Installing features with Nano Server packages

Nano Server is a minimal implementation of a Windows Server 2016. You can customize it to include only the desired features and roles you require. You customize Nano Servers using the PackageManagement module along with the NanoServerPackage provider. The NanoServerPackage provider can search, download, or install packages that implement features and roles for Nano Server from an online gallery. This provider enables you to install useful server features and roles which you will explore in this recipe.

In Nano Server, packages replace the Add Roles & Features functionality in other editions of Windows. For example, if you need a web server, in other editions of Windows you would install the Web Server (IIS) role, but in Nano server, you would install the Microsoft-NanoServer-IIS-Package package. Instead of installing the File Services role, you would install the Microsoft-NanoServer-Storage-Package package.

You can deploy a Nano Server in a workgroup, which is the default. You can also join the Nano Server to your domain. Nano Servers must join to the domain to utilize certain Windows features like Windows Clusters. In this recipe, you will deploy a domain joined Nano Server. To achieve this, you need to obtain a domain blob file which you create using the djoin console command. You transfer this blob file to the Nano Server to join it to the domain. You also review the available Nano Server packages and install the selected packages to support the file server role, web server role, and the Desired State Configuration (DSC) support.