The upcoming release of Windows Server 2025 will introduce a new “Hotpatching” feature, which allows for the installation of security patches without the need to restart the system. This feature aims to minimize system reboots after security updates, enabling faster patch deployment, reduced resource usage, and minimized impact on workloads.
The Hotpatching feature is currently in beta on Windows Server 2025 Azure Arc-enabled and will be available for both physical servers and virtual machines running Windows Server 2025. Virtual machines can operate on various virtualization platforms such as Hyper-V and VMware, with support for the Virtualization Based Security standard of Microsoft.
To enable Hotpatching on Windows Server 2025 Datacenter and Standard editions, users will need to use the Azure built-in Arc agent. Prerequisites include running Windows Server 2025 Datacenter edition, enabling Virtualization Based Security, installing the required security updates, and connecting to Azure Arc. Through Azure Arc, this feature will be managed, and the Windows Server licensing service will provide patches to the system.
The Hotpatching feature will officially be available upon the release of Windows Server 2025, providing users with the flexibility to deploy this system on-premises, on the Azure platform, or in other environments that suit their specific requirements.