Microsoft has "revealed" it is preparing a new version of Windows 10 Pro for those using high-performance workstations.
Twitter users @AndItsTito and @GrandMofongo have discovered references to a new edition of Windows 10 in a build Microsoft accidentally released to Windows Insiders last week. Described as "Windows 10 Pro for Advanced PCs" and as "Windows 10 Pro for Workstation", the new OS seems to have the following capabilities:
- Workstation mode: Microsoft plans to optimize the OS by identifying "typical compute and graphics intensive workloads" to provide peak performance and reliability when Workstation mode is enabled.
- Resilient file system: Microsoft's file system successor to NTFS, dubbed ReFS, is enabled in this new version, with support for fault-tolerance, optimized for large data volumes, and auto-correcting.
- Faster file handling: As workstation machines are typically used for large data volumes across networks, Microsoft is including the SMBDirect protocol for file sharing and high throughput, low latency, and low CPU utilization when accessing network shares.
- Expanded hardware support: Microsoft is also planning to allow Windows 10 Pro for Workstation on machines with up to 4 CPUs and a memory limit of 6TB. Windows 10 Pro currently only supports 2 CPUs.
Microsoft intends to build additional capabilities in the future to help its advanced users.
It's not clear when Microsoft intends to release this version of Windows.