SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview Deprecated Removed features

Some earlier SharePoint features or tools have been deprecated from the latest 2016 version. They are gone for now, but we can always expect them to be back in a different or alternate form.

These features are included in the preview for compatibility with previous versions.

Stsadm.exe - The Stsadm command-line tool has been deprecated and users are recommended to use Windows PowerShell for performing administrative command-line tasks. Stsadm is still included to support compatibility with previous product versions.

SharePoint Foundation - The "free" foundation edition of SharePoint will not be available with SharePoint 2016 which has most of the basic functionality and architecture capabilities of commercial editions of SharePoint. Forefront Identity Manager client (FIM) - SharePoint 2016 does not use ForeFront Identity Manager client (FIM) to synchronize between the SharePoint and Active Directory. The default process now is Active Directory Import and synchronization tools like Microsoft Identity Manager 2016 or any third-party tool can also be used for this.

InfoPath - The new version of InfoPath will not be released. The previous version of InfoPath 2013 will be available and supported. InfoPath Forms Services will be included in this version.

Standalone Install Mode - SharePoint 2016 will not support the standalone installation option and is not present with the setup. Use the new MinRole option during installation and choose one of the available install options. It provides an out-of-the-box experience that provides topology recommendations, simplifies on-premises server farm deployments, and reduces the unit of scale to simplify capacity planning while providing predictable performance characteristics through enabling selective provisioning of SharePoint server roles based on position and function within a topology.

Excel Services - Excel Services capabilities are not available in SharePoint 2016. Excel Services functionality is now part of Excel Online in Office Online Server Preview, and SharePoint users can use the services from there. Trusted data providers, file locations, data connection libraries, Unattended service account are some of the removed features.

SharePoint Designer - A new version of SharePoint Designer will not be released with SharePoint 2016. The older version SharePoint Designer 2013 will be there and support. Tags and Notes - The Tags and Notes feature is deprecated in SharePoint Server 2016 and users cannot create new tags and notes or access existing ones. The SharePoint Administrator can archive all existing tags and notes by using the Export-SPTagsAndNotesData cmdlet.

Business Intelligence - SharePoint 2016 requires updated versions that will be released later this year. The SQL Server 2014 Power Pivot and Power View add-ins for SharePoint 2013 cannot be deployed or used in SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview. Business Intelligence features like Power Pivot Gallery, Scheduled Data Refresh, Power View reports, Power Pivot Management Dashboard will not be available until the next release.

New features and enhancements in SharePoint Server 2016 IT Preview - http://code2care.org/2015/sharepoint-server-2016-it-preview---new-improved-features-and-enhancements