Compatibility
Microsoft publishes minimum System Requirements for Windows Server 2016 and these may seem relatively low specification. The main ones are:
- 1.4 GHz 64-bit processor
- 512Mb RAM or 2Gb for desktop experience
- Ethernet with 1Gb throughput
Windows Server Catalog
Windows Server Catalog is a comprehensive website listing software and hardware that are tested for various versions of Windows Server.
The hardware list covers input and output devices, storage, networking and much more. Products are listed by device name and by vendor.
The software list many apps and software solutions and can also be checked by product name and vendor.
Server Roles
Server 2016 has several roles that the server fulfills. Examples are 'Active Directory Domain', 'Hyper-V', 'DHCP Server' and more.
If using any specific roles such as the ones above, check Microsoft documentation to see if the services can be migrated and if migration can be completed without downtime.
Driver Signature
Windows Server 2016 enforces Driver Signatures which protects the system from malicious drivers. This is enforced by default.
Some obscure drivers may not be digitally signed yet may be known by the user to be safe. However they will not be loaded. Using such drivers requires disabling driver signature permanently. There are means of disabling temporarily but this is not useful in a production environment.
Permanently disabling driver signature requires changes to 'Local group Policy Editor' and this is achieved by running 'gpedit.msc'. Once open, the 'User Configuration' followed by 'Administrative Templates' needs to be selected. Then choose 'System' and 'Driver Installation'. Select 'Code signing for device drivers' and then change from 'enabled' to 'ignore'.
Upgrade from Server 2008
There isn't a direct upgrade path from Server 2008 to 2016. Making the leap from 2008 to 2016 requires doing an upgrade to 2012 first, then to 2016.
There are likely to be compatibility issues with this unless the 2008 server was high-spec. Server 2016 requires 64bit equipment, so if 2008 is on a 32bit machine, there is no upgrade path without switching servers.
Lesson Summary
Upgrading to server 2016 from Server 2012 or 2008 can be a time-consuming and multi-stage process. This may impact services as a direct in-place upgrade may not complete without machine restarts. In principle, any version of Server 2012 can be upgraded to a similar version of Server 2016.
Microsoft recommends a migration to a new server as the best method for upgrading. Server 2016 has a new feature Cluster OS Rolling Upgrade which allows essential services to be maintained.
There are also potential compatibility issues for hardware and software. Windows Server Catalog keeps an extensive list of hardware and software compatibilities.
Driver Signatures will need to be switched off permanently if using unsigned drivers.
Upgrading from Server 2008 to 2016 cannot be done directly and is unlikely to be a realistic option.
