Windows Server 2016 Brings Low-Profile Server Mode

Windows Server 2016 will include a new installation mode called Nano Server that is designed to minimize the on-disk footprint and RAM requirements of the OS. Nano Server will minimize deployment time, reduce the downtime needed for servicing and reboots, limit targets for outside attackers, and improve performance. Initially, Nano Server will support a limited range of use cases, such as hosting Hyper-V virtual machines, running ASP.NET Web applications, and operating as a Scale-Out (clustered) File Server. Additional roles may be added in the future. Nano Server provides no local user interface, and all administration is performed through remote administration tools.

The Minimalist Windows Server

The Nano Server installation mode is smaller than the Windows Explorer-free Server Core installation mode, which is likely to continue to be offered (as well as the stand-alone Hyper-V Server edition of the OS). Nano Server cannot currently perform all of the roles those installation modes can perform, such as hosting SQL Server and providing Hyper-V guests with RemoteFX graphics support, which is not available when running Hyper-V on Nano Server. Nano Server will likely be used primarily to host Hyper-V virtual machines (fulfilling a role similar to VMware ESXi) because it requires minimal resources to run the parent partition for Hyper-V. It is also likely to be used for clustered file services and as a Web server.