A Microsoft follow-on that rates secondarily
The 'concept ' of a Windows 'nano-Server' for advanced Cloud Computing is solid, as already proven by slimmed down, single purpose CoreOS, RedHat Atomic Host and Ubuntu Snappy.
But there are at least 2 critical technical considerations that must be addressed - completely and truthfully by Microsoft, which determines whether Nano-Server is a dud or an alternative - although far inferior - choice against Linux and BSD UNIX-like Cloud Computing Server configurations.
One is the Windows ResFS file system that is woefully inadequate and weak in performance and scalability compared to ZFS and btrfs file systems in NIX (UNIX and/or Linux), and indispensible for high performance Cloud Computing according to several "real world" case studies and evaluations performed by entities like Oracle, IBM, NEC, HP, Boeing, Ericsson, AT&T and many others for large scale Cloud Computing environments.
The second concern relates to the exploding use and requirement for "Containerization" functionality, now deemed critical in all Cloud Computing technology, with popular and highly demanded Free/Open Source Software (FOSS) based Docker containerization in particular, developed with and for NIX environments that Microsoft is "bolting on" or "retro-fitting" to their Azure Cloud Computing solution with mixed results at best, since the licensing and copyright for Docker does not permit the type of "proprietary" integration with Windows that Microsoft would prefer.
While it is possible to run Linux and UNIX Docker containers "within" Azure Cloud services, this is calculated as a convoluted approach, much as it is building a brick house on a sand foundation. A powerful and robust Cloud Computing solution built on NIX with 'native" Docker, Rocket or BSD Jails Containers is technically superior and considerably more sensible that disjointed Microsoft offerings.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
