Logstash and Elasticsearch v9 – Compatibility Issue and Windows Support Removal

Elastic Stack Logstash
1

Why was Windows Server 2016/2019 support removed in Elastic v9 even though they’re still supported by Microsoft?

Hello Elastic Team,

I’m trying to understand the reasoning behind the removal of Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019 support in Elastic Stack v9 (Elasticsearch, Logstash).

From what I’ve seen in the documentation and release notes, Elastic v9 no longer lists Windows as a supported platform, which means Logstash and Elasticsearch v9 are not officially compatible with Windows systems. This creates a compatibility issue for environments where Windows Server is still in active use.

However, both:

  • Windows Server 2016 – Extended Support until January 12, 2027
  • Windows Server 2019 – Extended Support until January 9, 2029

are still fully supported by Microsoft and are widely used in enterprise infrastructure. These platforms remain stable and officially maintained by Microsoft.

Questions for the Elastic Team

  1. What was the main reason or technical limitation behind removing Windows Server support in Elastic Stack v9?

Best regards,
Mahesh Kumar Selveraj

2

As far as I can see, for Logstash, Windows 2016, 2019, 2022 and 2025 are supported.
For Elasticsearch, only Windows Server 2022 seems to be tested from the version 9.

So I'd not say that:

Elastic v9 no longer lists Windows as a supported platform

I don't know why, for Elasticsearch, we are not testing anymore Windows 2019 and older versions and why Windows Server 2025 is not in this list. Is it tested but undocumented? Or not tested yet?

I believe that someone from the Elasticsearch team will tell more :wink:

3

Also, elasticsearch 9.x not listing debian 11 as supported OS but logstash 9.x has listed it as supported OS. Is there any reason to drop support for dedbian 11 which is still a supported operating system?

4

I'd just say that running a server vs an ETL is something different. I'd not run my server using an old OS. But that's my 2 cents only :wink: