Introduction to Windows server 2016-nano server

WindowsServer 2016 provides a new installation option: Nano Server. Nano Server is a remotely managed server operating system optimized for private clouds and data centers. Similar to the Server Core mode of Windows server, but significantly smaller, with no local sign-on capability, and only 64-bit applications, tools, and proxies are supported. It requires less disk space, significantly faster boot speeds, and requires significantly less update and restart operations than WindowsServer. When it is not restarted, it can be restarted more quickly. The Nano Server installation option is only available for standard and Datacenter versions of WindowsServer 2016.

Nano Server application Scenarios:

• As a "compute" host for Hyper-V virtual machines, whether or not in a cluster
  

• As a storage host for scale-out file servers.
  

• As a DNS server
  

• As a WEB server running Internet information Services (IIS)
  

• Hosts for applications that are developed using the cloud application pattern and that run in a container or virtual machine guest operating system
  

Important differences in the Nano Server:

Because the Nano server is optimized to be a lightweight operating system (to run cloud-native applications based on containers and microservices) or an agile and cost-effective data center host (where space usage is significantly reduced), the nano server There are significant differences between server cores or servers that have desktop experience installations:

• Nano Server has no peripherals, no local login feature or graphical user interface.
  

• Only 64-bit applications, tools, and proxies are supported.
  

• Nano Server cannot act as an Active Directory domain controller.
  

• Group Policy is not supported. However, you can configure large-scale application settings using the desired state.
  

• You cannot configure the Nano server to use a proxy server to access the Internet.
  

• NIC teaming (especially load balancing and failover or LBFO) is not supported. Supports switch embedding combination (set).
  

• System Center Configuration Manager and System Center Data Protection Manager are not supported.
  

• The Best Practices Analyzer (BPA) cmdlet and the integration of BPA with Server Manager are not supported.
  

• The Nano Server does not support virtual host bus adapters (HBAs).
  

• Nano Server does not need to be activated with a product key. Automatic virtual machine activation (AVMA) is not supported when Nano Server acts as a Hyper-V host. You can activate a virtual machine running on a Nano Server host by using the Key Management Service (KMS) in conjunction with a generic Volume license key, or by using active Directory-based activation.
  

• There are important differences with the version of Windows PowerShell that comes with Nano Server.
  

• Nano Server is supported only on the current Branch to Business (CBB) model-there is no Long term servicing Branch (LTSB) version of Nano server.
  

Current Branch for business:

Nano Server has a more active model, called Current Branch for Business (CBB), that supports customers who move in a "cloud rhythm" through a fast development cycle. In this model, the Nano Server has a feature update release of two to three times per year. This model requires Software Assurance for the Nano Server that is deployed and running in production. To maintain support, administrators must not lag more than two times for CBB Publishing. However, these versions do not automatically update existing deployments, and when convenient, the administrator installs the new CBB version manually.

Server Core and servers with Desktop experience installation options are still available on the Long term servicing Branch (LTSB) model, with 5 years of mainstream support and 5 years of extended support.

Installation Scenarios

Evaluation: You can obtain a copy of the WindowsServer 180-day license evaluation from the WINDOWSSERVER evaluation. To try Nano Server, select Nano Server | 64-bit EXE option, and then return to Nano Server start or deploy Nano server.

New Installation: because the Nano Server is installed by configuring a VHD, a clean installation is the fastest and simplest deployment method.

• To use DHCP to quickly start a basic deployment of Nano server to obtain an IP address, see Nano server Quick Start
  

• If you are already familiar with the basics of Nano server, a complete set of instructions for deploying a custom image, using the domain, online and offline server roles, and other features is provided in a more detailed topic that starts with the deployment of Nano server.
  

Important After you complete the installation, you can immediately review and install the WindowsServer 2016 available updates if you have installed all of the required server roles and features.

Upgrade: because Nano server is a new feature of WindowsServer 2016, there is no upgrade path from the old operating system version to the Nano server.

migration : Since Nano server is a new feature of WindowsServer 2016, there is no migration path from the old operating system version to the Nano server.

Introduction to Windows server 2016-nano server