Windows Server Core vs. GUI and Software Compatibility

We continue to talk about working on virtual servers with Windows Server 2019 Core. In previous posts, we talked about how we prepare client virtual machines using the example of our new VDS Ultralight tariff with Server Core for 99 rubles. Then they showed how to work with Windows Server 2019 Core and how to install a GUI on it.

In this article, we added specific programs and provided a table of their compatibility with Windows Server Core.

Compatibility

This edition does not have a DirectX render, there are no hardware video encoding and decoding systems, video in Google Chrome is successfully played on the processor, but without sound, there is no sound system in the Core version.

Key differences and features of a typical installation and core installation:

A list of compatible programs that we tested ourselves. Will be supplemented at your request:
* Works only in the standard Ultravds image. It does not work without Oldedlg.dll
** Works only after installing FOD

Footprint

For an example we will take ready-made images of Windows Server, which we prepared as in this article and look at resource consumption. The size of the swap file depends on the amount of installed RAM, so for this comparison it was deleted to understand how much the system itself takes.

Such a small amount was achieved thanks to the manipulations that we have listed in this article .

Disk:



Now RAM consumption:


Windows Server 2019 GUI


Windows Server 2019 CORE



Windows Server 2019 CORE with Feature on Demand installed, we discussed how to install it last time.

Notes from my own experience

As for real work in a combat environment, for more than six months of operation and, attention, regular monthly updates, the operating system was rebooted only once, while during the same period Windows Server 2019 rebooted with a GUI every month.

The only reboot was needed due to .net 4.7 updates, if you do not want to reboot again, just remove the unnecessary components.