The essential guide to Microsoft Windows Server 2016

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  Podcast

  Microsoft seeks secure cloud workloads in Windows Server 2016

  One of Microsoft's key Windows Server 2016 features is Nano Server, aimed at making containers and Hyper-V workloads faster to deploy and less vulnerable to intruders. Listen Now

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  Article

  How well do you know Windows Server 2016 licensing?

  Find out just how much you know about the impending changes to Microsoft's Windows Server 2016 licensing model with this short quiz. Read Now

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  Article

  Time sync improvements coming to Windows Server

  Organizations with a steady flow of term-limited employees may find one of the new Active Directory features on group membership expirations helpful. Read Now

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  Article

  A Windows Server 2016 upgrade requires careful consideration

  An upgrade to Windows Server 2016 will generate interest as the release date draws near, but there are many decisions to weigh before making the leap. Read Now

1Storage Spaces Direct adds functionality

Storage Spaces Direct, a new storage feature in Windows Server 2016, uses software to let administrators build highly available storages systems with local storage.

• Article

  Windows Server 2016 features include disaster recovery

  The new Storage Replica is one of several key Windows Server disaster recovery elements. Storage Spaces Direct also supports DR. Read Now

• Article

  How Windows containers work and apply to DR

  Part of Windows Server 2016, the Windows container may be a good means for your organization's disaster recovery. But be cautious about moving data volumes. Read Now

• Article

  Synchronous replication a reality with Windows Server 2016

  With Storage Replica, administrators have a new tool in their arsenal to avoid disaster and to recover data quickly. Read Now

• Article

  Get started with Storage Spaces Direct

  Storage Spaces Direct allows failover clusters to be built around commodity storage without the need for a cluster shared volume. Administrators should be aware that within Storage Spaces Direct, virtual disks are not treated as virtual hard disk files, but as a series of extents. Read Now

• Article

  Notable features in Storage Spaces Direct

  One of the key features of Storage Spaces Direct is its use of high capacity devices, such as SATA disks and solid-state drives, allowing administrators to use high availability tiered storage and software-defined storage across the enterprise. Read Now

• Podcast

  Windows Server 2016 features focus on cloud

  Microsoft is increasingly trying to drive customers to the cloud and microservices, but one feature that continues to stick out to administrators is Storage Spaces Direct, which improves the Storage Spaces technology introduced in Windows Server 2012. Listen Now

2The debut of containers and Hyper-V updates

Containers are the next progression of virtualization -- isolated environments where applications and services can run without affecting the system and vice versa. Windows Server 2016 will also feature significant security developments to Hyper-V.

• Article

  Container management tools continue to evolve

  When Windows Server 2016 is released, admins will have to learn what options exist for managing Docker containers and what challenges the task will present. Read Now

• Article

  How has Hyper-V security improved in Windows Server 2016?

  Hyper-V Server 2016 is scheduled to be released in the third quarter of 2016. See how well you know its anticipated security features. Read Now

• Article

  Secure Hyper-V VMs with Host Guardian

  The Host Guardian server role combines three features to provide VM privacy at the hypervisor level, including virtual hard disk encryption with BitLocker. Read Now

• Article

  Hyper-V 2016 at a glance

  Hyper-V 2016 includes a few new and noteworthy features, such as shielded VMs and changes to production checkpoints. Storage resiliency also protects VMs in case of a loss of storage connectivity. Read Now

• Article

  How to protect Hyper-V containers

  Administrators who want to protect Hyper-V containers can restrict containers to trusted workloads and apply patches regularly to fix vulnerabilities. Read Now

• Article

  Nested virtualization supports Windows containers

  Nested virtualization allows a VM to host another VM, and a major benefit of Hyper-V nested virtualization is container support. Another perk? Organizations can build a test environment that more closely simulates the production deployment. Read Now

• Article

  What's the difference between Hyper-V and Windows Server containers?

  While Hyper-V and Windows Server containers are both forms of virtualization, there are some differences between the two that administrators should know. Read Now

• Article

  What are Windows containers?

  Windows Server 2016 will support containers by using the Docker engine for deployment and management. Read Now

• Article

  How to deploy Windows containers using PowerShell or Docker commands

  Administrators can deploy Windows containers in Azure using Docker commands or a PowerShell module. While admins who have worked with Docker commands may be tempted to start there, the PowerShell commands may be more trustworthy. Read Now

• Article

  New Hyper-V features in Windows Server 2016

  Hyper-V in Windows Server 2016 includes new features, such as nested virtualization and the ability to hot add and remove virtual network cards. Read Now

• Article

  How are Hyper-V and Windows Server licensed?

  Microsoft has shifted its licensing for Windows Server 2016 from a per-processor to per-core model for the Datacenter and Standard editions, while Hyper-V Server is available to download for free which, however, comes at the cost of limitations. Read Now

• Article

  How containers affect application virtualization and management

  Containers divide complex applications into constituent components and can then be linked together to form a complete application. This allows each component to be patched without affecting other components in other containers. Read Now

3Nano Server in Windows Server 2016

Nano Server is a lightweight installation that is 93% smaller than a traditional Windows Server deployment. Despite its small size, Nano Server offers big benefits to enterprises. This section will break down the benefits of Nano Server, how to deploy it and what it means for Windows Server.

• Video

  Microsoft Nano Server: A lighter OS for heavy workloads

  Microsoft offers a refactored Windows Server 2016 option called Nano Server that fills the need for speed in today's data centers. Here's how it works. Watch Now

• Article

  How does Windows Nano Server differ from Windows Server Core?

  After Windows Server Core failed to catch on, Microsoft may convince administrators with its next attempt for a more VM- and cloud-friendly Windows Server deployment. Read Now

• Article

  Microsoft's headless server readies for prime time

  Windows Nano Server is a stripped-down version of Windows Server designed for hosting virtual workloads and cloud-native applications. Read Now

• Article

  Why should enterprises consider a Nano Server deployment?

  Microsoft Nano Server isn't intended to replace a traditional Windows Server deployment, but its small footprint can improve performance and security. Read Now

• Article

  Why Nano Server matters for businesses

  One of the benefits of Nano Server's small size is a reduced attack surface. Microsoft estimates that critical security bulletins for Nano Server will decrease by 92%. Read Now

• Article

  How to deploy Nano Server

  Nano Server debuted in the second Windows Server technical preview, but deployment wasn't easy. This tip breaks down how to deploy Nano Server from a WIM file. Read Now

• Article

  What does Nano Server mean for Windows Server?

  Microsoft expects Nano Server will help organizations cut down on reboots with the added benefit of being highly portable so it can be executed in multiple scenarios. Read Now

• Article

  How Nano Server is changing containers

  Nano Server is ideal for cloud-based environments because it can be run on bare metal as a container, something VMware cannot do with ESXi. Read Now

• Article

  Changes to VM management with Nano Server

  While Nano Server won't replace every VM in an organization, it can help conserve hardware resources. It also has the potential to reduce the cost of server virtualization by decreasing VM hardware use. Read Now

• Article

  How Nano Server can improve security and cost savings

  Nano Server's small attack surface means hackers have less code to try and exploit. Its reduced footprint also means it can improve performance because there are fewer running resources. Read Now

• Article

  Admins anticipate containers, Nano Server in Windows Server 2016

  Nano Server and containers are some of the most highly anticipated features of Windows Server 2016. Storage Replica is also a topic of interest, especially for organizations that want to roll their own hyper-converged clusters. Read Now

4Keep the server OS running smoothly

This section of the guide will walk you through how to manage Windows Server 2016 using features such as rolling cluster upgrades and PowerShell Direct.

• Article

  New PowerShell security features arriving in Windows Server 2016

  Windows Server 2016 will ship with new PowerShell security features, including cmdlets that allow the use of PKI encryption for public and private key certificates. Read Now

• Article

  Improving Windows Server security requires other means

  Newer Windows Server versions are inherently more secure but that's only part of what's needed to improve security in an organization. Read Now

• Article

  PowerShell DSC fundamentals for Windows admins

  PowerShell Desired State Configuration is a configuration management feature in Windows PowerShell. Learn the fundamentals and where it can help. Read Now

• Article

  Rolling cluster upgrades reduce downtime

  Rolling cluster upgrades let administrators upgrade Windows Server clusters without downtime by allowing them to upgrade cluster nodes individually until they are all running the new operating system. Read Now

• Article

  Essential security improvements in Windows Server 2016

  There are several security updates in Windows Server 2016, including the Just Enough Administration PowerShell toolkit and Windows Defender. Read Now

• Article

  Changes to Group Policy in Windows Server 2016

  The structure of Group Policy is largely unchanged in Windows Server 2016, but the configuration process is different from previous versions, as the preferred deployment method does not include a GUI. Read Now

• Article

  Why Microsoft hasn't gotten rid of the GUI

  While features such as a Nano Server don't include a GUI, Microsoft has yet to completely eliminate the interface. Some applications still require it, which is one reason it is still around. Read Now

• Article

  How administrators can prepare for Docker containers

  Windows administrators will have to adjust to using containers and will also have to learn how to manage them. Containers will also present challenges in terms of backups and troubleshooting. Read Now

• Article

  How to use PowerShell Direct

  PowerShell Direct is enabled by default in Windows Server 2016 Hyper-V hosts, but there are a few prerequisites administrators need to be aware of before they can use it. Read Now

5Windows Server 2016 news

This section will look at different Windows Server 2016 news stories.

• Article

  Windows Server 2016 to arrive in mid-October

  Microsoft added several cloud-friendly security enhancements to Hyper-V in Windows Server 2016, but for some the road to the cloud has too many obstacles. Read Now

• Article

  Docker for Windows Server 2016 GA details revealed

  Microsoft Docker container products got a boost from a deepened partnership between the two companies, which may pay enterprise dividends. Read Now

• Article

  IT pros take the reins on Windows container management

  While Windows shops are eager to containerize, they're foregoing Azure containers and waiting until Windows Server 2016 becomes generally available to jump on the Docker bandwagon. Read Now

• Article

  How Azure Stack integrates the cloud and data center

  At Ignite in 2015, Microsoft revealed Azure Stack, which is both an infrastructure as a service and platform as a service offering. Azure Stack allows administrators to deliver more consistent application deployments when they are provisioned to the Azure public cloud or data center based Azure Stack. Read Now

• Article

  Second Windows Server 2016 technical preview excludes containers

  Although there was much hullaballoo around containers leading up to Microsoft Ignite, the highly anticipated feature was noticeably absent from the second technical preview of Windows Server 2016. However, containers finally made an appearance in the third technical preview. Read Now

• Article

  Docker containers may start hitting primary storage

  Industry experts see Docker containers following a similar trajectory as VMware in its early days, but it might not be long before Docker containers move out of testing environments and start becoming deployed in primary storage. Read Now

• Article

  Changes to Windows Server 2016 licensing

  With Microsoft changing its Windows Server licensing from a per-processor to per-core model, users will have to make sure they know their hardware to avoid having to pay a large bill. Read Now

• Article

  Docker and Azure CTO discuss containers

  Docker co-founder and CTO Solomon Hykes and Azure CTO Mark Russinovich discussed the challenges of moving Docker to Windows, and how the partnership between Microsoft and Docker is developing. Read Now

• Article

  Windows Containers, Docker hit Microsoft shops

  Microsoft introduced containers in the third technical preview of Windows Server 2016. It was also the first time Windows users were able to use Docker containers, which were previously only available with Linux. Read Now

6Must know Windows Server 2016 terms

Use this glossary section to get familiar with the terms you may encounter during your Windows Server 2016 upgrade.

• Definition

  Microsoft Windows Server 2016

  Microsoft Windows Server 2016, previously referred to as Windows Server vNext, is a server operating system (OS).  Read Now

• Definition

  Microsoft Nano Server

  Microsoft Nano Server is a lightweight operating system based on Microsoft Windows Server 2016 that is tailored for use as an OS layer for virtualized container instances. Read Now

• Definition

  Microsoft Windows Containers

  Windows containers are abstracted, isolated and portable operating environments supported by the Microsoft Windows Server 2016 operating system and managed with tools such as Docker and PowerShell. Read Now

• Definition

  Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct

  Microsoft Storage Spaces Direct is a feature in Windows Server 2016 that uses local server storage to build highly available and scalable software-defined storage systems for Hyper-V virtual machines. Read Now

• Definition

  Microsoft Storage Replica

  Microsoft Storage Replica is a feature in Windows Server 2016 that provides synchronous block-level, volume-based replication for high availability and disaster recovery needs. Read Now

• Definition

  Microsoft Windows Server Antimalware

  Microsoft Windows Server Antimalware is a tool in the Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview that protects against malware. Read Now

• Definition

  Microsoft Windows PowerShell Direct

  Microsoft Windows PowerShell Direct is a feature of Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 that allows a user to manage a VM without requiring changes in the network connection or remote management settings. Read Now