Small Steps

The Windows Server 2016 Essentials management interface, known as the dashboard, has not changed since the 2012 version. From the dashboard, clients and users can manage the network centrally, even without IT skills (Figure 1). The server supports up to 25 user connections and 50 computers. If more are in use, companies need to switch to Windows Server 2016 Standard, which does not have a dashboard. However, the Essentials role, with a dashboard, is available in the Standard and Datacenter editions. If you install the Essentials role on a server running Windows Server 2016 Standard or Datacenter, you will not be limited to 25 users and 50 devices.

Compliant Licensing

Windows Server 2012 R2 introduced the option of installing the Essentials functions as a server service on the Datacenter and Standard editions. Client Access Licenses (CALs) are not necessary when using Windows Server 2016 Essentials. The server can have a maximum 64GB of memory. In such a scenario, multiple servers with Windows Server 2016 Essentials can be integrated into an existing Active Directory (e.g., for branches or small offices). A 2016 Essentials license costs around $500 (EUR500).

If you use Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation, up to 15 users can be connected to the server – again, CALs are not necessary. Foundation is tied in directly with the hardware, because this edition is only available as an OEM version. However, it does not provide a dashboard. Windows Server 2016 does not have a Foundation edition. If you install the Essentials server role (Windows Server Essentials environment) in an existing Active Directory (AD), you can run the server as a member server. The user accounts of the domain in which you install the server are available in the dashboard. With Windows Server 2016, the restrictions are lifted if you integrate the role as a member server on your network.

Windows Server 2016 has numerous innovations in terms of storage and networking. These include the new Storage Spaces Direct, the Nano Server installation, and container technology. However, these innovations are not part of Windows Server 2016 Essentials, although Hyper-V is included in Essentials. You can easily run virtual machines (VMs) on a server with Essentials and virtualize the server itself. To use advanced Hyper-V functions such as shielded VMs, Storage Spaces Direct, and the new storage replication feature, you need the Datacenter edition of Windows Server 2016. A deduplication function for data has been improved in Windows Server 2016, but it is not available in Essentials.

Alternative: MultiPoint Role

Microsoft integrates the MultiPoint Services role into Windows server 2016. Simply put, this is a Remote Desktop Session Host, formerly Terminal Server, for small businesses or training centers that provides a way for users to connect a monitor, keyboard, and mouse directly to the server. The virtual desktops for MultiPoint Services are similar to those of the Remote Desktop Services. On request, the whole thing can also be operated as a VDI environment. MultiPoint can be used in small networks, also without the need for AD. In this case, you work with local user accounts on the server or with the user accounts in AD with 2016 Essentials. The user logs onto the server with these user accounts.

MultiPoint Services does not replace the Essentials role; instead, it is another way to connect users on small networks. If you operate several MultiPoint Servers on the network, they are integrated into the AD. In this case, you can log in with your domain account, which also applies for the operation of Essentials. You can use the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to connect to the server, or you can directly connect the components to the server (e.g., via USB). Also, thin clients specially optimized for MultiPoint are known as multifunction USB hubs. The applications and the desktop that you work with are installed on the MultiPoint Server, as on a Remote Desktop Server.

Cloud Backup and Virus Protection

With Windows Server 2016 Essentials, small businesses can now back up server data in the cloud automatically and safely. Essentials allows the replication of the entire server to Azure. If the server fails, it can be provided as a VM in Azure. In this case, the clients are connected to Azure VM via a virtual network to Microsoft, which makes sense if companies want to set up high availability for Essentials.

By default, Microsoft integrates in-house virus protection through Windows Defender into Windows Server 2016, which is enabled by default in Essentials and can be configured locally, but not in the dashboard (Figure 2). As with the Standard and Datacenter editions, internal virus protection is disabled if you install an external virus scanner.

Essentials and Office 365

When setting up Essentials or the Essentials role, you can connect the server to Office 365. In this case, you can set up an Office 365 account and a mailbox in Exchange Online when creating new users in the dashboard. When you create a new user account, you can automatically allocate user roles to assign default or administrator rights to users. You can change a user role at any time, which lets you promote a standard user to an administrator, for example.

Admins can launch the dashboard on their clients to manage the server. You can either create a new account in Office 365 or use an existing Office 365 account assigned to the user. After creating a user account, you can always make changes to the rights, password, and options for the account, as well as for Office 365, through the dashboard on the server.

Connecting and Backing Up Client Computers

After installing the server, clients connect to the server. You do not have to enforce a domain; just create the account for the user in the dashboard. After users type the http://<server name>/connect address in their browsers, the server offers to download the agent software. Clicking on the install link launches a wizard that helps users connect their PCs. You need to define up front the usernames and passwords in the dashboard at the prompts.

After the installation is complete, you will find a link to the network shares on the computer's desktop. You can see the agent for connecting to Essentials in the tray area of the taskbar. The launch pad can be opened to the server via the agent context menu. In this way, users then access their server data and can even back up their computers and data on the server. A complete computer can be restored from the server with a recovery CD. Individual files are also restored, if necessary, by the administrator – but more on that later.

Admins can also call the dashboard from their workstations and log in directly to the dashboard with the administrator account, without needing to log out on the PC. Messages for the client can also be displayed in the lower right area of the launchpad, where errors that occur on the client computer are displayed to users.

If they work with one of the smaller editions of Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, users can still work with shares on the server through the Connector, but unlike the Pro or Enterprise editions, a domain logon on the PC is not possible. In this case, users have to log in explicitly to the launchpad, again logging in to their PCs. However, this login can be saved in Settings. After logging in, the releases and features in the launchpad are available in a Windows 7 Home Edition, just as in Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 Pro or Enterprise, which is a further advantage of Essentials.

The Connector used by the client to connect with the server has a unique symbol that is displayed in the information area of the taskbar. Using the context menu of this icon, users can start the launchpad and display alerts on the computer, and admins can open the dashboard. The color of the icon indicates whether the computer is reporting an error (red symbol) or a warning (yellow icon), or whether everything is OK (green icon).

After connecting a client computer to the Essentials network, you can see the status when you click on Computers and Backups in the dashboard . All the computers on the network are listed here. Using the context menu and selecting Remove Computer, you can delete the computer from the list again. However, in this case, the users that log in are no longer authorized to access the shares. In the Status column in this area, you can see whether or not a computer is powered on. You will find the various options for managing clients in the context menu or the task area.

Upgrading to 2016 Essentials

You can upgrade Windows Server 2012 (R2) Essentials to 2016 Essentials, but first, you should update the operating system source. Small Business Server 2011 and older cannot be updated directly to 2016 Essentials. Launch the installation program when Server 2012 (R2) Essentials is running. You will be notified of any problems and have to confirm them before you upgrade.

Before you update Windows Server 2012 (R2) to 2016, you should also create a system image backup, so in the event of problems, you can quickly and easily restore your current Windows Server system. Please note the following aspects before upgrading to Windows Server 2016:

• Disable installed security programs and antivirus programs.
• If you work with network monitoring programs, set the computer for update to maintenance mode.
• Make sure that all installed applications, management packs for network monitoring programs, and tools are compatible with Windows Server 2016, and update the programs after installation.
• Make certain the Windows Firewall settings do not block connections to other servers or that certain IPsec rules are set.

Now launch Windows Server 2012 (R2) Essentials and insert the 2016 Essentials DVD. Click on setup.exe and then on Install now. In the next step, you will see the option for upgrading the installation files. If it requests the product key, enter the serial number.

Conclusions

Windows Server 2016 Essentials sets up a small server that is particularly suitable for smaller environments. It can be used, for example, to set up network shares, and users can back up their data on the server. Simple virtualization with Hyper-V is supported. However, some of the high-end features are missing.