FOLLOW THE LATEST NEWS ON THE HYBRID CLOUD BLOG
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<title>Delivering continuous innovation with Windows Server</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/15/delivering-continuous-innovation-with-windows-server/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/15/delivering-continuous-innovation-with-windows-server/#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jun 2017 16:00:12 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15885</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This blog post was authored by Erin Chapple, General Manager, Windows Server. Over the years, our conversations with customers about their application and datacenter needs have really evolved, but the one constant is the accelerating pace of change. Digital transformation is changing the way business is done and the most competitive organizations react quickly to <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/15/delivering-continuous-innovation-with-windows-server/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This blog post was authored by Erin Chapple, General Manager, Windows Server.</em></p> <p>Over the years, our conversations with customers about their application and datacenter needs have really evolved, but the one constant is the accelerating pace of change. Digital transformation is changing the way business is done and the most competitive organizations react quickly to new opportunities, which usually involves agile applications. IT leaders frequently ask me how Windows Server is evolving to meet this new reality and how they can take advantage of new innovations at the pace their business demands.</p> <p>Today, Id like to share more details about our new model of delivering more frequent releases of Windows Server. Starting this fall, we plan to deliver two feature updates per year, each spring and fall, aligning to the <a href="https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Overview-of-the-upcoming-changes-to-Office-365-ProPlus-update-management-78B33779-9356-4CDF-9D2C-08350EF05CCA?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US">Windows and Office Semi-annual Channel release cycle</a>. This option provides opportunity for customers who are innovating quickly to take advantage of new operating system capabilities at a faster pace, both in applications – particularly those built on containers and microservices, as well as in the software-defined hybrid datacenter. <a href="https://aka.ms/gdvrlt">System Center</a> will also be participating in the Semi-annual Channel and have shared more information in their blog today.</p> <h2>Nano Server and containers No such thing as too small</h2> <p>Last month at <a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/10/windows-server-for-developers-news-from-microsoft-build-2017/">Microsoft Build</a> we announced a number of great developer and container related innovations that will be coming as part of this upcoming feature update, including a new version of Nano Server. Since our first release of Nano Server last year, weve spent a lot of time with customers to understand how theyre using Nano Server and where they want to see future investments. Two things were very clear:</p> <ol> <li>Using Nano Server for containers is their highest priority.</li> <li>When it comes to containers, smaller is better.</li> </ol> <p>Based on that feedback, we are making an important change to Nano Server. This next release will focus on making Nano Server the very best container image possible. From these changes, customers will now see the Nano Server images shrink in size by more than 50 percent, further decreasing startup times and improving container density. As part of this effort to focus on containers, we will be removing the functionality for infrastructure-related roles. Instead of using Nano Server for these scenarios, we recommend deploying the Server Core installation option, which includes all the roles and features you would need. These changes to Nano Server, combined with the new application innovations in .NET Core 2.0 which enables customers to use more of their code in more places, make Nano Server the best option for new container-based development.</p> <p>In addition to these Nano Server investments, were also delivering application innovations to support Linux containers and workloads natively on Windows Server. Were extending the Hyper-V isolation capability, introduced with the 2016 release, to Linux containers as well, so now you can run Linux containers on Windows Server. This means customers will no longer have to deploy two separate container infrastructures to support both their Windows and Linux-based applications. Were also bringing the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), commonly known as Bash on Windows, to Windows Server. This unique combination allows developer and application administrators to use the same scripts, tools, procedures and container images they have been using for Linux containers on their Windows Server container host.</p> <h2>Server Core Also coming to the Semi-annual Channel</h2> <p>I am also pleased to announce that Server Core will now be included in the Semi-annual Channel. Server Core is a headless installation option of the operating system which includes all the roles and features needed to run datacenter servers and containerized traditional applications.</p> <p>Moving forward, Server Core will be the recommended choice for hosting your virtual machines as well as your containers which can be running a Nano Server container image, a Server Core container image, or even Linux container images. This makes Server Core the ideal platform to support the very popular lift-and-shift scenario of moving legacy applications to containerized deployments, often running in Azure, for increased performance and manageability with reduced costs.</p> <p>Server Core is also our recommended option for infrastructure workloads. Many customers dont realize that Server Core is the base image that runs Azure and Azure Stack. This means the investments we make in Windows Server for Azure can be made available to customers to use in their own datacenters. This makes Server Core a great choice for Azure customers who like the idea of consistent technologies between their datacenter and the cloud. One example of this in the upcoming feature update is the cluster sets functionality for increased scale of hyper-converged deployments. Were also continuing to add security investments such as the ability to quickly encrypt network segments on their software-defined networking infrastructure per their security and compliance needs. You can expect new features to continue to optimize efficiency, performance and security for software-defined datacenters.</p> <h2>Accessing Windows Server in the Semi-annual Channel</h2> <p>There are two ways to get access to Windows Server in the Semi-annual Channel:</p> <ul> <li>Windows Server Standard or Datacenter customers who are covered by Software Assurance will automatically have access to Semi-annual Channel releases as they are made available. Servers without Software Assurance do not have rights to the Semi-annual Channel releases.</li> <li>Customers can also access these new Windows Server images in Azure or other cloud and hosting environments. Plus, if you have existing Windows Server licenses with Software Assurance, you should take advantage of the savings (up to 40%!) when you use the <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/pricing/hybrid-use-benefit/?v=17.22">Azure Hybrid Use Benefit</a>.</li> </ul> <p>With the release of Windows Server 2016, we started the process of making our monthly updates cumulative. This means when you update the server, you know all prior updates have been applied. So the more active cadence of software release and deployment has already begun and will continue for Semi-annual Channel releases as well. As part of this process we also want to enable flexibility for organizations adopting this model, so weve enabled them to skip one of the semi-annual releases and wait to upgrade until the next release.</p> <p>You can read more details on this new more frequent release cadence at a new article published on our website: <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=851042">Windows Server Semi-annual Channel Overview</a>.</p> <p>For workloads that require longer term stability and predictability, Windows Server 2016 is a great option. This is the latest release from our long-term servicing channel (LTSC) and it is supported for 10 years, or up to 16 years if you purchase <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/premium-assurance">Premium Assurance</a>. In the Semi-annual Channel, feature updates are cumulative, so each release builds on the prior one and adds new capabilities, which ultimately culminates in the next LTSC release.</p> <h2>Windows Server previews coming soon to the Windows Insiders Program. Sign up today!</h2> <p>While Windows Server has always evolved to meet the changing needs of our customers, the next phase truly depends on you. This new model provides more opportunity than ever before for you to influence the direction of Windows Server. I am looking forward to your feedback and partnership as we deliver the next generation of OS technology to support the applications and infrastructure innovation you need!</p> <p>Becoming a part of <a href="https://insider.windows.com/ForBusiness">the Windows Insider program</a> will give you the opportunity to test pre-release code, provide feedback, and really influence how we develop our products. You can also join the discussion on the new <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Windows-Server/ct-p/Windows-Server">Windows Server Tech Community</a>, where you can ask questions and share ideas with other customers and experts, including Microsoft engineers and MVPs.</p> <p>You can read more on this new more frequent release cadence as well as details on how to sign up for the Windows Insiders program at a new article published on our website: <a href="https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=851042">Windows Server Semi-annual Channel Overview</a>.</p> <p>We look forward to hearing from you!</p> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Frequent, continuous releases coming for System Center</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/15/frequent-continuous-releases-coming-for-system-center/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/15/frequent-continuous-releases-coming-for-system-center/#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jun 2017 16:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15916</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This blog post has been authored by Bala Rajagopolan, Principal Group Program Manager, System Center. In todays digital world, customers expect companies to interact with them through applications, and managing and monitoring these applications and the infrastructure they run on is crucial. While more applications and workloads are moving to the cloud, managing on-premises resources <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/15/frequent-continuous-releases-coming-for-system-center/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This blog post has been authored by Bala Rajagopolan, Principal Group Program Manager, System Center.</em></p> <p>In todays digital world, customers expect companies to interact with them through applications, and managing and monitoring these applications and the infrastructure they run on is crucial. While more applications and workloads are moving to the cloud, managing on-premises resources remains an important job for most organizations. To help you deliver agile IT operations at the pace of the cloud across all your workloads, we are excited to announce that System Center will soon offer more frequent feature release cycles. This will give you the opportunity to try new features and provide timely feedback to inform the roadmap items for the upcoming releases.</p> <h2>Faster release cadence</h2> <p>We will be delivering features and enhancements on a faster cadence in the next year, focusing on the highest priority needs of our customers across System Center components. You will see releases twice a year, aligned with the <a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/15/delivering-continuous-innovation-with-windows-server/">Windows Server semi-annual channel</a> timelines. A technical preview is planned for release in the fall with the first production version available early next calendar year, and subsequent releases approximately every six months. These releases will be available to System Center customers with active Software Assurance. System Center Configuration Manager will continue to offer three releases a year to give you the latest updates for managing servers, PCs, and mobile devices.</p> <h2>Expanded support for Windows Server, Linux, and VMware</h2> <p>With the incredible adoption of Windows Server 2016, customers are asking for more ways to take advantage of the new features. In the first release, our focus will be on System Center Operations Manager, Virtual Machine Manager, and Data Protection Manager. The key areas of investment will include support for Windows Server and Linux, enhanced performance, usability and reliability, and extensibility with Azure-based security and management services.</p> <p>This release will make it easy for you to deploy and manage nested virtualization, and support software load balancing. In addition, you will be able to provision Storage Quality of Service (QoS) via self-service. To support heterogeneous environments, System Center is investing in improved monitoring for Linux using a FluentD agent, and reducing storage costs for VMware backups. For VMware, you will also have the ability to migrate a UEFI firmware based VMware VM to a Gen 2 Hyper-V virtual machine.</p> <p>In addition, you will see enhancements in performance and usability, including expanded HTML5 dashboards for Operations Manager and faster performance for the Virtual Machine Manager Host Refresher. To bring together on-premises data with cloud data, you will also see more integrations with Azure services. This includes integration with Azure Insight & Analytics Service Map, to map application and server dependencies across platforms, and centralized reporting for Data Protection Manager with Azure Backup. We also recently announced the ability to <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/log-analytics/log-analytics-itsmc-overview">send incident data</a> to Service Manager from Azure. We will provide more information on these and other updates for the first release in the coming weeks.</p> <p>To help influence the upcoming releases, we encourage you to join the <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/System-Center/bd-p/SystemCenter">System Center Tech Community</a> and UserVoice forums to provide your feedback and suggestions.</p> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Windows Server 2016: Run your applications on any platform</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/08/windows-server-2016-run-your-applications-on-any-platform/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/08/windows-server-2016-run-your-applications-on-any-platform/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jun 2017 16:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15846</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The thing about your digital transformation is that its a process, not an event. You can already see some benefits, but the ultimate payoff may be years down the road. In the meantime, youve got a wide variety of workloads running in different clouds, on different hosts, and on bare metal. That can create challenges <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/08/windows-server-2016-run-your-applications-on-any-platform/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The thing about your digital transformation is that its a process, not an event. You can already see some benefits, but the ultimate payoff may be years down the road. In the meantime, youve got a wide variety of workloads running in different clouds, on different hosts, and on bare metal. That can create challenges when it comes to security, app development, VDI experiences, and disaster recovery.</p> <p>Windows Server 2016 was designed specifically with these challenges in mind. In a new white paper, <a target="_blank" href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/7/2/B72E4A92-4F98-4FE9-A770-D5E82F592ED8/Windows_Server_2016_Run_Workloads_For_Any_Platform_EN_US.pdf">Windows Server 2016: Run Workloads for Any Platform</a>, weve rounded up all of the guest-level benefits of running this OS in hybrid environments. Windows Server 2016 is designed to run both traditional and cloud-native workloads equally well on-premises or in the cloud, and can help resolve many of the issues that come with deploying workloads in hybrid and cloud environments:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Built-in security for virtual machines:</strong> Many security concerns are common across all platforms, they exist no matter where you run them. Windows Server 2016 has protections against malware, ransomware, and credential theft built-in at the OS level. You can improve security for any app significantly, just by migrating that app to Windows Server 2016.</li> <li><strong>Easier, more efficient app development:</strong> Whether youre writing apps for virtual machines or for the cloud, Windows Server 2016 helps developers deliver apps to market faster and with greater impact by supporting innovations like containers, Server Core, and Nano Server.</li> <li><strong>Improved VDI experiences:</strong> With Windows Server 2016 as your work space, you can provide personal-session desktops in the cloud, support modern graphics and 3D apps, and eliminate MultiPoint Server licensing costs.</li> <li><strong>More cost-effective disaster recovery:</strong> Storage Replica in Windows Server 2016 offers both synchronous and asynchronous replication of data between servers and clusters to keep all nodes in sync, regardless of whether they are located on-premises or in the cloud.</li> </ul> <p>The white paper also provides an overview of capabilities that become available when you run your workloads on Windows Server 2016 on Azure. <a target="_blank" href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/7/2/B72E4A92-4F98-4FE9-A770-D5E82F592ED8/Windows_Server_2016_Run_Workloads_For_Any_Platform_EN_US.pdf">Download it today</a> and learn more about the benefits of running Windows Server 2016, no matter where you run it.</p> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Windows Server 2016 + Windows 10 = today’s modern infrastructure</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/06/windows-server-2016-windows-10-todays-modern-infrastructure/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/06/windows-server-2016-windows-10-todays-modern-infrastructure/#respond</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 06 Jun 2017 16:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15835</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Find out how Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 work together to meet todays pressing IT needs from the desktop to the server to the cloud.Download this new guide and quickly see how you can overcome your client and server infrastructure challenges using the latest security and productivity technologies built into Windows Server 2016 and <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/06/06/windows-server-2016-windows-10-todays-modern-infrastructure/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Find out how Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 work together to meet todays pressing IT needs from the desktop to the server to the cloud.<a target="_blank" href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/1/4/614D75F5-68C2-4D36-AFEA-C713D4520C75/Windows_Server_2016_and_Windows_10_Better_Together_Solution_Brief.pdf">Download this new guide </a>and quickly see how you can overcome your client and server infrastructure challenges using the latest security and productivity technologies built into Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10.</p> <p>Windows 10 is running on more than 500 million devices in 192 countries. Thats every country in the world except for four and were working on those. The point is, Windows 10 may well be the most familiar OS on the planet and enterprise adoption is happening even <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cio.com/article/3187503/windows/why-enterprises-are-upgrading-to-windows-10-faster-than-expected.html">faster than expected</a>, according to <em>CIO Magazine</em>.</p> <p>So what happens when you combine Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10? You see the general systems theory in action: the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. As this <a target="_blank" href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdownload%2F6%2F1%2F4%2F614D75F5-68C2-4D36-AFEA-C713D4520C75%2FWindows_Server_2016_and_Windows_10_Better_Together_Solution_Brief.pdf&data=02%7C01%7Csuehar%40microsoft.com%7Cfb5ccb95aa104ba3473a08d487a0e83d%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C1%7C636282572536652252&sdata=btat05hDMGfDhObD4oEL%2BaJEOvHFhGMutdbssuCewno%3D&reserved=0">new solution brief</a> explains, we created these products to work together, meeting ITs most pressing needs from the desktop to servers to the cloud.</p> <p>According to a November 2016 survey by the Society for Information Management, the top concerns for CIOs in 2017 are (1) aligning IT with the business, (2) security, and (3) finding skilled IT workers to fill roles in development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. Together, Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 address these concerns directly, allowing you to:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Protect against cyber attacks:</strong> By combining Credential Guard and Remote Credential Guard, Pass-the-Hash and Pass-the-Ticket attacks are rendered ineffective at both the system and the sign-on levels. Meanwhile, Windows Defender Antivirus is on by default for server and client to detect and remove any malware. In addition, you can configure Device Guard to further ensure that only trusted software can be run on a server or device, preventing malicious code, like ransomware, from executing.</li> <li><strong>Boost productivity:</strong> You can streamline access to data and apps by simplifying MFA deployment and use, assigning GPUs directly to virtual machines, and lowering the latency of high-volume data tasks.</li> <li><strong>Enable developers:</strong> Using familiar tools, developers can quickly create and deploy apps that drive business. For example, they can use Docker natively on Windows 10 to build containers that run inside of a specially optimized VM.</li> </ul> <p>For more information about how Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10 work better together to provide a consistent, secure platform for users, administrators and developers, download the <a target="_blank" href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fdownload.microsoft.com%2Fdownload%2F6%2F1%2F4%2F614D75F5-68C2-4D36-AFEA-C713D4520C75%2FWindows_Server_2016_and_Windows_10_Better_Together_Solution_Brief.pdf&data=02%7C01%7Csuehar%40microsoft.com%7Cfb5ccb95aa104ba3473a08d487a0e83d%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C1%7C636282572536652252&sdata=btat05hDMGfDhObD4oEL%2BaJEOvHFhGMutdbssuCewno%3D&reserved=0">solution brief</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Using Azure Backup for Windows Server system state and applications</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/31/using-azure-backup-for-windows-server-system-state-and-applications/</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 31 May 2017 16:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15825</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Azure Backup makes it easier for you to protect your Windows Server with a new version of Azure Backup Server and the ability to perform on-premises system state backup, available today. Azure Backup is less complex and less expensive than traditional backup solutions, where you would have to pay for the tape, maintenance and personnel <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/31/using-azure-backup-for-windows-server-system-state-and-applications/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Azure Backup makes it easier for you to protect your <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/protect-windows-server-2016-and-vcenter-esxi-6-5-using-azure-backup-server/">Windows Server </a>with a new version of Azure Backup Server and the ability to perform on-premises <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/windows-server-system-state-backup-azure/">system state backup</a>, available today.</p> <p>Azure Backup is less complex and less expensive than traditional backup solutions, where you would have to pay for the tape, maintenance and personnel of an offsite. Retrieving tape from an offsite location is time consuming, and the functionality of the tape is not guaranteed.</p> <h2>Cost-effective storage with latest version of Azure Backup Server</h2> <p>Azure Backup is a compliant and cost-effective backup solution that makes it easier to protect application workloads running on your Windows Server environment. As a hybrid solution, Azure Backup enables you to store data onto disk and in Azure. Azure Backup Server is included with the Azure Backup service, and you can use it to make disk backups for Microsoft workloads such as SQL Server, Exchange and SharePoint running on physical servers, Hyper-V or VMware. Azure Backup Server has been redesigned to reduce the backup storage consumed on disk, so you can have lower storage costs. You can use Azure Backup Server when you need to meet tight recovery time objectives (RTO) for restoring data from disk to your on-premises Windows Server in a few minutes. To further reduce costs, stop paying for an offsite location to save backups for compliance purposes and use Azure Backup to store your backups in Azure for long term retention, up to 99 years.</p> <h2>Windows Server system state backup to Azure</h2> <p>Azure Backup also helps you protect Windows Server virtual machines running in Azure, and you can even restore data from Azure to on-premises. Starting today, you can use Azure Backup to back up your on-premises Windows Server system state to Azure. In the event something happens to your Windows Server, Azure Backup can give you a snapshot of your system state, including files, Active Directory settings and certification services stored in Azure. You can then restore your system state from Azure back to your on-premises Windows Server.</p> <p>Whether you are backing up data to disk or to Azure, you can manage your backups from the Azure portal. Azure Backup reduces cost and increases compliance by giving you a single backup solution that supports your on-premises or Azure Windows Servers.</p> <p>Get started today:</p> <ul> <li>Start your <a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/backup/">free trial of Azure Backup</a></li> <li>Ask your questions and join the discussion on the <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Azure/ct-p/Azure">Azure</a> and <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Windows-Server/ct-p/Windows-Server">Windows Server</a> Microsoft Tech Community</li> </ul> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Should you upgrade to Windows Server 2016?</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/30/should-you-upgrade-to-windows-server-2016/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/30/should-you-upgrade-to-windows-server-2016/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 30 May 2017 16:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15775</guid>
<description><![CDATA[We know upgrading your server OS can be a big investment, both in time and money. So why should you consider making the switch to Windows Server 2016 as soon as possible? Windows Server 2016 is an entirely new generation of operating system. Weve heard your many concerns, like bridging the gap between on-premises and <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/30/should-you-upgrade-to-windows-server-2016/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We know upgrading your server OS can be a big investment, both in time and money. So why should you consider making the switch to Windows Server 2016 as soon as possible? Windows Server 2016 is an entirely new generation of operating system. Weve heard your many concerns, like bridging the gap between on-premises and cloud, growing security threats, proliferation of end points, and shadow IT, and have implemented solutions directly within the OS. This will allow you to accomplish your IT and datacenter goals, no matter what they are.</p> <h2>You want to strengthen your security posture</h2> <p><em>Traditionally, we had a hard time attracting customers under HIPAA regulations and with shielded VMs, we think we can engage these customers. </em></p> <p style="text-align: right">– Jacob Morrison, Principal Engineer, Rackspace</p> <p>Read more about how <a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/en-US/story/rackspace">Hoster uses Shielded VMs to help security-sensitive customers move to the cloud</a>.</p> <p>Relying solely on a perimeter security model is no longer sustainable. Attacks have become too sophisticated, and once someone is inside, theyre free to do whatever they want. Windows Server 2016 has layers of active security built in, giving you a stronger security posture and allowing you to detect, protect, isolate, and respond to threats.</p> <ul> <li>Better protect admin credentials</li> <li>Improve Virtual Machine protection</li> <li>Strengthen threat detection capabilities</li> </ul> <h2>Youre looking for ways to improve efficiency for your software-defined datacenter</h2> <p><em>We were already using VMware but wanted to do a fair and objective evaluation of both solutions. After a rigorous analysis of the two solutions, biases aside, Microsoft won hands down.</em></p> <p style="text-align: right">– Mark Uemura, VP of end user technology, Rakuten</p> <p>Learn more about how<a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/en-US/story/rakuten"> Rakuten Group Secures Sensitive Data with Virtual Desktop Infrastructure</a>.</p> <p>Solve your operational and budgetary challenges. Blend physical and virtual infrastructures together through software-defined compute, storage, and networking technologies.</p> <ul> <li>Resilient compute</li> <li>Improve server density</li> <li>Reduce storage costs</li> <li>Rapid network scale</li> </ul> <h2>You want to innovate faster and more securely</h2> <p><em>By upgrading to Windows Server 2016, we were able to lift and shift a key security application into Windows Server Containers, gain the flexibility to run it anywhere, and begin to use microservices to refactor aspects of the application to gain needed scalability.</em></p> <p style="text-align: right">– Stephen Tarmey, Chief Architect, Tyco International</p> <p>Learn more about how <a href="https://customers.microsoft.com/en-US/story/tyco">Tyco keeps life-safety monitoring applications running without interruption using Windows Server Containers and Docker</a>.</p> <p>We understand how important it is to keep a balance in your app development between agility and security. If youre grappling with your ability to manage and update the thousands of apps you currently employ, Windows Server 2016 can make your job significantly simpler.</p> <ul> <li>Better secure existing apps</li> <li>Move traditional apps to a modern DevOps environment</li> <li>Quickly build cloud-native and hybrid apps</li> </ul> <h2>You want to (or want the option to) move to the cloud</h2> <p>Windows Server is inspired by the cloud but built to work with whatever infrastructure you currently have. When you do decide to move some or all of your workloads, its seamless. Windows Server is the foundation for your hybrid environment.</p> <ul> <li>Private and public cloud environments via virtual machines</li> <li>New container formats</li> <li>Extend your license to Azure</li> </ul> <h2>Ready to know more?</h2> <p>We know this kind of upgrade can be a major decision, so weve created a more complete overview of everything youll find in Windows Server 2016. Dive deep and learn everything you want to know about the new features and tools. <a href="https://info.microsoft.com/TheUltimateGuideToWindowsServer2016.html?ls=Blog">Get the Ultimate Guide to Windows Server 2016</a>!</p> ]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/30/should-you-upgrade-to-windows-server-2016/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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<title>3 reasons you’ll want Windows Server 2016 now</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/24/3-reasons-youll-want-windows-server-2016-now/</link>
<pubDate>Wed, 24 May 2017 16:00:27 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15755</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Experience better security at the OS level In todays world of sophisticated attacks, simple perimeter security is no longer effective. You need multiple layers of active security to help you protect, detect, and respond to threats. Those layers are now built in to Windows Server 2016, allowing you to keep up with your growing hybrid <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/24/3-reasons-youll-want-windows-server-2016-now/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Experience better security at the OS level</h2> <p>In todays world of sophisticated attacks, simple perimeter security is no longer effective. You need multiple layers of active security to help you protect, detect, and respond to threats. Those layers are now built in to Windows Server 2016, allowing you to keep up with your growing hybrid environment and to reduce the damage a threat can do. In our new e-book, we cover this and other important reasons why you should consider upgrading as soon as possible.</p> <p>Learn more about OS-level protection in this post, and read our new e-book for deeper insights about how Windows Server 2016 can help mitigate security threats to your organization.</p> <p>Get the e-book <a target="_blank" href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/A/3/BA3319C5-4662-4D3B-BA7D-F9D3AF309614/Windows_Server_2016_3_Reasons_ebook_EN_US.pdf">Agility meets Control meets Security: 3 reasons youll want Windows Server 2016 now</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/05/Agility-meets-Control-meets-Security1.png"><img width="511" height="394" title="Agility meets Control meets Security" class="aligncenter" style="float: none;padding-top: 0px;padding-left: 0px;margin-left: auto;padding-right: 0px;margin-right: auto;border-width: 0px" alt="Agility meets Control meets Security" src="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/05/Agility-meets-Control-meets-Security_thumb1.png" border="0" /></a></p> <h2>Reason 1: Better Security now starts at the OS</h2> <p>Lets take a look at just a few of the common security problems Windows Server 2016 helps solve:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Protect against stolen admin credentials opening your whole kingdom.</strong> The admin account is the most powerful account on your network. You need to protect it with more than just a password. Now you can easily set tighter controls with Just Enough and Just-in-Time Administration.</li> <li><strong>Make virtual machines worthless when stolen.</strong> VMs offer many benefits, but they have unique security vulnerabilities. They are essentially files that can be copied, making them an easy target for attackers. Shielded VMs can only run on an approved network, making them worthless if stolen.</li> <li><strong>Stop malicious code before it starts.</strong> When malware gets into your network now, it can be challenging to track it down, and thats if you even know its there. Now you can skip the whole step by only allowing permitted code to run on the OS.</li> <li><strong>Detect threats earlier with advanced threat detection and machine learning.</strong> The average breach goes undetected for more than 200 days. Thats more than enough time to do incredible damage. Weve integrated smarter tools to help you quickly identify and understand potential threats.</li> </ul> <h2>Interested in learning more?</h2> <p>These new security features are just the start. See how you can improve datacenter efficiency, reduce costs, and streamline app development by upgrading to Windows Server 2016.</p> <p><a href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/A/3/BA3319C5-4662-4D3B-BA7D-F9D3AF309614/Windows_Server_2016_3_Reasons_ebook_EN_US.pdf">Get 3 reasons youll want Windows Server 2016 now</a></p> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Millennials are blazing a trail to hybrid cloud</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/18/millennials-are-blazing-a-trail-to-hybrid-cloud/</link>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 May 2017 16:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15655</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Innovate. Automate. Make it smart. Get to market fast. Its an exciting time for enterprise, but its also one of those be careful what you wish for moments. Ease of access to software as a service (SaaS), machine intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT) encourages risk taking as much as innovation. Data and network security <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/18/millennials-are-blazing-a-trail-to-hybrid-cloud/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Innovate. Automate. Make it smart. Get to market fast. Its an exciting time for enterprise, but its also one of those be careful what you wish for moments. Ease of access to software as a service (SaaS), machine intelligence, and Internet of Things (IoT) encourages risk taking as much as innovation. Data and network security runs up against the Wild West of shadow IT. CISOs, IT admins, and even cloud providers face challenges in balancing compliance policies with the need for the speed, agility, and creative freedom that both large and small businesses have come to expect.</p> <p>Two things are fueling the DIY disruption underpinning shadow IT: cloud computing and the working generation that understands it best, millennials. According to the Brookings Institute, <a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Microsoft/millennials-and-the-next-generation-of-it">millennial workers will make up 75 percent of the U.S. workforce by 2025</a>. As the fastest growing demographic, millennials are influencing business models and expectations across the board. Four-fifths of todays employees admit to using SaaS apps that may or may not be part of their companies IT framework. While older workers are more likely to stick with company-managed tools and processes, theyre adopting some of the do-it-yourself approach of their younger colleagues to remain agile and competitive.</p> <p>Millennials lean heavily toward public cloud adoption and innovative technologies, and they expect their employers to provide them with the flexibility and creative liberties to do their work. Millennials believe innovation is critical enough that they will take risks to achieve it, a great deal more risk than their Generation X and baby boomer counterparts will.</p> <p>In the U.S., nearly nine in ten millennial workers believe its important to work for an organization that allows them to use open-source technologies. Theyre more likely to look for a new job if their companys IT is not as forward-leaning and creative as these workers see themselves.</p> <p>Millennials are not inhibited about shadow IT, in fact, quite the opposite. Their make it so attitude toward the public cloud is fueling innovation and their productivity. Modern SaaS and business services are fast, easily onboarded, and increasingly sophisticated. More than ever, millennials are comfortable hosting their companys essential applications and services in the public cloud, and they expect to be able to do so.</p> <p>None of this changes the fact that sustainable enterprise security requires deep visibility and control of assets. Once an organizations data or user identities are in the wild of the public cloud, IT doesnt have the visibility it needs to manage access and detect threats effectively.</p> <p>While the traditional and understandable InfoSec response is to block access, this is no longer viable even in the short term. Blocking cloud and open-source solutions not only impacts innovation and productivity, it can disenfranchise a significant segment of the workforce.</p> <p>So, how does enterprise IT solve the shadow IT conundrum?</p> <p>In the short term, you can keep your network secure while supporting the spirit of innovation that millennial workers need. By implementing a solution that integrates with the cloud applications your people are using now, you can mitigate the insecurities of shadow IT while your organization develops its hybrid future. <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/cloud-platform/cloud-app-security">Microsoft Cloud App Security</a>, for example, gives IT visibility into public cloud services like Box, as well as BYO and IoT devices.</p> <p>Implementing a true hybrid cloud is the longer-term way out of the shadow IT wilds. In this effort, enterprise leaders should consider millennials superpowers, the value they put on innovation and their willingness to try new things and fail fast, as advantages and encourage a work culture that empowers employees to choose the cloud apps and services they want, without sacrificing the security and compliance your organization needs.</p> <p>The transition to a hybrid cloud can present challenges for any organization. So to help, weve created a <a href="https://info.microsoft.com/cloud-migration-assessment.html">free cloud migration assessment</a>. This tool will help you to see the value of a hybrid cloud and provide you with detailed information, such as cost estimates.</p> <h2>Resources</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.slideshare.net/Microsoft/millennials-and-the-next-generation-of-it">Millennials and the Next Generation of IT</a></li> </ul> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Five reasons to run SQL Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016, part 5</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/15/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-part-5/</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 May 2017 16:30:16 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15635</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Consistent data environment across hybrid cloud Have you ever seen a tree that simultaneously bears completely different species of fruit? Its a real thing: apples, plums, oranges, lemons, and peaches all growing on the same tree. The growers have the advantage of a consistent environment (the same tree) that allows them to be efficient with <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/15/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-part-5/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Consistent data environment across hybrid cloud</h2> <p><a href="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/05/Fruit.png"><img width="339" height="220" title="Fruit" align="right" style="float: right;padding-top: 0px;padding-left: 0px;padding-right: 0px;border-width: 0px" alt="Fruit" src="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/05/Fruit_thumb.png" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Have you ever seen a tree that simultaneously bears completely different species of fruit? Its a real thing: apples, plums, oranges, lemons, and peaches all growing on the same tree. The growers have the advantage of a consistent environment (the same tree) that allows them to be efficient with resources, pick the type of fruit they need when they need it, and always have the right kind of fruit without having to invest in specialized plants.</p> <p>Those trees are like the consistent foundation shared by SQL Server 2016, Windows Server 2016, and Microsoft Azure: Common code underlying the Microsoft platform makes it possible to run your data workloads seamlessly on premises, in a hybrid environment, or strictly in the cloudand to pick the option you need, while moving easily from one environment to the other.</p> <h2>Common code = Unique value</h2> <p>The common code base creates a write-once-deploy-anywhere SQL Server and Windows Server experience. You have flexibility across physical on-premises machines, private cloud environments, third-party hosted private cloud environments, public cloud, and hybrid deployments. Figure 1 diagrams this unique platform.</p> <p><strong>Figure 1: Microsoft Data Platform: On premises, hybrid, and cloud</strong></p> <p><a href="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/05/Image-1.png"><img width="523" height="364" title="Image 1" style="padding-top: 0px;padding-left: 0px;padding-right: 0px;border-width: 0px" alt="Image 1" src="https://msdnshared.blob.core.windows.net/media/2017/05/Image-1_thumb.png" border="0" /></a></p> <p>This means that you can choose a hybrid deployment and take advantage of any of the four basic options for hosting SQL Server:</p> <ol> <li>SQL Server in on-premises non-virtualized physical machines</li> <li>SQL Server in on-premises virtualized machines</li> <li><a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/virtual-machines/sql-server/"><strong>SQL Server on Azure Virtual Machine:</strong></a> This is SQL Server installed and hosted in the cloud on Windows Server virtual machines (VMs) running on Azure. Also known as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), it is optimized for lift and shift of existing SQL Server applications to the cloud. All versions and editions of SQL Server are available, including free ones for dev/test and lightweight workloads.</li> <li>Azure SQL Database (Microsoft public cloud): This is a SQL Server database native to the cloud and is compatible with most SQL Server features. It is also known as a platform as a service (PaaS) database or a database as a service (DBaaS). It delivers all the agility and world-class security of Azure and is ideal for software-as-a-service (SaaS) app development.</li> </ol> <p>When you run SQL Server on Windows Server, whether on-premises or in an IaaS virtual machine, you get the benefit of:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dataplatforminsider/2017/03/30/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-part-2/">Improved database performance and availability</a> with support for up to 24 terabytes of memory and 640 cores on a single server.</li> <li><a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/dataplatforminsider/2017/03/23/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-no-1-security/">Built-in security at the operating system level</a>. For example, when database admins can use a single Active Directory management pane across Azure and on-premises machines to set policies, enable/disable access, etc. it truly raises the security bar across the organization.</li> <li>Simple and seamless upgrades with <a href="https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSn9IbdGBCnM&data=02%7C01%7Cv-canmo%40microsoft.com%7C027e9459117b428169b808d49b49643b%7C72f988bf86f141af91ab2d7cd011db47%7C1%7C0%7C636304186899560869&sdata=KZ9%2FbQaBrJZM8hQfMmq5bb0g46Q8deDyBqT7cO01jMs%3D&reserved=0">Rolling Upgrades</a></li> <li>Ability to make SQL Server highly available on any cloud with Storage Spaces Direct to create virtual shared storage across VMs.</li> <li>Access to new classes of direct-attach storage (ex. NVMe) for applications that require redundant storage across machines.</li> <li>Reduce costs of hosting additional VMs by leveraging a Cloud Witness.</li> </ul> <p>You benefit from the ability to use familiar server products, development tools, and technical expertise across all environments. No other platform delivers across this spectrum of implementations and builds in hybrid capabilities everywhere. <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/sql-database/sql-database-paas-vs-sql-server-iaas">Learn how to choose Azure SQL (PaaS) Database or SQL Server on Azure VMs (IaaS)</a>.</p> <h2>Free migration tools</h2> <p>Further easing the way to hybrid and cloud solutions are the SQL Azure Migration Wizard and other free migration tools. These are designed to provide easy migration of SQL Server and Windows Server 2016 workloads to virtual machines in the cloud.</p> <p>When determining how much hardware to allocate for certain applications, downsizing datacenters, or migrating existing workloads to virtual machines (VMs), you can tap into cloud capabilities in several ways:</p> <ul> <li>Backup to Azure, including, managed backup, backup to Azure Block Blobs, and Azure Storage snapshot backup</li> <li><a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/site-recovery/">The Azure Site Recovery tool</a> to migrate workloads on on-premises VMs and physical servers to run on Azure VMs, with full replication and backup, Azure IaaS VMs between Azure regions, and AWS Windows instances to Azure IaaS VMs. Easy addition of an Azure node to an AlwaysOn Availability Group in a hybrid environment.</li> <li>Two new limited previews, <a href="http://sqldatabase-migrationpreview.azurewebsites.net/">Azure Database Migration Service and Azure SQL Database – Managed Instance</a> create a great path for customers looking for a way to easily modernize their existing database environment to a fully managed PaaS service without application redesign.</li> </ul> <h2>SQL Server License Mobility and Azure Hybrid Use Benefit for Windows Server</h2> <p>Even licensing is designed to ensure that wherever you deploy, you can cost-effectively take advantage of all the options.</p> <ul> <li>SQL Server customers with active Software Assurance can use existing licenses on Azure Virtual Machines with no extra charges to SQL Server licensing. Simply assign core licenses equal to the virtual cores in the VM, and pay only for VM compute costs.</li> <li>License Mobility ensures you can easily move SQL Server databases to the cloud using your existing licensing agreement with active Software Assurance. No additional licensing is required for SQL Server passive high availability (HA) nodes, you can configure a passive VM with up to the same compute as your active node to deliver uptime.</li> <li>Windows Server customers with Software Assurance can save up to 40 percent by leveraging on-premises licenses to move workloads to Azure VMs with this <a href="http://www.azure.com/ahub">Azure Hybrid Use Benefit</a>.</li> </ul> <h2>SQL Server 2016 with Windows Server 2016: Built for hybrid cloud</h2> <p>Microsoft continues to build in innovation so that organizations do not have to purchase expensive add-ons to get the benefits of the cloud with security, simplicity, and consistency across on-premises and the cloud. Together, SQL Server 2016 and Windows Server 2016 will bear fruit for your organization. Get started on hybrid now.</p> <p>Learn more about SQL Server in Azure VM in this <a href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/1/B/2/1B22A2F4-1644-4517-AFAE-FC70BBD7B2FA/SQL_Server_on_Azure_VM_datasheet_EN_US.pdf">datasheet</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/free/">Try SQL Server in Azure</a>.</p> <p>See why <a href="http://download.microsoft.com/download/B/7/2/B72E4A92-4F98-4FE9-A770-D5E82F592ED8/Windows_Server_2016_Run_Workloads_For_Any_Platform_EN_US.pdf">Windows Server 2016 is the best choice for any platform</a> on-premises or cloud.</p> <h2>Improve security, performance, and flexibility with SQL Server 2016 and Windows Server 2016</h2> <p>By running SQL Server 2016 and Windows Server 2016 together you can unlock the full potential of the Microsoft data platform. This series of blogs on five reasons to run these two new releases together barely scratches the surface. Whats the best way to find out just how powerful this combination is? Try it out! Download your free trial of <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2016">Windows Server 2016</a> and <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sql-server/sql-server-2016">SQL Server 2016</a> today.</p> <h2>Read more</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/03/23/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-1-security/">Five reasons to run SQL Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016, part 1</a></li> <li><a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/03/30/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-part-2/">Five reasons to run SQL Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016, part 2</a></li> <li><a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/04/06/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-part-3/">Five reasons to run SQL Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016, part 3</a></li> <li><a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/04/13/five-reasons-to-run-sql-server-2016-on-windows-server-2016-part-4/">Five reasons to run SQL Server 2016 on Windows Server 2016, part 4</a></li> </ul> ]]></content:encoded>
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<title>Windows Server for Developers: News from Microsoft Build 2017</title>
<link>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/10/windows-server-for-developers-news-from-microsoft-build-2017/</link>
<comments>https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/10/windows-server-for-developers-news-from-microsoft-build-2017/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 May 2017 19:05:46 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Microsoft Windows Server Team]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/?p=15595</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This blog post was authored by Erin Chapple, General Manager, Windows Server. On behalf of the Windows Server team, I want to send a warm welcome to the thousands of developers who are joining us this week for the Microsoft Build Conference. Its never been a more interesting time to be a developer, with new <p><a class="read-more" href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/05/10/windows-server-for-developers-news-from-microsoft-build-2017/">Continue reading</a></p>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>This blog post was authored by Erin Chapple, General Manager, Windows Server.</em></p> <p>On behalf of the Windows Server team, I want to send a warm welcome to the thousands of developers who are joining us this week for the Microsoft Build Conference. Its never been a more interesting time to be a developer, with new application models, patterns and frameworks changing how we work and build great applications. Organizations around the world rely on Windows Server to be a great operating system on which to run their applications. As applications patterns change, our team is right there with you to make sure you have the OS innovation you need.</p> <h2>Windows Server is joining the Windows Insider program</h2> <p>The last year was an incredible partnership with you as we finalized and launched Windows Server 2016. We progressed through five technical previews of Windows Server, shaping and refining the experience and functionality together. Simply put, this release would not be the same without the detailed feedback we received your partnership was critical to its success.</p> <p>One common theme we heard again and again came from our customers you want access to Windows Server builds more frequently to test new features and fixes. Today I am pleased to announce that Windows Server is joining the <a href="https://insider.windows.com/">Windows Insider</a> program! Starting this summer, regular and frequent builds of Windows Server (including container images) will be available to all Windows Insiders who want to download and test them. As Dona Sarkar, who runs the Windows Insider program, recently said of the Insider community, These are the biggest fans of Windows I’ve ever seen in my whole life. With the addition of Windows Server, the community has even more reasons to be a fan.</p> <h2>Container-optimized Nano Server</h2> <p>The Nano Server container image has picked up speed quickly as the foundation for developers modernizing their existing applications as well as those building new applications. Customer adoption of containers has exceeded our expectations, and we are listening to the community to focus on the continued investments they would like in this area. With this upcoming feature release, we will build on the initial promise of Nano Server and focus on providing the very best containers foundation for developers.</p> <p>We have been partnering closely with the .NET team to bring all the amazing .NET Core 2.0 work to containers with an optimized container image based on Nano Server. This work will help reduce the footprint of the .NET container image by at least 50 percent. For you this means reduced startup time as well as density improvements.</p> <h2>Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) on Windows Server</h2> <p>Last month in the DockerCon Keynote we demonstrated a <a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/04/18/dockercon-2017-powering-new-linux-innovations-with-hyper-v-isolation-and-windows-server/">Linux container running natively on Windows Server</a> and we are continuing to make great progress with the Docker and Linux communities. One of the important aspects of this work is ensuring that customers have a great experience managing and building Linux containers. I am pleased to share that we are also bringing the <a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/commandline/wsl">Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)</a>, commonly known as Bash on Windows, to Windows Server. This unique combination allows developer and application administrators to use the same scripts, tools, procedures and container images they have been using for Linux containers on their Windows Server container host. These containers use our Hyper-V isolation technology combined with your choice of Linux kernel to host the workload while the management scripts and tools on the host use WSL.</p> <h2>Container Orchestration</h2> <p>Container orchestration is another area you asked us to improve. The first step in this is already available! <a href="https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/hybridcloud/2017/04/19/dockercon-2017-simplifying-containerization-for-enterprises/">Networking support for Docker swarm mode</a> was made available last month, enabling efficient and simple networking across Windows and even mixed Windows and Linux OS clusters. We are continuing to work on two additional features requested by the Kubernetes community to improve Windows support on Kubernetes-based clusters. The first is the ability to add a network interface to an already running container and the second is the first step for sharing a network interface between two containers to support pods. We have also been working with several community members to understand and build support for mapping named pipes from a container host into a container. This enables specifically configured containers to communicate efficiently with the host and is how many orchestrators are deployed in Linux environments.</p> <h2>Container Storage</h2> <p>One of the most common container images we see used is for SQL Server, and with that has come questions around storage specifically where should I store my database within a container? While we have volume mounting support (the ability to connect storage from the host into the container) it was limited to locally mounted volumes. We are now adding the ability to map SMB file-based storage directly into a container. This will provide a valuable way to utilize the great file server enhancements in Windows Server 2016 along with containers.</p> <h2>Watch our Build session and sign up for the Insiders program</h2> <p>We cant do this alone! Your feedback and passion drives us to build better software. If you are coming to Build, be sure to catch the session B8013 Developing on Windows Server: Innovation for today and tomorrow – containers, Docker, .NET Core, Service Fabric, and more by Taylor Brown on Friday at 9 am. Or you can <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/projects/events/build/2017">watch it streaming live</a>.</p> <p>Starting this summer, we will begin to post early builds of the new Windows Server features, including container-optimized Nano Server images to the Docker Hub, support for Linux containers, Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), better orchestration support and SMB storage for containers. <a href="https://insider.windows.com/">Sign up now</a>, get familiar with the site, and watch the Windows Server blog and the Windows Insider forums for the notice when the preview is available.</p> <p>Aligned with the <a href="https://blogs.windows.com/business/2017/04/20/windows-office-align-feature-release-schedules-benefit-customers">next release of Windows 10</a>, these new features will be delivered as part of our first feature release this Fall. It will be available to customers with Software Assurance who commit to a more frequent release model. For customers who prefer the long-term servicing branch (LTSB) these features will be part of the next major release of Windows Server as well.</p> <p>Its never been a more exciting time to be a developer, and I personally look forward to hearing your feedback. Check out our new Windows Server site on the <a href="https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/">Microsoft Tech Community</a>, where you can give us feedback and share ideas with the rest of the Windows Server community.</p> ]]></content:encoded>
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