Microsoft has released the third technical preview of Windows Server 2016 to beta testers, and for the first time the software comes with Windows Server Containers.

The release doesn’t put Windows Server Containers as a rival to Docker containers though, but instead positions it as a complementary technology.

“Windows Server Containers are now part of the Docker open source project,” wrote Mike Neil of the Microsoft Server and Cloud Platform team. “These containers can be deployed and managed either using PowerShell or the Docker client.”

Linux-based Docker has become all the rage among developers and forward-thinking enterprises since it was released in 2013, with more than 400 million downloads. The technology allows applications to be packaged together with its dependent libraries, separate from the OS, so they can be run quickly on any Linux platform.

Microsoft is employing a similar approach with its Windows Server Containers, with each container sharing the same operating system kernel, which makes them smaller than regular virtual machines. Of course, Windows Server Containers don’t run on Linux – they run on Microsoft’s OS, and are designed to let users packages applications built to run on Windows Server or the .Net framework. The containers run in sandboxes directly atop the host OS, but Microsoft is also planning to debut a second container technology that wraps containers in Hyper-V virtual machines to boost security.

As well as containers, Windows Server Preview features the second release of Microsoft’s Nano Server OS, a lightweight operating system built to rival Red Hat Inc.’s Atomic Host and CoreOS. The stripped-down OS runs with only the most essential features admins need, and allows all applications to be launched in containers. Microsoft admits Nano Server OS is still experimental, and it’s main hope is that users will be willing to test it out and provide some feedback.

One of the new features in Nano Server is the Emergency Management Console that can be used to repair networking configuration glitches. There’s also a PowerShell script that lets admins run Nano Server Vms on the Azure cloud.

A full list of the new features in the Windows Server 2016 preview can be seen here, with the official release notes available here. Installation images can be found here, though you’ll need to sign up for Microsoft’s preview program first.

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