Late this morning Microsoft released Windows Server Insider Preview Build 17079. Just as with build 17074 last week, this build is a preview build of the next Semi-Annual Channel release of Windows Server, and it comes with some new features and known issues. Here’s what you need to know.
New in Build 17079 for Windows Server:
- In-place OS Upgrade: Customers are now able to upgrade their Windows Server, version 1709 installations to the current preview build using In-place OS Upgrade. This feature is available starting in build 17079. This feature also enables customers to perform build-to-build upgrade of the next released preview build.
- Running setup.exe, customers should be presented with the option to “Keep personal files and apps”, which causes the migration steps in setup.exe to run and upgrade Windows Server while preserving applications, data, and user settings.
Developers and Containers:
- Optimized Server Core container base images (30% smaller). Available on Windows Insider Docker Hub here
- MSMQ now installs in a Server Core container
- Key Application Compatibility bug fixes
Known issues with Windows Server build 17079:
- [NEW] When Hypervisor Code Integrity (HVCI) is enabled, a system may fail to start. On affected systems, firmware locates UEFI runtime services in memory described as Memory-Mapped I/O (MMIO).
- Running nanoserver-insider containers on a Windows Server Core host will fail, and may crash the host.
- As a workaround, you can add “—isolation=hyperv” when running or building the containers such as “docker run –isolation=hyperv microsoft/nanoserver-insider”.
Known Issues with In-place OS Upgrade:
- (1) Drives that are protected with BitLocker should have BitLocker suspended (disabled) before In-place OS Upgrade, and resumed (enabled) after In-place OS Upgrade.
- (2) AD Domain Controllers might not upgrade correctly – please backup any AD DC before applying In-place OS Upgrade.
Registered Windows Insiders can grab up this build now by heading to the Windows Server Insider Preview download page. If you haven’t done it yet, you can register to be a Windows Server insider here via the Windows Insiders for Business portal.
