This story about small-footprint Windows Server platforms doesn't used to end with Server Core. Anyone who kept tabs on the new features coming out with Server 2016 is aware that there was another installation option for the Server 2016 operating system called Nano Server. The premise of Nano Server was an even smaller, more secure, more efficient, super-tiny operating system that could run a limited set of roles. Though limited, it was still capable of being installed onto a physical or virtual server platform, run as a true server operating system, and could still host traditional workloads on it.

Unfortunately for Nano Server enthusiasts, and especially for anyone who has already done the work of installing and using it, the story behind Nano Server has flipped around completely over the last couple of years. To make a long story short: you...