Update 08/08/2016: Removed the note on container support. That is not part of WMF, as it installs on older versions of Server.

Today we are pleased to announce that the Windows Management Framework (WMF) 5.1 Preview release is now available on the Download Center.

WMF provides users with the ability to update previous releases of Windows Server and Windows Client to the management platform elements released in the most current version of Windows. This enables a consistent management platform to be used across the organization, and eases adoption of the latest Windows release.

WMF 5.1 Preview includes the PowerShell, WMI, WinRM, and Software Inventory and Licensing (SIL) components that are being released with Windows Server 2016. WMF 5.1 can be installed on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2, 2012, and 2012 R2, and provides a number of improvements over WMF 5.0 RTM including:

• New cmdlets: local users and groups; Get-ComputerInfo
• PowerShellGet improvements include enforcing signed modules, and installing JEA modules
• PackageManagement added support for CBS Setup, EXE-based setup, CAB packages
• Debugging improvements for DSC and PowerShell classes
• Security enhancements including enforcement of catalog-signed modules coming from the Pull Server and when using PowerShellGet cmdlets
• Responses to a number of user requests and issues

Detailed information on all the new WMF 5.1 features and updates, along with installation instructions, are in the WMF 5.1 release notes.

Please note:

• WMF 5.1 Preview requires the .Net Framework 4.6, which must be installed separately. Instructions are available in the WMF 5.1 Release Notes Install and Configure topic.
• WMF 5.1 Preview is intended to provide early information about what is in the release, and to give you the opportunity to provide feedback to the PowerShell team, but is not supported for production deployments at this time.
• WMF 5.1 Preview may be installed directly over WMF 5.0.
• It is a known issue that WMF 4.0 is currently required in order to install WMF 5.1 Preview on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008. This requirement is expected to be removed before the final release.
• Installing future versions of WMF 5.1, including the RTM version, will require uninstalling the WMF 5.1 Preview.

We welcome and appreciate any reports of issues you encounter, particularly those that are new to this release. Please file them in UserVoice at https://windowsserver.uservoice.com/forums/301869-powershell, and include “WMF5.1” in the title or description.

Thank you

PowerShell Team