Microsoft released Windows Server Insider Preview build 18317 today, and the build number corresponds to last week"s client build in the Fast ring. It"s the first new build in over a month, as build 18298 was released on December 18.
There are a few new features to note in the new build. For one thing, there"s now a dark theme preview. Users can activate it by entering the experiment key msft.sme.shell.personalization in global settings under the advanced tab. Microsoft is also requesting that users don"t report bugs on it, since it"s a "work in progress".
There are two new PowerShell modules for automating Windows Admin Center, and of course, there are new Windows Admin Center features. The preview released today is version 1812, and it contains the following features:
Power configuration tab on the server settings page, where you can change the configured power profile.
If the server has an IPMI-compatible BMC, you’ll find the BMC serial number and a hyperlink to its IP address on the Server Overview page.
If Windows Admin Center is installed in service mode, you can now use PowerShell to automate the following (examples included below):
Import/export of connections (with tags)
Extension management
Finally, Windows Server includes a new feature called WDAC, "composable (stacked) code integrity policies for supporting multiple code integrity policies". Here"s the changelog:
WDAC brings you the ability to support multiple CI policies. Three scenarios are now supported:
- Scenario 1 – Deploy a “base” policy in enforcement mode and deploy a second “audit” policy side-by-side to support validation of policy changes before deploying in enforcement mode. (Intersection)
- Scenario 2 – Enforce 2 or more “base” policies simultaneously to allow simpler policy targeting for policies with different scope/intent, e.g., Base1 corporate standard policy that is relatively loose to accommodate all organizations while forcing minimum corp standards (e.g. Windows works + Managed Installer + path rules). Base2 team specific policy that further restricts what is allowed to run (e.g. Windows works + Managed Installer + corporate signed apps only) (Intersection)
- Scenario 3 – Supplemental policies deployed to expand Base policy, e.g., Azure host baseline policy restricts tightly to just allow Windows and hardware drivers allows supplemental policies. Exchange Azure team supplemental policy adds just the additional signer rules needed to support Exchange team signed code. (Union)
You can download Windows Server Insider Preview build 18317 and Windows Admin Center version 1812 here. Also offered are downloads for Server Core App Compatibility FoD Preview Build 18317 and Server Language Packs Build 18317.