Windows Server 2016

Windows Server 2016 has come a long way. All the way from Windows NT to Windows 2000 and 2003, then Windows 2008 (R2) and 2012 (R2), and now Windows Server 2016. Windows NT was the first popular Windows server among enterprises. However, the true enterprise servers were Windows 2000 and Windows 2003. The popularity of Windows Server 2003 was unprecedented and it was widely adopted. With Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, the idea of the data center took priority and enterprises with their own data center adopted it. Even the Windows Server 2008 series was quite popular among enterprises. In 2010, the Microsoft Cloud, Azure, was launched.

The first steps towards a cloud operating system were Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2. They had the blueprints and technology to be seamlessly provisioned on Azure. Now, when Azure and cloud are gaining enormous popularity, Windows Server 2016 is released as a true cloud operating system. The evolution of Windows Server is shown in Figure 2:

Figure 2: Windows Server evolution

Windows Server 2016 is referred to as a cloud operating system. It is built with cloud in mind. It is also referred to as the first operating system that enables DevOps seamlessly by providing relevant tools and technologies. It makes implementing DevOps simpler and easier through its productivity tools. Let us look briefly into these tools and technologies.