A few days ago Microsoft launched the public preview of Windows Server 2019 (in order to download the preview version one has to join the Windows Insider program). The Windows Server Team posted an article about this public preview release on their blog, to be found here.
Besides a high level overview of what’s new in this product (expected GA date second half of 2018), the same article makes this quite interesting statement: ‘…Finally, Window Server customers using System Center will be excited to know that System Center 2019 is coming and will support Windows Server 2019…’
SCOM 2019 or 18/19xy?
Since SCOM is an integrated component of the whole System Center stack, SCOM will be updated as well. Looking at the new naming convention however, I seriously doubt whether SCOM will be branded SCOM 2019.
Instead I expect a name like SCOM 18/19xy, EG 1806/1810/1901, depending on the exact GA date of Windows Server 2019.
What’s in a name?
More interesting is however, what kind of release of System Center will support Windows Server 2019, meaning SAC (Semi-Annual Channel) or LTSC (Long Term Servicing Channel)?
And this is where it gets a bit unclear. On the first sight one would expect that it will be a SAC release, simply because that’s the very nature of the SAC release cycle, in cadence with the SAC release cycle of Windows Server. And as stated by Microsoft, only the SAC releases will support the newest features. Support of Windows Server 2019 can be looked upon as a new feature.
SAC only or LTSC ‘extension’ included?
However, with the Windows Server 2019 release being a LTSC one (as stated in this posting, second item of the Q&A), changes are that the System Center 2019 release might be a LTSC one as well. So for this moment it can go two ways.
But no matter what kind of release System Center 2019 will be, I would be amazed when the current 1801 LTSC release of SCOM wouldn’t be extended in any kind of way in order to support Windows Server 2019 as well.
So also from a System Center support perspective the GA release date of Windows Server 2019 will be exciting as well…
