Archive for the ‘ Virtualization ’ Category

Linux under Hyper-V R2 screencast (Romanian)

Even if it’s been done a couple of months back and only privately shared with some 3rd parties until today, I’m now making this screencast (in Romanian) on hosting Linux under Hyper-V R2 public. The screencast itself comes as a result of me being in close contact with some of the larger players in the Romanian hosting industry during the past year (while working with Todi and the rest of the great people in the local Microsoft subsidiary), so I did this as a way to provide some localized content on the topic at hand, as Linux clearly plays a major role in the local hosting market.

While some most of the companies I’ve talked with were only moderately interested in taking the next step and hosting their virtualized environments on top of Hyper-V, this was largely due to their lack in information on the subject. And I do know for a fact that the content covered in this screencast has changed many of these views. :)

I’m sorry for the quality of the audio, I’ll try and see if I can make it better for next time. Without further ado, you can find the screencast below (the HD version is available on Vimeo):

If you want, you can also download the slides here.

Part of the content was covered in Brent Shoemaker & John Kelbley’s WSV305 session at this year’s TechEd North America. I’ve also got some demos showing how to install the Linux Integration Services v2.1 (RTM) inside Linux VMs, and in the end I talk about some more tools that make your life easier when dealing with Linux and Hyper-V. Also, here are some useful links extending or better describing the topics addressed in the screencast:

Hope you enjoy it! ;)

2010
10/01
CATEGORY
Microsoft
MVP
Tips and tricks
Virtualization
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Hyper-V Linux Integration Services 2.1 RTM

The Microsoft Virtualization Team blog has recently announced that version 2.1 of the Linux Integration Services has been released. Quoting from their website, the following features are included in the 2.1 release:

  • Driver support for synthetic devices: Linux Integration Services supports the synthetic network controller and the synthetic storage controller that were developed specifically for Hyper-V.
  • Fastpath Boot Support for Hyper-V: Boot devices take advantage of the block Virtualization Service Client (VSC) to provide enhanced performance.
  • Timesync: The clock inside the virtual machine will remain synchronized with the clock on the host.
  • Integrated Shutdown: Virtual machines running Linux can be gracefully shut down from either Hyper-V Manager or System Center Virtual Machine Manager.
  • Symmetric Multi-Processing (SMP) Support: Supported Linux distributions can use up to 4 virtual processors (VP) per virtual machine.
  • Heartbeat: Allows the host to detect whether the guest is running and responsive.
  • Pluggable Time Source: A pluggable clock source module is included to provide a more accurate time source to the guest.

This version of the integration services for Hyper-V supports Novell SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP3, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.2 / 5.3 / 5.4 / 5.5. You can obtain the Linux IS’s via the Microsoft Download Center.

I’ve been told that this realease also fixes some major time drifting issues on Linux guests running with the SMP (multiprocessor) option activated that were present in the RC version. On this note, I’ll also be releasing a screencast (in Romanian) on running Linux under Hyper-V soon, along with some best practices. :)

2010
08/01
CATEGORY
Downloads
Microsoft
Virtualization
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Hyper-V Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX

Now that the Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1) Beta are out, a lot of info has also been coming out on the new features it brings to Hyper-V R2: Dynamic Memory and RemoteFX.

As far as Dynamic Memory is concerned, there’s a very comprehensible article on the Virtualization Team’s blog, and a post on Ben Armstrong’s blog as well. Ben also mentions all the supported guest operating systems for both the DM beta and the release, and he also spoke about it at TechEd US 2010.

Also, when it comes to RemoteFX, while many SBC (server-based computing) players announced their support for it (e.g. VMWare, Quest, Wyse Technology), I do think nVidia is the one that stands out, because this brings a huge opportunity for them to enter the server market.

2010
07/17
CATEGORY
Downloads
Microsoft
Virtualization
Windows
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More VMs for Hyper-V R2 cluster nodes

Ben Armstrong recently announced that the previous Hyper-V R2 limit of 64 VMs per node in a cluster has been increased up to 384 VMs (which was the existing limit for any non-clustered node). The “Requirements and Limits” page on TechNet has also been modified to reflect the new changes.

A quick note here: even with the newly introduced support for more VMs per node, you’re still limited to 1000 VMs per cluster. ;)

2010
06/20
CATEGORY
Microsoft
Virtualization
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W2008R2 & W7 SP1 public beta coming

The contents of this press release were announced during the TechEd North America keynote: http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2010/jun10/06-07TechEd2010PR.mspx

“Public beta of service pack 1 (SP1) for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 coming by end of July. The new virtualization tools in SP1 will help Windows Server 2008 R2 users prepare for cloud computing, Remote FX provides rich 3-D graphical experience for remote users, and Dynamic Memory enables more control to adjust memory usage without sacrificing performance. The service pack also will include a series of incremental updates, previously delivered through Windows Update, for both Windows Server and Windows 7 users.”

Ben Armstrong (Virtualization Program Manager) was also there at TechEd, talking about Dynamic Memory in Hyper-V R2 SP1 (download available).

Later edit: check out the DM presentation recording here.

2010
06/09
CATEGORY
Microsoft
TechEd
Virtualization
Windows
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System Center Essentials 2010 RTM

Yup, SCE 2010 and DPM 2010 have both reached RTM today! :)

To be honest, due to all the extra features it comes with, I definitely believe SCE 2010 is hands-down the best tool to manage small virtualized or mixed infrastructures (of up to 50 servers):

System Center Essentials 2010 (SCE 2010) provides IT professionals in mid-sized organizations with a unified physical and virtual management experience. It enables you to better secure, update, monitor, and troubleshoot from a single console, so you can efficiently and proactively manage your IT environment.

The main addition to this second System Center Essentials release is the seamless integration of Virtual Machine Manager 2008 R2 technology, making it quick and easy for midsize business to begin realizing the cost-cutting benefits of server consolidation using virtualization. SCE 2010 will enable you to rapidly move from a physical to virtual server environment while maintaining the control and simple management you have come to expect from the product.

Data Protection Manager 2010 also comes with a few (very nice) improvements as well:

System Center Data Protection (DPM) 2010, meantime, delivers unified data protection for Windows servers such as SQL Server, Exchange, SharePoint, Virtualization and file servers — as well as Windows desktops and laptops. Microsoft has re-engineered DPM 2010 to be more scalable so that both midsize and enterprise-class organizations can take advantage of it.

Key additions in DPM 2010 include:

  • The ability for roaming laptops to get centrally managed policies around desktop protection, so that your laptop data is protected, whether you are connected to the corporate network or remote
  • Enhanced virtualization protection, including Hyper-V R2 LiveMigration scenarios and the ability to recover single-files from within host-based backups
  • Additional protection and recovery capabilities for Windows application servers like SQL Server, Exchange or SharePoint
  • Native site-to-site replication for disaster recovery to either another DPM server or an off-site cloud provider
  • Significant enterprise-scalability increases for deploying DPM in large environments
  • Centrally managed System State and Bare Metal Recovery

This is amazing news for the mid-market/SMB segment! :)

Also, another interesting Windows client management cloud product was announced today, called Windows Intune. Head out to the official website for more info. ;)

2010
04/19
CATEGORY
Microsoft
Virtualization
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The 2010 MVP Summit experience

I’ve just returned from this year’s MVP Summit, and it’s been quite an experience! Got the chance to talk with a few fellow MVPs, and most of all, got to spend a couple of amazing days with Ben, Mike and the rest of the Virtualization team in the Microsoft Campus over in Redmond (or the “NDA Campus”, as people ended up calling it on twitter, due to obvious reasons). We were among the few “privileged” MVPs that got a good load of “super duper secret special NDA” material. But all I can say right now (while still under NDA) is that really cool things are coming, and they’re well worth the wait! :)

The Sheraton in Bellevue was also a very nice location to stay in, and Bellevue in itself is quite a treat. The flight to New Jersey wasn’t as pleasant as I would have expected though, but hey – you win some, you lose some, I guess.

I’ll be staying in the US for another 2 weeks or so, getting to go to New York, Miami and Las Vegas. Should be fun!

2010
02/21
CATEGORY
Events
Life
Microsoft
MVP
Travelling
Virtualization
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