Category: Hyper-V

Microsoft Virtual Machine Servicing Tool (VMST) 2012

Virtual Machine Servicing Tool (VMST) 2012 is designed to work with System Center 2012 –Virtual Machine Manager (VMM), System Center 2012 Configuration Manager and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2.
VMST 2012 helps you reduce IT costs by making it easier to update your offline virtual machines, templates, and virtual hard disks with the latest operating system and application patches—without introducing vulnerabilities into your IT infrastructure.
This Solution Accelerator includes the following components:

  • Brief Overview. Available online only on Microsoft TechNet. Summary for business and technical managers that briefly explains how this Solution Accelerator can fit into an organization’s IT infrastructure management strategy.
  • VMServicing_x64 and VMServicing_x86. Setup files for the tool, for 64 bit and 32 bit versions of Windows with System Center 2012 – Virtual Machine Manager.
  • Virtual Machine Servicing Tool Getting Started Guide. Provides information about how the tool works, explains prerequisites for the tool, and describes how to install and configure the tool.
  • VM_Servicing_Tool_2012_Release_Notes Notes provide information about this release, describe known issues in the tool, and include feedback instructions.

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Free Quest vWorkspace Desktop Optimizer

Quest vWorkspace Desktop Optimizer  is a free tool to optimize the virtual desktop.

Blindly deploying entirely the same Windows desktop image that was used for the physical desktops is not the smartest thing to do. Running Windows in a VDI environment requires a decent amount of optimizing. This optimizing is nothing new. Quest has been optimizing SBC environments for over ten years now and many of things that we learned there (the hard way) apply equally to VDI environments.

Quest created a piece of software that contains our entire ‘optimizing knowledge’ called the Quest vWorkspace Desktop Optimizer and it is Free!

Although optimized for Quest vWorkspace environments, the Quest vWorkspace Desktop Optimizer will work just as well in Citrix XenDesktop or VMware View environments. You can download the Quest vWorkspace Desktop Optimizer HERE. Read HERE important information on how to use the Quest vWorkspace Desktop Optimizer.

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Optimizing Windows 7 Images for use in VDI

One of our MCS deployment guys in the UK – Jonathan Bennett (you may know Jonathan as the author of the autoit tools and GImageX) has developed a tool for configuring Windows 7/Windows Vista/Server 2008 images for use in a VDI environment. The tool called VDI Optimizer outputs a VBScript (based on the selections you make in the GUI interface), which can then be used to apply performance and configuration settings to images that will be deployed via VDI platforms – this is particularly useful if you are using MDT 2010 for your image engineering process as the VBScript can bolted into the task sequence using a Run Command Line task.

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You can make machine based selections for turning off services and functions that may not be required when the operating system is running in a VDI environment such as hibernation, system restore, and background defrag, as well as adjusting some user based settings such as visual effects, font smoothing and off-screen composition for Internet Explorer.

The beta of this tool is available from http://www.autoitscript.com/files/tools/VDIOptimizer.zip but please remember The tool is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, confers no rights, and is not supported by the authors or Microsoft Corporation.

Source: Optimizing Windows 7 images for use in VDI

Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals Jump Start

The “Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals” Jump Start is specially tailored for VMware and Microsoft virtualization technology pros. This cutting-edge course features expert instruction and real-world demonstrations of Hyper-V, many components of the System Center Suite, including VMM 2012, and a myriad of VDI solutions. This course is designed for Data Center Managers, IT Professionals, IT Decision Makers, Network Administrators, Storage/Infrastructure Administrators & Architects. Expert IT infrastructure consultant, Corey Hynes, and Microsoft Technical Evangelist, Symon Perriman, leveraged an engaging "team teaching" approach which makes the class as entertaining as it is educational Smile

Virtualization Jump Start (01): Virtualization Overview
Virtualization Jump Start (02): Differentiating Microsoft & VMware
Virtualization Jump Start (03a): Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture | Part 1
Virtualization Jump Start (03b): Hyper-V Deployment Options & Architecture | Part 2
Virtualization Jump Start (04): High-Availability & Clustering
Virtualization Jump Start (05): System Center Suite Overview with focus on DPM
Virtualization Jump Start (06): Automation with Opalis, Service Manager & PowerShell
Virtualization Jump Start (07): System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012
Virtualization Jump Start (08): Private Cloud Solutions, Architecture & VMM Self-Service Portal 2.0
Virtualization Jump Start (09): Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 1
Virtualization Jump Start (10): Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) Architecture | Part 2
Virtualization Jump Start (11): v-Alliance Solution Overview
Virtualization Jump Start (12): Application Delivery for VDI

Download all the Video’s:
Video: WMV | WMV (ZIP) | PSP
Audio: WMA | MP3

Now only finding some spare time to watch’s these video’s Winking smile

Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V SP1 Component Architecture Poster

This poster provides a visual reference for understanding key Hyper-V technologies in Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1. It focuses on architecture, snapshots, live migration, virtual networking, storage, RemoteFX and Dynamic Memory.

To download the poster click on the picture
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System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta Evaluation

System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 delivers industry leading fabric managment, virtual machine management and services deployment in private cloud environments. Virtual Machine Manager 2012 offers key new features that include hypervisor creation and management, network management, storage management, private cloud creation, self-service usage and service creation. It features deep investments in server application virtualization, service design and service modeling all of which can be used to efficiently offer an on-premises private cloud.

Feature Summary

  • Fabric Management
    • Hyper-V and Cluster Lifecycle Management – Deploy Hyper-V to bare metal server, create Hyper-V clusters, orchestrate patching of a Hyper-V Cluster
    • Third Party Virtualization Platforms – Add and Manage Citrix XenServer and VMware ESX Hosts and Clusters
    • Network Management – Manage IP Address Pools, MAC Address Pools and Load Balancers
    • Storage Management – Classify storage, Manage Storage Pools and LUNs
  • Resource Optimization
    • Dynamic Optimization – proactively balance the load of VMs across a cluster
    • Power Optimization – schedule power savings to use the right number of hosts to run your workloads – power the rest off until they are needed
    • PRO – integrate with System Center Operations Manager to respond to application-level performance monitors
  • Cloud Management
    • Abstract server, network and storage resources into private clouds
    • Delegate access to private clouds with control of capacity, capabilities and user quotas
    • Enable self-service usage for application administrator to author, deploy, manage and decommission applications in the private cloud
  • Service Lifecycle Management
    • Define service templates to create sets of connected virtual machines, os images and applica tion packages
    • Compose operating system images and applications during service deployment
    • Scale out the number of virtual machines in a service
    • Service performance and health monitoring integrated with System Center Operations Manager
    • Decouple OS image and application updates through image-based servicing
    • Leverage powerful application virtualization technologies such as Server App-V

System Requirements

  • Supported Operating Systems:Windows 7 Enterprise;Windows 7 Professional;Windows 7 Ultimate;Windows Server 2008 R2;Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter;Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise
    • Windows Server 2008 R2 (full installation) Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter x64
    • Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate x32, x64
    • Windows Remote Management (WinRM) 2.0
    • Windows PowerShell 2.0
    • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1)
    • Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows 7
    • SQL Server 2008 or SQL Server 2008 R2 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter
    • Windows Deployment Services (WDS) – (Version on Windows Server 2008 R2)
    • Windows Software Update Services (WSUS) 3.0 SP2 64bit

Download System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 Beta Evaluation HERE

SCVMM RDS Connection Broker plugin released

SCVMM RDV plug-in enables dynamic placement of VDI VMs for both personal and pooled VMs. The key benefit of using this plug-in is that it reduces the number of Hyper-V servers required since VMs are placed on demand rather than statically placed.  Dynamic placement is achieved by integrating SCVMM 2008 R2 with the RDS Connection Broker in Windows Server 2008 R2.

Dynamic Placement for Personal VM is available in Windows Server 2008 R2. Pooled VM requires Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.

Figure below shows the integration:

The bits and content are available at: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=195952

For those of you that don’t understand how this works Ill write a little process workflow so you understand.

1. The VDI client tries to connect to the last VM it was using via the Connection Broker.

2. The Broker, knowing where it was in the cluster, in communication with SCVMM, tries to wake the VM from a save state

3. Problem is that the server its trying to start the VM on is already at capacity and it cant start there

4. SCVMM gets involved as part of this and moves the VM to another node in the cluster based on its dynamic placement algorithm, via a SAN move

5. The Connection Broker is then told which host the VM is now on and running

6. The user connects to the VM

Nice huh Winking smile

Microsoft Desktop Virtualization is going to be a real competitor against VMware View

HyperV Monitor 1.8 Released

HyperV_Mon screen shot

HyperV_Mon is my free tool for monitoring and diagnosing performance issues with Hyper-V.

After prompting from a user with a lot more processors then the test systems here, I updated the HyperV_Mon tool to handle resizing in general, and to adjust the root partition processor display.  This new version is a minor release (1.8.0).

In the works will be a version 2.0 that will look at 2008 R2 with SP1 changes.  This should come out in Q1 of next year.

Download it HERE

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