What’s New in Windows Server 2016

It’s been existing 3 months in my new role as Datacenter TSP at Microsoft, most of the time we have been asked by customer about what’s new in Windows server 2016 and what are the top features. So here is my first blog with some of the interesting key features which has been introduced in Windows Server 2016. Hope you will find them interesting. Here is a quick glance, happy learning.

What’s new in Hyper-V / Virtualization

• Host Resource Protection
  • This feature prevents virtual machines to use more than its share of resources by looking at excessive activities and reduce their resource allocation dynamically
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765471.aspx#BKMK_host
• Shared VHDX Support
  • Shared VHDX drives are used to create guest clusters, Resizing support of these shared vhdx on Live VMs and Hyper-V replica support has been introduced.
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765471.aspx#BKMK_shared
• Runtime Memory Resize
  • Adjust the amount of memory assigned to a virtual machine while it's running.
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765471.aspx#BKMK_hot
• Add/Remove Network adapters
  • Add or remove network adapters while VM is running.
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765471.aspx#BKMK_hot
• Manual upgrade process for VMs version
  • Manual process to upgrade VM version allows VMs movement between Hyper-V 2012 R2 and Hyper-V 2016.
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt695898.aspx
• Production Checkpoints
  • Windows Server 2016 uses VSS based checkpoint instead of save state which provides application consistent snapshots hence supported in production.
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn872510.aspx
• Nested virtualization
  • This feature allows running Hyper-v on VM.
  • https://msdn.microsoft.com/virtualization/hyperv_on_windows/user_guide/nesting

What’s new in Clustering

• CSV Cache Improvement
  • More than 64GB Cache size support
• Diagnostic Improvements
  • Additional Cluster Validation tests to check AD and configuration issues
  • Improved validation time for both storage and non-storage tests
  • Improved cluster log – Less noise and more details
  • Active Memory Dump – Alternate to full Memory Dump (captures what is important with less size).
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765474.aspx#BKMK_Diagnostics
• VM Compute resiliency
  • Increased Missed cluster heartbeat threshold from 5Sec to 10Sec and 20 Sec for stretched clusters (20 Sec to match TCP timeout). This provides more stability to cluster.
  • Host Isolation allowed, 4min as of now (don’t failover and allowed them to come back to cluster)
  • Quarantine flapping Node :We Prevent flapping node from negatively impact the cluster stability and Quarantined it if ungracefully leave cluster 3 times in an hour. VMs are drained once Quarantined, not more than 25% can be quarantined. Nodes prevented to join back before 2 hour.
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/clustering/2015/06/03/virtual-machine-compute-resiliency-in-windows-server-2016/
• VM Storage resiliency
  • In case of transient storage disruption, VM state is preserved, VM moved to Paused Critical state and will wait for storage to recover
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/clustering/2015/06/03/virtual-machine-compute-resiliency-in-windows-server-2016/
• SMB Multi channel support
  • Support multiple NICs on same subnet
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765474.aspx#BKMK_SMBMultiChannel
• VM Start Ordering
  • VM start ordering support based on POST, event ID, timer or service etc
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765471.aspx#BKMK_StartOrder
• Cloud Witness
  • Support for cluster witness node on cloud, without the need of 3^rd site in case of stretched cluster.
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/clustering/2014/11/13/introducing-cloud-witness/
• Cluster without domain joined
  • Now it’s possible to create cluster with servers on workgroup. Very useful for different SQL cluster scenarios like SQL on different domain always-on, SQL Migrations and SQL in workgroup
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/clustering/2015/08/17/workgroup-and-multi-domain-clusters-in-windows-server-2016/
• Site Awareness
  • Resource grouping based on physical location
  • Failover node to same site before failing to node in different site.
  • VM follows storage and are placed in same site.
  • Preferred Site/ define primary sites – Feature used in cold start, drain node etc.
  • Define fault domain – Used for Spaces direct along with Site awareness, fault domain with rack
  • https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/clustering/2015/08/19/site-aware-failover-clusters-in-windows-server-2016/
• Private cloud equality also called as Node fairness
  • Identify idle nodes and distribute VMs load (Using CPU, Memory pressure), this was supported earlier as well however there was a dependency on System center to achieve this. It’s natively available in Windows server 2016 now.
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn765474.aspx#BKMK_VMNodeFairness
• Rolling Upgrades
  • Online cluster upgrade support from Windows 2012 R2 to Windows 2016.
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-in/library/dn850430.aspx
• Security
  • Virtual Secure Mode : Process and Memory access protection from the host
  • Host Guardian Service : Enabler to run Shielded Virtual Machines on a legitimate host in the fabric
  • Shielded VM : Bitlocker enabled VM
  • https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt599611.aspx

Comments

• Anonymous
  July 01, 2016
  I am having problems with Nested virtualization in TP 5 of Windows Server 2016. The vesion TP 4 is working perfectly.
  • Anonymous
    July 05, 2016
    Theo Thompson has pretty good blog on this, try running the validation script https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Microsoft/Virtualization-Documentation/master/hyperv-tools/Nested/Get-NestedVirtStatus.ps1, also make sure that both hypervisors are running the same build.https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/hyperv_on_windows/user_guide/nesting