Today, Microsoft made the first Technical Preview of Windows Server 2019 publicly available for download. If you want to take a look at the new server operating system in advance, all you need is a free Windows Insider account.
The preview has the version number 17623 and can be downloaded here as an ISO and VHDX file:
The new Windows Server version primarily brings improvements in the areas of hybrid cloud and security. Container support has been significantly expanded once again and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is included.
Here are a few details about the new features:
The final version will be released in the second half of the year and will be licensed according to the same principle as Windows Server 2016 (per-core), but the prices for the CALs will probably increase.
First impressions
I have downloaded the preview and installed it in a VM, here are my first impressions. These are just the first steps, further tests will follow in the next few days.
I had a bad start at least once, the download fluctuated between 150 KB/s and 900 KB/s and thus became a game of patience:
In the meantime, however, it has been downloaded and the installation starts in a Hyper-V VM:
The usual installation routine starts, so nothing has changed here so far:
I ran the installation, in contrast to the download, the installation of the operating system was completed within 5 minutes. Immediately after the installation, the local admin password is requested:
Once the password has been set, the login screen is displayed immediately. The installation feels a lot faster than Windows Server 2016. The login screen is already familiar from Windows Server 2016 and Windows 10:
After logging in, the usual Server Manager also appears, so nothing new so far:
At first glance, there are no differences between Server 2016 and Server 2019. So far, the only difference is the version number. Here is a direct comparison:
Die neuen Features sind mir jetzt auf den ersten Blick nicht ins Auge gesprungen. Aber es handelt sich ja hier auch nur um die Preview und ich habe gerade erst die Installation abgeschlossen. In den nächsten Tagen, werde ich mich etwas eingehender mit der Preview beschäftigen. Werde berichten…