Windows Server 2016

Modus

Weaksauce
Joined
May 8, 2010
Messages
84
Have any of you test drove it yet? I spun it up in my virtual lab but I haven't dug deep yet.
 
No more Action packs in budget :(

I'm curious how much 'Linux' is in it. I'm also curious about its remote control skills and remote management. Maybe some new Hyper-V goodies?!
 
No more Action packs in budget :(

I'm curious how much 'Linux' is in it. I'm also curious about its remote control skills and remote management. Maybe some new Hyper-V goodies?!

I saw they added some new thing to hyper-v like stuff like S2D or guarded machines/shielded VMs but i don't run hyper-v so meh

You can DL it here Technet Evaluation Center
 
DL'ing now. Thanks!!

Been a while since I messed with anything new from MS... Still running 2008 r2 on my little puny server here I play with.
 
I am waiting to get my free license from Microsoft Imagine (formerly Dream Spark).
 
The GUI is windows 10 themed, IIS 10 is out with this version windows server. It seems like most the of special bits are around the hyper-v features and cloud integration
 
The GUI is windows 10 themed, IIS 10 is out with this version windows server. It seems like most the of special bits are around the hyper-v features and cloud integration
Yeah the changes are mostly around features that I don't plan on using right now (nano server, etc). I use VMware too so the Hyper-V stuff is irrelevant. Things like deduping larger than 64TB volumes would be nice but it's still not supported.

Until features require the OS I'm not going to deploy it "just because". Once R2 hits it will be updated enough and have enough features to become relevant to me. I see 2016, right now, as an OS where if you have to ask if you need it, you don't need it. If you have very specific needs that require the changes in 2016 you would already know that it's coming and wouldn't have to ask.

2012R2 is a great OS.
 
Yeah the changes are mostly around features that I don't plan on using right now (nano server, etc). I use VMware too so the Hyper-V stuff is irrelevant. Things like deduping larger than 64TB volumes would be nice but it's still not supported.

Until features require the OS I'm not going to deploy it "just because". Once R2 hits it will be updated enough and have enough features to become relevant to me. I see 2016, right now, as an OS where if you have to ask if you need it, you don't need it. If you have very specific needs that require the changes in 2016 you would already know that it's coming and wouldn't have to ask.

2012R2 is a great OS.

A lot of enterprises are still running 2008R2 with some 2012 servers so it would be great for them. It will be a must have for web devs, they will want IIS 10 and etc. I think 2012R2 was okay it didn't seem as solid as 2008R2 in some scenarios, as time permits i'm going put 2016 through it's paces to see how solid it is.
 
Been a fan of the Windows Server product line since 2000. 2008 R2 was great, 2012 R2 improved on it, Hyper-V is actually great for home / non-enterprise use - some things are faster and simpler than VMWare.

But please tell me there's no annoying Windows Store / Cortana / Edge / UWP apps that can't be removed or any of the other Windows 10 bullshit present in Server 2016. The Metro UI infesting 2012 was inexcusable, let's hope MS pulled their heads out.
 
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Is it generally available? All I can find is TP5 which was fun to play with.
Yeah, it hit general availability yesterday or day before that. Showing as well on Action Pack and others.

The new core licensing is stupid. Minimum of 16 core licenses per server, 8 per physical processor, sold in 2 packs. So if you have 4x 4-cores, you have to have 32 core licenses. Lame. If I read the site correctly.
 
2016 is on a per-core licence. Makes things a little harder for home labbers and a hard sell at work.

I missing having a TechNet subscription. I didn't have to worry about licenses for testing & home use. Now I'm stuck with crappy eval copies if I want to even try anything newer than what I've got.
 
Do you have a .edu email address? If yes, you can get Server for free - Student Developer Tools, Resources and Experiences | Imagine

FYI...2016 isn't listed yet.

Sadly no. I've been working since I got out of high school (USAF, defense contracting, DoD civilian). Not sure what type of coursework I'd have to take to gain an edu email. I've pondered the Action Pack but its way too much for budget at the moment.
 
2016 is on a per-core licence. Makes things a little harder for home labbers and a hard sell at work.
I believe up to 8 cores per socket the cost is the same as a single socket under 2012 prices. Over 8 cores per socket and you pay more.
 
I've heard some good things about Server 2016. Boss just got back from a week's worth of training for it.
 
I believe up to 8 cores per socket the cost is the same as a single socket under 2012 prices. Over 8 cores per socket and you pay more.

Does it include threads or just physical cores? I guess either way I should be fine on my homelab. I didn't look into it much, but I heard that the licencing is like the Datacenter sku with 2012 R2 where you can run Hyper-V or ESXI and have as many installations of it as you want under the same licence as long as they are on the same host.
 
Does it include threads or just physical cores? I guess either way I should be fine on my homelab. I didn't look into it much, but I heard that the licencing is like the Datacenter sku with 2012 R2 where you can run Hyper-V or ESXI and have as many installations of it as you want under the same licence as long as they are on the same host.
Cores.
 
Man that pricing is almost like the vRam tax in vsphere. They are banking on the future of server procs because frequency and IPC are stagnant so efficiency and core count are where the advancements are coming.
 
I'll tell you what I don't like - the same restrictions as Win 10. You can't disable updates, which is fine, I don't want to. But it it has the same insanely stupid update active hours restriction to only 12 hours, so you can't even choose a time when I want my 'server' to reboot - who the hell at MS thought this was acceptable.

I know they will say - use GPO + WSUS, but this is still insane.

What I do like - Telemetry is set to the Enterprise Only by default, it behaves very much like Win 10 LTSB.

I haven't experimented with Hyper-V improvements or Docker yet.
 
I'll tell you what I don't like - the same restrictions as Win 10. You can't disable updates, which is fine, I don't want to. But it it has the same insanely stupid update active hours restriction to only 12 hours, so you can't even choose a time when I want my 'server' to reboot - who the hell at MS thought this was acceptable.

This is a true "WTF is Microsoft thinking" mind-boggler. Always-beta forced updates and randomized reboots.... on a SERVER SKU.? Those are things that really shouldn't require diving into GPO's to undo.

Guess I'll be using 2012R2 for eons to come.
 
Heads up for anyone that has a Microsoft Imagine (used to be Dreamspark) account. Server 2016 is available for download.
 
It does & so does wsusoffline 10.8. The minitool can manipulate the system to not automatically install updates.
Gots to love the minitool! Yes indeed, updates are defaulted to Auto:

fOmJ9vc.png


I mean it's easy enough to change but left to default, this is a worse idea than that "15 minutes to auto-restart" BS in 2012. I get the feeling Microsoft does this as a CYA because they have caught flack for a lot of vulnerabilities when it was just laziness on the sysadmins part so this way a modified setting is not considered Microsoft's doing and they are not culpable for vulnerable servers left unpatched.
 
FYI, Server 2016 is now showing on Newegg. Essentials and Standard.
 
And they included Xbox apps! LOL FU MS
Heh heh that's funny! You'll laugh more when you hear that your server is used as a p2p hub and a xbox server...

..its all in the fine print that says MS owns your server now.
 
Looks like security patching out of the box is still a unlisted required. Also I guess we should thank microsoft for in including flash player in our server os http://imgur.com/a/OiEfV (n)
 
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Looks like security patching out of the box is still a unlisted required. Also I guess we should thank microsoft for in including flash player in our server os http://imgur.com/a/OiEfV (n)

Don't worry. Flash has never been used for anything but benign and safe purposes. How else are you going to watch pr0n on your server?
 
I'll tell you what I don't like - the same restrictions as Win 10. You can't disable updates, which is fine, I don't want to. But it it has the same insanely stupid update active hours restriction to only 12 hours, so you can't even choose a time when I want my 'server' to reboot - who the hell at MS thought this was acceptable.

I know they will say - use GPO + WSUS, but this is still insane.

It's official, the guys and gals in Redmond have officially lost their fucking minds.
 
I'm sure the Server team is just as disgusted (the engineers, not the pm's). This is all MS's usual 'one size fits all' strategy - a single OS for all phones, pcs, tablets, and rackmount servers. And by single os I mean single binary image with the exact same apps/UI/crapware and limitations. This is basically what we have with Win 10 + Server 2016 today.
 
Heads up for anyone that has a Microsoft Imagine (used to be Dreamspark) account. Server 2016 is available for download.

Are there any restrictions on use when obtaining a key from MS Imagine and downloading server 2016 datacenter through there?
 
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