Archive
Free Windows 2012 RoadShow event in Sydney : November 19th. Don’t miss out
Hurry! Limited seats available.
Join us for the ‘Windows Server 2012 Roadshow’. Unique opportunity to get knowledge from the best and understand how to build your own Private Cloud, as the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional show you his tips with the latest release.
Get a chance to talk about the challenges to build your Private Cloud and the new features included in Windows 2012 and SCVMM 2012 SP1 that will help your business get into the Private Cloud.
Topics will include:
- Scenarios for Server Virtualization
- Hyper-V Enhancements, Mobility and Flexibility, System Center VMM 2012 SP1, plus:
- Windows Server 2012 – Networking
Connect from anywhere, more working and less waiting, better network management via cost-aware networking. Sound interesting? This session provides a general overview, including many of the improvements to DirectAccess, BranchCache, and general networking improvements in Server 2012.
- Windows Server 2012 – High Availability & Virtualisation
Do you need your applications and systems to be online all the time. Well listen closely. We will be covering the enhancements to Windows Server 2012 that will help keep your applications and systems online all the time. We will be covering a range of High Availability enhancements in Windows Server 2012. We will discuss, Hyper-V Replicas, Live Storage Migration, Disk De-Duplication and Network Teaming just to name a few.
You will not leave disappointed from this session. With so much to cover, you will not want this presentation to end.
Target audience
Decision makers, IT Professionals, IT Managers.
Cost Details
FREE. Event supported by Microsoft and Dell
Registration and venue details
Sydney
- November 19th 2012 – Dell Australia, 14 Aquatic Drive, Frenchs Forest. Capacity : 50 seats
Registration Link : https://ws2012rocks.msregistration.com/abstract.aspx?id=7d701162-706c-474e-a801-3ad70ab0658f&Eventid=196
Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Cookbook
Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Cookbook
I had a pleasure to be one of the tech reviewers of this book. I am sure you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed reviewing it.
Overview
Take advantage of numerous Hyper-V best practices for administrators
Get to grips with migrating virtual machines between servers and old Hyper-V versions, automating tasks with PowerShell, providing a High Availability and Disaster Recovery environment, and much more
A practical Cookbook bursting with essential recipes
What you will learn from this book
Learn to deploy, migrate and upgrade Hyper-V and virtual machines
Configure disks, network, memory, security and auditing settings for virtual machines
Take a deep dive into high availability and disaster recovery
Save time and money by getting to grips with PowerShell automation
Understand the new features around network virtualization, Shared Nothing Live Migration, Hyper-V Replica and much more
Gain a full view of your virtual machines and host servers with monitoring, reporting and troubleshooting tips
Take advantage of bonus appendice explaining Hyper-V architecture and the difference between versions
Click here to pre-order : http://www.packtpub.com/windows-server-2012-hypervisor-based-cookbook/book
Get hands-on : The Cloud OS Signature Events Sep/5 to Oct/11
Get hands-on with the new technology, and learn how to manage and build your modern data center with the Microsoft Cloud OS platform:
- Windows Server 2012
- Windows Azure
- Visual Studio 2012
- System Center 2012
Pick your track and register for the event today. http://www.microsoft.com/enterprise/events/signature/#fbid=8R-XXnFl8p2
IT Pro Agenda:
| Time | Duration | IT Professional Agenda |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30am-9:00am | 30 min | Registration. Visit the Microsoft Partner Pavilion |
| 9:00am-10:00am | 60 min | Keynote: Moving from Private and Public to Hybrid Cloud; Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012, Windows Azure and Visual Studio 2012 |
| 10:00am-10:15am | 15 min | Break. Visit the Microsoft Partner Pavilion |
| 10:15am-11:15am | 60 min | Windows Server 2012 Virtualization Enhancements
|
| 11:15am-11:30am | 15 min | Break. Visit the Microsoft Partner Pavilion |
| 11:30am-12:30pm | 60 min | Windows Server 2012 Storage Enhancements
|
| 12:30pm-12:45pm | 15 min | Recap of the Morning. Account Team Introductions. What’s Next. |
| 12:45pm-1:30pm | 45 min | Lunch. Visit the Microsoft Partner Pavilion |
| 1:30pm-2:30pm | 60 min | Overview of Windows Azure Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Hands On Lab
|
| 2:30pm | Closing Remarks and Raffle Giveaway. | |
| 2:30pm-4:00pm | 90 min | Hands On Lab |
Windows 2012 : Converting a Full (GUI version) To Server Core and Vice Versa
For Windows 2012 servers with a full operating system (GUI version) as the base installation:
- To convert a full operating system installation to a server core installation:
- By using DISM cmdlets:
c:\>Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-FullServer
- By using Powershell (run as Administrator):
PS c:\>Import-Module DISM
PS c:\>Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -online -Featurename Servercore-Fullserver
- To convert a server core installation back to a full operating system installation (GUI version)
- By using DISM cmdlets:
c:\>Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Server-Gui-Mgmt /featurename:Server-Gui-Shell /featurename:ServerCore-FullServer
- By using Powershell (run as Administrator):
PS c:\>Import-Module DISM
PS c:\>Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -online -Featurename Servercore-FullServer,Server-Gui-shell,Server-Gui-Mgmt
For servers with server core as the base installation:
-
To convert a server core installation to a full operating system installation (GUI version)
1. Create an folder called C:\w2012\image
mkdir C:\w2012\image
2. Insert the Windows 2012 media into the optical drive and copy install.wim from
copy D:\sources\install.wim C:\w2012\image
3. Run the following command to retrieve the name or index number of the image:
Dism /Get-ImageInfo /ImageFile:C:\w2012\image\install.wim
4. Create an folder called C:\w2012\MountPoint
mkdir C:\w2012\MountPoint
5. Run the following command to mount the offline Windows image (Note: index:2 = Standard Edition index:4 = Datacenter Edition) :
Dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:C:\w2012\image\install.wim /index:4 /MountDir:C:\w2012\MountPoint /ReadOnly
6. Upgrade the operating system by running the command:
c:\>Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:Server-Gui-Mgmt /featurename:Server-Gui-Shell /featurename:ServerCore-FullServer /source:c:\w2012\MountPoint\windows\winsxs
or by using Powershell:
PS c:\>Import-Module DISM
PS c:\>Install-WindowsFeature Server-Gui-Mgmt-Infra,Server-Gui-Shell –Restart –Source c:\w2012\MountPoint\windows\winsxs
-
To convert a full operating system installation (GUI version) back to a server core installation
c:\>Dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:ServerCore-FullServer
Counting down for August 15th…Windows 2012 #Hyperv. Reasons to upgrade…
It is next week : August 15th that Windows 2012 will be available for download for MSDN subscribers. Are you ready to deploy it?
Enhancements in Hyper-V and Windows Server 2012 , on network (Teaming, Hyper-V Extensible Switch), multi-tenancy security, higher performance and flexibility.
The performance improvements in Windows Server 2012 over the Server 2008 R2, are huge :
- Increases in the number of logical processors on server hardware, to 160 from 64;
- Increases in the amount of physical memory, to 2TB from 1TB;
- Increases in the number of virtual processors per host server, to 1,024 from 512;
- Increases in the number of virtual processors per virtual machine, to 32 from four;
- Increases in the amount of memory per virtual machine, to 1TB from 64GB;
- Increases in the number of active virtual machines, to 1,024 from 384;
- Increases in the maximum number of virtual nodes in a single server cluster, to 64 from 16;
- Increases in and in the total number of virtual machines, to 4,000 from 1,000
- New virtual disk version : VHDX ( with a built-in feature for preventing data corruption)
- Virtual fiber channel ( making possible to offer the HBA in the host as a virtual HBA to the Virtual Machines)
- SMB file shares to store Virtual Machines
- Hyper-V Replica ( makes possible to create a replica of VMs on other Hyper-V hosts, even in – remote locations ) – ESSENTIAL in DR solutions.
Plus, true live storage migration, shared-nothing live migration, improvements in Dynamic memory… and counting.
Windows Server 2012 will also be available in the desktop version : Windows 8. You can install the Hyper-V on Windows 8 by navigating to the Control Panel and selecting Turn Windows features on or off and select the Hyper-V Platform option.
Note: One of the requirements of running Hyper-V on the Windows 8 edition is that the processor needs to support SLAT (Second Level Address Translation), otherwise Hyper-V will not available.
Resuming, Windows Server 2012 has a lot of improvements and quite a lot of new functionality as well! So, enjoy the upgrade!
It is time for you to upgrade do the new Windows 2012 #HYPER-V
Windows 2012 is now RTM.
It will be generally available for evaluation and purchase to customers around the world on September 4th. Save the date : http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/server-cloud/new.aspx
Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V provides key capabilities that can help you meet the needs of your organization at whichever level you are in the virtualization life cycle—Basic, Standardized, Orchestrated, and Automated.
Windows 2012 RTM : This is the news we’ve all been waiting for! Are you ready for it?
Microsoft release Windows 2012 RTM on August 1st. . It means that it is time for you to upgrade do the new Windows 2012 HYPER-V .
It will be generally available for evaluation and purchase to customers around the world on September 4th
Get your hands on it! There will be 5 SKU’s
Editions Overview
| Edition | Ideal for… | High Level Feature Comparison | Licensing Model |
| Datacenter | Highly virtualized private & hybrid cloud environments | Full Windows Server functionality with unlimited virtual instances | Processor + CAL* |
| Standard | Low density or non- virtualized environments | Full Windows Server functionality with two virtual instances | Processor + CAL* |
| Essentials | Small business environments | Simpler interface, pre-configured connectivity to cloud based services; no virtualization rights | Server (25 User Account Limit) |
| Foundation | Economical general purpose server | General purpose server functionality with no virtualization rights | Server (15 User Account Limit) |
More …
Licensing and pricing details in the downloadable datasheet : http://download.microsoft.com/download/0/4/B/04BD0EB1-42FE-488B-919F-3981EF9B2101/WS2012_Licensing-Pricing_Datasheet.pdf
Find the answers to the most commonly asked pricing and licensing questions. : http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/D/B/4DB352D1-C610-466A-9AAF-EEF4F4CFFF27/WS2012_Licensing-Pricing_FAQ.pdf
Dell EqualLogic and VMM 2012 support
With the release of VMM 2012 SP1 CTP2, Microsoft added support to the SMP storage provider.
Now VMM 2012 with SP1, supports the following types of storage providers:
- SMI-S CIM–XML
- SMP
Besides the new SMP provider type, the VMM 2012 SP1 release adds the following new functionality:
- Supports auto (dynamic) iSCSI target systems, such as the Dell EqualLogic PS Series. System Center 2012 – Virtual Machine Manager supported only static iSCSI target systems.
- Supports the thin provisioning of logical units through VMM. Your storage array must support thin provisioning, and thin provisioning must be enabled for a storage pool by your storage administrator
For a detailed step by step, look at my blog post https://virtualisationandmanagement.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/vmm-2012-sp1-installing-dell-equallogic-ps-series-smp-provider-new/
Infrastructure Planning and Design Guide for VMM 2012
The new IPD Guide for System Center 2012 – Virtual Machine Manager is now available to download
Infrastructure Planning and Design streamlines the planning process by:
- Defining the technical decision flow through the planning process.
- Listing the decisions to be made and the commonly available options and considerations.
- Relating the decisions and options to the business in terms of cost, complexity, and other characteristics.
- Framing decisions in terms of additional questions to the business to ensure a comprehensive alignment with the appropriate business landscape
Download the guide now: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=245473
Hyper-V DR Solution
DR is a key component of the Business Continuity Plan.
When considering DR options, virtualization is a game changer. Virtualization makes DR affordable to companies that could not afford it before. But in order to understand how DR can be optimized in a virtualized environment, it is important to understand the technical aspects, like replication functionality.
Remember : even though high availability can be achieved with clustering, this will not safeguard your businessfrom the entire data center or hosting facility going down (in case of a fire or a flood, for example). In this case you need a DR solution geographically dispersed.
Last week I started writing about Hyper-V DR solution in Windows 2012:
Keep watching this blog for the part 2…
Also, there is a good DR solution document for Windows 2008R2 here :
and here : Hyper-V in the Real World –Multi-Site DR with the System Center Suite of Products http://www.techdays.ca/contentlibrary/video/en/2011-hyper-v-in-the-real-world-–multi-site-dr-with-the-system-center-suite-of-products.aspx
Recommended Books
System Center 2012 R2 Virtual Machine
System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Cookbook
Cloudtidings.com 