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Comprehensive list of Hyper-V updates ( 2008, 2008R2 and 2008R2SP1 versions )
Quick note: the recommended for all Hyper-V configurations vs. recommended if you meet the scenario documented in the KB.
- Recommended updates for all configurations: Required column = Yes
- Recommended update if you meet the scenario: Required column = Yes, ONLY install if the issue applies to you.
Comprehensive list of Hyper-V updates : Applies To: Windows Server 2008
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd430893(WS.10).aspx
Comprehensive list of Hyper-VR2 updates : Applies To: Windows Server 2008R2
List of Hyper-V Packages Updated After the Release of Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) :
NOTE: For Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V systems with SP1 installed, there are two recommended updates for all configurations:
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KB2263829 – Hyper-V networking issue that multiple customers hit; This fix is also published on WU.
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KB2525835 – Security Update
Configuration Manger 2012 RC2! It is now available
The Configuration Manager Team is pleased to announce the release of Configuration Manger 2012 RC2! It is now available for download on microsoft.com:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/system-center/configuration-manager-2012.aspx
Configuration Manager 2012 Central Administration Site database server
Supported versions of SQL Server 2008 for RC2:
·SQL Server 2008 SP2 Standard and Enterprise CU7
·SQL Server 2008 R2 SP1 and CU4
· SQL Server Express 2008 R2 and CU4
Are you ready for the Microsoft Private Cloud?
On February 21 & 22 Microsoft is running a 2-day virtual training event to help the world learn about the upcoming enhancements with the Creating & Managing a Private Cloud with System Center 2012 Jump Start.
It is 100% free and open to the public, so register now!
Sign up today at: http://mctreadiness.com/MicrosoftCareerConferenceRegistration.aspx?pid=298
Event Overview
Adopting this exciting new computing paradigm provides a whole new landscape of technology and career direction for IT professionals. Microsoft Learning and the Microsoft System Center 2012 team have partnered to bring you an exciting opportunity to learn what you need to know to deploy, manage and maintain Microsoft’s private cloud solution. Leveraging the popular Jump Start virtual classroom approach, the industry’s most gifted cloud experts will show attendees why this new private cloud solution, based on System Center 2012 and Windows Server, has garnered so much attention. Presenters include Symon Perriman, Sean Christensen, Adam Hall, Kenon Owens, Prabu Rambadran & Chris Van Wesep and there will be a live Q&A during the event.
Event Agenda
Day 1: Deployment & Configuration (Feb. 21)
· Part 1: Understanding the Microsoft Private Cloud
· Part 2: Deploying the Infrastructure Components
· Part 3: Deploying the Private Cloud Infrastructure
· Part 4: Deploying the Service Layer
· Part 5: Deploying the Applications & VMs
Day 2: Management & Operations (Feb. 22)
· Part 6: Managing the Infrastructure Components
· Part 7: Managing the Private Cloud Infrastructure
· Part 8: Managing the Service Layer
· Part 9: Managing the Applications & VMs
Sign up today at: http://mctreadiness.com/MicrosoftCareerConferenceRegistration.aspx?pid=298
Jump Start Overview
This accelerated Jump Start sponsored by Microsoft Learning is tailored for IT professionals familiar with Windows Server technologies, Hyper-V virtualization, and the System Center management solutions. The course is designed to provide a fast-paced and technical understanding of how and why Microsoft’s approach to the private cloud delivers scalability, security, flexibility and control. Here are few unique benefits of this course:
· Students have the opportunity to learn from and interact with the industry’s best cloud technologists!
· This high-energy, demo-rich learning experience will help IT Professionals understand why Microsoft private cloud solutions are making a splash in the industry.
· Students will see with their own eyes how Windows Server 2008 R2 and System Center 2012 work together to provide the best combination of security and scale.
· Information-packed agenda! Day one of this two-day online course will focus on designing and deploying the right solutions for your organization, while day two will provide an in-depth look at the tools available to help monitor, secure and control the operational aspects of a private cloud.
Sign up today at: http://mctreadiness.com/MicrosoftCareerConferenceRegistration.aspx?pid=298
Dell Advanced Infrastructure Manager (AIM) awarded Bronze Product of the 2011
Dell’s Advanced Infrastructure Manager (AIM) is one of the more interesting systems management products to hit the market in recent years. It is a heterogeneous product, able to work with a variety of different vendors to maximize data center compute resources. It also automates storage and network connectivity, which eases the burden of reconfiguring the environment every time something in the data center changes. It’s a combination of features worthy of a Bronze systems management Product of the Year award for 2011.
IT resource utilization is becoming a more important metric every year, especially as IT budgets continue to shrink with the economy. Dell’s Advanced Infrastructure Manager is a great tool to help system administrators maximize their compute environment while decreasing the administration workload.
SCVMM 2008R2, awarded GOLD Product of the 2011
Gold : Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 SP1
“The right systems management tool can save time, streamline operations, and help administrators proactively address potential issues before they become critical problems. An effective systems management tool is as critical to a data center as any server or air conditioning system – especially for larger data centers with high levels of workload consolidation.
For the purposes of this year’s awards, systems management products include any systems management appliances and software products designed to measure, benchmark, report, provision, plan and control servers and other data center devices. Entrants may include any systems management point products up through major management frameworks
The single pane of glass is the dream of all systems operations managers – to be able to effectively manage their entire environments through a single screen. The dream may not yet be fully realized, but as part of the System Center Suite of management tools, Microsoft’s Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) 2008 R2 SP1, is close enough to deserve the Gold Product of the Year award in systems management for 2011.
But what really makes SCVMM 2008 R2 SP1 shine is that Microsoft decided to seamlessly integrate with other virtualization products and vendors. In addition to Hyper-V, SCVMM provides compatibility with VMware VI3 through Virtual Center integration. SCVMM supports VMware-specific features, such as VMotion, while also providing SCVMM-specific features like Intelligent Placement to VMware servers. It also provides a process that converts VMware VMs to virtual hard disks through the virtual to virtual (V2V) transfer process. There is also a very user-friendly self-service portal, which is compatible with multiple third party vendors and tools.
Microsoft has made some very significant strides with this latest release of SCVMM. The company is also freely admitting that there are actually other virtualization solutions out there, and that some of them are good (a hard pill to swallow for Microsoft). Their efforts to integrate with other system management products and tools make the newest version of SCVMM the realization of the single pane of glass dream come that much closer, and worthy of evaluation by data center managers. ”
Transforming IT with Microsoft Private Cloud : explore your cloud options.
Hear from other senior IT professionals about how cloud computing can help you gain maximum competitive advantage with minimal risk.
Learn about Microsoft cloud offerings, including private, public, and hybrid cloud models. Experience Microsoft private cloud solutions through the Microsoft Technology Center.
Private cloud discussion with Microsoft executives: Insights and news
- Satya Nadella, President, Server and Tools Business, Microsoft
- Brad Anderson, Corporate Vice President, Management and Security Division, Microsoft
Register Now for the virtual event Tuesday, January 17th 8:30 AM PST | 16:30 UTC
Microsoft MVP 2012 Award
I would like to share you you all
For the 4th year I got award by Microsoft : Most Valuable Professional in Virtual machine expertise : https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile/Alessandro
Microsoft Letter: “Congratulations! We are pleased to present you with the 2012 Microsoft® MVP Award! This award is given to exceptional technical community leaders who actively share their high quality, real world expertise with others. We appreciate your outstanding contributions in Virtual Machine technical communities during the past year.”
I would like to thank the Microsoft Virtualization Team in Redmond led by Ben Armstrong for the credit and support and also my MVP Roseanne Stamell and specially to my wife and kids for their unconditional support.
It’s really amazing to be recognized for something you do by pleasure! Being part of the community, sharing knowledge and experience, writing in blogs, helping in forums and speaking in events it’s for real!!!! You can’t imagine how much I learn from doing this!!
Again thank you all for the support !
Happy 2012!
free training: Failover Clustering with Hyper-V: Designing a Highly-Available Infrastructure for the Private Cloud
Tuesday, December 6th from 8am-11am PST. Microsoft is are offering a free training: Failover Clustering with Hyper-V: Designing a Highly-Available Infrastructure for the Private Cloud
Register here: http://mctreadiness.com/MicrosoftCareerConferenceRegistration.aspx?pid=287
Join Symon Perriman (Technical Evangelist for Private Cloud) and Elden Christensen (Principal Program Manager Lead for Clustering) to understand how Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover Clustering with Hyper-V provides critical infrastructure for any datacenter with VM high-availability and mobility. This event will provide an introduction to clustering, then focus on the design, deployment and management considerations for your virtualized datacenter or Private Cloud. Topics include hardware, validation, deployment, host clustering, guest clustering, virtualization, live migration, multi-site clustering, System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2008 & 2012, and offers a wealth of best practices. No prior clustering knowledge is needed.
Agenda:
· Introduction to Clustering – Learn the basics of Windows Server 2008 R2 Failover Clustering
· Hyper-V High-Availability – Dive into best practices, tips and tricks to provide VM high-availability and mobility
· Private Cloud High-Availability – Enhance the datacenter with integration from SCVMM (2008 R2 and 2012) and multi-site clustering
Register here: http://mctreadiness.com/MicrosoftCareerConferenceRegistration.aspx?pid=287
Hyper-V. New Linux Integration Services 3.2
This release includes the following features:
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Synthetic Mouse Support: Finnaly ! The virtualized mouse device is no longer bound to the VMConnect window, and can now be used with a RDP session, which means that you no longer need to install a separate package to get integrated mouse support, and will not have to worry about the mouse being captured by the virtual machine.
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Merged Device Drivers: We now present a single device driver for both IDE and SCSI devices (hv_storvsc).
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Windows 8 Fix: The synthetic network device (hv_netvsc) can now be used with a Windows 8 host, eliminating the hang on boot that was previously seen.
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SCVMM Fix: This release fixes the issue as described inKB2586286.
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Improved Setup Experience: Users now only need to run install.sh (as root) to automatically detect the correct architecture and install the appropriate drivers
In addition, :
- The driver applied to guest virtual machines running Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 6.1 (architecture x 86 and x 64) and CentOS 6.0 (architecture x 86 and x 64). For earlier version should be used components integration version 2.1
- In fact, it’s modified drivers in the Linux kernel 3.2, but can work with the Linux kernel 2.6.32, shipped with Red Hat and CentOS
BIG NOTE: Microsoft is working with the sponsors of the Linux distros and in the future a list of officially supported distributions will be expanded.
You can download them directly from here: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=28188
Microsoft Virtualization Free E-Book
Microsoft Press has just released an updated Free Ebook: Understanding Microsoft Virtualization Solutions, 2nd Edition. Get your free copy today!
Recommended Books
System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Cookbook
Cloudtidings.com 