Microsoft Server Core is a new minimal installation option that is available when you are deploying the Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter edition of Windows Server 2016. Windows Server Core 2016 provides you with a minimal installation of Windows Server 2016 that supports installing only certain server roles.
The Server Core option reduces the space required on disk, the potential attack surface, and especially the servicing requirements, so it is recommended to choose the Server Core installation unless you have a particular need for the additional user interface elements and graphical management tools that are included in the Server with Desktop Experience option.
Windows Server Core 2016 is the most suitable option to run Hyper-V Server 2016.
How to Install Windows Server Core 2016?
Once the.ISO is burned to a DVD or ISO file is attached to the virtual machine, you can boot the server upon the Windows Server 2016 ISO image. Select the language to install, Time format and Keyboard method and Click on Next.
Click on Install Now to start the installation wizard of Microsoft Server 2016.
When you install Windows Server 2016 using the Setup wizard, you can choose between Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server (Server with Desktop Experience). The Server with the Desktop Experience option is the Windows Server 2016 equivalent of the Full installation option. Since I am installing Windows Server core 2016, I have selected Windows Server 2016 Datacenter Evaluation. Click on Next.
Click on “I accept the license terms” to accept the license terms of Microsoft Server Core 2016 and click Next.
Installation type will provide you two options. The first one is for Upgrade. If you want to upgrade your Windows Server 2012 to 2016, You can select the “Upgrade” option. For Fresh Installation, Select “Custom” Install the newer version of Windows Server Core only”
The next step will allow you to decide where you want to install the Microsoft Server 2016. In this example, I have a server with a 40 GB disk drive installed. You can even create new partitions on the disk for the Server 2016 installation. Click on New to create a new partition.
Enter the Size in MB for the New partition and click on Apply. The new partition will be created and select the newly created partition and click on Next to start the installation of Microsoft server 2016.
Installation will start and proceed through the series of steps to complete the windows server core 2016 installation.
Once the installation is completed, the Server will into Microsoft Server core 2016, and it will prompt you to change the Administrator password before signing in on the first time on the server.
That’s it. We are done with the installation of Microsoft Server core 2016. I hope this post will be informative for you. Thanks for Reading!!! Be social and share it in social media, if you feel worth sharing it.