For example, to move from Server with a GUI to Server Core, I just need to remove
Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra (which also removes Server-Gui-Shell, since Server-Gui-
Shell is dependent on Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra):
Uninstall-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra –Restart
To take Server Core and make it a full server with a GUI, use this command:
Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra,Server-Gui-Shell –Restart
Windows Server 2016 and Nano Server
Windows Server 2016 has taken a giant step forward in the way Windows Server can
be deployed as well as in its footprint and associated patching/reboots. However, it
has also taken a little step back in the flexibility of configuration levels. Server Core is
still fairly large, because it carries a lot of legacy weight from 20 years of Windows.
Nano Server is a brand new deployment type in Windows Server 2016, which is not
only much smaller but also represents a shift in the way we think about deploying and
maintaining Windows Server deployments.
NANO SERVER OVERVIEW
Nano Server is a headless deployment of Windows Server that is managed remotely
via Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) and PowerShell. There is no local
interface for Nano Server other than an emergency recovery console, which can help
reset the network state and WinRM (Windows Remote Management), but that is
basically it—no local GUI, no local command prompt, no local PowerShell, and no
RDP. So what do you do if the server is not functioning? As I mentioned previously,
there is a recovery console, shown in Figure 5.2, but unless your problem is an IP
address, firewall, or WinRM issue, it won’t help. Many issues can be remediated
remotely using PowerShell and the management tools, which have long been a core
premise of Windows Server; no local logons, however, are available, as the mentality
about servers is changing.