Windows Server 2016 released a few weeks ago. I was interested in whether or not I was ready to run it.
I'm unfortunately not in a great position to move to the latest version of VMware vSphere. I'm on 5.5 Update 3. 6.5 has just been announced this week at VMworld Europe (though I didn't see it available for download yesterday). I look forward to upgrading to the latest version shortly.
In the meantime, can I run Windows Server 2016 in my VMware environment?
The good news: yes. Checking the VMware Compatability guide https://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php?deviceCategory=software&testConfig=16) demonstrates that Windows Server 2016 is supported for vSphere 5.5 Update 3. I'm on track.
(Note: When building virtual machines, Windows Server 2016 isn't an option. But, that's OK, just pick Windows Server 2012. https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2132789)
OK, I typically deploy servers from template. I build my first VM, and performed my standard steps to prep it for templating. Now, what about that Customization Wizard? I ran through it, and it seemed to work. But....
I couldn't find the answer on this one on my own. I reached out to support. I got my answer quickly enough: "As of now, the guest customization wizard for Windows Server 2016 is not supported." And then, the matrix I hadn't managed to find to document the answer:http://partnerweb.vmware.com/programs/guestOS/guest-os-customization-matrix.pdf
I need to do some additional research. Did the Customization Wizard actually properly SysPrep the server and it is safe to use? Or, should I learn how to do the Microsoft method to clone the server?
Until I figure those answers out, I'll stick to manually building my Windows Server 2016 systems to avoid issues down the road.
