Archive
How to get the most out of Windows Admin Center
If you already use Windows Admin Center, there’s probably a lot more to it than you realize. For those just starting out, a guidebook is the ideal way to ensure you use it properly.
Microsoft MVP Eric Siron and Altaro worked on a Ebook How to Get the Most Out of Windows Admin Center which covers what you need to get started and maximize its potential.
In this free 84-page eBook from Microsoft Cloud & Datacenter MVP Eric Siron, you’ll learn everything about the free Microsoft management tool, Windows Admin Center, from the basics of requirements, to installation, optimization, configurations, managing extensions and more!
Windows Admin Center is a browser-based app that is designed to help users easily manage servers and Windows 10 PCs. It can be used to manage clusters or even single severs which means it’s something admins of all levels should be keen to ensure they are following best practices. Although the tool is accessible, it’s importance means you won’t want to leave any stone unturned and this comprehensive guide accomplishes that.
Click HERE to download your free copy today
This eBook covers:
- Installation
- Getting Started
- Full UI Analysis
- Security
- Managing Extensions
- And more!
Windows Server 2019 now available in preview
On March 20th 2018, Microsoft announced that Windows Server 2019, which is built on the strong foundation of Windows Server 2016, are now released to Preview. You can get access to the preview build through Microsoft Insiders program.
Windows 2019 will be generally available (GA) in the second half of calendar year 2018.
Some tips:
- The Windows Server vNext Semi-Annual Preview – Build 17623 is Server Core ONLY
- If you downloaded the VHDX version, as the file is compressed, make you sure you remove the compress check in the properties of the file as per below image as it will fail to start the VM if you don’t:
- Download the Windows Server vNext LTSC Preview – Build 17623, if you are looking for the Full GUI version.
Use the following keys provided by Microsoft (https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Windows-Server-Insiders/Announcing-Windows-Server-2019-Preview-Build-17623/m-p/173715#M268)
Windows Server 2019 Build 17623 is available in ISO format in 18 languages. This build and all future pre-release builds will require use of activation keys during setup. The following keys allow for unlimited activations:
Datacenter Edition |
6XBNX-4JQGW-QX6QG-74P76-72V67 |
Standard Edition |
MFY9F-XBN2F-TYFMP-CCV49-RMYVH |
So, what features to look for in the new in Server 2019:
· Cluster Sets, the new cloud scale-out technology, is a loosely-coupled grouping of multiple Failover Clusters: compute, storage or hyper-converged. Cluster Sets technology will enable virtual machine fluidity across member clusters within a Cluster Set and a unified storage namespace across the “set” in support of virtual machine fluidity.
· Failover Cluster without NTLM authentication, which allows failover clusters to be deployed in environments where NTLM has been disabled.
· Shielded VM’s Offline mode, Alternate HGS and Shielded Linux support, which allows you to run HyperV shielded virtual machines on hosts that suffer intermittent connectivity to their Host Guardian Service (HGS). The fallback HGS will allow you to configure a second set of URLs for Hyper-V to try if it can’t reach the primary HGS server.
· Shielded VM’s Alternate HGS, which allows you to run HyperV shielded virtual machines on hosts that suffer intermittent connectivity to their Host Guardian Service (HGS). The fallback HGS will allow you to configure a second set of URLs for Hyper-V to try if it can’t reach the primary HGS server.
· Shielded VM’s Offline mode, which takes the high availability promise for shielded VMs one step further and allows you to continue to start up a shielded VM even if the host’s primary and fallback HGSs can’t be reached.
· Shielded VM’s Shielded Linux support, for customers that run mixed-OS environments, Microsoft now supports Ubuntu, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server Shielded virtual machines.
· Encrypted Network in SDN, which provides simple to configure DTLS-based encryption using the Network Controller to manage the end-to-end encryption and protect data as it travels through the wires and network devices between the hosts., enabling the VM to VM traffic within the VM subnet to be automatically encrypted as it leaves the host and prevents snooping and manipulation of traffic on the wire. This is done without requiring any configuration changes in the VMs themselves.
· Performance history for Storage Spaces Direct, which allow Administrators of Storage Spaces Direct get easy access to historical performance and capacity data from their cluster.
· Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection, ,which provides deep platform sensors and response actions, providing visibility to memory and kernel level attacker activities and abilities to take actions on compromised machines in response to incidents such as remote collection of additional forensic data, remediating malicious files, terminating malicious processes etc.
· Windows Defender ATP Exploit Guard ,which is new set of host intrusion prevention capabilities, designed to lock down the device against a wide variety of attack vectors and block behaviours commonly used in malware attacks:
To DOWNLOAD, Join the program to ensure you have access to the bits.
For more details on this preview build, check out the Release Notes.
Source : https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/windowsserver/2018/03/20/introducing-windows-server-2019-now-available-in-preview/
Supercharging performance of your Hyper-V
If you are an expert in Hyper-V or just started playing with it, I recommend you download the Hyper-V ebook provided by Altaro.
The ebook is divided in 2 sections: (1) Diagnosing and Remediating Performance Issues and (2) Planning is Better than Remediation.
It will help you better plan your next Hyper-V deployment and how could you make the most of your existing deployment, through practical hands-on tips as well as background information you will learn how Hyper-V (and virtualization in general) affects performance and how to find issues in storage, CPU, memory and network components. This is followed by a look at planning hosts, VMs, storage, networking and management for maximum performance.
What the book covers:
- Diagnosing and remediating Storage, CPU, Memory, and Network performance issues
- Using Windows Performance Monitor and PAL to facilitate system and VM monitoring
- Manage planning of Hosts, VMs, Storage, Networking, to minimize the risk of performance issues
#AzureCon : Unleashed possibilities. FREE EVENT @ANZMVP
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September 29, 2015
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Windows Server 2012 Update – released today
Today is a big day with the release of Windows Server 2012 R2 Update!
Windows Server 2012 R2 Update is a cumulative update of every hotfix released for Win2012 R2 to date. This just radically simplified our set of recommended hotfixes.
New Win2012 R2 Cluster Recommended hotfixes:
1. Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 Update April, 2014
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2919355
2. CSV snapshot file is corrupted when you create some files on the live volume