg AMI delivers a production-ready environment with pre-installed and pre-configured AWS tooling (CloudWatch Agent, Systems Manager Agent, EC2Launch v2, ENA drivers, NVMe optimization, IMDSv2 security) plus dedicated 24/7 Windows Server experts who understand both the OS and the AWS platform. When you hit an issue at 2 AM - whether it is Active Directory replication, IIS configuration, security hardening, or AWS integration - cloudimg's team responds within 24 hours (average 1 hour for critical issues). AWS Basic Support does not cover OS-level troubleshooting; cloudimg does.

Key Features and Buyer Outcomes

• Hotpatching: Apply many security updates without a reboot, reducing planned maintenance windows and keeping workloads available. On-premises requires Azure Arc and VBS; a quarterly baseline cumulative update still reboots.
• Enhanced Security: SMB signing required by default, configurable SMB over QUIC, Credential Guard, VBS, TLS 1.3 for LDAP, and Delegated Managed Service Accounts (dMSA) to mitigate credential theft.
• GPU Partitioning (GPU-P): Share a physical GPU across multiple VMs with live migration support for AI, ML inference, and graphics workloads.
• AWS Integration: EC2Launch v2, CloudWatch Agent, AWS CLI v2, SSM Agent, ENA networking, NVMe storage, IMDSv2 - all pre-installed and configured.
• Active Directory Scalability: Opt-in 32KB page size (up from 8KB) for larger, more complex directory environments.
• Containers: Windows Containers with HostProcess containers and Kubernetes integration.
• Storage: Storage Spaces Direct, ReFS deduplication and compression, NVMe performance.
• .NET Support: Full .NET Framework backwards compatibility plus .NET and ASP.NET Core.
• Long-Term Support: Mainstream until November 2029, extended until November 2034.

Example Use Case: Mid-Market Enterprise AD Migration

A 200-seat professional services firm consolidating three on-premises Active Directory domain controllers onto EC2. Using this AMI, the IT team deploys two m6i.large instances as domain controllers with the 32KB AD page size enabled, leverages hotpatching to maintain 99.9% uptime without scheduling monthly reboot windows, and relies on cloudimg's 24/7 support for domain trust configuration and Group Policy troubleshooting. The result: reduced maintenance overhead, eliminated hardware refresh cycles, and expert assistance available around the clock.

Technical Specifications

• Version: Windows Server 2025 Datacenter (LTSC), build 26100 (24H2)
• Architecture: x86_64
• GUI: Desktop Experience (full GUI)
• Microsoft Support: Until November 2034
• AWS Tools: EC2Launch v2, CloudWatch Agent, AWS CLI v2, SSM Agent, ENA drivers
• Remote Access: RDP port 3389
• License: Windows Server licensing included (AWS License Included)

Instance Compatibility

All x86_64 EC2 families: General Purpose (m5, m6i, m7i), Compute (c5, c6i, c7i), Memory (r5, r6i, r7i), Storage (i3, i4i, d3), GPU (g4, g5, p3, p4, p5).

Use Cases

Active Directory domains, IIS web applications, .NET Core and Framework apps, secure file servers, Remote Desktop Services, containerized Windows workloads, GPU-accelerated AI and graphics workloads.

Getting Started

Launch this AMI from AWS Marketplace, select your instance type, and connect via RDP within minutes. CloudWatch and Systems Manager are pre-configured - no manual agent installation required. Need help with domain joins, IIS setup, or security hardening? Contact cloudimg support anytime.

FAQ

Q: What is new in Server 2025?

A: Hotpatching, GPU partitioning, opt-in 32KB Active Directory page size, SMB signing by default, dMSA, and TLS 1.3 for LDAP.

Q: What support is included?

A: 24/7 support with 24-hour response SLA, average 1 hour for critical issues. Covers installation, configuration, troubleshooting, AD, IIS, security, and AWS integration.

Q: How long is Microsoft support?

A: Mainstream until November 2029, extended until November 2034.

Q: Which instances are supported?

A: All x86_64 EC2 families including m5/m6i/m7i, c5/c6i/c7i, r5/r6i/r7i, i3/i4i, g4/g5, p3/p4/p5.

Q: Is licensing included?

A: Yes.