Nano Server is more than a slimmed down operating
system, and it could have a big impact on how applications are deployed.
Container technology continues to grow
as developers are embracing this new technology that is starting to find a
place in the data center. Containers are not micro-operating systems but pieces
of the OS needed to run an application. They are thinner than Java and come in
a lot fewer versions.
Previously Java and Docker have focused on other platforms, mostly because
Microsoft controlled the Windows and .Net platform.
Microsoft, with Windows Server 2008,
released Windows Server Core which was a full operating system without the GUI.
While this was not a container, it did show that you don't need the entire OS
to run core services or applications.Windows
Server Core is
included in Windows Server 2012 and the upcoming Windows Server 2016, however
it will be Microsoft's new
Nano Server that may
be a game changer.
Nano Server is not
simply a container platform, nor is it a lightweight version of
Windows Server Core. Nano Server, while based on the Microsoft server platform,
has much of the interface, application stack and traditional .Net framework
removed. The Nano
Server becomes alightweight
host for Hyper-V VMs or
applications designed to run on the .Net Core framework. The ideal target with
the Nano Server is for infrastructure of native cloud-based applications. The
small footprint in disk space and code help to make the Nano Server a platform
that should require little patching or maintenance -- making it ideal for
cloud-based environments.
The Nano Server isn't Microsoft
starting over -- but it is pretty close. Without the traditional .Net
Framework, remote management is needed. Even many of the traditional hooks that
allow servers with graphical user interfaces to perform remote management are
missing. This OS is designed for remote management with scripting automation
through code rather than the traditional OS management tools. Nano Server is
Microsoft's entry into themicroservices
world. Similar to what microsegmentation is doing for
software-defined networking, microservices have the ability to shake up how we
work with applications today.
Today, Windows Server is a Swiss army
knife that has the ability to run millions of different applications, and in
that is where the problem lies. The base OS continues to grow in size and
complexity. The overhead of a traditional Windows Server OS providing a single
core service is staggering. Simple features, such as DNS or DHCP, came with a
20+ GBs GUI server installation. Windows Server Core helped address this issue,
and now Nano Server is the next step in the evolution.
It is very unlikely that Nano Server
will replace the traditional server OS overnight. Microsoft is still working on
tools for the administrator to support this new Nano Server. Windows Server
Core 2008 suffered slow deployment due to the lack of remote tools for the
administrator, a problem that was addressed in Windows Server 2012. The other
challenge will be developing applications for the Nano Server. Since these
containers do not run a full installation of the .Net
Framework, it will require developers to redesign at least part of
their applications to take advantage of the .Net core framework. While this may
seem troubling, streamlining the server to focus only on exactly what it needs
to do is ideal in today's world where a system administrator's time is so
heavily focused on administration duties, such as patching and security
hardening.
The other important functions for the
Nano Server are in Hyper-V and scale-out file server roles. Both of these roles
fit very well within the Azure and cloud-based strategy that Microsoft is
moving forward with. The Hyper-V role should be of particular interest to many
administrators looking to move forward with Hyper-V as an alternative to
VMware. While Nano Server is still not as streamlined as VMware's ESXi, it is a
great step in the right direction and an improvement over Windows Server Core.
However, the unique thing about Nano Server is it can run on bare metal, as a
virtual machine or even as a container, something VMware's ESXi cannot do,
giving the developer and administrator the ultimate flexibility.
Microsoft's Nano Server is a unique
departure for Microsoft and, according to the company, the future of the
Windows Server platform. Linux has a head start with the microservices journey
but Microsoft has shown an uncanny ability to turn on a dime when needed. If
Microsoft can find the balancing point between the agile, quick, streamlined container
platform, that is still versatile enough to support the gigantic
Windows developer community all while allowing balanced administration, the Nano
Server could be a game changer. While this all sounds like a lot to
balance, (and it is) let's not forget the improvements Microsoft made with
Server Core from Windows Server 2008 to Windows Server 2012. The changes from
Windows Server Core 2008 to 2012 put Windows Server Core 2012 into the
enterprise with the proper balance between performance, versatility and
managerial features. Nano Server looks to be that evolutionary and
revolutionary step for Windows Server.
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