On Windows Server host, we have node and react applications implemented and in test successfully running in Docker inside WSL2.
However we must have a deployment/release environment that supports multiple personal users
and Docker inside WSL2 does not support this but only runs in the WSL2 user's environment (even if FS shared) and only runs
while the Windows user is logged in.

This is how I understand the situation.

Requirement/Status
Multi-user Docker container management on Windows Server: ✅ Possible with Docker Engine only (not Desktop)
Docker Desktop: ❌ Not supported on Windows Server
Docker Desktop (WSL2/Hyper-V) multi-user support: ❌ Not truly multi-user (misleading doc)
Windows Docker Engine: ✅ Functional but poorly documented (Windows containers only)

So we have uninstalled 'Windows Docker Desktop' and gone ahead and installed Windows Docker Engine on (with a plan to convert our containers to windows) its own thus:

Install-Module -Name DockerMsftProvider -Repository PSGallery -Force

Install-Package -Name docker -ProviderName DockerMsftProvider -Force

Restart-Computer -Force

docker version

(should show)

Server: Docker Engine - Enterprise
 OS/Arch: windows/amd64
 OSType: windows

docker info
(You should see)
OSType: windows

docker run http://mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2022 cmd /c echo It works!
(should see)
It works!

In addition we had added the relevant users to the docker-users group.

However we still get:

PS C:\Users\andrew.hardy> docker --version
Docker version 28.0.4, build b8034c0
PS C:\Users\andrew.hardy> docker ps
error during connect: in the default daemon configuration on Windows, the docker client must be run with elevated privileges to connect: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2Fdocker_engine/v1.48/containers/json": open //./pipe/docker_engine: Access is denied.
PS C:\Users\andrew.hardy>

I believe the solution may be:

Stop-Service docker

dockerd --register-service --security-opt "name=server, value=D:(A;;RPWPCCDCLCSWRCWDWO;;;BA)(A;;RPWPCCDCLCSWRCWDWO;;;BU)(A;;RPWPCCDCLCSWRCWDWO;;;AU)(A;;RPWPCCDCLCSWRCWDWO;;;S-1-5-32-562)"

Start-Service docker

However this is the situation:

Requirement Status
--register-service and --security-opt ✅ Used in practice, ❌ not officially documented
DevOps requires formal documentation to action 🚫 Blocking your rollout

Are you able to indicate that we are on the right track and give any additional guidance as may be appropriate?

Thank you.