Looking At Windows Server 2016

While standalone versions of Windows have always stolen most of the headlines, their networked cousins have never been far behind.
Since Windows NT 3.1 was released over twenty years ago, multi-user operating systems have shadowed the consumer versions of Microsoft’s ubiquitous OS. Windows XP had Server 2003, Windows 7 had the second iteration of Server 2008, and Windows 10 has…currently nothing. That’s because Windows Server 2016 is arriving a year later than the domestic platform – the first time this has happened since Server 2008 lagged a year behind the unloved Vista.
Given the quantum leap Windows 10 represents over the deeply flawed Windows 8, what can we expect next year’s Server accompaniment to deliver? A great deal can be gleaned from the fact that Server 2016 was developed concurrently with Windows 10, although its beta testing phase will continue for at least six months longer than Windows 10. This may be a deliberate strategy so Microsoft can iron out any glitches before launching Server 2016: after all, networks are no place for buggy software. Alternatively, it could be that Server 2012 R2 (which was rather confusingly launched in October 2013) remains too modern for a wholesale upgrade to be justifiable.
Either way, it leaves Microsoft in the fairly invidious position of promoting a network OS that is now well behind the times. The forthcoming 2016 iteration was recently demoed when the third official Technical Preview was unveiled earlier this month, alongside remote server admin tools that can already be used on Windows 10 devices. It should be noted that these previews give Microsoft time and scope to refine the platform before it’s released, which means existing specifications may change before Server 2016 makes its official debut. For instance, systems administrators have been complaining about the absence of a standard graphical user interface option; a graphical shell currently has to be installed retrospectively, but this could well change over the coming months.
One of Server 2016’s flagship features will be an installation option specifically designed to run cloud applications and containers, with a minimal footprint made possible by remote management through PowerShell or Windows Management Instrumentation. As well as occupying a mere 400MB footprint and requiring far fewer reboots, Nano Server takes its pared-down inspiration from Linux distros by abolishing GUIs and local access. Microsoft are confident that compact cloud-optimised servers represent the future of networking, and Nano Server is similarly anticipated to become the centrepiece of all Server platforms – instead of the bulkier all-or-nothing infrastructure of conventional network software.
From the information already revealed about Server 2016, it appears that streamlining and time-saving have been central tenets of the design process. For instance, there is a new feature called Soft Restart, which enables faster boot times by minimising hardware initialization in favour of resetting only the software elements of the server. Network Controller also makes its debut, aimed at automating the configuration of networks, devices and components rather than relying on manual configs. And on the subject of controllers, the warmly-received facility in Windows 10 whereby a stylus pen can be used as an input tool will be carried across into Server 2016 as well.
It should be noted that Server 2016 will offer greater security and compatibility with Linux virtual machines, acknowledging the slowly thawing relationship between Microsoft and their one-time enemies. The issue of enforced downtime has also been addressed with rolling cluster upgrades that process and reboot one virtual machine at a time, to avoid taking the entire network offline. Windows Defender will become an integral part of the Server platform, while Microsoft executives are encouraging the adoption of servers with Trusted Protection Module microprocessors whose cryptographic keys provide an additional layer of security.