SharePoint 2016 New and Deprecated Features

Here, we will briefly list What’re SharePoint 2016 new and deprecated features?

You might also like to read What’s new and deprecated in Project Server 2016?

---

The list of SharePoint 2016 new and deprecated features

In this section, we will answer the below questions:

1. What’re the new features in SharePoint Server 2016?
2. What’re deprecated or removed features from SharePoint Server 2016?

What’re the new features in SharePoint 2016?

Minimal Role

MinRole is a new farm topology introduced in SharePoint Server 2016 that allows users to perform a Role-based Installations based on a set of predefined server roles.

• Front-end,
• Application,
• Distributed cache,
• Search,
• Custom and
• A single Server farm.

In MinRole, SharePoint will configure the services on each server based on the server’s role automatically. MinRole is only supported with SharePoint Server 2016 and 2019.

Read more about MinRole Server Roles in SharePoint Servers 2016 and 2019.

Search index size

Search index size has been increased to 500 million items. (250 million items in SharePoint 2013).

Maximum file size upload

Maximum file size upload has increased up to 10 GB. (2 GB in SharePoint 2013).

You might also like to read SharePoint 2019 Limitations

List Threshold

The list threshold has been increased >5000 per view/query.

Content Database Size

The content database size has been increased up to 1 TB.(200 GB in SharePoint 2013).

Automatic list column management indices

Automatic list column management indices provide the best query performance within views.

Zero time down patching:

Zero time down patching is introduced in SharePoint 2016, it provides there is no downtime during patching. but it requires High Availability environment.

Fast site collection creation

Only one second to improves Site Collection creation performance by reducing Feature activation overhead.

Central Administration is no longer provisioned on all servers by default

• SharePoint Server 2016 Central Administration is now provisioned on the first server in a farm by default when using the SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard.
• Central Administration is not provisioned on additional servers in a farm by default.
• You can provision or unprovision Central Administration on individual servers in a farm, no matter what the server role is by using the following methods:
  • The Services on Server page on Central Administration > System Settings.
  • Windows PowerShell cmdlets:
    • New-SPCentralAdministration
    • Remove-SPCentralAdministration
  • The psconfig.exe -cmd adminvs operation.
  • The SharePoint Products Configuration Wizard
• The state of Central Administration does not affect whether a server is considered compliant with MinRole.
• The MinRole health rule will not attempt to provision or unprovision Central Administration.

Durable links

If you rename or move document the URL is will not break for this document (Resource ID-based URL).

New toolbar for the document library

(New,Upload,Sync and Share for multiple files).

Web Application Open Platform Interface Protocol (WOPI)

You can now rename files, create new files, and share files from within the WOPI iframe on the browser page.

App launcher and Suite Navigation is theme-able

Allows you to navigate between OneDrive, sites, and newsfeed that can be customized.

Image, Docs and video previews

As new feature in SharePoint 2016 document library, you can preview your image, docs and video.

Site Folder View

Lets you access the document libraries in sites that you’re following.

Sharing Improvements

• Create and Share folder,
• Sharing Hint,
• See who the folder is shared with when viewing a folder,
• Members can share,
• Improved invitation mail,
• One-click email to approve or deny a request for access.

Encrypt Outgoing email

• Supports SMTP servers that use TCP ports other than the default port (25).
• Supports sending an email to SMTP servers that use STARTTLS connection encryption.

Adds Recycle Bin link in the left navigation area of the OneDrive and Team sites

Better support for mobile

Project Server 2016 new Changes

• Project Server 2016 runs as a service application in SharePoint Server 2016.
• The SharePoint Server 2016 MSI file will contain the installation files for Project Server 2016 as well.
• Separate installation is no longer required as it was in previous versions of Project Server.
• Project Server 2016 is installed with SharePoint Server 2016 Enterprise, though is licensed separately.

You might also like to read

• What’re new and deprecated features in Project Server 2016?
• Upgrade to Project Server 2016 Step By Step.
• What’s new and deprecated in Project Server 2016?

Additional SharePoint 2016 new features

1. Supports SQL Server 2016 CTP 3.1 and the Power Pivot add-in and Power View.
2. Advanced Schedule scan for health analyzer.
3. Simplified SSL configuration for the Central Administration site.
4. Supports Open Document Format (ODF) files to use in document library templates.
5. Keyboard shortcuts are provided for document tasks.
   • Alt + N for a new doc.
   • Alt + Y for Sync.
   • Alt + U for upload.
6. Sites page pinning.
   • You can now pin sites that you see on the sites page. A pinned site shows at the top of the list of sites that you’re following.
7. Remove Character limit in URL.
8. File names are now supported:
   • Names with special characters like &,@ (% and # are still not allowed),
   • Names that contained a GUID,
   • Names with leading dots,
   • Names longer than 128 characters.
9. New Compliance Policy Center & In-Place Hold Policy Center site collection templates.
   •  Allows the organization to manage its governance policies across site collections
10. New 115 PowerShell cmdlet.
11. Hybrid Integration.
    • Enable the following scenarios between office 365 with SharePoint On-Prem via Central Administration.
      • Cloud hybrid search,
      • Hybrid OneDrive for Business,
      • Hybrid sites features.
12. Workflow Manager is still part of SharePoint 2016.
    • Learn how to Configure Workflow Manager SharePoint 2016.
13. Sandboxed Solutions are still supported.
    • Read more at Supported Elements in Sandbox Solution in SharePoint 2013.

---

What are deprecated or removed features in SharePoint 2016?

1. User Profile Service (ForeFront Identity Manager Client)
   • SharePoint Server 2016 no longer uses FIM as the synchronization client.
   • FIM (synchronize between Active Directory and SharePoint) is being removed and the bidirectional sync with AD has been improved.
   • The default process is Active Directory Import.
   • You can also use any synchronization tool such as Microsoft Identity Manager 2016.
2. STSADM.exe
   • The Stsadm command-line tool has been deprecated, but it is included to support compatibility with previous product versions.
3. Tags and Noted
   • They are completely deprecated.
4. SharePoint Foundation.
   • SharePoint Foundation is no longer available in the SharePoint Server 2016 release.
   • SharePoint Foundation 2013 remains available for use.

You might also like to read SharePoint Foundation 2016 Alternatives?

1. Standalone Install Mode.
   • SharePoint Server 2016 doesn’t support the standalone install option.(See the first improvement in this article)
2. Excel Services.
   • Excel Services and its associated business intelligence capabilities are no longer hosted on SharePoint Server.
   • Excel Services functionality is now part of Excel Online in Office Online Server.
3. The Work Management Service Application.
   • You couldn’t now aggregate tasks to a central location on SharePoint because the Work Management Service Application has been removed.
4. My Tasks and associated Exchange Task Sync features.
   • They have been removed because the Work Management Service Application that is required for both features has also been removed.
5. BI Capabilities.
   • The SQL Server 2014 Power Pivot and Power View add-ins for SharePoint Server 2016 cannot be deployed or used in SharePoint Server 2016.
   • To deploy these add-ins you need to upgrade to SQL Server 2016 CTP 3.1
6. InfoPath 2013 and SharePoint Designer 2013
   • It will be the last version of those products. However, the support for InfoPath 2013 and SharePoint Designer 2013 will match the support life cycle for SharePoint Server 2016, running until 2026.

You might also like to read SharePoint Designer 2016 and InfoPath 2016 Alternatives

---

Conclusion

In conclusion, we have explored what’re SharePoint 2016 new and deprecated features?

See Also

• What’s deprecated or removed from SharePoint Server 2016.
• SQL Server Best Practices for SharePoint 2019.
• SharePoint 2019: Service Accounts Recommendations.
• SharePoint 2019 Limitations.
• Workflow Manager Health Checklist for SharePoint 2019.
• Install SharePoint 2016 step by step.