Nutanix Pedia: Deploy Windows Nano Server 2016 on Nutanix CE

Microsoft Just released the Windows Servers 2016 Technical Preview 5, Also Nutanix released a maintenance version of the Community Edition. So, though it’s a good chance to play around with Nano and Windows Containers features.

Note: Nano Server Image creation is supported on Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows Server 2016 TP.

Let’s Start…

Step 1: Download & Mount Windows Server 2016 TP5 ISO on Windows 10 Client

Step 2: Download & Mount Nutanix VirtIO 1.0.1 (ISO)

Step 3. Copy X:\NanoServer\NanoServerImageGenerator folder in the Windows Server 2016 Technical Preview ISO to a folder on your hard drive e.g. “C:\NanoServerImageGenerator”

Step 4. Start Windows PowerShell as an administrator, change directory to the folder where you've placed these scripts “C:\NanoServerImageGenerator” and run the following commands

Set-ExecutionPolicy AllSigned

Import-Module .\NanoServerImageGenerator.psd1 –verbose

Import-Module .\NanoServerImageGenerator.psm1 –Verbose

Step 5. Create a VHD that sets a computer name and includes the Nutanix drivers by running the following command which will prompt you for an administrator password for the new VHD:

New-NanoServerImage -MediaPath "X:\" -BasePath .\Base -TargetPath .\NanoServerVM\NanoServerVM.vhd -ComputerName "NanoSrv01" -DriversPath "F:\Windows 10" -Containers -DeploymentType Guest -Edition Standard

This command creates a VHD from an ISO mounted as X:\ and inject the Nutanix drivers that mounted on “"F:\Windows 10". When creating the VHD it will use a folder called Base in the same directory where you ran New-NanoServerImage; it will place the VHD (called NanoServerVM.vhd) in a folder called NanoServerVM in the folder from where the command is run.

Step 6: Login to Nutanix Prism and Create an image using the NanoServerVM.vhd