Microsoft has released the first build of the Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview Build 17623. This is the preview build of the next Semi-Annual Channel release of Windows Server.

Check out the complete changelog below.

What’s New in Windows Server 2019 Insider Preview Build 17623

For every preview release, we will provide a focus area that we would like you to take a look at and provide us with feedback on. We encourage you to try out any functionality in the release and we welcome your feedback.

Validation for every preview: There are two major areas that we would like you to try out in each preview release and report back any issues:

  • In-place OS Upgrade (from Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016)
  • Application compatibility – please let us know if any server roles or applications stops working or fails to function as it used to

Extending your Clusters with Cluster Sets

“Cluster Sets” is the new cloud scale-out technology in this Preview release that increases cluster node count in a single SDDC (Software-Defined Data Center) cloud by orders of magnitude. A Cluster Set is a loosely-coupled grouping of multiple Failover Clusters: compute, storage or hyper-converged. Cluster Sets technology enables virtual machine fluidity across member clusters within a Cluster Set and a unified storage namespace across the “set” in support of virtual machine fluidity.  While preserving existing Failover Cluster management experiences on member clusters, a Cluster Set instance additionally offers key use cases around lifecycle management of a Cluster Set at the aggregate.

Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection

Available in this preview, we provide deep platform sensors and response actions, providing visibility to memory and kernel level attacker activities and abilities to take actions on compromised machines in response to incidents such as remote collection of additional forensic data, remediating malicious files, terminating malicious processes etc.

If you’re already using Windows Defender ATP – preview these features by simply installing the latest Windows Server preview build and onboard it to Windows Defender ATP.

Windows Defender ATP Exploit Guard

Windows Defender ATP Exploit Guard is a new set of host intrusion prevention capabilities. The four components of Windows Defender Exploit Guard are designed to lock down the device against a wide variety of attack vectors and block behaviors commonly used in malware attacks, while enabling enterprises to balance their security risk and productivity requirements.

  • Attack Surface Reduction (ASR): A set of controls that enterprises can enable to prevent malware from getting on the machine by blocking suspicious malicious files (e.g.: Office docs), scripts, lateral movement, ransomware behavior, and email-based threats
  • Network protection: Protects the endpoint against web-based threats by blocking any outbound process on the device to untrusted hosts/IP through Windows Defender SmartScreen
  • Controlled folder access: Protects sensitive data from ransomware by blocking untrusted processes from accessing your protected folders
  • Exploit protection: A set of vulnerability exploit mitigations (replacing EMET) that can be easily configured to protect your system and applications

Check out all the details here.

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