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.