Create Nano Server Image

This article was posted more than 1 year ago. Please keep in mind that the information on this page may be outdated, insecure, or just plain wrong today.

I was trying to build a Nano Server image (2016 Tech Preview 5) and kept getting the following error:

2016-04-28_120004
Turns out that is because the documentation is not updated and instead of -GuestDrivers it now uses:

  1. -Edition [ Standard | Datacenter]
  2. -DeploymentType [ Guest | Host ]

Running the following updated command works without issue building the image.
(Change items hilighted in Red)

New-NanoServerImage -MediaPath c:tp5iso -BasePath .Base -TargetPath .Nano1Nano3.vhd -ComputerName Nano3 -DeploymentType Guest -Edition Standard

Add Packages

You can add packages to the image that is being built by specifying -Packages [PackageName].
To install IIS, for example:
(Change items hilighted in Red)

New-NanoServerImage -MediaPath c:tp5iso -BasePath .Base -TargetPath .Nano1Nano3.vhd -ComputerName Nano3 -DeploymentType Guest -Edition Standard -Packages Microsoft-NanoServer-IIS-Package

Here’s a listing of the Packages in the Server 2016 TP5 ISO as of this writing.
I used the following command within the Packages directory of the Nano distribution to generate this.

PS C:usersrkreiderdesktopnanobasePackages> gci . -filter *.cab | foreach-object { write-output $_.basename; dism /online /get-packageinfo /packagepath:$_ | select-string Description|Product Name|^Name :; }
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-BootFromWim-Package
    Description : Boot from WIM support
    Name : Boot from WIM support
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-BootFromWim-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-Compute-Package
    Description : Hyper-V provides the services that you can use to create and manage virtual machines and their resources. Each virtual machine is a virtualized computer system that operates in an isolated execution environment. This allows you to run multiple operating systems simultaneously.
    Name : Hyper-V
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-Compute-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-Containers-Package
    Description : Provides services and tools to create and manage Windows Server Containers and their resources.
    Name : Containers
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-Containers-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-DCB-Package
    Description : Data Center Bridging (DCB) is a suite of IEEE standards that are used to enhance Ethernet local area networks by providing hardware-based bandwidth guarantees and transport reliability. Use DCB to help enforce bandwidth allocation on a Converged Network Adapter for offloaded storage traffic such as Internet Small Computer System Interface, RDMA over Converged Ethernet, and Fibre Channel over Ethernet.
    Name : Data Center Bridging
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-DCB-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-Defender-Package
    Description : Windows Server Antimalware helps protect your machine from malware.
    Name : Windows Server Antimalware
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-Defender-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-DNS-Package
    Description : Domain Name System (DNS) Server provides name resolution for TCP/IP networks. DNS Server is easier to manage when it is installed on the same server as Active Directory Domain Services. If you select the Active Directory
    Domain Services role, you can install and configure DNS Server and Active Directory Domain Services to work together.
    Name : DNS Server
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-DNS-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-DSC-Package
    Description : Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration is a configuration management platform that uses a declarative syntax to express and enact system configuration state.
    Name : Windows PowerShell Desired State Configuration
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-DSC-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-FailoverCluster-Package
    Description : Failover Clustering allows multiple servers to work together to provide high availability of server roles. Failover Clustering is often used for File Services, virtual machines, database applications, and mail applications.
    Name : Failover Clustering Service
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-FailoverCluster-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-Guest-Package
    Description : Hyper-V guest drivers for using Nano Server as a virtual machine
    Name : Hyper-V guest drivers
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-Guest-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-Host-Package
    Description : Support for bare metal deployments
    Name : Bare metal deployment
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-Host-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-IIS-Package
    Description : Web Server (IIS) provides a reliable, manageable, and scalable Web application infrastructure.
    Name : Web Server (IIS)
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-IIS-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-NPDS-Package
    Description : Network Performance Diagnostics Service (NPDS)
    Name : Network Performance Diagnostics Service (NPDS)
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-NPDS-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-OEM-Drivers-Package
    Description : Server Core drivers
    Name : Server Core drivers
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-OEM-Drivers-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-SCVMM-Compute-Package
    Description : System Center Virtual Machine Manager Hyper-V agent
    Name : System Center Virtual Machine Manager Hyper-V agent
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-SCVMM-Compute-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-SCVMM-Package
    Description : System Center Virtual Machine Manager agent
    Name : System Center Virtual Machine Manager agent
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-SCVMM-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-SecureStartup-Package
    Description : Secure Startup support
    Name : Secure Startup support
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-SecureStartup-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-ShieldedVM-Package
    Description : Host Guardian provides the features necessary on a Hyper-V server to provision Shielded Virtual Machines.
    Name : Shielded VM support
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-ShieldedVM-Feature-Package
  • Microsoft-NanoServer-Storage-Package
    Description : File Server role and other storage components
    Name : File Server role and other storage components
    Product Name : Microsoft-NanoServer-Storage-Feature-Package

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