TEST-COMPAT-SERVER-001: Verify Windows Server Compatibility (2016+) #259
Description
Test Case Information
Test ID: TEST-COMPAT-SERVER-001
Test Type: Compatibility Test
Priority: P1 (Critical - Enterprise Platform Support)
Test Level: System Test
Objective
Verify driver compatibility with Windows Server 2016, 2019, and 2022, including Server Core, Hyper-V integration, and Failover Clustering scenarios.
Traceability
- Traces to: REQ-F-CONFIG-PERSIST-001: Configuration Persistence Across Reload/Reboot #78 (REQ-NF-COMPAT-SERVER-001: Windows Server Compatibility (2016+))
Test Scope
This test verifies:
- Driver load on Windows Server 2016, 2019, 2022 (Desktop Experience + Server Core)
- NDIS 6.50+ compatibility (Server 2016+)
- Hyper-V integration (External Virtual Switch)
- Failover Clustering compatibility
- Server Core deployment (no GUI)
Preconditions
- Test systems:
- Windows Server 2016 (Build 14393, LTSC)
- Windows Server 2019 (Build 17763, LTSC)
- Windows Server 2022 (Build 20348, LTSC)
- Hardware: Intel I210/I219 NIC installed
- For Hyper-V tests: Hyper-V role installed
- For Clustering tests: Failover Clustering role installed
Test Steps
Setup
- Install Windows Server on test systems (Desktop Experience)
- Install Server Core variant for headless testing
- Install driver prerequisites
Execution
Test 1: Windows Server 2016 Compatibility
- Install driver on Server 2016 (Build 14393):
pnputil /add-driver IntelAvbFilter.inf /install
- Verify driver loads:
sc query IntelAvbFilter # Expected: SERVICE_RUNNING - Check NDIS version (6.50 for Server 2016):
Get-NetAdapter | Get-NetAdapterAdvancedProperty
- Run network traffic:
iperf3 -c <server_ip> -t 300 # Expected: ~950 Mbps
- Expected: Driver loads and operates
Test 2: Windows Server 2019 Compatibility
- Install driver on Server 2019 (Build 17763)
- Verify NDIS 6.70 features available
- Test with SMB Direct (RDMA) if supported:
Get-SmbServerNetworkInterface - Expected: Driver compatible with Server 2019
Test 3: Windows Server 2022 Compatibility
- Install driver on Server 2022 (Build 20348)
- Verify NDIS 6.85 features available
- Test TLS 1.3 compatibility (new in Server 2022)
- Expected: Driver compatible with Server 2022
Test 4: Server Core Deployment (Headless)
- Install Windows Server Core (no GUI):
# Server Core has no Desktop Experience - Install driver via PowerShell:
pnputil /add-driver IntelAvbFilter.inf /install
- Verify via PowerShell:
Get-NetAdapter sc query IntelAvbFilter - Test network traffic:
iperf3 -c <server_ip> -t 60
- Expected: Driver works on Server Core
Test 5: Hyper-V Integration
- Install Hyper-V role:
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V -IncludeManagementTools -Restart
- Create External Virtual Switch bound to Intel NIC:
New-VMSwitch -Name "ExternalSwitch" -NetAdapterName "Intel I210" -AllowManagementOS $true
- Create VM and attach to switch:
New-VM -Name "TestVM" -MemoryStartupBytes 2GB Connect-VMNetworkAdapter -VMName "TestVM" -SwitchName "ExternalSwitch"
- Test VM network connectivity:
- Start VM
- Run
ipconfiginside VM - Test external network access
- Expected: VM has network connectivity
Test 6: Failover Clustering
- Install Failover Clustering:
Install-WindowsFeature -Name Failover-Clustering -IncludeManagementTools
- Create 2-node cluster:
New-Cluster -Name "TestCluster" -Node Server1,Server2
- Verify cluster network using Intel NIC:
Get-ClusterNetwork - Test cluster failover:
- Create clustered role
- Trigger failover
- Verify network connectivity after failover
- Expected: Cluster operates normally
Test 7: Multi-Server Matrix
| Server Version | Build | NDIS | Desktop | Core | Hyper-V | Cluster |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Server 2016 | 14393 | 6.50 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Server 2019 | 17763 | 6.70 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Server 2022 | 20348 | 6.85 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Run all scenarios, verify driver loads and operates.
Test 8: LTSC Long-Term Validation
- On Server 2019 LTSC (support until 2029):
- Install driver
- Run 7-day stress test:
iperf3 -c <server_ip> -t 604800
- Expected: No crashes, stable operation
Cleanup
- Remove Hyper-V switch:
Remove-VMSwitch -Name "ExternalSwitch"
- Uninstall driver:
pnputil /delete-driver IntelAvbFilter.inf /uninstall
Expected Results
Pass Criteria
- ✅ Driver loads on Server 2016, 2019, 2022 (Desktop + Core)
- ✅ NDIS 6.50+ compatibility
- ✅ Hyper-V External Switch: VMs have network connectivity
- ✅ Failover Clustering: Network survives failover
- ✅ Server Core: Driver operates without GUI
Fail Criteria
- ❌ Driver fails to load on any server version
- ❌ NDIS version mismatch (BSOD)
- ❌ Hyper-V: VMs lose network connectivity
- ❌ Failover Clustering: Network fails after failover
- ❌ Server Core: Driver requires GUI tools
Test Environment
Hardware:
- Test systems: Xeon E5/Scalable, 32GB RAM
- NIC: Intel I210/I219
Software:
- Windows Server 2016 (Build 14393)
- Windows Server 2019 (Build 17763)
- Windows Server 2022 (Build 20348)
Automation
Automation Status: Fully Automated
CI Integration:
# .github/workflows/server-compatibility.yml
name: Windows Server Compatibility
on: [pull_request]
jobs:
test-server-matrix:
runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
strategy:
matrix:
os: [windows-server-2016, windows-server-2019, windows-server-2022]
variant: [desktop, core]
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Build driver
run: msbuild IntelAvbFilter.sln /p:Configuration=Release
- name: Install driver
run: pnputil /add-driver IntelAvbFilter.inf /install
- name: Verify loaded
run: |
$status = sc query IntelAvbFilter
if ($status -notmatch "RUNNING") { exit 1 }
- name: Run traffic test
run: iperf3 -c ${{ secrets.PERF_SERVER_IP }} -t 60Notes
- LTSC Support: Server 2016 (EOL 2027), Server 2019 (EOL 2029), Server 2022 (EOL 2031)
- Target Market: Enterprise data centers, virtualization hosts, clustering
- Priority: P1 (critical for enterprise deployments)
References
- REQ-NF-COMPAT-SERVER-001 (Issue REQ-F-CONFIG-PERSIST-001: Configuration Persistence Across Reload/Reboot #78)
- Windows Server Lifecycle: https://learn.microsoft.com/lifecycle/products/windows-server-2019
Created: 2025-12-19
Status: Draft
Assigned To: Compatibility Testing Team