Virtualization of WinServer19/22 in Linux for remote connection

[Guilherme26]

I'm wondering if would be possible and viable (stable) to create a virtual machine that runs Windows Server 2019 (or 2022) on a Linux server. My goal is to avoid the higher licence cost of the Windows Server Standard Edition versus the Essentials Editon.I need the remote connection feature that is only available in the Standard Edition. My idea would be the user connect to a Linux and them use Windows on a Virtual Machine. Also how much hardware power I would need?

 

Some context and clarification:

• This server is for my father small accounting firm with 9 employees.
• I'm asking this because he needs a new server.
• There isn't a lot of remote working been done in his company right now, but after the pandemic he would like to have this option. So I would prefer to avoid make he pay for a premium for a feature that will see little use.
• I live in a country where currency conversion rates, import taxes and the poor economic environment makes the price for a multiple windows licence is prohibitive. It seems that Microsoft import all its licences because even if you take currency conversion into account the price should be half of what is compared with the US.
• He needs Windows because the software used in his company doesn't run on Linux, but is the best on the market (so no switching). And he uses a server because people of different departments are needed to complete the accounting of every client.
• I'm no pro IT and we are willing to hire a pro, I just want to know what are my options before hire someone. I already talk to a small IT firm, but they seem more interested in getting me a Windows Server and selling me a monthly tech support plan.

 

So any help would be appreciated.

[Laaazz]

Running Win Server, even virtualized, requires a license. You're better off getting WS Standard, which will allow you to run 2 virtualized WS instances than going with Linux -> WS.

 

What will you being running on it anyway? You *could* purchase a WS key from ebay or reddit. Lots of cheap listings over there. Bought mine from reddit a few months back actually, and no problems so far. But if you want everything to be legit and paying for a WS license is a no, you could go with Win10 , disable telemetry and all the bloatware, and it should technically run like WS, assuming you're just gonna use it to run the application.

[wseaton]

I've deployed lots of Server 2019, Standard and Essentials and Essentials supports RDS admin mode just like Standard does. The problem is I don't think 2019 essentials supports more than than a single remote connection at a time for administrative mode. So, you can't run more than 1 remote session at a time.

 

 I like Essentials. It's cheap, especially the OEM versions, and lot of small companies need a Win Server OS to run a single app without anything else. MSPs hate it because they can't push superfluous billing setting up a bunch pf pointless VM's that don't do anything....other than generate more billing.

 

I have no issues throwing a lightweight SQL app on Win10 Pro like Laaz provided the vendor doesn't have issues and there are severe cost restrictions. Problem is you have the same remote connection issue,

 

Common way to get around this is have users remote into their workstations individually and connect from there.

 

Server 2019 is a great successor to 2012. Hated 2016.