We are excited to announce the public preview of Windows Server 2025 support on Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) - delivering the latest security, performance, and compatibility improvements for our customers. You can now deploy node pools running Windows Server 2025 alongside those running Windows Server 2022, Azure Linux, and Ubuntu. With the new Windows container portability functionality introduced in Windows Server 2025, you can also run your Windows Server 2022-based containers on Windows Server 2025.
Enhanced Container Portability and Flexibility
Windows Server 2025 introduces expanded container portability functionality, allowing Windows Server 2022-based containers to run seamlessly on Windows Server 2025. This builds on previous improvements to Windows Containers, where user and kernel interaction decoupling enables existing container images to run on a newer host OS. Customers benefit from faster upgrades to container hosts without needing to update container images in parallel, resulting in greater flexibility and portability. This allows you to take advantage of improved security and performance while maintaining compatibility with existing workloads. For more information on version compatibility, see here.
Nano Server: Lightweight, Efficient, and Now More Capable
Earlier this year, we announced that Windows Server 2025 Nano Server - our most lightweight container image - now supports a broader range of applications, including 32-bit apps that previously required Server Core. With new Feature on Demand (FoD) support, customers can include only the specific functionality needed, keeping images lean and efficient. This enables you to move select applications to Nano Server based on Windows Server 2025 while keeping others on Windows Server 2022 within the same node pools. The result is maximized density, lower cost of goods sold (COGS), and streamlined operations. For details on using FoD support in Nano Server, see here.
GPU Acceleration for Modern Workloads
Windows Server 2025 adds support for running CUDA-enabled workloads directly inside Windows containers. This enables customers to leverage GPU acceleration for compute-intensive applications such as AI inference, data processing, and simulation, all while maintaining the same container portability and upgrade flexibility described above.
Getting Started
To preview Windows Server 2025, customers can create a new node pool with --os-sku set to Windows2025. This is supported on Kubernetes version 1.32 and above. Our documentation provides instructions on creating your first Windows Server 2025 node pool.
As always, your feedback is invaluable in shaping the future of Windows Server Containers. We encourage you to share your experiences and insights through the Windows Container GitHub Community.
Microsoft