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Security improvements 
Eliminating installed-by-default functionality from Nano Server also reduces the number of drivers, 
services, and ports open, as shown in Figure 3-2. 
Figure 3-2:
Default functionality comparison between Nano Server and Server Core 
Resource utilization 
Minimizing the resources utilized by Nano Server frees resources that can be used to increase 
VM density. It also improves boot performance when reboots are required, as demonstrated by 
Figure 3-3. 

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CHAPTER 3 | Application platform 
Figure 3-3:
Resource utilization comparison between Nano Server and Server Core 
Deployment improvements 
Setup time, including specialization, for Nano Server is significantly less than for Server Core, as is the 
footprint (see Figure 3-4). This provides fast deployments with less to copy over the network when 
redeploying, reducing the network bandwidth for deployments that must be accounted for in overall 
capacity. 
Figure 3-4:
Deployment requirements comparison between Nano Server and Server Core 
Server Core pattern 
Figure 3-5 shows how Nano Server will be a separate installation option from the other server 
installation options in Windows Server 2016, much as Server Core was in Windows Server 2008 and 
Windows Server 2008 R2. 

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CHAPTER 3 | Application platform 
Figure 3-5:
Architecture of different installation options for Windows Server 2016 
Note Moving between Nano Server and the other installation options will require reinstallation. 
Deploying Nano Server 
Nano Server is a new installation option for Windows Server 2016; however, unlike Server Core, it does 
not appear as an option when you run setup. This is because Nano Server requires that you customize 
the image for your hardware and the role it will play before deploying, as is discussed further later in 
the chapter. You can find Nano Server on the Windows Server 2016 media, in the \NanoServer folder; 
all of the packages that you can install on Nano Server are in \NanoServer\Packages or available from 
an online repository. 
More info For the latest information regarding Nano Server deployment, see the Nano Server 
guide at 
https://msdn.microsoft.com/library/mt126167.aspx
. 
Drivers 
Because Nano Server does not have user-mode plug-and-play, it is necessary for you to add the 
drivers for your hardware to the Nano Server image before you deploy it. Nano Server uses the same 
drivers as Windows Server, so you can use any supported hardware that has a driver for Windows 
Server with Nano Server, including the following: 

Network adapters 

Storage controllers 

Disk drives 
Although there is no need for a special Nano Server version of the driver, if the hardware requires a 
special tool for configuration and the current tool does not work remotely, the hardware vendor will 
need to provide an updated tool or instructions for configuration on Nano Server.