Getting Started with Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server

Are you looking for instructions on how to get started with Microsoft Container Runtime on Windows Server? We’ve got you covered.
If you’ve previously used Mirantis Container Runtime (formerly Docker Engine Enterprise) on Windows Server with Containers, you might have some questions about our new Azure Marketplace image and what it means for you—we have answers in the next section.
If you’re just getting started with Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server, you can skip down to the section that is most relevant to you:
- Getting started with Mirantis Container Runtime on Azure Marketplace
- Obtaining a license for Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server through the Mirantis Webstore
- Manually installing Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server
Why a new Azure image?
For years, Windows Server container users have enjoyed the security and flexibility of Mirantis Container Runtime (formerly Docker Engine Enterprise), which provides container users with the familiar Docker CLI and enterprise-grade security features. Support for Mirantis Container Runtime has been coordinated by Microsoft and provided by Mirantis through a service agreement.
In May 2023, Microsoft will transfer support for Mirantis Container Runtime in Windows Server to Mirantis—meaning users will be responsible for obtaining support, and support will be provided directly by Mirantis. The runtime will continue to function as before, but those using Mirantis Container Runtime in production environments will need to purchase a license from Mirantis to access support, bug fixes, and security patches.
The Windows Server 2019 Datacenter with Containers image on Microsoft Azure Marketplace enables Windows Server users old and new to take advantage of the features they rely on—fully licensed and with the assurance of ongoing support and updates—all at the click of a button on Azure Marketplace. For users running mission critical workloads in production, using Kubernetes and/or Docker Swarm, or depending on FIPS-140-2 validation, switching to the Windows Server with Mirantis Container Runtime image is strongly recommended.
You can find more details about the transition on our Mirantis Container Runtime for Windows Server page. If you plan to run Windows Server on Azure, the easiest way to get started with Mirantis Container Runtime is through our new Azure Marketplace image. With just a few clicks, you can have an instance of Windows Server up and running with Mirantis Container Runtime integrated, up-to-date, and fully licensed and supported. From the Azure Portal, you can search for: Windows Server 2019 Datacenter with Containers (Mirantis Container Runtime) If you’re logged in to Azure, you can also follow this link. From this page, you can simply click Create to set up a new virtual machine. Enter your specifications and then click Review + create. After validation that your subscription is configured correctly for the services, you’ll be able to review the details and then click ,Create. We recommend a machine with 4 cores and 8GB of memory. (Note that you cannot use a free tier subscription.) After you click Create, your virtual machine will deploy. The VM is successfully deployed! If you’d like to test that Mirantis Container Runtime is working, you can click Run a script inside the virtual machine. In the Run Command Script pane, run the following PowerShell command: Congrats! Your VM is running a fully supported, enterprise-grade container runtime with the complete Docker command-line interface. If you’re not using Azure Marketplace, you can obtain a license for Mirantis Container Runtime for Windows Server through the Mirantis Webstore. Simply Visit the Webstore to purchase support. With a license in hand, you can follow the instructions below to install Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server. If you’re not using Azure Marketplace but you’d like to install Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server, it’s a simple matter of obtaining the helper script and a few lines in PowerShell. You can obtain the script by following this link and filling out the form: Note: Obtaining the helper script is free, and you don’t need a license to install Mirantis Container Runtime. You’re welcome to experiment at no cost, but a license is required for production usage. Once you’ve used the helper script in PowerShell according to the instructions you receive, you’ll execute the file downloaded by the script: When the installation is finished, you’ll receive the following message: At this point, you’ll need to restart the machine: Once the restart is complete, in order to test your installation, you can run the hello-world container If everything is working properly, you should see the hello-world readout: Note: if you need to make an air-gapped installation, use the helper script on a Windows machine and then run the installer with the -DownloadOnly flag: Then simply copy the install.ps1 file to your air-gapped machine and run the installer in offline mode: Whatever your needs for running Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server, we’re here to help. If you have any further questions, please Contact us .Getting started with Mirantis Container Runtime on Azure Marketplace
.\docker run hello-world:nanoserver
Obtaining a license for Mirantis Container Runtime for Windows Server through the Mirantis Webstore
Manually installing Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server
.\install.ps1
.\Install/upgrade completed
Warning: Your machine needs to be rebooted now. Installed packages will not work without reboot. Restart computer
.\docker run hello-world:nanoserver
.\install.ps1 -DownloadOnly
.\.\install.ps1 -Offline
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