Windows 10 Pro for Workstation
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Who wants this? And why wouldn't you want a server OS instead?
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Windows 10 Pro for Workstations, created with feedback from Windows Insiders, introduces new features to leverage the power of high-end PC hardware
The value of Windows 10 Pro for Workstations is directly aligned to increase the performance and reliability of high-end PCs, with the following features:
- ReFS (Resilient file system): ReFS provides cloud-grade resiliency for data on fault-tolerant storage spaces and manages very large volumes with ease. ReFS is designed to be resilient to data corruption, optimized for handling large data volumes, auto-correcting and more. It protects your data with integrity streams on your mirrored storage spaces. Using its integrity streams, ReFS detects when data becomes corrupt on one of the mirrored drives and uses a healthy copy of your data on the other drive to correct and protect your precious data.
- Persistent memory: Windows 10 Pro for Workstations provides the most demanding apps and data with the performance they require with non-volatile memory modules (NVDIMM-N) hardware. NVDIMM-N enables you to read and write your files with the fastest speed possible, the speed of the computer’s main memory. Because NVDIMM-N is non-volatile memory, your files will still be there, even when you switch your workstation off.
- Faster file sharing: Windows 10 Pro for Workstations includes a feature called SMB Direct, which supports the use of network adapters that have Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) capability. Network adapters that have RDMA can function at full speed with very low latency, while using very little CPU. For applications that access large datasets on remote SMB file shares, this feature enables:
- Increased throughput: Leverages the full throughput of high speed networks where the network adapters coordinate the transfer of large amounts of data at line speed.
- Low latency: Provides extremely fast responses to network requests, and, as a result, makes remote file storage feel as if it is directly attached storage.
- Low CPU utilization: Uses fewer CPU cycles when transferring data over the network, which leaves more power available to other applications running on the system.
- Expanded hardware support: One of the top pain points expressed by our Windows Insiders was the limits on taking advantage of the raw power of their machine. Hence, we are expanding hardware support in Windows 10 Pro for Workstations. Users will now be able to run Windows 10 Pro for Workstations on devices with high performance configurations including server grade Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron processors, with up to 4 CPUs (today limited to 2 CPUs) and add massive memory up to 6TB (today limited to 2TB).
Performance is a very important requirement in this new world of fast paced innovation and we will continue to invest on Windows 10 Pro for Workstations to enable Windows power users to maximize every aspect of their high-performance device. Windows 10 Pro for Workstations utilizes significant investments, that Windows has made in recent releases, for scaling up across a high number of logical processors and large amounts of memory. Our architectural changes in the Windows kernel take full advantage of high-end processors families, such as Intel Xeon or AMD Opteron, that package a high number of cores in single or multi-processor configurations.
Thank you to our customers and Windows Insiders for your feedback. We look forward to continuing to hear from you.
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Without more details, the logical reasons you would want this are price, tuning and licensing. Windows Desktops are licensed and tuned different than servers. In most cases, you would not want a Server OS for that task. And this is needed as a product to compete with Linux which already has basically all of these features in EVERY desktop install.
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My guess is that this is hundreds of dollars per installation cheaper than Server Standard and even cheaper at volume.
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For small engineering shops, keep in mind that using Windows Server as a desktop could cause a sudden CAL licensing problem that Microsoft doesn't intend but would have to enforce and end users would hate, but would be stuck paying.
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@scottalanmiller said in Windows 10 Pro for Workstation:
For small engineering shops, keep in mind that using Windows Server as a desktop could cause a sudden CAL licensing problem that Microsoft doesn't intend but would have to enforce and end users would hate, but would be stuck paying.
I suppose, but that assumes that shop had zero Windows servers in the first place, which seems unlikely, though always possible.
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@dashrender said in Windows 10 Pro for Workstation:
@scottalanmiller said in Windows 10 Pro for Workstation:
For small engineering shops, keep in mind that using Windows Server as a desktop could cause a sudden CAL licensing problem that Microsoft doesn't intend but would have to enforce and end users would hate, but would be stuck paying.
I suppose, but that assumes that shop had zero Windows servers in the first place, which seems unlikely, though always possible.
In a small shop, like a CAD or BI workplace, it would be very common. Think about a small engineering firm that needs ten high power workstations, a receptionist and a NAS.
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No improvements in regards to Hyper-V?
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Does Win10 Pro and Server 2016 support NVDIMM yet?
This feature is supported in Workstation edition -
@black3dynamite said in Windows 10 Pro for Workstation:
No improvements in regards to Hyper-V?
Would not expect it here. That would be tied to the general platform.
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@momurda said in Windows 10 Pro for Workstation:
Does Win10 Pro and Server 2016 support NVDIMM yet?
This feature is supported in Workstation editionWin 10 Pro does not, that's part of this release. 2016 has had it.
