Mastering Windows Server 2016

Brian Svidergol, Vladimir Meloski, Byron Wright, Santos Martinez, Doug Bassett

• Publisher: Sybex
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781119405061
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Operating Systems
• Index: Computer Science

The IT pro's must-have guide to Windows Server 2016

Mastering Windows Server 2016 is a complete resource for IT professionals needing to get quickly up to date on the latest release. Designed to provide comprehensive information in the context of real-world usage, this book offers expert guidance through the new tools and features to help you get Windows Server 2016 up and running quickly. Straightforward discussion covers all aspects, including virtualization products, identity and access, automation, networking, security, storage and more, with clear explanations and immediately-applicable instruction. Find the answers you need, and explore new solutions as Microsoft increases their focus on security, software-defined infrastructure, and the cloud; new capabilities including containers and Nano Server, Shielded VMs, Failover Clustering, PowerShell, and more give you plenty of tools to become more efficient, more effective, and more productive.

Windows Server 2016 is the ideal server for Windows 10 clients, and is loaded with new features that IT professionals need to know. This book provides a comprehensive resource grounded in real-world application to help you get up to speed quickly.

• Master the latest features of Windows Server 2016
• Apply new tools in real-world scenarios
• Explore new capabilities in security, networking, and the cloud
• Gain expert guidance on all aspect of Windows Server 2016 migration and management

System administrators tasked with upgrading, migrating, or managing Windows Server 2016 need a one-stop resource to help them get the job done. Mastering Windows Server 2016 has the answers you need, the practicality you seek, and the latest information to get you up to speed quickly.

Chapter 1
Windows Server 2016 Installation and Management

Windows Server 2016 builds on the installation and management processes of earlier Windows Server versions. To install Windows Server 2016, you need to understand the editions of Windows Server 2016 and how they are licensed. This will enable you to select the edition of Windows Server 2016 that best meets your needs. You also need to select an appropriate installation method such as automation with Windows Deployment Services.

After installing Windows Server 2016, Server Manager is the main interface that you’ll use for management. From Server Manager, you can launch tools that you can use to manage and monitor Windows Server 2016.

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IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL LEARN TO:

• Define a deployment process
• Select an edition of Windows Server 2016
• Select an activation method
• Monitor Windows Server 2016

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Windows Server 2016 Editions and Licensing

Microsoft has had various editions of Windows Server with each generation. Depending on the generation of Windows Server, varying editions came with different features or different licensing. You can obtain Windows Server 2016 Standard or Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. The vast majority of features are the same between the two editions, but there are some significant differences worth noting and they are listed in Table 1.1.

TABLE 1.1: Windows Server 2016 Edition Differences

FEATURE	DESCRIPTION
Virtualization Licensing	One Windows Server 2016 Standard license can be used for two virtual machines on a single virtualization host. One Windows Server 2016 Datacenter license can be used for an unlimited number of virtual machines on a single virtualization host.
Software Defined Networking	This feature that applies policies to control network configuration and security is not included in Standard edition.
Shielded Virtual Machines	To configure Shielded virtual machines, the Hyper-V host must be running Windows Server 2016 Datacenter edition.
Hyper-V Containers	Windows Server 2016 Standard has a limit of two Hyper-V Containers per Hyper-V host. Windows Server 2016 can have an unlimited number of Hyper-V Containers. Both editions of Windows Server 2016 can have an unlimited number of standard containers.
Storage Replica	This feature that synchronizes data between two servers is available only in Windows Server 2016 Datacenter edition.
Storage Spaces Direct	This feature that provides high availability for file shares is available only in Windows Server 2016 Datacenter edition.

As you can see from Table 1.1, there are only a few feature differences between Windows Server 2016 Standard and Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. If those features are not required, then the primary driver for selecting an edition of Windows Server 2016 is usually virtualization licensing.

Most organizations deploy new servers as virtual machines. With a single Windows Server 2016 Standard license, you can install Windows Server 2016 Standard with Hyper-V for a virtualization host and configure two virtual machines with Windows Server 2016 Standard. By purchasing a second Windows Server 2016 Standard license, you can add two more virtual machines running Windows Server 2016 Standard. In smaller organizations with only a few virtual machines per virtualization host, it is often cost-effective to use Windows Server 2016 Standard.

In larger organizations with many virtual machines, it is often more cost-effective and easier to manage if you use Windows Server 2016 Datacenter. With a single Windows Server 2016 Datacenter license, you can install Windows Server 2016 Datacenter with Hyper-V for a virtualization host and configure an unlimited number of virtual machines on that host.

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VIRTUALIZATION LICENSING WITHOUT HYPER-V

Hyper-V is an excellent hypervisor that is widely used to implement server and desktop virtualization. However, there are other hypervisors such as VMware, XenServer, and others. When you use a hypervisor other than Hyper-V, the licensing for the virtual servers works exactly the same as if you were using Hyper-V. A Windows Server 2016 Standard license allows you to implement two virtual machines running Windows Server 2016 Standard on any hypervisor. A Windows Server 2016 Datacenter license allows you to implement an unlimited number of virtual machines running Windows Server 2016 Datacenter on any hypervisor.

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Processor Core-Based Licensing

At one time, before virtualization became common, Windows Server was licensed based on a ratio of one-to-one with physical machines. Older editions of Windows Server were limited based on the number of physical processors and the amount of memory they could address. When virtualization became common, a number of virtual machines were included per license. Now, physical hardware has become so powerful that limitations have been introduced based on the number of processor cores in the physical server.

Windows Server 2016 Standard and Windows Server 2016 Datacenter use the same core-based licensing structure. The base operating system license provides licensing for two eight-core processors (a total of 16 cores). If there are more than eight physical cores per processor (hyperthreading does not count as additional cores), then you need to purchase additional core licenses in minimum increments of two cores.

Each processor in a server must be licensed for a minimum of eight cores. So, if you have four processors in a server, then you need to be licensed for a minimum of 32 cores. You can meet this requirement by purchasing two Windows Server licenses. In the case of Windows Server 2016 Standard, this would give you rights to install two virtual machines. To allow four virtual machines, you would need to fully license all processors in the server again.

Client Access Licenses

On...