Clearing Up the Confusion: Windows Server 2012 R2 System Requirements Explained

Clearing Up the Confusion: Windows Server 2012 R2 System Requirements Explained.

• Installation is the basic concept of getting the new operating system on your hardware. Specifically, a clean installation requires deleting the previous operating system.
• Upgrade means moving from your existing operating system to Windows Server 2012 R2, while staying on the same hardware. Even while staying on the same hardware, some server roles might require specific steps to ensure a smooth upgrade.
• Migration means moving from your existing operating system to Windows Server 2012 R2 by transferring to a different set of hardware.

Clean installation

Before you start a clean installation of Windows Server 2012 R2, you should perform the following steps.

1. Review the system requirements
2. Review preinstallation documentation
3. Obtain the product
4. Perform preinstallation tasks

Processor

Processor performance depends not only on the clock frequency of the processor but also on the number of processor cores and the size of the processor cache.

• Minimum: 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor

RAM

The following are the estimated RAM requirements for this product:

• Minimum: 512 MB (Only for installation, for using you need more)

Important

If you create a virtual machine with the minimum supported hardware parameters (1 processor core and 512 MB RAM) and then attempt to install this release on the virtual machine, Setup will fail.

To avoid this, do one of the following:

• Allocate more than 800 MB RAM to the virtual machine you intend to install in this release. Once Setup has been completed, you can change the allocation to as little as 512 MB RAM, depending on the actual server configuration.
• Interrupt the boot process of this release on the virtual machine with SHIFT+F10. In the command prompt that opens, use Diskpart.exe to create and format an installation partition. Run Wpeutil createpagefile /path=C:\pf.sys (assuming the installation partition you created was C:). Close the command prompt and proceed with Setup.

Disk space requirements

The following are the estimated minimum disk space requirements for the system partition.

• Minimum: 32 GB (Only for installation, for using you need more)

The system partition will need extra space for any of the following circumstances:

• If you install the system over a network.
• Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging, hibernation, and dump files.

Other requirements

You also must have the following:

• Gigabit (10/100/1000baseT) Ethernet adapter
• DVD drive (if you intend to install the operating system from DVD media)

Perform preinstallation tasks

Before you install Windows Server 2012 R2, follow the steps in this section to prepare for the installation.

• Disconnect UPS devices. If you have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) connected to your destination computer, disconnect the serial cable before running Setup. Setup automatically attempts to detect devices that are connected to serial ports, and UPS equipment can cause issues with the detection process.
• Back up your servers. Your backup should include all data and configuration information that is necessary for the computer to function. It is important to perform a backup of configuration information for servers, especially those that provide network infrastructure, such as Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) servers. When you perform the backup, be sure to include the boot and system partitions and the system state data. Another way to back up configuration information is to create a backup set for Automated System Recovery.
• Disable your virus protection software. Virus protection software can interfere with installation. For eksempel, it can make installation much slower by scanning every file that is copied locally to your computer.
• Provide mass storage drivers. If your manufacturer has supplied a separate driver file, save the file to a floppy disk, CD, DVD, or Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive in either the root directory of the media or the amd64 folder. To provide the driver during Setup, on the disk selection page, click Load Driver (or press F6). You can browse to locate the driver or have Setup search the media.
• Be aware that Windows Firewall is on by default. Server applications that must receive unsolicited inbound connections will fail until you create inbound firewall rules to allow them. Check with your application vendor to determine which ports and protocols are necessary for the application to run correctly.

Evaluation versions of Windows Server 2012 R2

Evaluation versions are 64-bit only and can be installed with the Server Core option or the Server with a GUI option. For more information about these installation options, how to convert between them, and how to use the Minimal Server Interface and Features on Demand.

For all editions, you have 10 days to complete online activation, at which point the evaluation period begins and runs for 180 dage. During the evaluation period, a notification on the Desktop displays the days remaining in the evaluation period (except in Windows Server 2012 Essentials). You can also run slmgr.vbs /dlv from an elevated command prompt to see the time remaining.

slmgr.vbs /dlv

Limits of evaluation versions

All evaluation versions are fully functional during the evaluation period, although booting to Safe mode is not available. The Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard and Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter editions come with the activation key pre-installed. After the 180-day evaluation period elapses, the server warns you in various ways depending on the edition:

Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard; Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter:

• The following warning appears on the Desktop: Windows License is expired
• When you log on to Windows, you are prompted with the following options:
  • Activate now
  • Ask me later
• The system shuts down every hour.
• The only updates that can be installed are security updates.
• Event ID 100 from source WLMS “The license period for this installation of Windows has expired. The operating system will shut down every hour.” appears in the Application log.