Windows Server 2016 launches, along with a host of new 3rd party announcements

There's been a lot to talk about at Ignite, including the launch of Windows Server 2016. Even though that wasn't a surprise (we noted that this was coming back in July), there's a lot of excitement for the new features and extensibility in the latest offering — but Microsoft isn't making all the news around it.

I've had a number of vendors reached out about updated support for Windows Servers and new, related features, and I'm working to catch up with several of them throughout the rest of Ignite. In the meantime, here's some of the more interesting announcements I've seen with Windows Server 2016 ties.

ThreatSTOP unveils its firewall for Microsoft Windows Server 2016

Now that you've got Windows Sever 2016 all set up with your critical business data, you want to be extra sure it doesn't get out. Using its updated DNS Firewall, ThreatStop's Windows Server 2016 customers can now automatically block outbound communications with threat actors’ command and control, dead-letter-drop, and dropper/infection infrastructure, preventing data theft and system compromise. If you're in town, they'll be doing a joint presentation with Microsoft on Friday.

Cavium announces QLogic Ethernet and Fibre Channel adapters now fully support Windows Server 2016

What good is a hybrid or private cloud if you can't access it instantly? Cavium's FastLinQ 10/25/40/50/100GbE Ethernet Adapters and Enhanced Gen 5 (16GFC) and Gen 6 (32GFC) Fibre Channel Adapters now support Windows Server 2016, with a focus on enabling application acceleration and Software Defined Networking and Software Defined Storage capabilities. Read the full release here

DataCore announces free keys for its Parallel I/O-powered DataCore Hyper-converged Virtual SAN software for MVPs

Open up the virtual goodie back, because DataCore has a freebie for Microsoft MVPs: The company announced that, to tie in with Microsoft Server 2016's official release, it's releasing free non-production licenses for MVPs to play around with its Hyper-converged Virtual SAN software. Great for those looking to dip their toes into parallel processing or decide if it's the right solution to their business needs. Details here.

Chelsio showcases Windows Server 2016 Storage Replica using RDMA over Ethernet

Always have a backup is one of the first rules in IT, but Chelsio is hoping it can at least remove some of the burden. At Ignite, it demonstrated how its iWARP RDMA adapters could help replicate Windows Server 2016 Storage Replica (SR) at 40Gbps, over a 50Km fiber loop. The demonstration of Windows Server 2016 Storage Replica over RDMA in metro scale conditions is a milestone for both SR and iWARP, said Kianoosh Naghshineh, chief executive at Chelsio Communications. Fast and highly available is a highly valued combination in replication. Read the full release

AppSense showcases new migration tools

Before you can take advantage of everything that Windows Server 2016 has to offer, of course, you need to migrate to it — which can be one of the biggest challenges of all. There are no silver bullets, but AppSense announced plenty of ammunition with new migration tools for not just Windows Server 2016, but also Office 365 and Windows 10. Read details here.

I know there are a few announcements still out there, so please send over what I missed to [email protected], and we'll continue to be reporting live from Ignite.