News

Next Windows Server 2016 Preview Coming This Month

• By Kurt Mackie
• August 11, 2015

Microsoft will release the third technical preview of Windows Server 2016 sometime in August, according to a Tweet by Gabriel Aul, vice president of engineering systems for Microsoft's Windows and Devices Group.

In addition, a new Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows 10 will also arrive this month.

Aul's Tweet was first spotted by Betanews on Sunday.

@LiamBramwell A new RSAT for Windows 10 will be released this month, along with Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview 3

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) August 8, 2015

When the new RSAT tools get released, IT pros will be able to try out remotely managing the latest Windows Server 2016 Tech Preview using Windows 10 machines.

It might have been expected that RSAT tools would arrive later, since Windows Server 2016 is scheduled for commercial release next year. However, Microsoft had indicated with its January RSAT preview release that the tools would be available "shortly after Windows 10 RTM." RSAT for Windows 10 contains tools such as Server Manager, Microsoft Management Console snap-ins and PowerShell cmdlets.

A recent video overview of PowerShell 5.0 by expert Ed Wilson described 1,325 cmdlets that are available with this latest version Microsoft's scripting tool for IT pros. Wilson said during the video that PowerShell 5.0 "comes with Windows 10," although it's typically packaged with Windows Management Framework 5.0, which was still at the preview stage at press time. PowerShell 5.0 supports scripts written with PowerShell versions 1.0 to 4.0, Wilson added.

Some tools designed for Windows 10, such as the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2013 Update 1 and the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, are yet to arrive, even after the release of Windows 10 on July 29. However, they are expected to be available sometime this month. The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit for Windows 10 has already been released, although there are a couple of "known issues" associated with it.

Windows 10 Group Policy Templates arrived late last week. Those templates, or .ADMX files, will help IT pros set policies for Windows 10 clients.

Microsoft also released last week its Enterprise Mode Site List Manager tool. It's for organizations using Enterprise Mode, a Microsoft tool for emulating earlier Internet Explorer browser technologies, which is needed to support legacy Web sites and applications. Enterprise Mode Site List Manager lets IT pros push multiple Web site URLs with compatibility issues into use with Enterprise Mode.

IT pros feeling bleary eyed as Microsoft rolls out its tools for Windows 10 can get some good overall guidance for test deployments from Microsoft experts Anthony Bartolo and Pierre Roman. They hosted a Microsoft Virtual Academy series on Windows 10 deployments, management and runtime provisioning, which is available at Microsoft's Channel 9 here.

On Aug. 13, Microsoft will have a four-hour live Microsoft Virtual Academy event on Windows 10 as a service for enterprises. Additionally, on Aug. 18 and 19, there will be a four-hour live "What's New in Windows Server 2016 Preview Jump Start" presentation for busy IT pros with some time on their hands.