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2nd chunk of `content/en/blog/_posts/2018-01-00-Kubernetes-V19-Beta-Windows-Support.md`
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- Improved support for pods! Multiple Windows Server containers in a pod can now share the network namespace using network compartments in Windows Server. This feature brings the concept of a pod to parity with Linux-based containers
- Reduced network complexity by using a single network endpoint per pod
- Kernel-Based load-balancing using the Virtual Filtering Platform (VFP) Hyper-v Switch Extension (analogous to Linux iptables)
- Container Runtime Interface (CRI) pod and node level statistics. Windows Server containers can now be profiled for Horizontal Pod Autoscaling using performance metrics gathered from the pod and the node
- Support for kubeadm commands to add Windows Server nodes to a Kubernetes environment. Kubeadm simplifies the provisioning of a Kubernetes cluster, and with the support for Windows Server, you can use a single tool to deploy Kubernetes in your infrastructure
- Support for ConfigMaps, Secrets, and Volumes. These are key features that allow you to separate, and in some cases secure, the configuration of the containers from the implementation
The crown jewels of Kubernetes 1.9 Windows support, however, are the networking enhancements. With the release of Windows Server 1709, Microsoft has enabled key networking capabilities in the operating system and the Windows Host Networking Service (HNS) that paved the way to produce a number of CNI plugins that work with Windows Server containers in Kubernetes. The Layer-3 routed and network overlay plugins that are supported with Kubernetes 1.9 are listed below:  

1. Upstream L3 Routing - IP routes configured in upstream ToR
2. Host-Gateway - IP routes configured on each host
3. Open vSwitch (OVS) & Open Virtual Network (OVN) with Overlay - Supports STT and Geneve tunneling types
You can read more about each of their [configuration, setup, and runtime capabilities](/docs/getting-started-guides/windows/) to make an informed selection for your networking stack in Kubernetes.  

Even though you have to continue running the Kubernetes Control Plane and Master Components in Linux, you are now able to introduce Windows Server as a Node in Kubernetes. As a community, this is a huge milestone and achievement. We will now start seeing .NET, .NET Core, ASP.NET, IIS, Windows Services, Windows executables and many more windows-based applications in Kubernetes.
Title: Networking Enhancements and Supported Plugins for Windows Server Containers in Kubernetes 1.9
Summary
Kubernetes 1.9 introduces networking enhancements for Windows Server containers, including improved pod support, reduced network complexity, and kernel-based load-balancing. The release supports Layer-3 routed and network overlay plugins like Upstream L3 Routing, Host-Gateway, and Open vSwitch (OVS) & Open Virtual Network (OVN) with Overlay. Users can now integrate Windows Server as a node in Kubernetes, enabling .NET and other Windows-based applications to run within the environment, although the Control Plane and Master Components still need to run in Linux.