News
Next Windows Server 2016 Preview Coming in May
- By Jeffrey Schwartz
- April 06, 2015
The second technical preview of Microsoft's next-generation Windows Server product, commonly referred to as Windows Server "2016," is slated to arrive sometime in May, according to Microsoft.
Microsoft issued the first technical preview of Windows Server 2016 last October. However, that preview release is set to stop working on April 15.
According to a brief Microsoft blog post on Friday, the company will release a fix so that testers can continue using the first preview between April 15 and the release of the second technical preview in May.
"If you would like to continue your evaluation, we will soon deliver a solution until the next preview is released in May," Microsoft said in the blog post. "We will update this blog with more information shortly."
Windows Server 2016 is scheduled for release next year because the platform, along with System Center, is undergoing "deep refactoring," according to Jeffrey Snover, distinguished engineer for the Windows Server Group, in a talk in February. Microsoft is aligning the components of each product to create a more software-defined, cloud-optimized platform, Snover said.
The next version of Windows Server will have a "Nano Server" edition, according to unconfirmed reports last month. However, it is not known whether the forthcoming technical preview will include this Nano Server, which will reportedly be a smaller option to use than the Server Core option that currently exists in Microsoft's flagship Windows Server 2012 R2.
About the Author
Jeffrey Schwartz is editor of Redmond magazine and also covers cloud computing for Virtualization Review's Cloud Report. In addition, he writes the Channeling the Cloud column for Redmond Channel Partner. Follow him on Twitter @JeffreySchwartz.