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Archive for July, 2013

Looking for MS Recommended hotfixes and updates for Server 2012 Failover Clusters?

July 13, 2013 1 comment

Microsoft published an article that documents the hotfixes that are currently available for Windows Server 2012-based Failover Clusters.

Failover Clustering allows multiple servers to provide high availability of server roles. Failover Clustering is often used for File Services, Virtual Machines, Database Applications, and Mail Applications.

 

The recommended hotfixes and updates for Windows Server 2012-based Failover Clusters : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2784261

Update to improve cloud service provider resiliency in Windows Server 2012

July 13, 2013 2 comments

Microsoft released an update to improve the cloud service provider in Windows 2012

Note : The KB2870270 roll-up hotfix replaces KB2848344.  This hotfix contains the fix for Trim as well as ODX.  It is no longer necessary to disable Trim or ODX with this fix applied

The following issues are also resolved with this update:

– An Windows 2012 Hyper-V Cluster that uses CSV is moved or is toggled between directed access and redirected access when the performance monitor is running. In this situation, the performance counters no longer function.

– An Windows 2012 Hyper-V Cluster and the Virtual Machines VHD files are stored on a scale-out file share and the server is under a heavy load. In this scenario, the server may crash, and you may receive a Stop error message that resembles: STOP: 0x000000C2 (parameter1, parameter2, parameter3, parameter4) – Notes: The parameters in the Stop error message vary, depending on the configuration of the computer and not all “Stop 0x000000C2” errors are caused by this issue.

– When you use the Windows thin provisioning feature on a Windows Server 2012-based computer, you experience the same I/O delays or I/O stalls that occur during the volume-unmounting process in NTF volumes.

Plus the issues that are described in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) articles are resolved:

2796995      (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2796995/ ) Offloaded Data Transfers fail on a computer that is running Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012
2799728      (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2799728/ ) Virtual machine enters a paused state or a CSV volume goes offline when you try to create a backup of the virtual machine on a Windows Server 2012-based failover cluster
2801054      (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2801054/ ) VSS_E_SNAPSHOT_SET_IN_PROGRESS error when you try to back up a virtual machine in Windows Server 2012
2813630      (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2813630/  ) Virtual machine enters a paused state or a CSV volume goes offline when you try to create a backup of the virtual machine on a Windows Server 2012-based failover cluster
2848727      (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2848727/ ) “Move-SmbWitnessClient” PowerShell command fails in Windows Server 2012
For more info and to download the update : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2870270

Resource outage when moving physical disc when using DPM to backup an HyperV Cluster.

July 13, 2013 4 comments

Microsoft just released a critical fix for hyper cluster that have been backed up by System Center DPM

“Physical Disk resource move during the backup of a Cluster Shared Volume (CSV) may cause resource outage”.

If you have configured a Windows Server 2012-based Hyper-V failover cluster CSV and your backup software perform the backup by using snapshots and the Physical Disk resource is moved to another node in the cluster, the Physical Disk resource may fail to come online if the backup of the CSV is in progress. As a result, virtual machines that rely on the CSV may crash.

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem.

More info :http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2869923

  • Windows Server 2012 Datacenter
  • Windows Server 2012 Essentials
  • Windows Server 2012 Foundation
  • Windows Server 2012 Standard

Insight selected as a 2013 Microsoft Australia Partner Awards (MAPA) finalist

July 4, 2013 Leave a comment

Insight has been selected as a 2013 Microsoft Australia Partner Awards (MAPA) finalist, for Software Asset Management (SAM) Partner of the Year under the title of Software Asset Management .

Insight, a worldwide leading provider of software and experts in license management solutions, helps organisations fully realise the value of their software investments. Through our SAM services, we can help you critically assess your entire software environment, providing you with reliable counts of licenses owned and licenses utilised, and can offer strategies for embracing best practices and technologies for reducing total cost of ownership and ongoing software compliance.

“Our certified, licensed professionals partner with clients using a consultative approach. By analysing data and internal processes, these experts focus on diagnosing the problem and then implementing solutions and best practices that create continuous improvements.”

For more information about Software Asset Management visit http://au.insight.com/en-au/solutions/software-asset-management

Categories: Microsoft Tags: ,

Why consider the cloud? Cloud & Virtualisation Strategy event in Melbourne : July 16th

July 1, 2013 Leave a comment

How the Cloud is transforming the Datacentre?

You are invited to an exclusive Insight, Microsoft & Veeam VIP event to learn more about the benefits of Windows 2012 Hyper-V, System Center, as well the exclusive book launch of Alessandro Cardoso’s : System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Cookbook.

Tuesday 16th July,  8:30am. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to attend this event, Register today

Location:
Microsoft
Level 5, 4 Freshwater Place
Southbank VIC 3006

Why Attend?

Envisioning Your Private Cloud: Participate in a scenario based discussion.

Make more of your existing investments. Learn how to:

  • Take existing resources and skills to the private and public cloud
  • Use a single toolset to manage traditional and cloud environments
  • Use a common identity infrastructure to mitigate risk
  • Use a common platform to maximise IT and developer efficiency

Embrace the right IT for your business

  • Get maximum control with the private cloud
  • Obtain maximum agility and scalability with the public cloud
  • Get the best of both by extending private to public

Learn how to monitor your IT environment with System Center Monitor and the right Management Pack

Categories: Virtualization

Hyper-V Windows Server 2012 R2: New Generation Of Virtual Machines and Enhanced VM Interaction

July 1, 2013 4 comments

New in Hyper-V Windows Server 2012 R2:

A new generation of Virtual Machine (Generation 2), which will provides the following new features 

  • Legacy free :  IDE drives and legacy network adapter support has been removed
  • UEFI based
    • Many emulated devices removed
    • Boots from virtual SCSI or synthetic network adapters (virtual hard drive,virtual DVD drive).
    • UEFI Secure Boot (enabled by default). Secure Boot is a feature that helps prevent unauthorized firmware, operating systems, or UEFI drivers (also known as Option ROMs) from running at boot time. Generation 2 virtual machines can take advantage of Secure Boot
    • PXE boot using a standard network adapter. In previous versions of Hyper-V if you wanted to perform a remote installation of the guest operating system via PXE boot, you were required to install a legacy network adapter for PXE boot in addition to the standard network adapter that you would use after the operating system was installed
    • UEFI firmware support

Note : The new format is only supported with the following guest OS

  • Supported guest operating systems:
  • 64-bit versions of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012
  • 64-bit versions of Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2

Important : Once a virtual machine has been created, you cannot change its generation. You can host VM’s of different generations type, side by side.  For operating systems that are not supported by generation 2 virtual machines, they will need to be installed in a generation 1 virtual machine.

Virtual machine operating system boot time can be up to 20% faster with generation 2 virtual machines.
Installing the guest operating system can be up to 50% faster with generation 2 virtual machines
Enhanced VM Interaction
  • Full remote desktop capabilities
    • Shared clipboard
    • Audio redirection
    • Enhanced login
  • Enabled even when the network is down
  • Integrated into Hyper-V Management experience