Azure Fabric Adds Windows Server 2016 Technologies

The Azure fabric has implemented technology shared with Windows Server 2016 and 2012 R2 to improve virtualization and security. The Azure fabric is the physical servers, storage, and networking that host Azure services. Previously, it has used technology shared with Windows Server 2012 or earlier versions of Windows. The fabric updates have enabled new Azure services and features and might remove roadblocks that prevented on-premises customers from considering Azure for certain workloads.

Refreshing Azure Fabric

In mid-2017, some Azure services in preview began to offer recent Windows Server features, and Microsoft stated the Azure fabric was being refreshed with technology also available in Windows Server 2016.

For the last several years, Azure’s fabric has used technology similar to Windows Server 2012, which has limited Azure’s ability to offer services equivalent to features of Windows Server 2012 R2 or Windows Server 2016. This has presented roadblocks for customers looking to move certain on-premises workloads to Azure, and made some hybrid use scenarios more difficult.