Archive
IaaS Innovations in Windows 2012R2
To deliver smooth end-to-end scenarios in the Windows Server 2012 R2 release, Microsoft is focusing on two important aspects of delivering IaaS:
- Continuing to drive innovation into the infrastructure itself to ensure network, compute, and storage are not only low-cost, but also easy to operate through rich integration with System Center.
- Delivering a delightful experience for the IaaS and customer of the Service Provider (tenant administrators) using IaaS.
Microsoft is targeting specifically Service Providers and enterprises that want to act as Service Providers for their users.
To Download Windows 2012 R2 and System Center 2012 R2: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/evalcenter/dn205295.aspx?CR_CC=200142594
To read Microsoft published IaaS articles :
Looking for MS Recommended hotfixes and updates for Server 2012 Failover Clusters?
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
Hyper-V Windows Server 2012 R2: New Generation Of Virtual Machines and Enhanced VM Interaction
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
- 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
- Full remote desktop capabilities
- Shared clipboard
- Audio redirection
- Enhanced login
- Enabled even when the network is down
-
Integrated into Hyper-V Management experience
A Modern Approach to IT Infrastructure for Forward Thinking Businesses
| 3 June – A Modern Approach to IT Infrastructure for Forward Thinking Businesses You may not know it, but tech savvy, forward thinking organisations like yours can benefit from the same enterprise-grade IT infrastructure large organisations use – the kind that can grow as your business does, yet retain the flexibility to move with market shifts. |
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| This session will explore the ways you can simplify your IT management with limited IT budget and staff, and establish a solid platform for growth. We’ll outline Microsoft’s modern approach to IT infrastructure – including server consolidation and virtualisation, storage management, disaster recovery, cloud-ready IT and simplified administration. | ||||||
| Speakers: Mike Heald – Windows Server Product Manager, Microsoft Australia Alessandro Cardoso – Insight Practice Manager, Microsoft MVP, Microsoft APAC |
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| About our Webinars Hosted by a Microsoft expert, each fortnightly bite-sized session unpicks the current challenges and proposes ways in which Microsoft solutions can improve productivity, profitability and competitive advantage. |
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| Each session includes a live chat feature so you can get answers to your tough questions. And it’s a great way to kick-start the conversation in your organisation.
Please ensure Silverlight is installed on your device to attend the Webinars on their live dates. Download here. |
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Register NOW
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Private Cloud & Virtualisation Strategy Event – MELB/BRIS/SYD – All you need to know
VIP Event. Few seats available.
NEW CONTENT Added : What’s new in Windows 2012R2. Come and see what is coming!
Help your business gain maximum competitive advantage with minimal risk.
You are invited to an exclusive event, as well the exclusive book launch of Alessandro Cardoso’s book System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Cookbook.
Private Could and Virtualisation strategy with Insight, Microsoft and Veeam.
Mobile. Social. Big data. The cloud. These trends are all impacting how businesses engage with their customers, partners, and employees in order to better compete. We also know that for many modern CIOs and technology leaders, the cloud presents an opportunity to redefine the role IT plays in implementing business strategy.
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
Register now at: http://au.insight.com/events/private-cloud-virtualisation-event/
Dates and Locations
Melbourne: Wednesday 29th May – 2:00 – 5:00pm
Microsoft – Level 5, 4 Freshwater place, Southbank, VIC, 3006
Brisbane: Thursday 30th May- 8:30 – 11:30am
Microsoft – The North Stradbroke Island Room Level 28, 400 George Street, Brisbane, QLD, 4000
Sydney: Thursday 13th June – 8:30 – 11:30am
Microsoft – 1 Epping Road, North Ryde NSW 2113,
Windows 2012 : Hyper-V Network design scenarios and setup – Part 1
I am starting a series of blogs to talk about Network in Windows 2012 Hyper-V
I will be covering the following scenarios, but of course there are many more possibilities :
- Scenario 1 : 4 (or more) 10GB Nic’s + 2 ISCSI/FC connectivity
- Scenario 2 : 2 (or more) 10GB Nic’s (converged network)
- Scenario 3 : 6 (or more) Nic’s 1GB Nic’s
Let’s start with scenario 1. We will create 2 teams : one for management/csv/live migration (MGMT-LM-CSV-TEAM) and other for vm external traffic (VM-TEAM).
1. First of all, I recommend you to rename the physical nic’s. We will create the teams as per bellow:
a) 2 nic’s, teamed to be used for management + csv + live migration utilisation= MGMT-LM-CSV-TEAM
b) 2 (or more) nic’s teamed to be used for VM traffic only ( external traffic ) = VM-TEAM
c) 2 ISCSI or Fiber Channel connectivity. You will need to install the MPIO feature ( DO NOT TEAM)
As for the team VM-TEAM we can use the GUI to create the virtual switch:
- Click on Server Manager, then click on Local Server
- Click on Nic Teaming. Click on Task and then click on NEW TEAM
Select the NIC’s that will be part of the team. Make sure you select NIC’s from different Physical interfaces. Done
But for the MGMT-LM-CSV-TEAM, we need to use the Powershell as the GUI does not allow us to create multiples Virtual Switches for the same team and then we will also, configure the QoS.
Here is the PowerShell command
# Create Hyper-V Virtual Switch connected to VM-TEAM
New-VMSwitch -Name “External” -NetAdapterName “VM-TEAM” -AllowManagementOS $false
# Create Hyper-V Virtual Switch connected to MGMT-LM-CSV-TEAM
New-VMSwitch -Name “MGMT-LM-CSV-SWITCH” -NetAdapterName “MGMT-LM-CSV-TEAM” -AllowManagementOS 0 -MinimumBandwidthMode Weight
# Set the default QoS policy; Switch is used for VMs only
Set-VMSwitch “MGMT-LM-CSV-SWITCH” -DefaultFlowMinimumBandwidthWeight 100
Add-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name Management –SwitchName MGMT-LM-CSV-SWITCH
Add-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name LM -SwitchName MGMT-LM-CSV-SWITCH
Add-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name CSV -SwitchName MGMT-LM-CSV-SWITCH
Set-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name LM -MinimumBandwidthWeight 40
Set-VMNetworkAdapter -ManagementOS -Name CSV -MinimumBandwidthWeight 5
Set-VMNetworkAdapter –ManagementOS –Name Management –MinimumBandwidthWeight 5
Now let’s have a look back on the GUI (NIC Team):
And let’s have a look in the Hyper-V Manager Console, on the properties of the Virtual Switch’s:
Management, Live Migration and CSV switch: MGMT-LM-CSV-SWITCH.
Note that you won’t be able to change any setting using the GU
I as we created 3 virtual network adapters (mgmt,lm,csv).
VM external traffic switch: External
to be continue….
Windows 2012 Hyper-V pass-through disks and Live Migration support
Since Windows Server 2008 R2 and now with Windows Server 2012, the performance improvements of Fixed and Dynamic disks are impressive. One of the main reasons that some IT folks were still deploying pass-through was due to the disk size limitation to 2TB. But in Windows 2012, with the VHDX format the size limit increased to a huge 64TB and you have features that prevent corruption; plus, by using pass-through disks you lose benefits such as portability, snap-shotting and thin provisioning.
In saying that, as pointed by Jeff Woolsey, Microsoft Windows Server & Cloud:
Pass-through disks are supported during Hyper-V Live Migration ONLY if the Virtual Machine being migrated and the pass-through disk are manage by the same Hyper-V cluster :
Pass through disks are still supported with Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Live Migration (just like they were with Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V) as long as the migration of a clustered VM and the pass through disk is managed by the cluster.
Pass through disks are not supported for migrations outside of a cluster, such as:
- Shared Nothing Live Migration or
- Using standalone hosts with file on a SMB share (without clustering enabled)
…pass through disks aren’t supported because the pass through disk doesn’t have a way to move between hosts.
Again my recommendation : STAY AWAY FROM PASS-THOUGH DISKS.
You will find similar recommendation from the fellow MVP’s Aidan Finn, Didier Van Hoye or Hans Vredevoort
Just Published System Center VMM 2012 SP1 Cookbook
Hi folks
I just want to share with all of you that my book is now published : http://www.packtpub.com/microsoft-system-center-virtual-machine-manager-2012-cookbook/book
I will be waiting for your feedback!
Microsoft Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) is a management solution for the virtualized datacenter, enabling Administrators to configure and manage their virtualization host, networking, and storage resources in order to create and deploy virtual machines and services to private clouds.
Covering the VMM 2012 SP1 and Windows 2012 features, architecture design, deloyment planning this book is full of tips, techniques and solutions. It will guide to create, deploy and manage your own Private Cloud with a mix of Hypervisors: Hyper-V, Vmware ESXi and Citrix XenServer.
What you will learn
- VMM Architecture and planning for a real word deployment
- Network Virtualization, Gateway integration, Storage integration, Resource Throttling, Availability options
- Operations Manager (SCOM) deployment and integration with VMM
- SC APP Controller (SCAC) deployment and integration with VMM to manage Private and Public Cloud (Azure)
- Cluster deployment with VMM Bare Metal
- Create and deploying Virtual Machines from Templates
- Deploy an High Available VMM Management Server
- Managing Hyper-V, Vmware and Citrix from VMM
- Upgrade from SCVMM 2008R2 to SCVMM 2012 SP1
- Monitoring VMware with Veeam Management Pack
Currently, no other book offers thorough coverage of System Center VMM 2012 SP1 and integration with App Controller and SCOM.
Acknowledgement
It has been an amazing journey and I greatly appreciate all of those who gave me their full support.
I could not have finished this book without the help from the Microsoft System Center and Microsoft Virtualization team in Redmond: Travis Wright, Carmen Summers, Ben Armstrong and Nigel Cain.
In addition, as I wanted this book to be reviewed by the Microsoft System Center team, I would like to acknowledge and thank Carmen Summers and Nigel Cain not only for endorsing my participation in the System Center TAP program, but also for their assistance, working beyond their time to review and to provide great feedbacks that helped out to improve the content, adding substantial value to this book. The readers will truly appreciate that!
I also would like to thank Richard Skinners, Steve Buchanan and Kristian Nese for reviewing the book.
I also would like to thank the Veeam for the great insights about their product.
I would also like to thank the Packt Pub team involved in this great project.
Red Hat RHEL 5.9 now includes the Hyper-V Linux Integration Services built-in
Red Hat announced the release of RHEL 5.9 which includes the Hyper-V Linux Integration Services built-in.
New Virtualization Capabilities and Flexibility in Multi-vendor Environments. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.9 enhances the operating system’s usability in multi-vendor environments by introducing Microsoft Hyper-V drivers for improved performance. This enhances the usability of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 for guests in heterogeneous, multi-vendor virtualized environments and provides improved flexibility and interoperability for enterprises.
To download Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.9 visit here
Windows 2012 Hyper-V Advanced Network Security : DHCP Guard, Router Guard, Port Mirroring
Windows 2012 Hyper-V brought a lot of new features. There are many improvements in security as well:
These settings are configured per Virtual Machine and Virtual Switch. To configure :
- Open the Hyper-V Manager and then select the Virtual Machine (e.g. W2012-FS01)
- On the right panel, click on Settings.
- Select the Virtual Switch (e.g. v-External-Wired) you want to configure and expand Advanced Features.
Recommended Books
System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Cookbook
Cloudtidings.com 