The new server deployment option Nano Server can be used for Hyper-V hosts (along with other roles), it feels like Microsoft's attempt of getting Hyper-V closer to an appliance than a Windows Server. The Nano Server Recovery Console feels a bit like the DCUI for VMware ESXi. I was recently playing with Nano Server with the intent of deploying a two-node Hyper-V Cluster using it.
The Nano Server Image Builder (which required the Windows 10 ADK) is very effective at creating Nano Server images. It also generates the raw code used by the tool in order to do that. This code creates a new Nano Server VHDX with Containers, Hyper-V and Shielded VM support. The Image Builder makes generating these scripts remarkably easy.
The Nano Server Image Builder (which required the Windows 10 ADK) is very effective at creating Nano Server images. It also generates the raw code used by the tool in order to do that. This code creates a new Nano Server VHDX with Containers, Hyper-V and Shielded VM support. The Image Builder makes generating these scripts remarkably easy.
New-NanoServerImage -MediaPath 'F:\' -Edition 'Datacenter' -DeploymentType
Guest -TargetPath
'E:\Virtual Machines\Virtual
Machines\NanoServer.vhdx' -MaxSize 8589934592 -SetupUI
('NanoServer.Containers', 'NanoServer.Compute', 'NanoServer.ShieldedVM')
-ComputerName 'nanoserverlab01'
-SetupCompleteCommand ('tzutil.exe /s "SA Pacific Standard Time"')
-LogPath 'C:\Users\ryan_betts.MEGATRON\AppData\Local\Temp\NanoServerImageBuilder\Logs\2017-02-13
15-47'
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Nano Server has almost no local logon capabilities for configuring Hyper-V etc, so everything should be done remotely. This is easy if the Nano Server hosts are joined to the AD domain. The Nano Server Image Builder offers you the ability to pre-join Nano Server instances to an Active Directory domain. For this to work, you must first pre-create the computer object in AD using djoin.exe.
The following command can be used to do this, it will only work if the server running the Nano Server Image Builder is joined to the destination domain. I am sure you could get around this with djoin blobs etc.
Djoin.exe /provision /domain ryanbetts.co.uk /machine nanoserver02
/savefile offline.txt
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One the Destination Machine Information page the Nano Server computer name must match the predefined computer object name for the process to work.
Select the Domain Join option, this is the part that will fail if you are not building the Nano Server VHD from a device that is joined to the destination domain.
Once you have created a new VM and attached the Nano Server VHD it should be pre-joined to the domain and it should let you login using Domain Admin credentials.
