Creating Windows Server container images
A base image provides a foundation layer of the OS for a container; all containers will be based on that image. The base image contains the user mode OS files, runtimes files, required app dependencies, and any required miscellaneous configuration files.
Microsoft provides the following base images for Windows Server containers:
- Windows: This includes the full Windows APIs and system services but no server roles. It is not available on Windows Server 2022. This is the largest image (3.4 GB).
- Windows Server: This includes the full Windows APIs and more server features than the Windows image, has GPU support, and has no IIS limits. It requires Windows Server 2022 and is slightly smaller than the Windows image (3.1 GB).
- Server Core: This and Nano Server are the most common images. It includes a subset of the Windows APIs, including the .NET Framework and most server roles, and a medium-sized image. It is best for lift and shift...