Getting Started with Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server

This explainer video will get you up and running quickly with Mirantis Container Runtime, using the image now available on Azure Marketplace.

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.

Getting started with Mirantis Container Runtime on Azure Marketplace

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:

.\docker run hello-world:nanoserver

Congrats! Your VM is running a fully supported, enterprise-grade container runtime with the complete Docker command-line interface.

Obtaining a license for Mirantis Container Runtime for Windows Server through the Mirantis Webstore

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.

Manually installing Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server

If you’re not using Azure Marketplace but you’d like to try Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server, it’s a simple matter of obtaining the helper script and a few lines in PowerShell. You can request the script by following this link and filling out the form.

Note: Users are not authorized to run MCR without a valid license. For more information, refer to Mirantis Agreements and Terms.

Once you’ve used the helper script in PowerShell according to the instructions you receive, you’ll execute the file downloaded by the script:

.\install.ps1

When the installation is finished, you’ll receive the following message:

.\Install/upgrade completed
Warning: Your machine needs to be rebooted now. Installed packages will not work without reboot. 

At this point, you’ll need to restart the machine:

Restart computer

Once the restart is complete, in order to test your installation, you can run the hello-world container

.\docker run hello-world:nanoserver

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:

.\install.ps1 -DownloadOnly

Then simply copy the install.ps1 file to your air-gapped machine and run the installer in offline mode:

.\.\install.ps1 -Offline

We’re here to help

Whatever your needs for running Mirantis Container Runtime on Windows Server, we’re here to help.

• If you’re a current Windows Server user, support contracts can be structured so that they don’t begin until Microsoft support ends, even if the planned transition date should change—just contact sales for help.


• The Azure marketplace image provides a simple, future-proof, and fully supported way to begin—or transition—on Azure.


• If you just want to try out the runtime, you can request a trial to get started.

If you have any further questions, please Contact us .