Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation

• Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation is full-featured 64-bit version of Windows® Server that enables core IT resources, such as file and print sharing, remote access, and security.
  It provides a network foundation from which you can centrally manage settings on your computers that are based on the Windows operating system, and upon which you can run the most popular business applications.
  It also provides a familiar Windows user experience that helps you manage users and safeguard business information.
  

• You can use Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation in either Active Directory® or workgroup environments to create up to 15 user accounts that can access and use the server software.
  Each user account permits one user, using any device, to access and use your server software with no client access licenses (CALs) required.
  In the Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation operating system, you will receive a warning message if you exceed the fifteen-user limit.
  

Windows Server® 2012 R2 Editions
	Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard		Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials		Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation
Locks and Limits
Maximum number of users	based on licenses		25		15
Maximum SMB Connections	16,777,216		16,777,216		30
Maximum RRAS Connections	unlimited		50		50
Maximum IAS Connections	2,147,483,647		50		10
Maximum number of 64-bit sockets	64		2		1
Maximum RAM	4 TB		64 GB		32 GB
Server can join a domain	Yes		For migration only		For migration only
DirectAccess	Yes		See documentation		Yes
Server Roles
Active Directory® Certificate Services	Yes		Yes		Yes
Active Directory Domain Services	Yes		Required		Yes (optional)
Active Directory Federation Services	Yes		Yes		Yes
AD Lightweight Directory Services	Yes		No		Yes
AD Rights Management Services	Yes		Yes		Yes
Application Server	Yes		Yes		Yes
DHCP Server	Yes		Yes		Yes
DNS Server	Yes		Yes		Yes
Fax Server	Yes		Yes		Yes
File Services	Yes		Yes		Yes
Hyper-V	Yes		No		No
Network Policy and Access Services	Yes		Yes		Yes
Print and Document Services	Yes		Yes		Yes
Remote Access	Yes		Yes		Yes
Terminal Services Application Sharing	Yes		No		Yes
Terminal Services Gateway	Yes		No		See documentation
Web Services (IIS)	Yes		Yes		Yes
Windows Deployment Services	Yes		Yes		Yes
Windows Essentials	Yes		Default		No
Windows Media Services support (Streaming Media Services)	See Installation Options documentation		Yes		See Installation Options documentation
WINS Server	Yes		Yes		Yes
Features
RODC – read only domain controller	Yes		No		No
Automatic Virtual Machine Activation	As guest		As guest		No
Best Practices Analyzer	Yes		Yes		Yes
BranchCache Hosted Server	Yes		Yes		Yes
BranchCache P2P Cache	Yes		Yes		Yes
Windows Control Panel	Yes		Yes		Yes
Distributed File System Replication	Yes		Yes		Yes
Data Deduplication	Yes		No		No
ISCSI target support	Yes		Yes		Yes
DirectAccess	Yes		Yes		Yes
Dynamic Memory (in virtualization)	Yes		Yes		No
Failover Clustering	Yes		No		No
IPAM (IP Address Management)	Yes		Yes		Yes
Microsoft Management Console	Yes		Yes		Yes
Minimal Server Interface	Yes		No		No
Network Load Balancing	Yes		Yes		Yes
Support for Non-volatile Memory Express	Yes		Yes		Yes
Windows PowerShell	Yes		Yes		Yes
Server Core mode	Yes		No		No
Server license logging	Yes		Yes		Yes
Server Manager	Yes		Yes		Yes
SMB Direct and SMB over RDMA	Yes		Yes		Yes
Storage Management Service	Yes		Yes		Yes
Storage Spaces	Yes		Yes		Yes
Volume Activation Services	Yes		No		No
VSS (Volume Shadow Copy Service) integration	Yes		Yes		Yes