Nano Server - jasper-zanjani/Windows-Server GitHub Wiki

Nano Server, a new installation option introduced in Windows Server 2016, provides a much smaller footprint and attack surface than even Server Core, but supports only some roles and features. Installation is done by building a VHD image via PowerShell on another computer. That VHD is then deployed as a VM or used as a boot drive for a physical server.

Booting a Nano Server VM produces a text-based interface called the Nano Server Recovery Console, a menu system that allows configuration of static network options (DHCP is enabled by default). The DNS server may not be configured interactively, but must be specified when building the image with the Ipv4Dns parameter.

If a Nano Server is domain-joined a remote Powershell session will authenticate via Kerberos. If not, its name or IP address must be added to the Trusted Hosts list.

PowerShell

The Windows Server 2016 installation media contains a NanoServer directory, from which the NanoServerImageGenerator Powershell module must be imported. It also contains a Packages subdirectory, with CAB files containing roles and features that correspond to named parameters or packages that are specified as values to the Packages named parameter when building a Nano Server image.

Cmdlet	Description
Edit-NanoServerImage	Add a role or feature to an existing Nano Server VHD file
New-NanoServerImage	Used to create a Nano Server VHD file for Nano Server installation