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Windows 2016 FAQ |
Updated: 6 Nov 2020
1. How do I install Server Core?
You get the option between 'Server with a GUI' or 'Server Core' during the initial
stages
of installation. There are two versions for Standard and Datacenter.
* Standard. No free guest licenses (need to pay for VMs) and limited roles/features
* Datacenter. Licenced for unlimited guest virtual machines.
More info on Licensing from Windows Activation.
2. What roles can I run on my Server Core server?
For Nano Server (a more cut down version of Core), you can run these services:
See these instructions on installing a Nano or Container based server.
To install roles you can use the Powershell commands:
a) Get-WindowsFeature - List all Roles and Features
b) Install-WindowsFeatures - Install a Role or Feature
c) Uninstall-WindowsFeatures - Remove a Role or Feature
d) Install-ADDSDomainController - Install and promote server to AD DC.
or use normal Command Prompt:
a) Dism /online /get-features /format:table - List roles and features
b) Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:<name of feature> - Install a role or feature
e.g. Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:DHCPServerCore
c) Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:<name of feature> - Remove a feature or role
3. What commands can I run from the command prompt?
Here are some useful commands to get you sorted:
a) Netdom - Change computer name, add/remove it from a domain.
b) Net Start|Stop - List, start or stop services (see Msinfo32 for service list)
c) IPConfig - View internet protocol configuration
d) Shutdown - Shutdown, restart (/r) or logout (/l) from computer in n time seconds (/t n)
e) Netsh - Change network settings
f) Net Time - Change time settings, set sntp server
g) Net User - Add, remove or change local user accounts
h) Ntdsutil - Active Directory utility.
i) Start /w ocsetup <role> - Install a server role
j) dsadd, dsrm, dsmod - Add, delete or modify domain objects.
k) Taskmgr.exe - Task Manager
l) Notepad - Text Editor
m) Start Cmd - Open a new command window (also try Powershell instead of Cmd).
n) Wmic qfe list - List installed windows updates
o) Wusa <update file name> /quiet - Install a windows update
p) Net LocalGroup Administrators <dom>/<user> - Add a user to local admin group.
q) SCONFIG- Server configuration. Set computer name, local adminstrator, update settings ,remote access,network settings
date and time, log off, restart, shutdown or exit to cmd line.
r) Hostname - Show computer or host name.
s) iscsicpl.exe - iSCSI Initiator tool for connecting to iSCSI disks.
t) Server Manager - Run from a remote machine to configure server incl. NIC Teaming, Add/remove Roles.
u) msinfo32 - Microsoft system information tool
v) dism - Deployment image servicing and mangement tool. Also used to install/remove roles and features.
w) Systeminfo.exe - View system information
x) Control.exe - Load a control panel e.g. intl.cpl or timedate.cpl
y) pnputil –i –a <driverinf> - Install a driver.
4. Powershell commands:
The power shell is not installed by default. So, the commands to install it are:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:MicrosoftWindowsPowerShellRoot
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:MicrosoftWindowsPowerShell
or enable it via SConfig and select option 4) Configure Remote Management and enable the Powershell.
Some useful commands:
a) Get-Service, Stop-Service, Start-Service, Restart-Service - List, stop and start a service. Use '*' to list all services.
b) Set-Date - Change system time.
c) Stop-Computer - Shuts down the computer.
d) Add-Computer - Add the computer to a workgroup or domain.
e) Get-Hotfix - List installed updates. See SConfig on installing new updates.
f) Get-ADUser, Get-ADGRoup . View AD users and groups.
g) Get-Acl, Set-Acl, Set-SmbPathAcl. View or set folder permissions or for shares.
5. Remote Administration
To effectively manage server core, you can use the following methods:
a) Use the traditional Remote Desktop Connection.
b) Powershell 2 and Remote Windows administration sessions.
e.g.
New-PSSession - Authenticate a new session with the remote server.
Invoke-Command - Run a command to a remote server
c) Install Server Manager on your PC and remote connect to server to manage server (see Remote Administration in SConfig to allow access)
6. Web Access with Server Core
It is possible to access the web using server core using third party tools. If you have a proxy server, you will need to
set http_proxy environment variable first:
a) wget - Web Get tool, useful for downloads via the web or Powershell's Invoke-WebRequest cmdlet.
b) Lynx - Lynx is a text based Web browser. Requires Python and NTLMaps for Proxy servers.
c) Firefox - Firefox 2.0.0.14 works with Server core.
d) Opera - Opera 9 web browser.
7. ZIP Tools for Server Core
In the full version of Windows 2016 you have the Zip Folders feature provided by the zipfldr.dll library. There are thousands of tools out
there to provide Zip and Unzip functionality.
a) 7-Zip. Includes the 7z.exe for command line access.
b) Powershell. Compress-Archive and Expand-Archive cmdlets.
8. Can I convert a Server Core installation to a Windows GUI installation?
Yes, it is now possible to upgrade a Server Core installation to a GUI installation with one command:
a) Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra,Server-Gui-Shell –Restart
or
a) Get Index number for instllation source: Get-WindowsImage -ImagePath <path to wim>\install.wim
b) Install components: Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra, Server-Gui-Shell –Restart –Source wim:<path to wim>\install.wim:<Index # from previous step>
9. How do I configure Network Teaming in Windows 2016?
Network teaming has now been built into Windows 2016. You can configure it remotely using Server Manager, Local Server, NIC Teaming.
If you are logged on to the server you can use Powershell commands to configure NIC Teaming. If Hyper-V is installed you can use the following useful commands:
a) Get-VMSwitch - list network connections
b) Get-VM - view local virtual machines
c) Get-VMNetworkAdapter - load local network adapters.
d) Get-NetAdapter - view VM adapters
e) Get-NetLbfoTeam - view teams.
f) New-NetLbfoTeam - create a new team
10. Is there an even more cut-down version of Windows server?
Yes, it is called Windows Nano or Container based server. The difference between Core and Nano, is that Nano has NO interface (graphical or command line) at all!
It can be used for a "compute" host for Hyper-V virtual machines, a storage host for Scale-Out File Server, DNS server, IIS web server or a host for applications that are developed using
clould application patterns or VM guest machine.