With Microsoft Prerelease Software like Windows Server Insider Preview Builds, you can experience and test the new features in your Test environment before it’s GA and in your production datacenter(s). First you have to register for the Windows Server Insider program here

Then you can download the Windows Server Insider Preview Build.

I’m updating my mvplab.local domain.

With this you can Build your own test environment and experience the new features in Windows Server Insider Preview Builds.
The Microsoft Windows Server Insider Team is also on Microsoft Tech Community.

Windows Server Long-Term Servicing Channel Preview in ISO format in 18 languages, and in VHDX format in English only.
Windows Server Datacenter Azure Edition Preview in ISO and VHDX format, English only.
Microsoft Server Languages and Optional Features Preview

Keys: Keys are valid for preview builds only

Server Standard: MFY9F-XBN2F-TYFMP-CCV49-RMYVH
Datacenter: 2KNJJ-33Y9H-2GXGX-KMQWH-G6H67
Azure Edition does not accept a key

Expiration: This Windows Server Preview will expire September 15, 2023.

Installing Windows Server Insider Preview Build 25314

For the Microsoft Product Group it’s important to give your feedback when you have ideas or experience some issues with these Windows Server Insider Preview Builds. Here you find more information about the Feedback Hub.

With this you can build great Hybrid Solutions with Windows Server Insider Preview Build Clusters which is connected with
Microsoft Azure Arc Services for Azure Hybrid IT Solutions. In this way you can test new experiences before you go into production and learn a lot of what you can do! Here you can read more about Azure Arc enabled Servers

My Domain Controller is Up-to-date with the Newest Windows Server Insider Preview Build 25314 for now 😉

Here you find Microsoft Comparison of Standard, Datacenter, and Datacenter: Azure Edition editions of Windows Server 2022

Conclusion

With Windows Server Insider Preview Build you can make your own environment, with your own domain, Clusters, Hybrid Servers or build your environment for Containers. You can experience and test for example Windows Server Insider Preview Azure edition with
Hot Patching feature on. Start today with Microsoft Windows Server Insider Preview Builds and Share your feedback with Microsoft.

December 22, 2022
by James van den Berg Leave a comment

Thank you #Community and #Microsoft for this Awesome Year 2022! Happy Holidays

What a Year 2022!!

I like to thank you Community for Supporting, Sharing and Reading New Microsoft technologies on my Blog, Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn Community Groups 💗 I wish you all happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year 2023 may the Best Wishes comes true ! 🎄🥂

I’m very proud and Honored on the Microsoft Global MVP Awards 2022-2023 !

MVP Award for Cloud and Datacenter Management
MVP Award for Windows Insiders
MVP Award for Azure Hybrid

Thank you Microsoft Product Groups, MVP Award Program, Windows Insider Team, Azure Hybrid Team, Windows Server and Azure Stack HCI Team for all your support, NDA PGI sessions, and for the Awesome software, Features, solutions you are building 🙂
Wish you all Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Healthy New Year 2023 may the Best Wishes comes true ! 🎄🥂

Here are some Great links for Reading and Sharing :

JOIN these LinkedIn Community Groups for free and Share New Microsoft Technologies Together:

Windows Admin Center Community Group

Containers in the Cloud Community Group

Microsoft Azure Monitor & Security for Hybrid IT Community Group

Azure Hybrid Community Group

Azure DevOps Community Group

What I really love is the Microsoft Tech Community platform

For Microsoft Azure Hybrid:

Azure Arc Jumpstart site

Azure Hybrid and Multi Cloud documentation

Microsoft Azure Arc Community monthly Meetup (GitHub)

Follow on Twitter for Azure Hybrid:

@ThomasMaurer

@LiorKamrat

@rcTibi

——————————————————————————————————————————————————-

For Windows Insiders:

Microsoft Windows Insiders Blog

Windows Insider Team on YouTube

The Windows Insider Program Team is really active on Twitter:
@WindowsInsider

Get started with the Windows Server Insider program

What’s New in Windows Server 2022

Overview of Windows Admin Center

What’s New in SQL Server 2022

May 15, 2022
by James van den Berg Leave a comment

Download Windows 11 Security E-book #Windows11 #WIMVP #WindowsInsiders

This Microsoft E-Book gives you an overview about security in Windows 11 with in different layers of security.

Hardware Security
Operating System Security
Application Security
Identity and Privacy
Cloud Services
Security Foundation
Upcoming Features

Different Security Layers in Windows 11

Be aware of all the Microsoft security features in Windows 11 and download the free Microsoft Windows 11 Security Book here

October 31, 2021
by James van den Berg Leave a comment

JOIN Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event November 2-4 #MSIgnite #Azure #Winserv #Windows11 #Hybrid

Microsoft Ignite 2021

Join Microsoft and the Community November 2–4, 2021 to explore the latest tools, training sessions, technical expertise, networking opportunities, and more. You can register here

Here you find some great MSIgnite guidance on Microsoft Tech Community :

Check out what’s new in Security at Microsoft Ignite

Surface at Microsoft Ignite: November 2021

Your Guide to Microsoft Teams at Microsoft Ignite Fall 2021

Windows at Microsoft Ignite: November 2021

A developer’s guide to Ignite 2021

Bring Azure Kubernetes Services to a Hybrid Environment (The Blueprint Files)

Follow @MS_Ignite on Twitter

Of course you can make your own schedule from the session catalog here

Don’t forget your Registration and have a Great innovative Microsoft Ignite 2021 Event 😉

September 22, 2021
by James van den Berg Leave a comment

Follow #Microsoft Windows 11 Insider Preview program by Video #WindowsInsiders #WIMVP #Windows11

Watch how Windows 11 is being designed

Are you exited as I am about the New Microsoft Windows 11 Insider preview builds on your device? The Microsoft Windows Insider Program team is keeping you up-to-date about the new features in Windows 11 Insider Preview Build by videos on YouTube.
You can find the Windows Insider Channel here

When you like to start testing new features with Windows 11 Insider Preview Build, you can become a Windows Insider to get started

Before you register as a Windows Insider, It’s important how you want to fly with new releases and or updates of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build. This because there are different Channels and they are explained well at this site.
( Read this first before you begin)

The Windows Insider Program Team is really active on Twitter, I advice you to follow them:

And of course the Windows Insider Program it self on Twitter : @WindowsInsider

Conclusion so far

I Like Windows 11 Insider Preview Build very much. As a Datacenter Administrator I like the New Windows Terminal under the Start button with a right click. The look and feels of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build is awesome and the Microsoft Windows Team did a lot of work to make configuring Windows 11 Insider Preview Build as easy as possible for the end-users. I wish you a lot of fun as a Windows Insider and don’t forget to give your Feedback in the Feedback Hub of Windows Insider.

August 30, 2021
by James van den Berg Leave a comment

Windows Server Insider 2022 Datacenter Azure version #WindowsInsiders #WIMVP #Azure #Winserv

Installing Windows Server Insider Datacenter Azure Edition

In my last blogpost we installed Windows 11 Insider Preview Enterprise Build on a Microsoft Azure Virtual Machine. Now we do the same with Windows Server 2022 Insider build version on Microsoft Azure Cloud.

IMPORTANT

This blogpost is for testing only and not ready for production environments yet!

Before you Search for the Windows Server Insider Preview image, you need some preview features added to your azure subscription first. Here you find more information

One of the features is Inquest Hot patching, which we activate via Azure Cloud Shell with Bash Azure CLI :

az feature register –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestHotPatchVMPreview
az feature register –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestAutoPatchVMPreview
az feature register –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestPatchVMPreview

Feature registration can take up to 15 minutes. To check the registration status:

az feature show –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestHotPatchVMPreview
az feature show –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestAutoPatchVMPreview
az feature show –namespace Microsoft.Compute –name InGuestPatchVMPreview

When registration is done, you will see this message.

Once the feature has been registered for your subscription, complete the opt-in process by propagating the change into the Compute resource provider.

Type the following Azure CLI commandline :

az provider register –namespace Microsoft.Compute

Now your Microsoft Azure Subscription is ready for the new Features with the Windows Server 2022 Insider Preview Datacenter Azure Edition Build.

You need the Core edition when you want to try hotpatching.
and you need to be a Windows Server Insider.

Here you can Register for the Windows Server Insider Program

Create the Virtual Machine.

Add Storage to your Virtual Machine.
Because it’s for testing only I selected SSD.

Set your network settings.

Set Management settings like Hotpatch Preview.

At Advanced tab you can add Extensions and Custom scripts.
Click on Review + Create

Validation is passed, Click on Create and the
Windows Server Insider 2022 Datacenter Azure Edition will deploy.

IMPORTANT

Check the Network Security Group (NSG) of the Virtual Machine in Azure and set the security settings!

Set the Security Settings in the NSG.

Because we Installed the Windows Server Insider Core version,
Windows Admin Center (Preview) is very handy for Management.

Running Windows Server 2022 Insider Build 10.0.20348.166 in Azure
with Windows Admin Center (Preview) for Testing.

Now we wait for the Hotpatch 😉

Conclusion

Microsoft Azure Cloud platform is great for testing new products like Windows Server Insider Build versions, Windows 11 Insider Preview and the new Azure features. So when this becomes GA in the future you have already the experience and did some feedback to the Microsoft Product Team 😉

August 25, 2021
by James van den Berg Leave a comment

#WindowsInsiders 11 Preview Enterprise Build in #Azure Cloud

Windows 11 Enterprise Preview in Azure

When you joined the Microsoft Windows Insider Program you can use the Windows 11 preview build images from the Azure Marketplace.
Here you can see the Windows 11 Preview plans in the Microsoft Azure Market place.

As a Windows Insider it’s great to have your machine in the Microsoft Azure Cloud to test new features of Windows 11 Preview. You don’t have to buy compatible hardware for Windows 11 Preview, and you only pay for the machine when you use it in the Cloud.
Here you find the Windows 11 Preview minimal requirements.

In the following steps I deploy Windows 11 Preview Enterprise in Azure Cloud.

Create your Windows 11 Preview Machine in Azure Cloud.

For this you need a Microsoft Azure Subscription to create a Windows 11 Preview Virtual Machine in the Cloud. In the Azure template for deployment you can select the right size Virtual Machine, Storage, networks, and Management extensions like security and Azure Monitor.

Before you Connect your Windows 11 Preview VM, make sure the security for RDP is set in the Network Security Group (NSG)

Set security for your RDP session in the NSG.

Go to Settings => Windows Update => Windows Insider Program.
Click on Get Started.
First step link an account to join the program.
(This must be your Windows Insiders account)

IMPORTANT

Here you select your Windows Insider Channel, read the information and choose your
Windows Insider Build Channel. As a Windows Insider MVP I choose for the Dev Channel to give feedback to the product Team and get the first new features of Windows 11 Preview.

Read the recommendations and click on Continue.

Review the Agreements for your Device.
Click on Continue if you agree.

Restart the Virtual Machine into the Dev Channel for
the latest updates.

Set your Windows Update Advanced options.

Here we have Windows 11 Preview Insider Build 22000.160 on Azure Cloud 😉

After this I went to the Windows Insider Feedback Hub to do my settings :

At Settings of the Feedback Hub you can update the software.
and of course your personal settings.

I Like the Windows Insider Feedback Hub in Dark mode.

IMPORTANT

When you are ready with testing and sending feedback to Microsoft don’t forget to Stop the Virtual Machine! This save you money.

Conclusion

Microsoft Azure Cloud Services and Windows 11 Preview Insider Builds working together gives you flexibility and as a Windows Insider you can test every Windows 11 Preview Build from any place with a Internet connection. I like to give Microsoft feedback to make Windows Awesome for everyone on the planet 🙂

Follow Windows Insiders on Twitter :

March 5, 2021
by James van den Berg Leave a comment

Windows Admin Center v2103 Available! What’s New #Winserv #Azure #Management #WindowsAdminCenter #MVPBuzz

Windows Admin Center v2103

With Windows Admin Center you can remotely manage Windows Server running anywhere—physical, virtual, on-premises, in Azure, or in a hosted environment.
The tool, available with your Windows Server license at no additional charge, consolidates and reimagines Windows OS tools in a single, browser-based, graphical user interface.
At Microsoft Ignite 2021 Global Virtual Event they launched Windows Admin Center version 2103. Here you find the download.

What’s New in Windows Admin Center v2103

WAC Updates Automatically

Events Tool ReDesign (Preview)

Great Overview of the Server Events 😉

Azure IoT Edge for Linux on Windows

Windows Admin Center in The Azure Portal

Set Proxy Server in Windows Admin Center Settings.

Open in a Separate Window

This is a Separate Window on my Second Screen, this works Awesome!

Windows Admin Center Virtual Tool improvements 🙂

Conclusion

Microsoft is working hard to make Hybrid IT Management better for Administrators to manage Hybrid Cloud datacenters. Windows Admin Center is a must have for managing
Windows Server Core, AzureStack HCI, and Cluster Services. I can say: I love to work with Windows Admin Center 🙂